In the town with the heart of a village, businesswomen are reaping the rewards of working co-operatively at a Thirroul gift shop. 2515 reports. See story below or find the magazine layout here

Sheralee Rae’s shop is a collective in the true sense of the word.

A shared retail store, Thirroul Collective has a dozen main members, selling everything from crystals to candles. Sheralee also stocks products by local artisans (think chilli, coffee, granola and honey) and artists, such as Lisa Rodden.

“Everybody is invested,” Sheralee says. “Everybody works together and it’s for the greater good of their own businesses. We all give each other feedback, we collab together.

“The whole concept is about supporting local, promoting local, staying local.

“People love local. If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that we really need to support local business and especially small local business.” 

The shop opened in February 2019. 

“It’s been amazing. I just gathered some friends and said, ‘Look, we’ve got this space. Let’s all work a day’ … Our hashtag is #foreverevolving.”

The store has been a great launching pad. Brianna and Beti, of Furry’n’Fabulous, and Kellie, of Baby By Boutique Bundles, have gone on to open their own shops in Corrimal. 

The collective (and its individual members) shone in the 2020 Local Business Awards and they’re hoping for more accolades in 2021. 

While men do play a role (notably, Graham of the Lobster Shack), the collective concept is particularly appealing to local mothers.

Sheralee says it’s all about balance. “Nine till three, when the kids are at school, they can be involved in their biz… then they can do school pick-up and then they can be mum.” 

All of the 12 main members are mothers, including a few mum-and-daughter duos.

“It’s really a biz mum hub. Everyone collabs and helps each other.

“That’s why this works.  

“Look, the hustle is real – you’ve still got to work. When the kids go to bed, we’ll get back at our computers and do stuff.

“We have a chat page on Facebook, that’s the easiest way for everyone to connect.”

The shop’s back room occasionally becomes a shared workspace. “We have a little wine at the end of the day, and come up with our best ideas. So it is networking and it’s working off each other. It’s collabing. It’s not being isolated. 

“To be a mother and have your own business, it can be really isolating when you work from home or if it’s online. Having the retail store, having the collective, it eliminates all of that.”

There are 12 main small business partners.

“I rent a space to each business,” Sheralee says. “They come in and merchandise and stock, and look after their own area. Then I’ve got some smaller local businesses – they haven’t got enough stock to fill a whole area – so that’s why I’m doing a local shelf, I call it the Little Artisans.

“We have a non-compete agreement in store, so each business, if they want to put a new product in, must get admin approval.”

Beyond her own store, Sheralee is passionate about promoting the town and the region, especially the Grand Pacific Drive tourist trail.

“My biggest thing is supporting local.

“I’ve been in this community for 25 years and I still shop in all the other businesses in Thirroul. If we don’t have something, I’ll send them around the corner, up the street.

“I come from a place of abundance and I believe there’s enough business for everybody.”

Many locals know Sheralee from the school run.

Her daughter, Chloe, went to Austinmer Public School and Sheralee was P&C president for a couple of years. 

Chloe is now at Bulli High, doing business studies and is also part of Thirroul Collective – she runs the small business, In A Mans World, with Sheralee’s partner.

“Behind every good business woman is a great man,” Sheralee says.

“There is no way I would have been able to open Thirroul Collective and continue to work seven days in a retail store without the unconditional love and support from my partner, Gary Vaughan.

“Gaz is my business mentor and our family rock, which allows me to continue to thrive while pursuing my passion.

“My daughter has grown up going to trade shows with me – you know, in the sling.”

Sheralee is immensely proud of Chloe, whose kindness was acknowledged with the citizenship award in primary school and is still evident today in her dealings with children in store.

“She dances locally at Thirroul Dance Academy, and she’s a student teacher there. 

“So all the local children just love coming in to see her, and they still call her Miss Chloe.”

Chloe’s business began 18 months ago, after she lost her father, “a kindred spirit”. 

In A Mans World focuses on men’s giftware, such as leather wallets, Aussie undies, timber games. Running it with Gary has given Chloe independence, direction and helped her through a difficult time, Sheralee says.

“She is very much a part of this collective.”

Sheralee’s own business is the Eclectic She Shed.

“I don’t know why men always have a shed. We’re working as hard as them. 

“Every woman should have a little She Shed in the backyard with a nice lounge chair and a place that they can go to, with the salt lamp on, with their crystals, to either journal, to do yoga, to meditate.”

A She Shed needn’t be an actual shed – it could even be a room, a chair – any small space that’s your own, she says. 

“I stock self-care products, like the salt lamps, the selenite, the crystals, coffee cups – anything basically that’s for She, for your own self-care.”

Other businesses in store include pet-care specialists Furry’n’Fabulous, Kellie’s eco-friendly Little Changes (“all about being user-friendly for our planet”); and Bella Bohemian by Sonya (“boho fashion, sunglasses, lipsticks, accessories”). Mellissa’s Heim & Body stocks “beautiful things” for the home and body, including PJs. 

“Harper and Rose (by Michelle and Eleanor) were a florist, but when Covid hit – no weddings, no fresh flowers, so they went into forever flowers.”

Janine, of Desiderate, is a local designer who makes sterling silver jewellery and gemstones. Baby By Boutique Bundles sells babies wear and maternity. I Am Aromatics products (from bath salts to beard oil) are all handmade locally.

“Melissa uses a local ceramicist to make the bowls to put her incense in. She also does a lot of work with the Eve Project, they help abused women get back into life and help upskill them … so she’s heavily entrenched in the community.”

Coal Coast Candles are made locally by Amy and Jess. Sheralee loves their wood wicks. “You get that crackle when it burns, it just burns beautifully in the glass jar. Again, thinking of the environment, bring your jars back and they will refill them.”

One of the candle makers, Amy, is also a florist, who provides the greenery in store.

“All the businesses complement each other.”

Sheralee’s had a varied career.

But her favourite things remain talking to customers and helping others.

She credits coming from a country background and a big family for inspiring her work ethic.

“Dad’s got 12 brothers and sisters; mum’s got nine brothers and sisters. They’ve all got four kids each. I grew up in the Bankstown-Punchbowl area; all my friends were Italian in those days.”

Sheralee fell in love with the South Coast on Harley rides with her late husband. 

“My background is very varied, from medical to fashion industry and interior industry, and the wholesale section. I used to own garbage trucks – that’s when recycling very first started about 25 years ago. It was mainly in the CBD of Sydney. 

“So I’ve always been environmentally conscious, and also very creative and sales-oriented as well.
I was on the road, a sales rep for a long time, I’ve done a lot of admin work, care work. I’ve done retail, wholesale, markets, design. 

“Prior to owning the shop. I did a lot of pop-ups and things online, with other local businesses. 

“I’ve travelled extensively overseas.

“You get to see views and aspects from so many different areas when you’ve had a varied life.” 

How the store survived Covid

Other than mandatory lockdown closures, Thirroul Collective has continued to open 9am to 5pm daily throughout the pandemic.

“We are eternally grateful, we have been supported so well. People know it’s local.

“Most of the people who shop here know the business owners. So they know that this is putting food on tables, it’s sustaining a family. 

“And they know when they come in here that there’s good service. We’ll look after the kids while they shop, we’ll look after the elderly. We’ll do free delivery, open late, gift wrap – nothing’s a problem.” 

It’s a small shop with wide aisles.

“We need to stay pram-friendly and wheelchair-friendly. We have some local customers that are in wheelchairs, they love the fact that this is the go-to shop. They can always buy a present in here. 

“We open for appointments after hours. We also do workshops on weekends when the store closes. 

“We want to be known as the local co-op, the local hub – people come, they meet, they chat. 

“Pre-Covid, we had late-night shopping. This end (north of IGA) would stay open and we’d have nibbles and bubbles. It was like a street party.”

Sheralee hopes to revive this idea with art trail nights. “They’ll start at Van Yello. They’ll come in here, there’ll be a couple of buskers on the way. They’ll pop across to Artspace. Then they’ll go to Blackbird and have coffee… ”

And maybe finish at Franks Wild Years.

Keeping Thirroul’s village character is key.

Working in retail has had its challenges – from Covid to the shadow of a new Thirroul Plaza.

“The development proposal across the road is making a lot of local businesses nervous. 

“It’s a beautiful seaside village. You don’t want to turn it into Byron Bay. We need to harness our village atmosphere.” 

Sheralee – who supports the Save Thirroul Village campaign by handing out stickers – says she is looking forward to events that will bring visitors to town, including the re-opening of Anita’s and the possibility of a Seaside Festival later this year.

“Family comes first,” Sheralee says.

This maxim dates back to when she was Austinmer’s P&C president and parents wanted to chat at pick-up time.

“Chloe would stand there patiently, because everybody wanted a piece of me. Until one day she said to me: ‘Mummy, it’s just our time now’. 

“I forgot that all she wants to do is tell me about her day. For me to look down and see that face…

“From that day on – she’s now in year 11 – every day, that time is carved out, time for her. She will tell me exactly what’s happened in every subject, every day. 

“Businesses is great, having a daughter in businesses is great. But without family, the value is not there. So that is my life’s lesson.” 

The store is at 273 Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Thirroul. Visit www.thirroulcollective.com.au