BETTER TOGETHER: The sisters behind Mustard Made on the art of balance when it comes to running a business with family.
Mustard Made co-founder Becca Stern says the brand started as an elaborate way to spend more time with her sister, Jess. No joke! For these two, who live on opposite sides of the world, the balance of work, play and connection is tangled up in their love of colourful lockers.
Hello Mustard Made, can you tell us where you’re speaking to us from today?
Hi there, I’m Becca Stern and I’m the co-founder of Mustard Made, along with my sister Jess. I live in Newcastle, in Australia and Jess is in London.
Why lockers? Can you tell us about how you started the business? What were some of the things you were inspired by?
Jess and I had spoken for years about starting a business together. It was one of those long-term dreams that had always been something we wanted to do ‘someday’. Then Jess was in Australia to meet my newborn son, Ellis, in 2016 and on one long walk along the beach we started to really brainstorm what a business might look like.
I had a few old lockers in my home and studio that I had found in antique shops and flea markets over the years. I thought they were so beautiful, but they were never very functional. We could see the potential to reimagine them into something that was both beautiful and practical. Six months later we were in China, with baby Ellis along for the ride, and six months after that we launched our first products at a trade show.
What is it like working with your sister? Have you always been collaborative in this way? What do you each bring to the brand?
We like to joke that Mustard is all just an elaborate plan to make sure we get to hang out more often! Which actually isn’t a joke; getting to spend time together is a huge part of why Jess and I started this business and what we love most about Mustard!
We’ve grown Mustard in a way that really plays to both our strengths and means there isn’t that much overlap in what we each do day-to-day. Jess has a background in buying and procurement, so she manages the day-to-day operations and logistics side of the business. I look after the visuals of the brand and products, as well as the marketing and communications.
It’s meant that we can both do what we’re best at and we both respect each other’s strengths in that area, which means we very rarely hit on a difference of opinion.
You both live in different timezones - what are some of the ways you connect and work while being so far apart.
It really is both a benefit and a challenge for a global business having half your team asleep at any one time! We use collaborative tools like Trello and Google Suite across our business to make sure that we’re all able to stay connected and up-to-date with everything that’s going on. And Jess and I Facetime a lot!
What does a typical day look like for you both?
A typical day for me is really varied, but always fun and inspiring. My day usually starts and ends with Facetimes with Jess and other members of the UK team. Then throughout the day, I’m working across any number of projects with my team here in Australia.
One of the things I love about my work is that I get to dream up exciting, creative, out-of-the-box ideas and then work with my team to bring those to life. That might be travelling halfway across Australia to do a photoshoot at a customer’s gorgeous home, building a 6ft-high Christmas tree out of baskets or creating a bespoke stopmotion video.
How do you connect outside of work? Is there anything you like to do together? Is it hard to put work aside completely when you’re together.
One of the main challenges we face is making sure we make ‘business free time’ to catch up as sisters. We sometimes call each other for ‘sister chats’ where we just get to chat like sisters and ignore the work stuff!
Now that the world is opening up and travel is possible again, one of the things we love to do most is to visit each other. We’ve already seen each other in-person three times this year (I’ve travelled to London twice and Jess has been to Australia once so far!). Nothing can make up for losing two years to Covid, but we’re trying to make the most of our time now!
Can you give us your best organisation hacks? We love the colours and designs, do you think these motivate people to stay organised - when things look beautiful.
Colour is a really powerful motivator and it can bring so much joy to something that otherwise might feel a bit dull. We all know how good it feels to have your space tidy and organised, and it feels even better when it looks beautiful too. One of my favourite ways to do this is to organise things by colour. For example, I like to colour-coordinate my wardrobe; it makes it feel more ordered as well as looking lovely and aesthetically pleasing. And if you really want to have fun with it you can also colour match your hangers to your clothes.
Who were you thinking of when you started the brand?
Ourselves! The products we make at Mustard are all ones that I would use in my own home. As a mum of three boys, and living in a house with very little built-in storage, products that can help me tidy and organise my life are so valuable to me. Any time we’re thinking of introducing a new product we ask ourselves, ‘would we use this in our own homes?’, and if the answer is ‘yes’ then it feels pretty likely other people would find it useful as well.
Any tips for women wanting to start a business?
Don’t be afraid to be yourself! Confidence can come in many forms, there can be a feeling that there is a certain way you ‘should’ be as an entrepreneur. One of the things we’ve learnt through our Mustard journey has been that we can do business our way, and when we do it has always worked out for the best for us. You are your own best asset, so invest in yourself, back yourself and do things in a way that feel right for you and your business.