What are the origins of Frank n Al Chai?

Frank n Al Chai was born from a need to find something to replace coffee. I was on a meditation retreat with no coffee and woke with a headache I couldn’t get rid of on the second day. I didn’t realise till this point that it had such control over my body, so I set about trying to find a nice chai to replace my morning coffee. There are many great Chai’s out there, but many were too sweet or not strong enough for me or had caffeine in the tea used or weren’t organic, so I set about making my own.

What are some of the unexpected aspects in starting your business?

The most unexpected thing to happen when I started was Covid. It literally hit our shores as I started my business.

I was building a business as a yoga and meditation teacher at the time, so I had to put this to one side for a while. Looking back, I’m not sure I would have taken the business to where it is now if the pandemic didn’t happen.

A pleasant surprise was the open arms of the local small business community down the coast. Everyone was doing it pretty hard but still took time to give both myself and my product a go.

Your Products are raved about, what is it like to get success from something you have created?

So humbling…. I am pinching myself…people are authentic. When they taste Frank N Al Chai at markets, you can instantly tell if someone is into it or not, and people just take a sip and say Mmmmm, that’s beautiful. 

People contact me to tell me how much they love Frank n Al Chai. They send me pics and rave to their friends and family, who then come and rave to me at markets!! It’s the best!

Did you ever have someone you looked up to in your childhood that might have influenced your ability to be so adaptive?

Growing up, I was a bit of a square peg and didn’t know who I was or what I was ‘supposed ‘to do.

My grandfather loved me for who I was, and I loved being with him. He was the guy who could make anything he needed out of what he had. He once made me a skateboard from some old roller skates and a plank of wood fashioned into a deck. We painted it white with an electrical tape stripe down the middle…to make it go faster!

He instilled in me the value of fun and giving things a go.

What was your background before Frank?

I have had a very interesting journey through my pursuit to find out why I am here. I worked in hospitality when I was younger, at music venues, so it was my work and my social life. I met my husband, Ricky, there too, so it worked out to be much more than a job. I also loved talking to people about their lives…people are so interesting. 

I also worked in a company called Avant Card for over 20 years! The free postcard company no longer exists, but I am great mates with the owner Pat, who always kept the planet in mind when she ran that company. She is a total girl boss!

I was a distribution manager for Victoria and learnt a lot about what people resonated with (marketing!) This helped me out heaps with my decision for packaging and how I wanted to present my product.

I was always drawn to meditation throughout my life. And in 2018, I completed a diploma in meditation and mindfulness. This formal study helped me realise that it wasn’t about the destination. It helped me to realise that I was on the right path and had always been and to continue living in the now and to just be

I put one of my beautiful meditations into each pack of Chai to help make the chai drinking experience that much more enjoyable.

What advice would you give to other people thinking of starting a business?

Running my own product-based business has given me a great sense of self-worth. I created this from a need I had and made it the best possible product. In addition, I made sure my product had a minimal harmful impact by using compostable packaging and only sourced the best possible organic ingredients.

I love this world I live in and only want to live as harmoniously as possible with it. However, it’s not all bottom line with me. When creating a product or service, it’s not hard to be mindful of the planet and all that inhabit it. Try not to be fooled by a plastic bag with a green leaf on it and the word ‘recyclable’. There is 4 times as much plastic used to make one ‘recyclable’ bag instead of the single-use degradable bags of the past. 

My supplier of compostable packaging said that people have never been buying more of these plastic bags, which makes me sad. The choice is easy, just don’t. There are other less harmful options. Most people bring their own bags to shop these days anyway.

If I was to give advice to someone wanting to start their own business, I would want them to make sure they were value-adding to the community in which they live. But, again, it’s about the trade you make. You get paid money to provide people with something that should equal or exceed that value, which will enrich people’s lives…no gimmicks… it’s such a great feeling.

Cubbyhouse or treehouse?

Definitely, treehouse, as it gives you so much more! (as long as you are not harming the tree, of course!)

You can climb up into it; you get a different perspective from ground level. It has an element of danger which is exciting. You can have a rope to swing on or a slide to make a quick exit. You have beautiful greenery all around you, be one with the birds…so much fun just thinking about it.

Check out Frank’n Al Chai on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/franknal_chai

And the website  https://franknalchai.bigcartel.com/

How did Lanas start? What was your inspiration?

My inspiration was family! Lana’s Garden was born from necessity and being able to spend time with my growing children.

What are some of the unexpected things that happened when you started?

Starting Lana’s Garden was a huge learning curve! At the start, there were mishaps such as ordering jars for my product that then had to find their way down a corrugated, country road to my house – there were a few broken jars along the way!

There were so many good, unexpected things like extended family and community support. I remember the first market we went to, Scott’s Creek market. My daughter Zoe and I set out for the day – we didn’t have a gazebo, only our product and a table. We started with 150 jars to sell, and WE SOLD OUT! I was very unsure and felt very vulnerable, but that was an exciting and unexpected way to start my business.

Everyone loves your beautiful products so much! What is it like to achieve success from your creations?

I am really passionate about this brand and what we have built. Because Lana’s Garden is based on my Grandmother’s Rhubarb Relish recipe, I have that will or want to succeed because I feel as though I’m representing my family.

 My uncle told everybody, ‘this is my mum’s recipe’. It made me feel so proud to represent my family like that, and it gave me a huge amount of satisfaction. One of the biggest things that I am proud of is that it is not something that I have taken over but something that I have created and built upon.

Did you ever have someone you looked up to in your childhood that might have influenced your ability to be so adaptive?

My dad. Even though I was raised in a traditional household, my dad instilled the sense to ‘give it a crack. He had me out fencing and fishing and all those sorts of things. Also, my Grandparents and people of the older generations – I saw my Grandparents being thrifty and sustainable, making amazing things out of what they had. It always comes back to family – they were all adaptable.

Both my Grandmothers and my mother did what needed to be done to keep the family ticking over. One Grandmother went off to the ammunitions factory, and the other worked in the telephone exchange – Pretty impressive on both accounts.

Mum was raised on a dairy farm, worked in retail, went back to the dairy farm, and found another job again – just watching my mum doing what needed to be done definitely inspired me to be adaptable in all aspects of my life.

What was your background before Lanas Garden?

I had a hospitality and sales background – which was the perfect storm for what I’m doing now!

I started with a cooking apprenticeship at the local Hotel Warrnambool and the iconic Lady Bay Hotel. Then, after leaving hospitality to start a family, I worked for Tim and Caroline at Timboon Fine Icecream. I learned so much from working with them. This was my first experience working with a quality, family-run artisan food business.

Has anyone supported you in a special way you would like to mention?

I would like to shout out to all of the amazing women who have been a part of Lana’s Garden over the years – we would not be where we are without them.

What advice would you give to other people thinking of starting a business? 

Be prepared for a lot of challenges! But, like most challenges, ‘tackle it like you’re eating an elephant…one bite at a time.’

Go for it but make sure that you are in it for the right reasons – at the end of the day, having a passion for what you are creating keeps you going. It’s a lot of hard work, and if money is the only reason you are in it, you may as well go and work for someone else.

Cubbyhouse or treehouse? 

Definitely a treehouse!

Why? Because I feel like your view is unencumbered. You can see the landscape and dream big! I love a good treehouse.

Lana’s products are handmade in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia; they are gluten-free and vegan and do not contain artificial colours, artificial flavours or artificial preservatives. Our team tasted a delicious selection, and we particularly loved the Rhubarb and Fig Jam. To check out more of her Australian Made goodness, go to https://www.lanasgarden.com and don’t forget to check out her Insta page- full of inspo.