Carman’s Kitchen with CEO and Founder Carolyn Creswell

At age 18 she bought a tiny business for $1000, today it’s known as an Australian iconic food brand CARMEN’S. Today you’ll hear the story of how Carolyn Creswell uses to park her little Daewoo car alongside the big semi-trailers at the supermarket loading docks to delivery her product to the largest supermarket chains in Australia.…(not any more though!) We hear about Carolyn’s biggest challenge in her 28yr of business plus she also shares her very sound advice for other businesswomen. Mentions on the show: Carman’s Kitchen website: Carman’s gluten-free crackers: Stay in contact with me here: Facebook and Instagram page Listen on iTunes – http://apple.co/3jSf7u0   About Carolyn Creswell Carman’s founder Carolyn Creswell is an inspirational leader whose success proves that you can run a multinational business, love what you do and have a genuine work-life balance. As an 18 year old university student, Carolyn Creswell founded Carman’s in 1992. She bought the tiny business for $1,000. This December 2020 Carman’s proudly celebrated its 28th birthday and is Australia’s number one selling muesli brand along with being a leader of deliciously good for you bars and nutritional snacks. From humble beginnings where Carolyn used to park her tiny Daewoo alongside semitrailers in supermarket loading docks, Carolyn’s determination and focus on producing quality products using whole foods, has seen Carman’s build a strong following in more than 30 countries around the world. Carolyn’s passion for healthy food made from real ingredients has cemented Carman’s reputation as a food brand that customers around the world can trust to be natural, healthy and delicious. As a proud mother of four children aged 16 and under, Carolyn understands the importance of producing nourishing foods for herself and her family and applies this to every Carman’s recipe. Calling the Carman’s staff her “second family”, Carolyn put them at forefront of her mind when designing the new office that the business moved into in 2018. Now one of the most enviable working spaces in Australia, Carman’s HQ offers its employees access to a gym, yoga studio, sauna and massage room, free barista-made coffee and on site chef. Carolyn has also loved extending the space to the public, via the Carman’s Kitchen Store, and other businesses, with conference facilities and meeting rooms for hire. Carolyn’s business acumen has led to a number of accolades including the winner of 2007 Ernst & Young’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and being named the 2012 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year. She is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Carolyn is an Ambassador for the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre and is also Patron of the St Kilda Gatehouse. Carolyn is a former Board Member of the Human Rights Law Centre. As Carolyn looks to the future “I’m amazed at the achievements of Carman’s thanks to our loyal consumers. The growth we’ve experienced is thanks to hard work, a talented team and a range of products that we’re really proud of and that people love to eat. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in the next twenty-eight years!”