Sauce x Me. | Perseverance, Entrepreneurship and Imbalance with Hannah Mellsop
In proud partnership with Me.
To celebrate the launch of Me, a period care brand designed by, and for, the modern-day womxn – Sauce speaks with the Me Collective.
The Me Collective is a genus of diverse, socially conscious, real
womxn hailing from New Zealand.
Period care is intimate and integral, but so often it’s left unspoken and positioned on our shelves in a typically unsophisticated manner. Periods are personal, but they’re also universal. Blood is interconnection.
In partnering with Me, we aim to explore taboo conversations around period care, to touch on topics others have left unsaid. To connect on a level we haven’t with you before, we hope you find something you are looking for here, Saucettes.
We understand not only womxn bleed and not all womxn bleed. Me Collective members may use gendered terms in their storytelling that aligns with their personal experience or understanding.
Our sixth and final Me. collective member is with entrepreneur, Hannah Mellsop. Hannah has built her thriving business from the ground up. Hannah radiates passion, and her ingenuity has enabled her to capitalise a niche market and pave the way for other companies to follow.
Hannah is a kick-arse girl boss; she’s a go-getter, she’s a businesswoman and our latest dream Saucette. We hope you love this interview as much as we do.
Why did you start Real Rad Food?
Real Rad Food was born out of a passion for plant-based food and social media marketing. During my time at university, I fell in love with creating and sharing plant-based food with a community of people online. As the community of people grew, I began to see an opportunity to turn my passion into a full-time gig. So I did! In 2017, the Instagram handle changed from @balancinghan (lol) to @realradfood, and I began my mission of making delicious, healthy and beautiful food more accessible to everyone. No matter what the dietary requirement, whether that be a cafe cabinet, online store or more recently, New World Stores across the country.
How did you acquire the capital to launch your business?
I started Real Rad Food with $5000 of personal savings, and I am proud to say that we are debt and investment free four years later.
What has been the most significant business growth moment to date?
Launching Rad Ball Mixes into Food Stuffs (New World/Four Square) and having 30 stores order the product in less than ten days.
How did you come up with the concept to create a Hormonal Support Protein Supplement?
Rad Protein Hormonal Support was born out of a struggle I had for many years in my early 20's. I was working incredibly hard at growing Real Rad Food (glamorising the hustle is what I like to call it), exercising too much and not nourishing my body with the micro and macronutrients it needed! This led to many many years of Amenorrhea (loss of period). It was my body's way of telling me it was not okay. When I finally started to listen, I found myself in weekly conversations with the wealth of knowledge that is Dietitian, Sara of Your Monthly. I opened up about my journey to our community online, and there was an overwhelming amount of women experiencing similar issues with hormonal imbalances. I started to pay attention to the nutrients I was getting through food and made sure that every morning I included a protein source in my breakfast smoothie (breakfast used to not be a thing for me before that!). I also started to explore herbs that could help get my hormones back to equilibrium and started putting those in there too. It seemed clear to me that there was a need for not only a really clean and functional plant-based protein powder but one that had the needs of women at the forefront.
How has COVID-19 impacted your business? Have you noticed a growth in your business with more people spending time at home?
COVID-19 hit our Food Service (wholesaling to cafes) revenue stream pretty hard. I knew that we had to pivot, and we had to pivot quickly. During the four weeks spent in lockdown, I went back to where it all began, and that was social media. I wanted to give back to the community that had supported us to get to where we are today in the hopes that they would support us again when our doors opened back up. I decided that the best way to do this was going over a few of our treasured recipes on live streams and IGTV videos. The response and excitement about being able to make Real Rad Food at home was incredible! Long story short, I saw the missing piece in my company very clearly. A low price point product that could be found on supermarket shelves that not only tasted RAD but was made up of all REAL ingredients. Fast forward a few months and Rad Ball Mixes now make up our largest revenue stream.
Are you on the pill?
No, I'm not. After suffering many years of Amenorrhea (absence of a period), I decided to get the Copper IUD. This is the only form of contraception that does not interfere with your hormones in any way, shape or form. I get to celebrate my period arriving every month and know that I am fully in control of what is happening in my body. In saying this, of course, women need to make decisions that are best for them and for some (many), being on the pill is the best option.
How do you manage PMS?
I don't believe that I do, but my boyfriend would suggest otherwise.
What gives you butterflies in your stomach?
The feeling of rapid growth and chasing our own tail to keep up.
When do you feel most empowered?
When I get the opportunity to tell the story of Real Rad Food and reflect on the success that my hard work has created.
What does being a woman mean to you?
It means being a compassionate, empathetic, kick-ass lady who can do anything she sets her mind to.
Photography – Lula Cucchiara
In proud partnership with Me.
