CARA LITTLE

MUM | WIFE | PHARMACIST | BUSINESS OWNER, PURE HOME BODY | PROPERTY ENTREPRENEUR | MEDIA COMMENTATOR | BUSINESS COACH

How many identities do you both have?

1. Mumma, my main gig, to 2 uber cool boys Oliver 8 and Gabriel 5 and a dog baby named Princeton 

2. Your not so average Pharmacist. I’m alternative!... And considered slightly crazy amongst my colleagues. I love looking at how I can empower people into taking control of their health by approaching their health in a fun, holistic way. Although I don’t work as much as I used to in pharmacy I locum when I am called upon. 

3. Business Owner: I am the founder and director of lifestyle brand Pure Home Body which is my next main gig. Established in 2015, Pure Home Body aims to help inspire people to make better choices in their home. 

4. Entrepreneur: I have 3 businesses (PHB, a design and construction business and a property portfolio) and invest silently in startups. I love diversifying my role and having my hands in many pies! It’s challenging and so rewarding.  

5. Business Coach: I coach product based businesses as they require a completely different approach to a service based business and are more complex. Lacking this advice when I first started up and wanting to pass my knowledge on I now coach startups to help grow and get their brand out there in the most effective way. 

6. Media Commentator: I am a regular panelist on Channel 9’s The Pulse, have been featured on Today Tonight, Studio 10 and are a regular Home Health Expert commentator on radio for my articles on low tox and healthy living. 

How did you start your career journey in life?

I started my ‘true’ business journey after I had my 2 children. But let’s rewind that to 5 years earlier. A chance encounter with a mum and her 2 year old daughter in the Pharmacy planted the seed for what would become Pure Home Body and the Pure Lifestyle Co. Not being able to provide her with any more advice I felt helpless in that moment as a health care professional and knew I had to educate and upskill myself quick smart. So, you can say I started out with a passion for knowledge that then developed into a purpose to help the wider community. I developed my line of home and body products with the idea to help educate and empower women, in particular, and families in their own home. That the home was just as important variable to consider in your overall wellbeing as diet and exercise. The Pure Home Body range is not complicated, can be used over a number of areas in the home in order to simplify your supplies and help kick start you on your journey to living low tox and healthier. 

What inspired you to start Clean Living in your home? 

It was simple really. Once you know you can’t………. unknown 😉 So after completing my research and already having an understanding of health and wellness and the reality of how our lifestyles impact our wellbeing it was only natural for me to infuse it into my life. But I am a huge advocate for ‘Do what works for you!’ There is a lot of BS out there in the health and wellness industry. It’s all about finding what speaks to you and channeling a better lifestyle through that.  This is an important part to owning your health, something we often hand over to our doctors, specialists without realising that true health lies within. 

How did you start Pure Home Body?

I started it in my own laundry. After finding the lack of governing laws around labelling of products, the greenwashing that was happening in the industry and the BS that went with it I couldn’t trust products on the market. They weren’t and still aren’t what they claim to be. Plus, I wanted ‘effective’ products that were better for me. So, what began with making liquid castile soap and mixing essential oils over the years has revolutionised with my understanding of chemistry, plant based compounds and how I could combine them to create effective, healthy and safe products. I knew that I wanted the best for my family yet I was a time poor mumma of 2 who didn’t have all day to spend cleaning.  

Prior to launching I needed to ensure they were effective. Rather than go back into Pharmacy fulltime I started a healthy, eco home cleaning business. I used this to research, test and reformulate until I could guarantee that the range worked well. It also allowed me to get more of an understanding of how people lived (in a non psycho way 😊) and it reinforced that our environment we live in does play a huge roll in our overall wellbeing. 

What has been your biggest hurdle in life so far?

I think the biggest hurdle for me in life has been work life balance. I think as women we often confuse having it all with doing it all, not relinquishing anything because we may be emotionally invested or guilty for not fulfilling our ‘expected’ role in the household or workplace. I married a man who is quite content with me staying home yet he understands that I, like many other women, are educated have dreams and wish to aspire to something. The way I see it is we have on average 100 years to make a difference or leave a legacy on this Earth, so embrace it and be the fullest version of yourself. Finding ‘balance’ is all part of the journey and constantly requires reassessing. If you can bend and flex yet continue to flow in the right direction, and maintain being true to your authentic self you will find the right balance. 

What do you believe your secret to success is, with balancing your business and personal pursuits?

I believe success comes down to 3 key things. The first, Self-belief because If you don’t believe in yourself then no one will. The second, Purpose because this will see you through the tough times. And thirdly, Grit and Perseverance because you need it in every aspect of running a business. Mix this with a dash of organisation otherwise you’ll always be in overwhelm. You also need to be comfortable with changing directions, and not be so emotionally invested in your service or product. Your business may start with a product or service that may no longer exist towards the end of your business journey. 

I also don’t believe in glorifying ‘busy’. This is something that is often mistaken for success, if you’re busy you’re successful. I believe the opposite, what’s the purpose of being successful if it only makes you too busy for the finer and more important things in life. That’s not to say that at times you will be busier than usual in business and you may need to be more ‘in it’ than normal. However, I only set a certain amount of time I spend on each business in the week, but in that time, I am fully on, highly productive and efficient so I can then spend the remainder of the time with family and friends.  

What advice would you give to other women out there who want to step outside their comfort zone and follow their passions but are too afraid?

One of my huge idols is Audrey Hepburn because of this quote 

‘There is no such thing as Impossible, the word itself says I’m possible’.

Being afraid is normal. But being afraid to be the fullest version of yourself or giving things a go can lead to a life less lived. I have made mistakes that have cost me money, sleepless nights, and anxious days and made the journey in business so much longer. But I wouldn’t change it, I’ve learnt so much. I’ve become a fuller version of me, another layer to Cara Little. At the end of the day, the way I see it, as long as you have your health you have nothing to lose. So go for it gurl!