OUR TEAM

My name is Charlotte and I'm 24. I grew up in Newcastle and started my business, Sago Sun, in 2019 just before I moved to northern NSW. I have been back living in Newcastle for the last three years.

Since I was young, I've had a keen interest in all things old and started thrifting with my mum at around the age of 10 and as I got older I would regularly thrift with friends for fun. Sago was initially an idea to sell my bulk amount of hoarded vintage to make some extra cash when I was living out of home at 19. But it quickly turned into importing wholesale vintage from Canada. When COVID-19 hit, that was no longer possible, but the business was doing well, so I kept it up in other creative ways. I now gather my stock from thrift stores around Australia, which is simply the most enjoyable part of this side gig for me.

Before I launched this business, I was fired up about the concept of sustainability. I wanted to create an additional platform to the many pre-existing ones so that I could add to the rotation of sustainable fashion. Five years ago, buying vintage or pre-loved online was not as big as it is now, and I'm grateful that I got my foot in the door.

I work as a Primary Teachers Aide five days a week outside of Sago. I adore my job and my students. Finding something as fulfilling as my job has helped me in many aspects of my life, particularly my mental health. I love the routine, the chaos, and connecting with young minds. Every single one of the children I have supported has taught me something about myself or has made me more aware of how fascinating and wonderful children's minds can be. As a neurodivergent person myself, I feel incredibly lucky that I get to support these kids, just as I needed in school. Being surrounded by playful energy in my work is extremely healing.

I had previously gone full-time with sago for a year. This was great for allowing me the time to improve the business and to dive into it all in full force. Although I found myself burning out and losing my spark. Hence returning to work and making the big call to take on my first employee Madi and not long later, Gracie! This has been by far the best decision I could have made for not only the business but for myself. Having extra minds onboard has helped catapult SagoSun into a whole new realm of fun. Madi does an unreal job of sourcing, shooting, running sales, shipping, chatting to customers.. the whole lot really, we pretty much are the same character in Sago. Gracie is a master sewer. In the short time that she has been with us, I’ve seen some of my oldest visions come to light, with the most thoughtful and careful quality I have seen from someone sewing out of their own space. I couldn’t be happier to have Gracie sharing her talent with us and I cannot wait to see what comes of it.

As I continue juggling both my 'real job' and this job, I have massive dreams of what could come from Sago. I hope to have a showroom in the future, a studio for myself and my team to work from, a shopfront, and an in-house collection of clothing designed and curated by us. It's not about the cash for me anymore; it's about the passion. I adore this side gig more than I ever could have hoped, and keeping it going is my biggest goal of them all.