The Red Road Collective began after the birth of our second child left me feeling that I needed to do something for myself, to prevent suffering from the level of post-partum depression and anxiety that I had with our first.
I went from having a previously busy, independent and active lifestyle pre-children, to one of isolation, loneliness and uncertainty on how to move forward and be happy, which was debilitating and felt taboo to talk about.
How could I live and raise our family in our current location, when finding a 9-5 job, day-care, and it being financially viable, was all but impossible?The Collective won't be just another online shopping website, there are already plenty of those. It needs to be welcoming and inviting, socially present, inclusive, and easy for both consumer and seller. A wide selection of handmade products from rural women who love where they live.
A platform where we not only close the kilometres between talented rural women living in the bush, but also give an insight into our everyday lives, to the people who support us and buy our products knowing that it has in instant impact on lives.
The Red Road Collective continues to evolve and change into what it needs to be for the women who make and sell their items, to the people who visit our website and social pages, and also the organisations we give back to.
I would like to think of us as friends who just don’t know each other face to face yet. But are comfortable enough to ask for help, brainstorm, bounce ideas, be involved in learning, network, and get involved within our community to pay it forward when we can.
It was never intended to be just about one person.That is my ultimate dream.
That is The Red Road Collective.