I’ve been following Annette on Instagram for a long time, without knowing the face behind the brand.You see, Annette is the brains behind Danger and Moon and more recently Confetti Edition and I’ve had a long time love affair with her creative ventures. And since everyone has a story, I was so pleased Annette agreed to an interview – because her background in fashion is much more exciting that I could have imagined! Happy reading.
Name – children – background – Go!
Annette McIntosh. Born and bred in Ocean Grove before leaving home for a short stint in Melbourne and then to Geelong to be closer to my boyfriend (now husband). I spent 16 years working in the Fashion Industry after graduating from The Gordon for some of Australia’s largest retailers as everything from a Fashion Designer to Production Manager, Senior Trend Forecaster and most recently a Textile Designer. My husband Ben and I married in 2013 after 15 years together and have Archer 3.5yo and another little boy due in Sept 2018. Danger and Moon is actually named after Archer whose middle name is Danger (that was my husband… I was drugged up, hormonal and vulnerable!) (this is my favourite part of the story to be honest – my own husband wanted to call our child Turbo! – TBB).
TBB: Annette, super mum to one, pregnant with another and owner of not one, but two creative businesses – honestly, you must be like Beyonce and have more hours in the day than most of us, right?
Yes two businesses… Confetti Edition x Danger & Moon is the sister brand and the wedding side of the biz. Danger and Moon launched in 2015 and Confetti Edition in 2017. Up until 6 months ago I was working full time in Melbourne, commuting on the train and up at 5am every day and home at 8pm. I worked on D&M on the train, on my lunch breaks and then as soon as I got home until midnight plus all weekend. I was aiming for what I’m living right now… making this my full time gig. I’ve always been an incredibly passionate and driven person. The fashion industry is incredibly demanding with more overtimes hours than you could ever believe, so I guess to put in this many hours feels normal! I’ve learnt tricks to be incredibly productive and live my life from to-do lists and my diary to get shit done.
TBB: Tell us some more about the two businesses – how you started them, and how they’ve changed as your family grows.
The idea for Danger & Moon started as I was heading for maternity leave with Archer. I’ll be honest and fully disclose that at first I saw it as my “out” of corporate world and after such a long time in the ragtrade it felt so superficial and I’d lost my passion for it. What Danger & Moon evolved into however, was a business that celebrates the happiest occasions of peoples lives and brings together loved ones. My job is to basically party with people all day long! I’d always made invitations and found the business expanded my skills set, passion for parties. I soon honed in on my niche of custom work and personal service in an online world of invites. As the family grows, so does the business! The biz launched when Archer was 6 months old. I’ve spent a lot of time investing in myself personally through coaching to become the best me. That means I can give my family what they need, me what I need and the business what it needs. I smashed through my own limiting beliefs around “mummy guilt” and learned when to put my hand up and ask for help. I have a fantastic team of freelancers that design, manage my social media and even do my print finishing. That way I can confidently delegate and take a break to spend time with the fam. I work from home so I’m available to my family everyday. Dinner together each night is a not negotiable. Client appointments are scheduled so I can do bedtime with Archer or for when he’s at daycare, and only made at set times every week so there’s no surprises to my family.
TBB: Whats 3 of the most surprising things you’ve found since becoming a mum?
The most surprising things I’ve found since becoming a mum… you can survive on far less sleep than you expected and you’ve never know tired before parenthood. Children and babies have no concept of organisation so this organised freak had to learn to let it go and become far more flexible and just roll with it. And finally, if you need something done, give it to a mum… she’s super productive when a baby is sleeping!
TBB: A tip to yourself 10 years ago?
A tip to myself 10 years ago… this is a really good one. I think the biggest lesson of learned of late about myself is to learn that’s it ok to be vulnerable. I had a limiting belief it was weak to put my hand up and say “hey, I kinda need help here”. Now I see it as a sign of courage and strength. Previously I had a stubborn attitude that I have to do it all to prove a point, or that if I rely on others they would let me down. It wasn’t a healthy mindset. Now, my husband can come home to find my sister doing the vaccumming or Archer is at his grandparents an extra day or I to asking him “can you do dinner tonight”. I really do think as women we put to much pressure on ourselves to do it all. My fave saying is “in order to grow you have to let it grow” and I’ve found as I practise this, it really is true.
TBB: 5 people you would invite to dinner and why – GO!
Ooo good question! The more I think about it the 5 people I picture at dinner are my closest friends and mentors directly in my life, who I’ve been incredibly blessed to either be coached by or have as managers in corporate. Conversation and laughs just flow (and the wine!!). You can get really deep and meaningful and pick each others brains. I believe you are the equal sum of the 5 people closest to you. If I had to choose people outside my circle I think Sophia Ambrosa (founder of Nasty Gal and Girl Boss) to hear her no BS approach in person and thoughts on entrepreneurialship and breaking all the rules, Tracy Harris (founder of Mums with Hustle) as a fellow mum growing an amazing business and what inspires her, Jasmine Dowling as a creative woman in business (and please give me a lesson in hand typography!!), Peter Hitchner (anchor Channel 9 news) I don’t know what it is about it him but I love having Hitch tell me my news every evening with this innate ability to be sensitive, dramatic and funny all at once, Ellen DeGeneres as a woman that has stood up and stood out as a leader and activist yet still has a fun ad grounded vibe with the ability to laugh at herself.
The Bean Bible 