As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Gouganovski.
Mary Gouganovski is the Founder & Director of Mary Grace, an award-winning Australian beauty and lifestyle brand specialising in natural, sustainable, ethical, and cruelty-free formulations for the face, body, and home.
Her journey began over twenty years ago in her family’s beloved small-town candle boutique, where she developed a strong work ethic and discovered her passion for the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship.
Mary holds a Bachelor’s in Business and Commerce (Marketing), a Certificate IV in Small Business Management, and a Diploma in Copywriting. A self-taught entrepreneur, community advocate, and budding motivational voice, she now resides in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Outside of business, Mary enjoys books and movies, is in the process of writing a fantasy novel, and proudly runs on coffee and adrenaline. She loves Autumn and Winter, daylight savings, and lazy Sunday mornings.
In this interview, she reflects on the pivotal moments, hard-earned lessons, and defining wins from her journey in building thriving online ventures.
What’s the origin story behind your business, and how does it reflect who you are beyond the entrepreneur title?
I grew up in a world a lot more simple than the one we’re in today, though I still felt like I was missing out. I’ve always been incredibly sensitive, from such a young age people would joke that I was allergic to life. Everything made me react, made me break out, made my face ache or bleed. I was a young girl in a world full of beautiful things and I couldn’t live in it. Growing up, mum would save up as much money as she could to buy the one set of facial products I could use that would only flare up my sensitivities so much. It would cost her a fortune and it arrived in the mail in the most clinical looking packaging that made me feel like there was something severely wrong with me – just because I was sensitive. Even then, there were only a few products that I could tolerate. I’d be allergic to the rest. I wanted to shift that dynamic, to create a range of products that anyone could love for all the core areas of a person’s life. Bath. Body. Home. I wanted them to be sensitivity safe, beautiful, and affordable. I wanted someone to feel like royalty when using them but to do just that, use them. Not to be afraid because the products broke the bank.
Your work blends purpose with business — what’s the “why” that still gets you out of bed on tough days?
Honestly I feel like there’s been more tough days than good of late. I’m so passionate about my brand, the products I sell and the message behind Mary Grace that I push through. I try to cut through the noise, the imposter syndrome and the ‘what if this doesn’t work’ emotions and focus on the positive, the fact that we’re making an impact with these products, that we’re touching the lives of people who struggled just like I do. Knowing that I’m changing those lives, that I’m giving a small slice of self care back to people means more to me than I can possibly put into words.
Many brands offer similar services, but few capture hearts — what’s your secret to building deep emotional resonance with your audience?
There is something to be said for connection. Listening to your customers, being open to talking to them, open to hearing what they have to say… It’s easy to achieve but it starts by putting yourself out there. You have to be a little vulnerable, you have to be willing to connect in the first place. Mary Grace is more than just a product, more than just a brand. It’s a family. It’s a place where people know that they can belong, that they’re seen. It’s a series of small steps… I send an email out monthly just saying hi, talking to my customers, updating them on things. My day, my life, what we’re working on, what’s coming around the corner. I do similar things on our social media, I’m active in groups where my brand is sold like TVSN’s Show & Tell Group. I’m available as much as I can for customers to know that they mean more to me than the money they spend on products. They matter to me far more than any sale might.
What’s been your most effective marketing strategy, and can you walk us through the creative thinking or risk-taking behind it?
I wish I could say that I did x and it generated y. It was never one singular strategy that helped to grow my brand. I always joke that it took me ten years to become an overnight success because that’s really what it’s like. Countless hours, days, months, years of hard work. Of adapting, of looking at trends, cutting through the noise to what works and what doesn’t, listening to what customers want or don’t want from products, evolving, shifting, rebranding, putting yourself out there time and time again and persevering through all the negative remarks or naysayers. I wasn’t afraid to try different products, to expand ranges when needed or cull if it didn’t work. I felt like I was the wack-a-mole game just poking my head out asking “does this work?” only to get hit back down. But through constant trying I found products that worked, I picked up a loyal customer base and the brand started to grow. Slowly, surely, steadily. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, eventually it picked up enough momentum that perhaps now I’m no longer running behind it pushing it constantly. Now I’m beside it, still guiding it where it needs to go but it’s starting to take over, the risk is starting to pay off.
How do you listen to your community — not just in surveys or analytics — but in ways that help you anticipate their unspoken needs?
I actually don’t do surveys or focus groups, I find people so rarely have the time and I never want to be a bother! I am, however, incredibly active in facebook groups, on my social channels and with my customers directly and like to just talk to them. I’ve been present with them from day one. I’ll ask them questions, read reviews that are posted or comments left on posts and really do my best to take on their feedback. It’s actually how I’ve shaped my entire brand up until this point! In fact, both of my best selling product lines were released and shaped by customer feedback! All you have to do is reach out and be open to talking to your customer base.
Which campaign, collaboration, or strategic shift felt like a true turning point in your brand’s public image?
Towards the very end of 2023, I decided to rebrand Mary Grace. I culled half of our range, from 160+ skus down to about 80, consolidated three ranges of our home fragrance products into one and streamlined the look and feel of the packaging and designs. Elevating the range into a more neutral, clean, modern space. It still has the touch of femininity behind it but it’s a lot more gender neutral now, open to a broader audience and age range. I really feel like that was the biggest turning point for the brand. After that change finished rolling out, I really started to see it grow in leaps and bounds. I also took a lot of things in house, I brought in our email marketing, social marketing, PR and was already doing the graphic design for the products myself but that allowed me to take control of advertising budget and really focus on what I wanted. How I wanted the brand to be presented to new audiences, the look and feel of our marketing efforts, etc. After I took over our social media marketing I started to see sales growth of 200-400%.
In your own words, how do you measure success beyond profit, in terms of legacy, influence, or cultural impact?
Profit is, of course, something you need to focus on as a business. You can’t operate without it, but it’s never been my core focus. It’s always been about creating a brand that people love, that people can enjoy. I couldn’t imagine being a young woman today, growing up in a world where makeup isn’t just one brand of foundation in four different shades of ‘too orange for your skin tone’. Now, makeup and the application of it is a ritual in its own right. It’s countless steps and hundreds of dollars and if you’re someone that’s allergic or that simply can’t do the things the other girls are doing you aren’t just left out, you’re left behind entirely. Creating a range that absolutely anyone can enjoy is a feat in and of itself but I’ve always said that if I could change the life of just one person, my mission has been accomplished. Along the way, I’ve been able to implement our brand ethos in so many different ways. To be a brand with an impact, which so many are doing these days and it’s so wonderful to see. A singular person, or a singular brand can’t change the world but if every single one of us takes small steps to a better future, the world would be an infinitely better place. To be able to do more than just provide great products, to be able to give back, to help our environment, to make one less product that affects our animals, to be a brand that cares… that’s what’s important to me. That’s what makes Mary Grace so successful in my eyes.
Can you recall a moment when a failure became a story worth telling in your press or brand narrative?
There hasn’t been one singular failure, for me. It often feels like a series of failures. Small, big, anything in between. Sometimes every day. Failures that I just take in and overcome the best that I can. You become very good at putting out spot fires. Business, like life, isn’t just starting at the bottom and working your way up on a constant growth scale. There’s a lot of downs, too. You’re riding waves and holding on the best that you can but every set back makes you stronger. Every no or negative feedback helps you to grow a thicker skin. Everything you do helps you to grow for the better if you’re willing to listen to it and adapt as they come.
What’s a daily or weekly ritual that keeps you grounded and in touch with your brand’s mission, even when business gets chaotic?
I drink coffee and cry. I honestly wish that answer was more profound, that I could say I take time out and refocus on me or that there are tools that I use to help me tackle each day and remember why I do the things that I do but it’s been an incredibly turbulent few years and when you’re a small business doing everything yourself on a shoe string budget? It’s incredibly hard. Some days I barely get through them, others remind me why I do what I do. Most of them end with a beautiful hug from my mum that reminds me every day that no matter what I go through, there’s still so much love surrounding me. You know what they say, if business was easy, everyone would be doing it… despite how tough it can be, it’s still the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life. Holding on to that thought gives me the strength to persevere.
How do you approach innovation in a way that makes your brand both trend-aware and timeless?
Mary Grace underwent a complete rebrand (we had a different name, different look… different everything!!) back in 2018. When the name changed, our direction did too. Not in the sense that we offered different products but now, suddenly, I wasn’t limited by a name. I had all these other avenues open to me. It’s what I had always dreamed of, that change allowed me to bring out the skincare, perfumes and expand on our bath and body ranges. In doing so, I sat down and looked at whether I wanted to go the route of hyped/trending products or timeless. I knew that a trending product would get us much faster growth results but it ran the risk of ending just as fast. Trends come and go. I wanted a brand that had the potential to become a legacy, and the only way to do that was to withstand the test of time. Focus on products that utilize ingredients you know, your parents know, your grandparents know… looking at that ingredients list there’s no confusion, no uncertainty. You think “oh yes, my mum used aloe vera juice on me when I was a kid and it was great!” or “Vitamin C works wonders, I feel safe using that” is the kind of thought process I really wanted my customers to have. It’s slower growth but stronger in the long run.
If you could pass down only one piece of wisdom to the next generation of entrepreneurs, what would it be and why?
Don’t stop, don’t wait. Just fly. I can honestly say, your products will never be perfect – not in your eye. You’ll constantly feel like things can change, be adapted. You’ll feel like it needs to look a certain way, be a certain colour but things go wrong, all the time, nothing ever comes out the same twice – and ultimately, you’re the only one who knows what it should have looked like. To everyone else? They were perfect the first time. Just fly, darling.
Winning recognition in your industry is no small feat — what behind-the-scenes decision or move do you believe made that possible?
I think it’s just perseverance. I have yet to become lucky enough to go viral or have something that instantly skyrockets myself or my brand but honestly even when someone goes viral it’s how you feed those views, those follows, those hooks – after the fact. Recognition is, like everything else in business, a long term game. You have to keep showing up every day. When you want to, when you don’t, you show up, just keep at it. Eventually, that recognition starts to follow. Though, what you’re being recognized for is important. Whether it’s knowledge in your field, your product or both. I had to really stand by my products, have a point of difference the best I could in a saturated industry, be proud of my brand and what I put out into the market – and know what the heck I was talking about. It’s a lot of research, a lot of staying on top of the game but it’s worth it, it’s what helps set you apart.
How have public recognition, awards, or media features shifted opportunities for your brand in unexpected ways?
They have really helped to get the brand out there but honestly, they’re no easy feat. PR is, or can be expensive and so can awards. Really focusing on the ones that matter, the awards that give you the most impact or the media features that align with your brand, your person, your voice – I feel can make the most difference. Quality over quantity. Since shifting my focus in that direction, I’ve found the awards we’ve entered, or been entered into by customers, have made a huge impact on the brand recognition and brand legitimacy. Every year I’ve won an award in the TVSN Beauty Awards which are nominated based on sales and high ratings of products and winners are chosen based on customer votes. There’s over 200,000 votes each year and taking one of those home just absolutely blows my mind. For such a small business, I cry just thinking about it. Each year, it’s elevated the status of Mary Grace into whole new worlds. These wins have given me opportunities I’ve never even dreamed of. From co-authoring two best selling anthologies, to being flown to Seoul, South Korea to do a presentation at a global trade show. It’s been an absolutely mind blowing few years and I truly feel that being selective about where and how I promote the brand has made all the difference.
If someone hears your name or sees your work just once, what’s the one message or feeling you hope they leave with?
You matter. The entire mission behind Mary Grace, or my own personal message is that I wanted to create a brand that focuses on inclusivity in a way that has rarely been looked at before. People with sensitivities, people forced to miss out for so long because they can’t use things like the rest of us? We’re no longer the minority. Such a large percentage of the world now has sensitivities… Beyond that, I want you to know that when you’re part of Mary Grace, you’re not just a customer, not just a number on a screen. Not just another order. You matter… You belong… you’re family.
Where’s the best place for our audience to follow your journey and explore your work?
My Instagram is a chaotic mess of behind-the-scenes photos, things I’m working on, and things I love, but it’s where I’m the most active and the best place to see everything that’s happening!
