The stories behind our people

At CobdenHayson we’re a team of individuals with a common vision. Our people share a number of similar traits – they’re passionate, driven, engaged with the community around them and often have an interesting story to tell.

Hayley Jepson is a young woman with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The Bachelor of Business graduate began her journey with CH in 2021, running social media for our Drummoyne office before joining the Lane Cove office as Marketing & Communications Manager. Hayley’s expertise in all things social has brought new creative insights to the team, which she honed while creating and managing her own small business, By Hayley.

“When I was 15, I used my first pay cheque from McDonald’s to buy a sewing machine and taught myself how to sew,” Hayley enthuses. “Since then I‘ve loved coming up with new things to create. In January 2019 I was heading to a touch football tournament with a group of mates and we were looking for matching team scrunchies. I noticed all the pricing was quite high and I thought it would be much more affordable if I made them myself. I began to have friends asking for them which led to me creating the @by_hayley_ Instagram and website, where I now sell affordable handmade accessories.”

Hayley’s business really kicked off in 2020, when lockdown inspired her to start creating pet bandanas after she noticed a niche market on Instagram, using her dog Bodhi as model and influencer. She now sells a variety of handmade products from headbands and tote bags to bath salts and self-care items.

“I like to keep busy by constantly looking for new fabrics and coming up with new product ideas  so my customers always have a wide range of choices. I love meeting new people as well as creating new and exciting things for people to enjoy. I feel like just loving what you do is a huge part in running a successful business because then you’ll never find anything you do too difficult.”

How does Hayley navigate working full time and having a successful side hustle? “Initially it was quite difficult to juggle both as I used to handmake every order as it came in. However over the 2021/22 Christmas break I started building up stock so that all I have to do when an order comes in is package it up and send it out. I also schedule my social media posts in advance so that I’m always active and showcasing new products without the pressure of coming up with fresh content daily. The thing that keeps me sane and motivated is that I still get excited every time I get a new order and I love getting positive feedback from customers.”

You can check out Hayley’s products on Instagram @byhayley.co and orders can be made online at www.byhayley.co/