Somehow, in the whirlwind of running a business, raising families, navigating pandemics, surviving cyclones, and just getting through, we missed a pretty big milestone—we turned five.

But honestly, five years in business feels a bit like dog years. Like, are we five? Or are we actually 35? Because it definitely feels like we’ve aged that much. Running a small business will do that to you. Five sounds young, but in reality, we’re exhausted.

It wasn’t until we were inching towards 10,000 Instagram followers (which, by the way, also happened kind of organically while we were busy juggling life) that it hit us. Five years. A whole half-decade of Gathered Collab. And we didn’t even stop to celebrate.

So, this is our moment to pause, reflect, and take a deep breath—to acknowledge everything that’s brought us here, the lessons we’ve learned, and the community that has carried us through it all.

Then COVID hit. Like so many small businesses, we had to pivot fast. Suddenly, we were building a website, figuring out how to connect with our customers from behind a screen, while also trying to navigate the unknowns in our own personal lives.

It was terrifying—not just from a business perspective, but as mums, as partners, as people who suddenly had no idea what the next few months (or years) would look like. Would our business survive? Would we?

So, while we were trying to keep Gathered Collab afloat, we were also dealing with all the uncertainty, stress, and “holy shit, what do we do now?” moments in our personal lives too. And just as we felt like we were starting to rebuild, a couple of cyclones swept through town in what was meant to be our comeback summer.  Because apparently, running a business wasn’t challenging enough already.

Through all of it—the chaos, the curveballs, the moments of should we just give up?—we’ve held onto a few core beliefs that have kept us going.

Family comes first. - Always. We started this thing not just as business partners but as people who genuinely care about each other. Our families are our priority, and that’s never going to change. We deeply respect each other, and even though we don’t always see eye to eye, we value one another more than anything—more than our business, more than money, and definitely more than our egos.

Lead with kindness. -  Whether it’s with our team, our customers, or even ourselves on the hard days.

Follow your gut. -  Our motto? If it’s not a fuck yes, it’s a hell no. Every time we’ve ignored that, we’ve regretted it. Every time we’ve trusted it, we’ve been better for it.

Stay in our lane. -  It’s so easy to get caught up in what others are doing, but we’ve learned that the best thing we can do is focus on our vision, our people, and what feels right for us.

Enjoy the small moments. -  Because sometimes, joy isn’t in the big wins—it’s in the little messages from customers saying they love what we do. It’s in the team we’ve built, the friendships we’ve formed, and the content that makes people laugh, even when it doesn’t quite go to plan…

At the end of the day, we don’t know how long we’ll keep this up for. As long as it feels good. When it stops feeling good for one or all of us, we’ll call it a day. But right now? It still feels really good. We’re still enjoying it. And we’re still surviving.

To mark hitting 10K on Instagram, we had this brilliant idea—one of those viral-worthy, aesthetic, super-polished moments. The plan? A burnt cake reveal: burn away the top layer to reveal “10K” underneath.

The reality? It looked like an absoluteshit show. The burn didn’t burn right, the message barely showed, and instead of a perfect, celebratory moment, we had… well, a hot mess.

But honestly? That’s exactly what running a small business feels like. You have a vision, you pour your heart into it, and then—whoops—it doesn’t quite go as expected. And that’s okay. You laugh, you pivot, and you keep going.

The truth is, we wouldn’t be here without you. The people who have supported us, shopped with us, sent kind messages, told their friends about us, and stuck with us through the ups and downs.

We’re incredibly proud to have made it through five years in an industry where so many incredible businesses haven’t been able to. And we know that it’s not just about what we’ve built—it’s about the community that has formed around it.

So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. For believing in us, for being part of this journey, and for reminding us why we do what we do.

Here’s to the next five years—burnt cakes, curveballs, and all. 

Big Love

Kelly, Hayley and Tracey

xxx