Meet Our Founder
Before we open the doors to some of our favourite people, we thought we’d start with our founder, so you can learn about how Polished came about, her favourite self-care hacks and what gets her out of bed in the morning, (physically and mentally). Meet Sam…
Polished launched this year - how did the idea come about and how did you go about launching it?
Polished was conjured up in the wild months of early 2020... A self-proclaimed skincare enthusiast I was keen to create what became our founding product - a body scrub and polish that really packs a punch. Our bodies are often neglected in favour of our faces when it comes to skincare, and as a working mum if I was going to put extra time into my skincare routine it had to be worth it. So the inspiration of a body polish came from my need for an in-shower product that does a lot of heavy lifting - something that gets rid of dead skin with a really high quality Arabica coffee or Himalayan rock salt base, that also feeds and repairs skin with quality vitamins, and restores and nourishes with oils and body butters.
You hail from a marketing background. How has that helped the launch of Polished?
I do! I work at Alt/Shift as General Manager of our Melbourne team - a job that I love, and with constant challenges and rewards. My experience in this space has taught me that you can have the best team in the biz working on your brand, but if the product doesn’t deliver it’ll never be a success. So from the beginning, efficacy was a priority, closely followed by creating a brand that our customers love, feel connected to, and are proud to have sitting in their bathrooms.
Our amazing team at Alt/Shift support the marketing and PR for Polished - plus they’re all willing product testers.
What gets you out of bed in the morning.
Usually one of my three kids - Olivia, Ben or Alex - we’re in the wild baby and toddler years - so it starts with someone calling (read, crying) to be picked up, then quickly followed by a long black.
Mentally, getting to work in jobs I enjoy and feel challenged and rewarded by makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning. It’s not lost on me that it’s a privilege to be doing what I love.
What does home look like?
Wild. I live with my husband who is also a business owner, and three kids under three. So the days are early and the nights are late - but it’s pretty magic, and I’m grateful for the chaos. We also have an incredible village with lots of help. Oh, and it’s messy.
Juggling work and babies must need a lot of hacks, do share…
Absolutely! Which is why one of Polished’s promises is that our products do what they say they do. If I’m spending time using a beauty product, I need to make it count and it needs to work. Hacks I’ve made my own have mostly come from wise other women in my life:
Food, clothes and bags are all packed the night before. Non-negotiable.
Wednesday night is a reset night - I forgo cooking, washing, and work in favour of a bath and book or show, and always with a mask on and hair treatment in.
When sleep deprivation hits hard, a drop of self-tan in moisturiser before bed really does some clever disguising.
Online grocery deliveries are a godsend and we’re on first-name basis with our delightful postie, Tony.
What is self care for you?
At the moment sleep, exercise and a simple but effective beauty routine. Escaping our four walls for fresh air has been a tonic. Oh, and my reset nights (read above!)
What’s next for Polished?
We have some new products coming out in time for the festive season, and an additional range early in the new year. We’re really just getting started and I’m back in the product lab during the day and the bathroom most nights, testing and playing with new products we’re excited to launch soon. Sign up or follow us on socials to stay in the loop with the latest news, views and products coming soon!
