Carman’s Carolyn Creswell on building a
multimillion-dollar muesli empire

Hear how an ambitious 18-year-old Carolyn purchased her employer’s muesli business for $1,000 and turned it into a multi-million-dollar brand sold in 35 countries, while never sacrificing authenticity.

“I’m never driven by how big this company will ever be. I’m absolutely driven by how good we can be.”

More about Carolyn

Starting with a small collection of ‘unbranded cellophane bags of muesli’ and taking over a decade to hire her first employee, Carolyn’s experiences instilled in her the persistence that would form the backbone of Carman’s success.

28 years later, Carman’s boasts a 60-product line and is sold across 35 countries and counting – with Carolyn still retaining 100% equity in the company. Something she says has enabled her to make the quick decisions needed to meet market demand and keep her beloved business growing.

Carolyn’s key takeaways

In this chat, Carolyn shares her lessons on:

  • The power of product specialisation
  • Remaining true to your purpose under pressure
  • The importance of evaluation after setbacks
  • Harnessing data and consumer insights
  • The value of retaining 100% equity

Carolyn’s key takeaways

In this chat, Carolyn shares her lessons on:

  • The power of product specialisation
  • Remaining true to your purpose under pressure
  • The importance of evaluation after setbacks
  • Harnessing data and consumer insights
  • The value of retaining 100% equity

More about Carolyn

Earn points

Starting with a small collection of ‘unbranded cellophane bags of muesli’ and taking over a decade to hire her first employee, Carolyn’s experiences instilled in her the persistence that would form the backbone of Carman’s success.

28 years later, Carman’s boasts a 60-product line and is sold across 35 countries and counting – with Carolyn still retaining 100% equity in the company. Something she says has enabled her to make the quick decisions needed to meet market demand and keep her beloved business growing.

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