A Perfectly Imperfect Journey: The Beauty & Bloom Seven Sharp Story

Every beautiful thing begins with a seed. For Beauty & Bloom, that seed was a simple belief: that everyone deserves the opportunity to contribute with passion, creativity, and pride.

At our heart, the Beauty & Bloom team is made up of people living with intellectual disabilities. When we first dreamt up this social enterprise, the concept was simple but powerful: we wanted to create truly meaningful work for our crew. To do that, we set out to develop a line of beautiful, botanical skincare and home fragrance products that they could proudly make from start to finish.

To make this a reality, we partnered with Stacey Fraser, an expert cosmetic product designer. Stacey has contributed hundreds of voluntary hours to the project, developing our beautiful formulations from scratch. Having Stacey’s expertise meant our products weren't just purposeful—they were of the very highest quality, with manufacturing processes perfectly adapted for our makers. We didn't just want a space of true inclusion and empowerment—we created one.

It took a village to get us off the ground, starting with a vital micro-loan that helped launch us, along with the incredible support of the UC School of Design, Peerage Products, and our wider community. We documented our early days through our Facebook posts, sharing our launch information, stepping in front of the camera for our very first photoshoots, and proudly setting up stalls at local expos to share our "perfectly imperfect" creations face-to-face.

Slowly but surely, our products began to find their way into homes across New Zealand. And then, one day, TVNZ’s Seven Sharp called.

The Hustle Before the Cameras

We knew this was going to be a monumental event in the lives of our team and our organisation. Behind the scenes, the Seven Sharp deadline kicked off a mad couple of weeks of frantic effort. We knew we had to upgrade our website to ensure it could actually process the nationwide orders we were hoping for. It was a race against the clock for our digital support volunteers, but with a lot of coffee and teamwork, we got the site fully rebuilt, tested, and ready with time to spare.

Lights, Camera, Action: The Filming Day

When the Seven Sharp crew arrived at our workshop, there was a palpable buzz in the air. For our makers, having national television cameras in their daily workspace was a completely new, and understandably nerve-wracking, experience.

TVNZ’s Rachel Parkin was our interviewer, and she and her team were simply wonderful. They created such a heartwarming and joyful piece, capturing the spirit of our team so thoughtfully. Rachel asked the makers questions about what it meant to have this job, what their favorite parts of the day were, and how it felt to be part of this team. The responses from our makers were pure magic—they spoke authentically about friendship, learning new skills, and the sheer joy of creating something beautiful.

Alicia summed up the feelings of the room perfectly: "I got a little bit shy when we were first filmed. But it was great all throughout when I got the hang of it... I think it was marvelous. I love putting the stickers on the products and putting pride and joy into making them."

The Watch Party: Shared Kai and a Pinging Phone

When the night of the broadcast finally arrived, we gathered together just as we always do: surrounded by friends, whānau, and our amazing support staff. We shared kai, feeling the nervous anticipation bubbling up in the room.

And then, there we were. On the screen.

The noise in the room was so incredibly loud you could barely hear the TV! There were jumps of joy, excited screaming, laughter, and quite a few happy tears. When asked how it felt to see herself on national television, Becca smiled and simply said, "It felt amazing." Amanda was just as thrilled, noting how proud her family was to see her shine on screen: "My mum loved seeing it on TV, it was great. The room diffusers are my favourite; I love Beauty & Bloom."

As the credits rolled, a new sound took over: the sound of a cash register pinging on a phone. It rang non-stop for an entire hour as hundreds of orders rolled in from across the country.

The "Oh Wow" Moment & The Power of Our Village

With the excitement came a sudden, breathless realization: we had an absolute mountain of manufacturing ahead of us! It was an "oh wow" moment. We had just introduced our journey to the nation, and the nation loved it.

But at Beauty & Bloom, we are never alone. Our "village" of support staff and volunteers came together in an awe-inspiring way. Working after hours, shoulder to shoulder, the wider team supported our makers to ensure every single product was crafted and every box was shipped.

It was exhausting, but exhilarating. As Cam so brilliantly put it: "It was hard work for me, but yes! I feel proud when we finished it. Two thumbs up!" Emma shared that same sense of wonder: "I was like, Wow! I am out there, and I feel proud about it. My favourite part about working with Beauty & Bloom is making the products."

The Verdict: Love from Across Aotearoa

The real test came when those hundreds of lovingly packed boxes finally arrived on doorsteps around the country. The response was everything we had hoped for and more. Not only did our inbox overflow with hundreds of beautiful emails of support from every corner of Aotearoa, but reading the reviews left on our Google Business page has been incredibly validating for the team. It proved that the love they pour into their work is truly felt by the people who receive it:

• "Watched Seven Sharp, thought the product looked amazing & loving the crew behind the product..." – Menimo

• "Beautiful scents with a touch of love with personalized cards from the technicians. Such a wonderful surprise." – Darlene G.

• "Well done team. Pillow spray amazing. I'm in love with the room scent and magnesium spray is working a treat. Will be repurchasing. Totally recommend 😄" – Gaylene W.

• "Just love the products I received. Room spray is divine, pillow spray gorgeous, magnesium worked a treat..." – Sandi R.

• "Absolutely awesome products, made with love... Bought for our daughter-in-law for her birthday, she was very impressed with the products...loved them" – Joy G.

A Vision Realized

For our leadership team, watching the team shine under the pressure of hundreds of orders was a moment of profound reflection.

Renee, our Service Manager and team leader, watched the growth happen in real-time: "Beauty and Bloom began with a simple conversation and a shared vision... It has been a privilege to witness the passion, pride, and enthusiasm that Beauty and Bloom has inspired within the team—from the nerves and anticipation to the smiles and laughter along the way."

For Stacey, our Cosmetic Product Designer, seeing her original vision and carefully designed products come to life on such a massive scale was deeply emotional: "A moment of reflection for me was feeling proud of our achievements and where we had come. To see that joy that Beauty and Bloom brings to our people, making them feel inclusive and empowered to do what brings them happiness. This is what makes my job special."

What Comes Next?

Because of the incredible response from Seven Sharp, we were able to completely pay off our initial micro-loan—a massive milestone for our social enterprise! We are endlessly grateful for the support of our customers and everyone who decided to back our perfectly imperfect journey. You didn't just buy a beautiful product; you gave our team the gift of pride and inclusion.

So, what's next for Beauty & Bloom? Well, we think Jared, one of our star makers, said it best:

"I felt very proud that we got all the boxes posted, and all the work we did, absolutely spectacular. It’s a great teamwork, work together as a family... I want to get Beauty & Bloom bigger and better than it ever has been before, worldwide!"