You, the Earth and Me

Both myself and my beautiful long-time friend (and now business partner) Rebecca Horsey, luxurious simplicity, surrounded by loads of eco-goodness, Organic food and a waste-free lifestyle. Bec is from a background in Acting and Business and I, Journalism and Business. But it seems the beautiful roots of our upbringing have ended up leading us down a very different garden path – the path of YEM…. today we both hold, a great love for the Environment and Humankind alike. Bec and I share a similar aesthetic and we both care very much about how things are made. We think more and more it’s about appreciating the difference in something made with love and care, as opposed to it being disposable, cheap and without a soul. We’re not speaking out to conquer the world but we believe in what we’re doing.

You, the Earth & Me is a curated lifestyle boutique, aiming at preserving artisanal traditions and promoting slow living. We showcase Handmade, Fair Trade, Organic, Sustainable & Recycled products. We feel that today, YEM has grown into an arbiter of beautifully curated works from the inspiring minds of many a creative craftsman. 

Our gorgeous products aim to serve as a counterpoint to mass-produced, modern living. We believe in rich artisanal traditions, both sustainable and ethically time-honoured processes and organically natural styles. Handcrafted with skilful hands, much love and very careful attention, every piece in our store have highly unique qualities. 

At You, the Earth & Me we believe that conscious consumerism – in which the act of buying is also one of giving – is a very powerful way to invoke change. We feel that our beautiful store in Newtown will hold a place in your imagination long after you have left.

As an industry retail can have its ups and downs. What advice would you give other businesses to push through the slower times?

Trends in the Fashion and Home Wares industry are fickle, ever-changing and often elusive. So we are always researching for the best brands and products with a timeless nature to honour slow living and sustainability. The hardest challenge for us to face as shop owners is creating a uniqueness all of your own…especially when you are based in a large city, such as Sydney, alongside thousands of other boutique and speciality stores. But we like to think that we have created our little oasis in the heart of Newtown. A space with beautiful and desirable products and excellent service. We feel that excellent service is also the key to creating your uniqueness. Another challenge for the small boutique owner is the long hours you must put into the business during the week and even on your weekends - a host of side tasks will always be performed. But when you have an abundance of passion for what you are doing it’s not such a huge challenge…. actually the challenge is too learn when to stop and have some “me time”, because sometimes you just get far too excited by what’s happening and what you are creating it’s hard to step away!

Where do you hope to see You, the Earth & Me in five years?

Well, when we were in the planning stages of the Sydney store, our aim when looking for space was topic one that had ample room to add in a little takeaway coffee nook with raw organic treats….this plan is currently in motion and will be carried out later this year. We are super excited by the future. We aim to also be able to run some speciality workshops in the store and also Yoga classes. The way we see it in five years is, we will have several stores around Australia – and perhaps even one of the stores will also have a beautiful Organic restaurant attached to it.

What is your favourite part of running your own business?

I LOVE to source new and interesting products. It’s so much fun and rewarding. It can be a challenge at times, but it brings an equal amount of satisfaction. I also love having customers return to the store and share how much they enjoyed or gained use out of the product they took home the last visit.

What helps you stay balanced as you juggle business and personal time?

A 10-minute session of Yoga, a chapter of a good non-fiction book, a very good coffee and a couple of episodes of a crappy TV show!

What are you most excited about at the moment?

I am excited as we are about to receive our very first order of the Majestic Disorder Magazine - independent art + culture print magazine, catering to today's nomadic creative community. Their eclectic editorial and multimedia content are globally driven, producing thought-provoking journalism focusing on cultural topics, art, film, travel, identity, sustainable fashion, public affairs and feature stories with creative artisans across all mediums. It's super exciting to me because I believe we maybe only one of a handful of stockists here in Australia… the magazine is a UK publication.

Shop details:

345 King Street, Newtown, New South Wales, 2042

Monday 11.00am to 5.00pm
Tuesday 11.00am to 5.00pm
Wednesday 11.00am to 5.00pm
Thursday 11.00am to 7.00pm
Friday 11.00am to 6.00pm
Saturday 11.00am to 6.00pm
Sunday 11.00am to 5.00pm