Juleigh Robbins - In The Spirit

The Outback Spirit is alive and well in mainstream Australian homes. And it’s all thanks to the ingenuity of Juleigh Robins. Juleigh Robins’ great love as a schoolgirl was fine arts. To her engineer father, however, art was not a real career. The pinnacle of achievement was a solid university degree. “I just loved Dad enormously,” says Juleigh, “And I’m obviously very influenced by him, so I ended up going down a much more dry path and studying economics. I think that’s why I ended up in food. I’m a frustrated creative person.”

Juleigh doesn’t regret leaving arts behind. “I think I always drew on the things I learned from completing that (Economics) degree; the ability to think strategically, to map the path where I want to go, to write a business plan. Fortunately I have the skills to do that,” she says. She still splashes the odd canvas for fun, but now her creativity is channelled into Robins Foods, whose flagship brand, Outback Spirit, incorporates native ingredients in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to Aboriginal communities. Part of the profits are donated straight back to the Indigenous microbusinesses that provide the raw ingredients.

The organic food mechanic
Juleigh’s journey unfolded organically. After university, a position at Telecom (now Telstra) imbued her with skills in marketing and corporate planning that complemented her future business enterprises, starting with the first restaurant she opened (in Mount Eliza) with husband and business partner Ian Robins.

Another restaurant followed, along with a disastrous partnership. But rare is the entrepreneur who succeeds without a single setback; knowing this, the Robins’ picked up, moved on, and used their food knowledge and skills to start a catering business in Toorak, which blossomed into a catering arrangement for Qantas. It was around this time that Juleigh’s epiphany occurred.

Read the full article in the current issue of Wealth Creator with Anthony Robbins on the front cover. Out Now!

Australian business magazines and courses: shares, investment, business and property
Call (03) 8616 0270 to enquire about our services Conditions of use | About Wealth Creator - Australian business and investment magazine | Contact us | Custom Publishing | Wealth Creator: Australia's leading shares, property, business, franchising and investment magazine | Investment Shop | Wealth Creator Magazine | Advertise | Articles about wealth creation from Australia's premium wealth creation magazine | Australian Email Newsletter featuring infomation on entrepreneurs and investments | Subscription | Seminars | Property Seminar