When Bec Macdougall returned to Australia after nine years in London, she never imagined her journey would lead to a rural life in regional Victoria.
Her time in London unlocked a passion for brand curation, where she took on a series of formative roles with the likes of Elle Macpherson’s lifestyle brand The Body and organisations such as Quintessentially, a luxury brand experience consultancy.
It was at this time Bec envisaged her future, developing a collective of brands in the wellness and lifestyle space with experience at the core. She wrote her first business plan in 2007 but it was ‘top drawed’ for quite a few years as her practical career flourished.
Upon her return to Australia, Bec initially took on a series of corporate roles that combined this love of luxury brands and events, but there was always a yearning to revisit the business plan that was sitting in the top drawer.
Not long after meeting her husband, Angus they bought a farm outside of Benalla with a view to a long-term restoration project and Dunmore Farm was born.
With aspirations of creating a UK Soho Farm House offering, Bec also drew inspiration from the likes of Daylesford Farm in the Cotswalds and The Newt in Somerset, UK.
Today – more than a decade after writing her original business plan – Bec’s vision for a portfolio of lifestyle brands is being realised.
In our conversation we discuss how these international experiences continue to influence Bec’s career and business ventures today, and how this former city gal has transitioned from bright lights to starry nights in regional Victoria.
Editing by Podcast Production Mill
