Bring yourself to life, explain what you do and why you do it?
Hi! I’m Nathan and I started the Hello Hemp brand. I also help run the company behind it, which is called Sixtybeans Pty Ltd (long story). We roast a range of coffees and also represent a Canadian brand of botanical terpene products called “Cannanda” as well. Our strategy is to slowly build a range of related hemp products, and then sell lab-tested CBD oil when it’s made legal. We think long term and we think CBD is where the future is heading for Australia.
What drives you.
I suppose that I aim to be the best version of myself. Or at least try. My goal is to build enough value in the business that I can exit one day and do other things with my time, such as raising my kids and maybe a PHD or philanthropy.
Inspirations.
Bill Gates. He quit his job as CEO of Microsoft and went to work full-time on improving life for the poorest people in the world. He then also convinced others like Warren Buffett to pledge vast amounts of money to help others. To me, he’s the best example of a humanitarian entrepreneur, and I have respect for the man.
What is success to you and how much of it is built on luck.
Two questions there. What does success mean to me? Basically, happiness. I don’t think money has much value in and of itself or can make you happy. To me, money is a means to get some security and have the time to pursue happiness. To me, someone like Bill Gates is successful because I believe he gets a deep sense of fulfillment from helping others. I think he might have been influenced by Buddhist thought.
Do I think success is built on luck? Yes and no – No, because I think success is more about learning from your experience and reducing the number of mistakes you make. Yes because of $#*! happens and you just never know what’s around the corner (like the economy and stock market at the moment).
What does being healthy mean to you?
I think you have to look at health holistically. I think we need to take care of both our minds and bodies equally. Eat well, exercise and practice good mental health. A healthier mind means a healthier body and vice versa.
Your routine.
I think I should let my wife answer this because she’s in charge of my skincare! I’ll pass you over… her name is Ura (pronounced “Yoo-ra”)…
“Hi, I’m Ura writing this now. I’ve slowly trained Nathan to look after his skin over the years. He uses facial oil and honey bee balm in the mornings and evenings after cleansing. We love this bee balm. It’s handmade from a lovely lady who owns a bee farm in Flowerdale Valley. All the products he uses are made from 100% organic natural ingredients. Once a week I get Nathan to use a facial scrub that is made from raw sugar and essential oils. To finish the weekly detox, he also enjoys a face mask with pure red Australian clay. We enjoy using products that are locally sourced.”
About mental health and self-care.
I try to follow a morning routine where I get up at 5 am to stretch and meditate before the workday begins. I try to practice things like mindfulness, thankfulness, and compassion. I find that these things help a lot with maintaining a good perspective and staying calm throughout the day. I also keep the work phone turned off outside regular working hours and make sure I get enough quality time at home. Good communication with my wife and work colleagues is also critical.
Favorite holiday destination, restaurant, artist and book?
Holiday: A spot in Thailand called “Tonsai”. I have very fond memories of that secluded cove.
Restaurant: To be honest, right now it’s my local Degani’s. They do the best superfood salad with halloumi.
Artist: I had to really think about this one… Probably a friend of mine called Lauren, and Dr. Dre.
Book: “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler. They’re wise words.
