Melissa Wilkinson: Alumni Profile
What was your journey after leaving CCGS?
After completing an honours degree in Industrial Design at UNSW, I went on to design product ranges for clients including Disney, Adidas and David Jones. This experience taught me invaluable lessons in customer management and manufacturing which I have been able to take into my own business.
Why did you launch Personalised Favours?
Through the process of planning my own wedding I saw a gap in the market for original, personalised, reasonably-priced wedding products, so I set out to rectify the situation by establishing an online store to fill this void.
Tell us about the growth of your business?
I originally operated Personalised Favours as an eBay store from my garage! Over the past nine years my brother-in-law Matt and I have transformed it from a backyard operation into the company (Foresight Online Group) it is today. The group currently incorporates six e-commerce businesses from personalised wedding favours and customised corporate gifts to Test Tag Outlet, a wholesale marketplace for electricians and specialist operators to purchase products and options to customise tags with company logos and contact details.
We recently expanded into an 1800m² factory premises on the Central Coast and employ 20 staff, dispatching orders across Australia, Asia-Pacific and the US every month. In February we launched our newest online store ‘Keep It Custom’ Australia — a customised corporate gift and promotional product online store.
What are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about designing and creating beautiful, innovative products with a sentimental edge. I’m always on the lookout for new ideas and inspiration. I love getting hands-on in the production room, honing my laser engraving skills on one of the company’s six state-of-the-art Trotec machines. Outside of work, I love scheduling holidays with my husband and am a Bounce Fitness devotee!
What is your favourite memory of CCGS?
Out of all my great CCGS memories, a highlight would be the Year 9 Bali cultural trip I was fortunate enough to be a part of. This was an incredible opportunity to travel overseas and experience another culture with fellow students – an adventure which has seen many of us stay connected as lifelong friends.
