Then she discovered the minimum order was around 1,000 units, so she had to start selling them too. “I didn’t intentionally start a brand,” she says. “I just wanted this product for myself.” Years on, Sande has grown from the original sand-sifting mesh bag into a go-to for beach lovers everywhere.

 Banabae was keen to get in on the action and we collaborated with Kim on a retro stripe for her Beach Hauler Backpack, a sand-free, convertible bag made for hauling the whole crew’s gear. 

 We caught up with Kim at her home in North Narrabeen to talk motherhood, Muay Thai, quality over quantity, and why she’s about to take the whole family to Sri Lanka to meet the makers behind her award-winning Sand Brush.

Hello, I'm Kim and I’m the founder of Sande, formerly Sande Kids. I created the original oversized mesh beach bag for families, but these days we’re all about making the best beach bags for all beach lovers.   My family and I live in North Narrabeen on Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches.

What's your coffee order or morning ritual?

We’re very lucky to have a glimpse of the ocean from our home. My morning ritual is a big glasses of water and an oat flat white while looking through the trees out towards Northy.

Early bird or night owl?

Both! I run a brand, so I need to be!

What sparked Sande and how has it grown since you started?

I had just had my fourth baby. My husband was still working full-time and our kids were four, twins who were two, and a newborn. Needless to say, I was pretty sleep deprived!   But my absolute happy place was the beach, so I’d drive to our local Warriewood Beach, where you can drive right down onto the sand. We’d spend the morning there and head home at naptime. 

Juggling four little kids, I always felt there had to be an easier way to manage the beach, not just on my own but with little kids in general. I kept thinking, I just need an oversized mesh beach bag where I can throw everything in, give it a shake, chuck it in the back of the car and then sort it all out when I get home while they’re napping.

I didn’t intentionally start a brand. I just wanted this product for myself. The more I looked into it, the more I realised that if I wanted one, I was going to have to design it myself. Then I discovered the minimum order was around 1,000 units, so I was going to have to sell them too… and Sande was born!   

We started with our original oversized sand-sifting mesh beach bag in our beautiful Sand colour. We’ve grown the range from there as our audience has grown, and we’ve also added our beautiful Sand Brush, which is made in Sri Lanka through a Fair Trade community, using coconut and jute fibre bristles.   It’s an absolute game changer for sweeping sand off kids, feet, upholstery and beach gear.   We’ve now rebranded from Sande Kids to Sande and are focused on creating the best beach bags at the highest quality. We’re incredibly proud of how far it has come.

What’s a small daily habit that keeps you grounded? 

 I exercise every day. Sundays are usually just a light walk, but otherwise I’ll do CrossFit or another gym class.   My girlfriends and I have also just started a little trot club. None of us are particularly psyched about running long distances, but together it’s actually pretty fun! We’re training (sort of…haha) for a 10km fun run next year.

Who shaped you the most growing up?

Definitely from Mum. Growing up, she was amazing at recycling and upcycling secondhand furniture. Our home was beautiful, but so much of what was in it had been bought from op shops and lovingly done up herself. I think that instilled in me a real belief in quality over quantity. I’ve never been someone who wants lots of cheap, disposable things. I’d much rather have fewer things that are well made and will last.

That mentality definitely carried through when I started Sande. Coming from an environmental science background, I knew that if I was going to put a new product into the marketplace, I wanted it to be the highest quality possible so it would last for many summers, rather than being used for a season and then ending up in landfill.   That idea of fixing things, buying secondhand where you can and choosing quality over quantity is something I definitely learnt from Mum.

What’s one thing your kids, family or partner is teaching you right now?

I’d have to say my husband, Sam.   He came from a high-level corporate job and has managed teams before, whereas I never had. We’re now building a small team at Sande, and learning how to manage people, bring everyone together and create proper systems has been a huge learning curve for me.   

 Sande has been growing for the last five years, but particularly quickly over the last two, and I’ve historically juggled a lot of the business myself. A lot of it has lived in my head!   Sam has been helping me get systems in place, and together with our US partner Scotty, they’re helping drive Sande to levels I never would have dreamed of as someone who had no formal business background.   I’m really learning how to manage a business in a completely different way, which has been incredibly valuable.   He also manages all the finances, I’m the first to admit I am not a number gal Haha.

A song that’s currently on repeat in your household? 

I’ve been listening to a lot of Jamie McDell.   I saw her live when she was the support act for Kasey Chambers at the Tamworth Country Music Festival a few years ago and bought her CD. It was actually the only CD we had when we travelled around Australia, so it lived in the CD player in our caravan.   Every time I was cooking dinner, I’d put it on, so now those songs instantly take me back to travelling around Australia with the family.

A book, podcast or show you’re loving?

I’ve just started listening to How I Built This. I love hearing how brands started and where they are now, and listening to the founders talk about all the ups and downs along the way.   I recently listened to the episode about Bogg Bag, the Croc type bags made in the USA, and I related so much to her story.   Hearing about the struggles of starting a business, the highs and lows and everything in between makes you feel like the journey you’re on is actually quite normal.

Your go-to weekend outfit?

The warm weather is coming, so it has to be a bikini, linen shirt, denim shorts, and me new Rad Mama cap and my platform Twoobs.

Favourite way to spend a slow Sunday?    

Obviously at the beach!   I love a beach morning with a coffee in hand, watching my kids surf. But I also love spending the afternoon pottering around the house.   I’m a serial tidy-up-and-reorganiser. My work laptop, on the other hand, is an absolute danger zone!

In one sentence, what would you tell your younger self?   

 “Do it scared”. I’m pretty sure I first heard Brittney Saunders from FAYT say this, it really stuck with me. 

 Since having kids, maybe it’s the mummatude you get, but I’ve become much better at pushing myself outside my comfort zone. I used to hate walking into a room full of people and would get so nervous speaking to people I didn’t know. Now I can do it. I’m not exactly sure what changed? I think I just kept making myself do it, even when it felt uncomfortable. And when you’re the face of your own brand, you kind of don’t have a choice! You have to show up for your customers and your community. So that’s what I’d tell my younger self: you don’t have to wait until you’re not scared. Just do it scared.