Margot Spalding
Co-owner, co-director, Jimmy Possum Furniture.
Profile
“Don’t ever go into business, Margot, it would be a recipe for disaster”. Very often throughout her successful career in business Margot has remembered the words of her aunt, Jean Hutcheson, who took her and her brother and sister into her home, and very firmly into her care, when their parents died. Margot speaks openly about the effect of this heartbreaking part of her life, and how it was pivotal in the formation of her strong, and equally compassionate, character.
‘All this started because two people loved making things, and had lots of mouths to feed.’
– Margot Spalding referring to JIMMY POSSUM
Margot Spalding’s success story is inextricably linked with the JIMMY POSSUM success story. But this isn’t a story – it’s all true, and the Spalding / JIMMY POSSUM success is due, in no small measure, to Margot’s energy, determination, a well-honed business intuition, a flair for colour and style, and a personal connectedness to JIMMY POSSUM’s customer base and to all associated with the company. And, although she probably wouldn’t like to admit it herself, Margot is also the ultimate, natural, ‘people (and business) person’!
Current work
Fast forward to 2016 and there are now exceptionally beautiful JIMMY POSSUM stores in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Richmond, and Cheltenham. In Bendigo, ‘the home’ of JIMMY POSSUM, there is the glamorous Gallery Store in the arts precinct of View Street to capitalise on the great success of The Bendigo Art Gallery, JIMMY POSSUM also has a strong online presence, having established and launched its online store in November 2010.
Previous experience
Beginnings: With the experience of their first furniture business, along with a very informative four year period as a Sales Consultant and then Store Manager of Greg McRae Fine Furniture in Bendigo, Margot and Alan moved with renewed vigour and focus into furniture design and production, and established JIMMY POSSUM Furniture in 1995.
JIMMY POSSUM: Margot has always admitted to ‘living, breathing, eating and sleeping JIMMY POSSUM’. It is true that she is totally passionate and committed to JIMMY POSSUM, but with her energy, enthusiasm and extensive personal capacity, she extends the same passion and commitment to her husband, and family of seven wonderfully talented children (several of whom, including sons-in-law work in the business), and ten grandsons and two granddaughters (to date); to the region; and to her growing community and philanthropic works. This is one demanding mix – but one on which Margot obviously thrives.
Award: Margot was named the ‘TELSTRA AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR’ in 2006.
Speaker: Margot speaks at numerous events and her “down to earth, inspirational, no nonsense, no frills, very practical, and fun” presentations filter through to groups and organisations at all levels, with many and varying backgrounds.
Feedback
Thank you very much for your great contribution to the Conference... I have been delighted to see very strong formal evaluations and the informal feedback has been outstanding.
The breakfast went very well and Margot was brilliant. The feedback has been fantastic, with a comment from one of our more critical but regular participants, that she was "the best speaker we have ever had". Nothing was too much trouble and she certainly didn't want a fuss made.
Great story, told with conviction. Her style worked well for her and she was very true to herself. She was highly regarded by the majority of the participants.
