FOUNDER, MAKER & PERPETUAL HOBBYIST

I’m Tam — the hands, heart and slightly obsessive brain behind The Hobbyist. I started making things because I was curious, and somewhere along the way that curiosity became a business, a body of work and, really, a way of life.

I’m a mother, wife, sister, aunty, granddaughter and maker before I’m a businesswoman. I’m wildly optimistic, incredibly stubborn and endlessly curious.

Most days you’ll find me pouring, blending, formulating, scribbling down ideas, changing my mind, or learning something new. And somewhere in the middle of all of it is my daughter. I pour a lot of myself into being her mum — showing her the world, encouraging her curiosity and trying to build a life around her that feels big, interesting and full of possibility.

The Hobbyist has grown up alongside me — imperfect, deeply personal and always evolving. It holds so much of what I love: plants and scent, the Pacific, making things slowly, travelling far away, eating really well, the people I belong to, and the strange little details that turn into memories.

MY PARTNER IN ALL OF IT

Dave has been beside me since long before The Hobbyist became what it is today. A chef by trade, an incredible father, and now woven into nearly every part of The Hobbyist, he brings the same care and quiet competence to pretty much everything he does.

From production and pouring to packing orders, fixing things, and helping me turn a million ideas into something that actually works, he’s the steady one behind so much of it.

Endlessly patient and ridiculously capable, Dave grounds my big ideas, figures out how the hell we’re going to make them happen, and then gets to work beside me.

DIGITAL DAYDREAMER & CREATIVE STRATEGIST

Britt is one of those people who’s nearly impossible to put into words. A dear friend, wildly talented creative and one of the brightest humans I know, she has a way of making everything — and everyone — look a little more magical through her lens. She’s behind so much of the imagery, storytelling and daydreaming that brings The Hobbyist to life, and somehow always manages to make me look much cooler than I actually am.

She spends most of the year living in Costa Rica, surfs, skateboards, is currently learning to drive stick and is almost always up for whatever adventure I throw her way. She’s easy to be around, seemingly always smiling, deeply loved by my daughter, and has become such a special part of both The Hobbyist and our little family. Britt just shines — and we’re very lucky to have some of that light around here.

MAKER + MARKET SET UP QUEEN

Steph is a yoga teacher by trade so when she's not guiding her students or enjoying the beach, she shares her time and energy assisting the Hobbyist. Her presence is cherished as she not only brings an exceptional taste in music but also an extraordinary enthusiasm for life. Steph does it all - she labels, pours coastal candles, hand crafts small batches of botanical soaps, sets up the market quicker than me and all with biggest smile and best attitude.

ADMINISTRATIVE ALCHEMIST & COMMUNITY CURATOR

Anna has been my best friend since Grade 3, which means she’s known me through just about every version of myself. We grew up together, followed each other across the world and once moved to New Zealand with less than $500 between us and somehow figured it out. She’s my soul sister, my rock and the person I talk to almost every day about the big stuff, the little stuff and everything in between.

She’s also gloriously Type A — always six steps ahead, happiest when there are details to iron out and naturally gifted at bringing order to the million things floating around in my brain. At The Hobbyist, she has her hands in just about everything behind the scenes: administration, organization, communication, community and all the tiny details that make a small business actually work.

There’s something pretty special about getting to build this next chapter alongside someone who has already walked through so many chapters of life with me. Anna knows when to run with one of my ideas, when to ask the questions I haven’t thought of yet and when to lovingly tell me I’m out to lunch.

I feel stronger with her beside me — and after a lifetime of figuring things out together, having her here at The Hobbyist just feels right.