Tahli Watts Has Had Enough of Doing It All

Tell us about your family. How many kids do you have?

Three.

What’s the part of being a mum that fills you up the most?

So many things. But I suppose it’s the fact that,

to your kids, you are more than enough. Exactly as you are is perfectly enough for them.

Hence the name of my brand.

What’s one thing that genuinely helps you stay afloat in the day-to-day juggle?

Waking up early and getting sorted before the kids wake up.

How do you carve out space for career, motherhood, love, friends and still find a moment for yourself?

My biggest message here is: you cannot do it all.

I think we need to stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to do everything, stop comparing ourselves to others and stop putting women who seemingly manage to do a million things on a pedestal.

I’ve only recently stopped using “doing everything” as some sort of measure of success.

I recently celebrated my 40th, my husband’s 40th and a few friends’ 40ths, all within about two months. During that time, I did absolutely no exercise. None. For eight weeks. And I’m a fitness nut!

But you know what? I had a hell of a time socialising, celebrating and being with the people I love, and I’ll never forget those two months.

The health routine is back now because, of course, that’s important to me. But I knew that trying to keep it on the to-do list during that period would have meant something else had to give, or I would have broken myself trying to fit it all in. That’s not sustainable either.

I also think we need to rethink what “a moment for me” actually means. For me, it doesn’t necessarily mean carving another hour out of the day for some kind of self-care ritual. I find moments for myself within running my business, mothering, loving, cooking and being with the people I care about.

Being truly present in whatever I’m doing, rather than constantly thinking about the next thing I should be doing, is a moment for me.

Where do you find fashion that genuinely feels like you?

This is a massive secret, but I’m an op-shop and vintage shopper. I’m strongly against fast fashion and overconsumption, so you’ll see me rocking used goods almost 100 per cent of the time.

The key for me is shopping for your body type and colours rather than trends.

What does living a healthy, grounded life look like in your world?

Early bed, good sleep, early rising, really good nutrition, farmers’ market shops, walks, a life mostly outdoors, routine, breathwork, laughter, being social and having a few drinks!

How do you keep your body moving in a way that feels realistic and sustainable?

I don’t waste time commuting to exercise. I run or walk from home, have gym equipment at home and follow workouts on YouTube.

I exercise in 30-minute chunks and really listen to my body. I ask myself, “How do I feel?” not, “How do I look?”

What’s one non-negotiable that keeps your mind and body well?

Balance.

When you think of balance, what does that actually mean to you in real life?

Wow, I didn’t even see this question before I answered the last one!

To me, balance means enjoying life with discipline.

What does your morning routine look like, honestly?

I’m a bit of a morning-routine nut.

5.30am rise. Give thanks. Smile at something. Brush my teeth, scrape my tongue, put the kettle and washing machine on. Cup of broth, banana, water. Stretch, run or walk outside for 20 minutes.

Then it’s kids’ lunches and breakfasts, shower, or not if I’m rushed, kids up, dressed and ready, quick tidy, bags packed, tinted moisturiser if I’m lucky, and leave the house by 7.30am.

I never check my phone before I leave the house.

How do you wind down at night?

Similarly, I never check my phone after 7.30pm, so that’s 12 hours off my phone.

Nights are hard for us at the moment because our kids are super challenging to get to sleep, so it’s a little messier. But I’m always in bed early. Like, 8pm early.

Unless it’s Friday or Saturday, then I’ll go to sleep around 9pm after a few cocktails on the couch.

What’s something about you that would genuinely surprise people?

Because I run a booze brand and seem to be out and about a lot, I think people would be shocked to learn how healthy and routine-driven I am.

What’s a truth about yourself that took you years to finally admit?

I was doing too much, not particularly well, and I was always distracted in the moment.

Classic trying to overachieve and have it all.

What’s a single moment that quietly shifted the direction of your life?

Leaving corporate life to start my own cafe.

What’s a mistake you’re genuinely grateful you made?

Our third child wasn’t planned. Hahahaha.

If you could live an entirely different life for a year, what would you choose?

Travel blogger.

What’s something that still feels uncomfortable, but you’re pushing yourself to do anyway?

Sales.

What’s a version of yourself you’re trying to become?

Calm, content and comfortable.

A simple life is bliss.

What’s the hardest part of motherhood for you to admit out loud?

All of it.

Mothering is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

What’s a small joy that gets you through this season of life?

Daycare!!!

What are the five things you can’t leave home without?

1. 200ml Enough Agave
2. iPhone
3. Asthma pump, sorry, boring but true!
4. Status Anxiety sunglasses
5. bareMinerals BB cream

Visit, Buy, Do

Visit: Spain
Buy: Clothes
Do: Walk the Camino again

What has been the biggest challenge?

Honestly, every single part of building this business has been hard.

From raising the initial capital and convincing people this product needs to exist, to being a woman in what is still a very male-dominated industry. There have definitely been times when I’ve felt locked out or blocked out.

It’s an incredibly competitive and, at times, quite cliquey industry, and finding your way into it as a new brand isn’t easy.

Then there are the ten million decisions you have to make before you even launch: the product, packaging, positioning, how you launch, how you get noticed, how you grow organically and how you build a genuine community around the brand.

I don’t think there’s been one part where I’ve thought, “That was easy.”

Actually, that’s not completely true. The name.

Enough was the one thing that came easily. It felt right from the beginning and has felt right ever since.

Everything else has been very, very hard. But that also makes every little win along the way feel so significant.

Have there been moments when you’ve wanted to give up?

Absolutely.

Probably the biggest low points have been the times we’ve run out of money, or come very close to it. The cash-flow pressure that comes with a start-up is enormous.

You’re constantly trying to balance investing in marketing, reach and establishing the brand with the reality of start-up income, and those two things don’t always move at the same pace.

There have definitely been moments when giving up has felt like the easier option. If I’m being completely honest, I still have days when I feel incredibly daunted and overwhelmed by what we’re trying to do.

But I also remind myself that creating something genuinely new is supposed to be hard. It takes people willing to push through those barriers to create new categories and challenge the way things have always been done. Otherwise, everything just stays exactly where it is.

So yes, there have been plenty of lows and plenty of moments when I’ve questioned whether I can keep going.

But so far, the belief in what we’re building has always been bigger than the desire to stop.

When did you realise it was going to be a success?

I don’t know if there’s been one big moment when I’ve thought, “Okay, we’ve made it. This is officially a success.”

I think it’s actually been a collection of smaller moments along the way.

Having owned businesses previously, I think I’m much better now at recognising those moments rather than constantly chasing the next big goal. With Enough, I’ve really tried to stop and smell the roses a little more.

There have been some great retail wins, some amazing events and lots of really positive day-to-day feedback from customers, particularly around the brand and what we’re trying to create.

Those moments are really special because they’re little reminders that people understand it, connect with it and want it to exist.

I think success for me now is less about reaching one huge milestone and more about noticing the momentum as it builds.

It’s appreciating the small wins when they happen because, when you’re building a business, particularly one that can be really challenging at times, those little moments actually mean a lot.

Has your perspective on being a mum changed since launching Enough?

The biggest thing motherhood has taught me is that I’m not willing to take time away from my children for the sake of growing a business faster.

If that means I take the longer route to get somewhere, I’m completely comfortable with that now.

I’ve experienced business at three very different stages of motherhood. I built one of my previous businesses completely pre-kids, when I could give it everything. I was totally engulfed in it. Nights, weekends, all of it.

With my next business, I tried to do both at full speed, and I often just ended up feeling pulled in every direction and resenting everything.

This time around, I’m very clear:

I’m a mum first and a businesswoman second.

For me, that’s been a much healthier way to approach it.

I still give Enough an enormous amount, but if an email has to wait or something takes an extra day because I’m with my kids, I’m okay with that.

Businesses can grow over many years. These years with your children don’t come back. You can’t repeat them and you can’t make that time up later.

I also think motherhood gives you some pretty incredible skills for running a business. Mums are superhuman when it comes to juggling, multitasking, problem-solving and managing stress under pressure. I’m definitely better at all of those things because I’m a mother.

So rather than seeing motherhood as something I have to balance against the business, I think it’s actually made me a better businesswoman, just one with much clearer priorities.

Can you share what’s coming up for you and Enough?

There is so much coming.

We’re only eight months old, which is quite crazy to think about because Enough already feels like a big business in terms of what we’re building and where we want to take it.

But this has always been a long-term plan, and in many ways we’re only just getting started.

Over the next little while, we’ve got new ambassadors joining us, new product coming, some incredible events and some really exciting retail opportunities. There are also a lot of conversations happening behind the scenes that I can’t share just yet.

I think the most exciting thing is that we’re starting to see the momentum build. People are understanding the product, but they’re also really connecting with the brand and what Enough stands for.

There’s a lot coming. Watch this space.

Finally, what would you say to someone who wants to follow their dream?

My advice might be slightly different to the usual “just follow your dreams” answer because I think it’s important to be honest: the grass isn’t always greener.

If you’re sitting in a secure job looking at people who own businesses and thinking it looks glamorous, flexible and exciting, I can assure you there’s another side to it.

There is an enormous amount of stress, pressure, uncertainty and discomfort that comes with building a business. It’s definitely not for everybody, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

So I wouldn’t start a business just because you like the idea of being a business owner. I think you need to feel so genuinely passionate about something that you almost have to bring it to life.

That’s how Enough felt for me. The idea came about very authentically, it evolved organically, and I genuinely believe this product and this space need to exist.

In a strange way, it feels like Enough chose me rather than me deciding I wanted another business.

So if there’s something you can’t stop thinking about, you deeply believe it needs to exist and you’re prepared to be uncomfortable in order to make it happen, absolutely go for it.

But if you’re just looking over the fence thinking the grass looks greener?

A good old-fashioned job might actually be the dream.

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