New wellness, lifestyle business opening soon in Mid North Coast’s Sovereign Hills

A young Sydney business owner is packing up and relocating to the Mid North Coast as she expands to her second store. Read all about the new shop.

Rapid growth in Port Macquarie has been obvious in recent years, and the latest example of the booming local economy is a young Sydney business owner.

Kathryn Batty is packing up and moving to the Mid North Coast as she expands her wellness and lifestyle brand, We Are Mindful, to a second store.

The young entrepreneur is currently exploring housing options in Wauchope, and hopes to have the doors of her new shopfront open by mid-September – a tidy four years on from when the brand first launched in the same month of 2018.

The new store will boost the local economy with more job and retail shopping opportunities.

“I will be hiring an all-local team to manage and run the store as I won’t be relocating to the area for 12 months,” Ms Batty explained.

“I will travel up periodically to check in and make sure everything is running smoothly.

“I’m keen to provide jobs to the local community and create a strong team.”

It’s the first time her business has branched beyond the NSW capital city, and Ms Batty couldn’t be more excited about the new venture.

“The Sovereign Hills centre is a beautifully-designed modern outdoor shopping district,” she said.

“I love that the available shop fronts are cohesive with my current store aesthetics of black aluminium framed windows, concrete floors and high ceilings.

“I’m also excited to be a part of something new in this growing region.”

The Sovereign Hills shop - conveniently located, as seen in the above video - is currently in a "very raw condition", Ms Batty said. Come September, this space will be completely made over in the soft We Are Mindful aesthetic.

Ms Batty believes that We Are Mindful – which offers a range of gifts, homewares, accessories and clothing – will fill a niche in the local area.

“I decided to expand my shop to Port Macquarie because it’s an up-and-coming area with many Sydney-siders relocating here,” she said.

“I saw it as an ideal location, where not many of my brands are currently offered.

“I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to expand and join a new community.

“The region also has a familiar seaside charm that’s featured in my current store location, in Cronulla.”

The new shop will focus on the elevated and conscious consumer, featuring a personally-curated collection of wellness, art, design, fashion and lifestyle.

“The We Are Mindful collection is functional, beautiful and, where possible, sustainable,” Ms Batty said.

The second We Are Mindful store will be opening soon, less than four years on from when the brand first began in Sydney.

“Everything in our store is thoughtfully sourced from small, like-minded brands who align with our ethos of community, connection and upholding wellbeing.”

Come September, customers can expect a minimal aesthetic and elevated offering from the new store.

“I am exploring the use of different textures such as concrete, tile and plywood,” Ms Batty said.

“The look and feel of the store is soft muted tones, arches, curved textured surfaces and niches.

“We Are Mindful, which caters to women and little ones, is an all-in-one store that offers a variety of products such as gifts, ceramics, books, self-care, homewares, clothing and accessories.

“There are some brands that are not supplied in the area as yet, that I will have exclusivity to stock, including clothing such as Arcaa, Assembly Label and Blanca.”