How one Queensland man turned a very simple idea into a multimillion-dollar business
A Queensland man has revealed how a simple idea to fix a very Aussie problem transformed into a multimillion-dollar business.
Four years ago, Kegan Gilmore sat atop the Gold Coast’s picturesque Burleigh Hill and looked down at the sheer beauty of the iconic Queensland hotspot.
Watching the calming blue waves roll in as the sun shone on the dramatic skyscrapers in the background, he never thought anything could spoil the moment.
That was, until he cracked open a drink.
What should have been that refreshing first sip on a hot summer’s day quickly turned into something of disgust.
A boiling hot beer.
Is there anything more un-Australian?
“It was a classic Queensland problem,” the 34-year-old told news.com.au.
“During Covid, I would regularly meet mates on Burleigh Hill. We would ride our push bikes down, stop at the bottle shop, then struggle to carry everything and ride.
“By the time we got there, the drinks were already warm.”
During the pandemic, Mr Gilmore’s family jetboating business was abruptly brought to a halt. With nothing much else to focus on, he had time to focus on addressing the problem spoiling his beach trips.
Seeing a gap in the market, his business The Aussie Pal all started with the invention of The Booze Bag – a soft cooler backpack that doubled as a waterproof travel bag.
“I created a website by learning from YouTube and still remember my very first sale,” he said.
“I got a sale without any stock. I had to text the guy and say, ‘Hey, thanks for ordering stock. It’s delayed, but it will be here soon, haha!’
“I then started Facebook ads and packed orders from my apartments for the first six months, before moving to a small warehouse the size of my apartment for the next six months.”
What started with orders of just 100 bags quickly turned into container-sized shipments as word spread online about the product.
As his business grew, Mr Gilmore decided to enter the insulated stainless steel drink bottle market, which is now his best selling product (specifically, the one litre and four litre bottles).
“I put over $100,000 into a two-in-one bottle lid so you can sip or chug with one cap,” he explained.
“I have patents and design registrations filed and its is now our top seller. We could not keep up with demand at first.”
While Mr Gilmore started with investing just $8000 into his business, it is now a multimillion-dollar Australian brand, with revenue growing year on year.
According to market research conducted by Westpac in October 2025, just over one in four (27 per cent) Australians are currently earning money via a side hustle, and a similar number (28 per cent) are considering starting one.
This means more than half (55 per cent) of Australians are either already actively earning from a side hustle or are considering starting one as an additional source of income.
While many may be thinking about starting a business, the research revealed the more common barriers to getting ideas off the ground.
Time scarcity (33 per cent) and juggling life responsibilities (28 per cent) were the two key barriers for most, especially for the under 50s and respondents in metro locations. While over a quarter (also 28 per cent) blamed a lack of knowledge or not knowing where to start.
As Mr Gilmore’s side hustle began taking off, his parents were able to share some of the lessons they had learnt running their tourism business and connected him with a business banker at Westpac.
He said he found himself relying more on those business banking offerings to support the growth of his business as The Aussie Pal grew.
While it has not been without minor struggles, Mr Gilmore is happier than ever being the CEO of his own business and said he would encourage anyone with a similar dream to “just go for it”.
“The most recent highlight was attending Turf Games with friends from the gym,” he said.
“Walking around and seeing so many Aussie Pal bottles in one place was incredibly rewarding.
“After all the design work, marketing, and packing orders, watching them in real hands, keeping people hydrated all day, and seeing athletes use our two-in-one lid for a big chug or a quick sip mid-competition.
“If you can handle a bit of stress and want to build something, it’s incredibly rewarding when the wins land after all the hard work.
“If that’s you, give it a go, just start. The short-term struggle is worth it.”
This article is part of the Back Australia series, which was supported by Australian Made Campaign, Harvey Norman, Westpac, Bunnings, Coles, TechnologyOne, REA Group, Cadbury, R.M.Williams, Qantas, Vodafone and BHP
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Originally published as How one Queensland man turned a very simple idea into a multimillion-dollar business
