How Tasmanian man went from market stall to $3.2m haul

The Tasmanian man started his venture in the bedroom of his sharehouse and now has a plan to take it global.

When Hayden Brass’ dad died unexpectedly – a month after he had launched his new company – he had to find the courage to continue with it.

But the 29-year-old has turned the tragedy into a thriving success with a multimillion dollar business called Zea.

It all began when he was just 13 and would work on his mum and dad’s essential oil stall at Launceston’s Saturday markets.

There he learned about the little-known native Australian bush called Kunzea, which Brass said is similar to eucalyptus or tea-tree, and that Tassie locals would describe as a “wonder oil”.

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Hayden Brass when he helped out his parents on their market stall. Picture: Supplied

The family also ran stalls inside shopping centres. Picture: Supplied

The buzz behind the plant is something that remained with him, and in his 20s he decided to make products with Kunzea as the main ingredient, with the trees growing in Tasmania’s north east and the islands of Bass Strait, such as Flinders Island.

Kunzea has exploded in popularity in recent times because it is seen as a natural alternative to pain relief cream Voltaren and Deep Heat anti-inflammatory gels and creams.

The Tasmanian has used the plant to create his own pain relief cream, which sells for $34.95, as well as a muscle balm and essential oils.

The Kunzea plant. Picture: Supplied

The cream has been registered with the Australia’s medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and is listed for use for muscle pain, mild arthritis, sciatica and other anti-inflammatory uses.

But his dad’s shock death from heart issues was the “hardest part of the business journey” when he began in 2016 from the bedroom of his sharehouse, Brass said.

“It was so early on, just two or three months after committing to it, so it was an interesting time as I had to get the courage to continue with it,” he told news.com.au.

“It was definitely a couple of months of just doing what we could to keep things going and afloat and keep committed.

“It definitely made it hard, but a blessing in a terrible time was we could use a bit of his life insurance to fund the business, and it was his way to help it grow and just made it even more important to continue it.”

Hayden Brass with the Kunzea plant. Picture: Supplied

Zea’s bestseller. Picture: Supplied

It also sells aromatherapy oils. Picture: Supplied

Brass said the plant offered a number of benefits and the company used around five tonnes per year in his products.

“It doesn’t have that burning sensation or heating up sensation when you apply it to the skin so a lot of people can use it with sensitive skin and not have a reaction,” he said.

“We use natural active ingredients in the formulation and a lot complimentary ingredients … so we use coconut oil or macadamia oil to make it a good moisturiser, so its an inflammation fighting moisturiser that improves the body and skin and it’s a multi use product.”

In the last 12 months, the company has sold $3.2 million worth of products, a huge jump from the $70,000 he made in the first year of business.

The brand continues to innovate with products such as Zea Gourmet Kunzea Honey, one of the rarest varieties of organic honeys in the world produced from the nectar of the Kunzea Ambigua flower.

There’s also Zea Active’s Sports Cooling Spray – Magzea, which it claims is the first product of its kind to combine the natural benefits of Kunzea, peppermint, and magnesium – all in one bottle.

The honey the brand has created. Picture: Supplied

Hayden with his mum who is an aromatherapist and shareholder of the company. Picture: Supplied

But Brass believes Kunzea has the potential to be even bigger on the global stage, with

scientists using it in studies into pain management of sport injuries and motor neurone disease.

He has a lofty goal of improving the quality of 10 million people’s lives by 2030.

Zea is part of the international organisation 1% for the Planet, where one per cent of annual sales are donated for environmental causes.

It also recently became a B Corporation, which means it has been certified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, as well as transparency and accountability, to balance profit and purpose.

“Carbon neutral is one of the priorities for this year so that’s one aspect and people using our products is part of that goal, whether for pain management or skin conditions or improving day to day life,” Brass added.

Originally published as How Tasmanian man went from market stall to $3.2m haul