Woman smiling and holding a floating shelf with a night light against a wall decorated with dried flowers and foliage.

About Philippa

From Market Stall to Manufacturer: Why I Do What I Do

Hi, I am Philippa. I started my first product business My Night Light, back in 2009 with a single market stall and a big dream, to create something of my own. Over the years, that little stall became a multi-channel brand, selling online, through wholesale and distributors, and eventually manufacturing my own products.

I didn’t have a business degree. I learned everything the hard way, pricing, inventory, supply chain, trade shows, marketing, and the art of keeping cash flow alive.

Eventually, I realised something powerful: one day online could outperform a whole weekend at the markets, without the 3am pack-downs and lost sleep. That shift changed my life..

Four people sitting at a conference table, smiling. One woman is speaking into a microphone. The table has notebooks, glasses of water, and electronic devices. Behind them is a blue and white wall with a logo that says 'UniSC'.

The Why Behind Pace Ecommerce

As my business grew, so did my passion for helping other founders who were stuck in the same backend chaos I’d faced, messy stock, cash flow gaps, supplier stress, no roadmap for scale. I saw brilliant product ideas stall because the systems, support, and digital knowledge just weren’t there.

Through my role as a business mentor in the QLD Government’s Mentor for Growth program, and as both a teacher of the digital marketing module and mentor in the small business course at the University of the Sunshine Coast, I’ve worked with hundreds of small businesses. The same pattern kept emerging: incredible products, but shaky backend operations and limited knowledge of how to market and grow online.

That’s why I created Pace Ecommerce, not a course, but strategic mentoring and real-world support for ecomm founders who want to scale profitably without burning out.

My Dream

Business plan document with personal and business details, including name, business name, address, phone, email, website, and completion date, with some information blacked out.

For years, I carried a vision in my mind. I couldn’t quite name it at the time, but I knew what it felt like. Today, it’s called Pace Ecommerce. Back when I was building My Night Light, I often felt completely alone. I was doing everything, ordering stock, figuring out pricing, running marketing, but there was no one to really talk to who understood the messy, complex side of a product-based business. I worked with some great business coaches over the years, but none of them had actually built what I was trying to build. I didn’t need motivation or mindset coaching. I needed structure. I needed guidance. I wanted step-by-step support and a community of others who understood what I was facing. I couldn’t find it, so I built it. What you see here is the business plan I wrote in 2021. But the dream started long before that. Pace came from the gaps I saw and felt firsthand. It’s the kind of support I was searching for back then, strategic, real-world, no-fluff mentoring for ecomm founders who are smart and capable but stuck trying to scale without a map.

The Path I Never Had

Infographic titled '7 Steps to Scale at Pace,' listing steps: 1. Product, 2. Brand, 3. Convert, 4. Acquire, 5. Retain, 6. Automate, 7. Analyse, with brief descriptions for each step.

When I was growing My Night Light, I couldn’t find anyone who could show me how to scale a product business without burning out.


So I built the roadmap I wish I had.


These are the 7 steps I take my clients through inside Pace, practical, proven, and tailored for ecomm founders who are ready to scale without the mess.


Which step are you stuck on right now?