We are so lucky to work with such a fantastic team of mums and dads, and today, we’re delighted to introduce you to yet another invaluable team member. Meet Karen, LittleOak Finance Manager and mum of two aged 15 and 17. From wages and bills to managing insurance and our monthly reporting, Karen makes sure our little company is on track to keep providing you with your favourite LittleOak goodies. 

Karen joined our little team about three years ago, after meeting our Founder and CEO, Elke, through a mutual friend and has been part of our family ever since. We sat down with Karen to learn a little bit more about her work at LittleOak, how she got here, and her message for all of you. 

We asked Karen what her favourite part about working at LittleOak was, and she replied, “it’s the people that I get to talk to each day.” We couldn’t agree more. We’re a tight-knit team of mums and dads – from the Careline team who answer all your queries to the sales team working to get our beautiful goat milks in your local shops, we’re all parents who believe in our mission to nurture little ones around the world. “I love working for a company that produces such a quality product that we all believe in,” says Karen.“I also never know what might land on my desk – my work is interesting and challenging, and I have to learn new things all the time.” 

From morning walks with her husband to concerts with her daughter and golf days with her son, Karen spends a lot of time with her family. “I also love walking – we live not far from the ocean, and we love our morning walks up over the headlands,” says Karen. Karen also enjoys her weekly Pilates classes or tuning into her audiobook. “I’m listening to one called ‘Mr. Einsteins Secretary’ at the moment, which is quite good.” 

Before joining LittleOak, Karen ran her own business, building it from the ground up (literally, it was a scaffolding business). And before this, she worked for a not-for-profit working to deliver various health projects in her community ranging from breastfeeding support to immunisation and diabetes care. “It was incredibly rewarding to work towards something that impacts people in their day-to-day life, and this is something I really appreciate about LittleOak. It’s just great to see someone stepping out of their comfort zone to bring a really great product to mums and dads.” 

Growing up in a blink 

Eventually, Karen and her husband decided to sell their scaffolding business to a local company and make life simpler. “We wanted to be available for the kids and have more flexibility,” she said. 

Here’s the part that really stood out to us. When we asked Karen to share one message with our wonderful LittleOak mums and dads, she said that you should try to “spend as much time with your kids as you can because they’re only little once.” She also said that this is something she really loves about LittleOak. “We’re so understanding of families with kids and there’s always room to focus on your children...my kids won't be around at home for much longer and I want to do as much as I can with them while they’re still willing to hang out with their parents.” 

She also emphasized that it's more about quality over quantity. “Some people have the luxury of choice, and some people don’t. I think it's really about quality time, so when you’re with your children, be with them. When your kids are little, there are many ups and downs, but this period really doesn’t last very long. Enjoy this chapter in your life, they’re only little once.” 

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LittleOak has been nourishing children for many years and feeds millions of infants and babies across the globe each and every day, in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. In the US, we're proud to have our FDA compliant Toddler Milk available for families.