Meet Helena Rosenthal
Meet Helena Rosenthal, the founder of Quenelles Frozen Desserts, a Melbourne-based business creating inclusive frozen treats. Helena started the business about a year ago with a clear purpose: to craft sorbets and ice creams that cater to people with allergies, intolerances, and different lifestyle choices. With a background in administration and a strong personal motivation to build something sustainable around her health, Helena has built a growing business focused on vegan frozen desserts made without gluten, nuts, soy, or coconut.
“Running a business can feel overwhelming because there is so much to do, and Kathleen helped me focus on the things that mattered most. The most useful part for me was setting goals and refocusing on them. Working through things like my business plan and financials helped me move step by step towards the goals I had for the business.” – Helena Rosenthal
Read more about Helena’s business journey so far:
Starting Quenelles Frozen Desserts
My name is Helena and I run Quenelles Frozen Desserts. We make sorbets and ice creams that are vegan and crafted without gluten, nuts, soy, and coconut, so people with different allergies or dietary choices can still enjoy them. We’ve been operating for about 12 months now.
Before starting my business, my working life had always been in administration. I worked as an administrator across different companies for many years. I actually found out about Many Rivers through Facebook.
To be really honest, one of the main reasons I went into business was my mental health. I have bipolar II, and it was getting to the stage where I needed to take time off work regularly. I wanted to create something that would have more longevity and allow me to work within my own parameters when it came to managing my mental health. Every 18 months or so, I would need to take a month or two off work, so I wanted to build something where I could still have income coming in during those periods.
I also wanted to create something that people could enjoy regardless of their allergies or lifestyle choices. I have a lot of people in my immediate family with allergens and intolerances, so I wanted to make something that everyone could have. I figured if it worked for us, it would probably be good for other people as well.
Working with Many Rivers
Kathleen is my business coach from Many Rivers, and she helped me focus on what needed to be done. She guided me through things like pricing and how I should approach different parts of the business.
She would set clear tasks for me to complete before our next meeting, which helped keep me focused and accountable. Not only did I complete those tasks, but I often pushed myself to go further because I really wanted to make her proud.
Running a business can feel overwhelming because there is so much to do, and Kathleen helped me focus on the things that mattered most. The most useful part for me was setting goals and refocusing on them. Working through things like my business plan and financials helped me move step by step towards the goals I had for the business.
For example, with Kathleen’s help I looked more closely at my costs and realised I needed to increase my prices because I wasn’t fully covering them before. That kind of financial guidance made a big difference.
Another important thing was that there was never any judgement. There can sometimes be judgement around mental health, but with Kathleen I always felt safe and supported. I knew she had my best interests at heart.
I haven’t received a loan from Many Rivers, and at the moment it’s just me running the business.
Did you get a loan from MR? How did you use the loan?
No I didn’t get a loan from Many Rivers.
Biggest Challenge
To be honest, my mental health has probably been the biggest challenge. At the moment I’m in a low cycle, so that’s something I’m focusing on. Managing everything in the business while also looking after my mental health can be difficult at times.
Biggest Success
One of the biggest successes has been getting my products into shops. Kathleen helped me set a target for that, and I not only achieved the target but actually exceeded it.
Biggest Change
The biggest change has been flexibility. Running my own business gives me more flexibility in how I manage my time and how I work.
Future Goals
I have a few short-term goals. One of the biggest is to grow the business enough to move it out of being home-based and into a proper manufacturing facility.
That’s a big step, so I’ve broken it down into smaller goals. At the moment I’ve sold about 200 units over the past year, and to reach that next stage I’ll need to be selling around 105,000 units. So I know I need to keep building towards that goal step by step.
Thank you Helena for sharing your business journey with us. We wish you the best of luck with future endeavours and business success.
If you would like to stay updated with Helena’s small business, follow “Quenelles Frozen Desserts” through the following links:
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