Clare Mills – ElevenEighty
Clare Mills is an experienced entrepreneur and is the co-owner of ElevenEighty- a beautiful new wedding venue business in Coolangatta, which she runs with her husband Richard. Following a fast-paced life in Sydney, Clare and her family moved to Berry for a change of pace.
Clare now juggles running a successful recruitment business in Sydney and a busy wedding venue on the South Coast with her role on the Committee with the Berry Chamber of Commerce and Tourism AND family life. Amongst all this business, Clare finds WorkLife her sanctuary for productivity and sanity.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your journey to Berry? How did you end up here, and what attracted you to this community?
I woke up one day on holiday, having actually slept for three days, but still utterly exhausted with three tiny kids who were mostly raised by a nanny while I worked crazy hours. I turned to my accountant husband and said, “This is ridiculous. Is it worth it?” He replied, “We’re just about making ends meet,” and I said, “Right, something has to change.” And in true Clare Mills style, the change had to be big—no half measures. Within six months, we had sold, bought, and moved.
We already had some connection to the area through our friend Zar who owned an Airbnb in Shoalhaven Heads. We used to come down whenever it was free, so we had a good sense of the place. We loved the upmarket country vibe. Another big factor was our son Charlie, who has special needs. We found an amazing spot for him at a special needs school in Kiama, and that sealed the deal. We wanted a change of pace, but we ended up moving here at exactly the same time as a bunch of other crazy Sydney families, so we didn’t quite get the peaceful change we thought we were getting!
Business and Entrepreneurship
Q: Tell us about your business. How and when did you decide to start it, and what motivated you to take the plunge into entrepreneurship?
Haha, I suppose entrepreneurship is all I’ve ever really known. I spent four years working for a big business in the UK and then another four years in Sydney for a medium-sized company. After that, my husband Richard and I just kept starting our own businesses. I’ve always been able to do this because of Richard’s support- he’s an entrepreneurially minded accountant—so he takes care of the technical and business side, so I can just be the customer-facing person and focus on growth and sales as we build things up.
When we got to Berry, Richard was still madly commuting to Sydney and getting nervous about the recruitment business. Then he found this extremely rundown property on Bolong Road that was already commercially zoned. He jumped at the chance even though we had absolutely no idea what we’d do with it. But that’s us—solutions tend to present themselves along the way! So now, four or five years later, we have a wedding venue business, which was a bit of a journey, but we’ve always been entrepreneurial, so that wasn’t the scary part.
Q: What does work-life balance look like for you? How do you manage the demands of running a business while ensuring time for family and personal life?
Do I manage it? Not quite sure if I do manage it well, but for me, work-life balance is about keeping my sanity in check. Honestly, it’s a breath of relief to walk into WorkLife, know that there’s fast internet, no distractions of dogs, washing, or kids, and I can actually smash out four of the most productive hours of my working week.
Add to that the chance to have adult conversations with some pretty great humans, outside of my business, and it’s amazing. The surprise every time I’m in here is that I end up chatting with someone I haven’t met before, and invariably something good comes out of it—whether it’s a business opportunity, an idea, a lead, or just a recommendation to talk to someone. It’s the icing on the cake. So, do I manage the juggle? Half the time, I’m hanging on by my fingernails, but walking in here, I feel like I can finally breathe.
Q: In your industry, what recent disruptions or transitions have had the most significant impact on your business?
After Covid, everything changed. During Covid, we were planning how to run our venue and what our offering would be, and at that time, the wedding market was booming. Restrictions lifted, and everyone who hadn’t been able to get married was desperate to do so. You didn’t need to market heavily or offer discounts—venues were filling up at any price. That was the landscape we were basing our plans on, but by the time we actually launched, that boom was over.
We quickly realised all our research was outdated. We had to be way more flexible and agile than we expected, constantly adjusting our offerings, packages, and pricing. Add to that the cost-of-living crisis, high inflation, and economic changes, and we had to pivot again. But luckily, because we’re a new business, we’d invested in marketing, branding, and socials—things other venues hadn’t had to do for years. So, we managed to navigate a fast-changing landscape and are now fully booked for the next 12 months, which feels like a big win. We’re now looking at stage two, tapping into new markets with midweek retreats and company offsite, and it’s really exciting.
Personal Life
Q: Outside of work, what are your hobbies and passions? How do you like to spend your time when you’re not focused on business or family?
That’s two really different questions—my hobbies and passions versus what I actually spend my time on! Outside of work, my time seems to be 100% spent on family. But I’m back playing netball at 50, which is interesting on the body but something I’m passionate about keeping up as long as I can. I whinge about driving all over the state for kids’ sport, but secretly I absolutely adore it—it’s part of the fun!
Personally, I love getting out with the dogs, hitting the beach, and traveling, but that’s been a bit stuck recently due to lack of disposable income, being too busy, and I think getting used to not doing those things during Covid. I’m really keen to get travel back on the agenda because it’s good for the soul, and I need it.
Q: Are there any books or podcasts you’ve found particularly inspiring or informative recently? Any recommendations for the WorkLife community?
Tilda is Invisible absolutely resonated with me, especially for women in their 40s and upwards who are starting to feel unseen. It’s a lovely, easy read with a twist that the problem isn’t that others don’t see you—it’s that you’ve lost sight of yourself. We did it for our Berry Book Club, and it sparked great conversations. I’ve recommended it to loads of people.
Q: How do you maintain boundaries between work and personal life? Any top tips?
My God, I need someone to give me tips! My first tip: a lock on your bedroom door. After 8 pm, my room is a no-kid zone—it’s my place to read a book and unwind. The second tip is communication. When all my boundaries have gone out the window, instead of losing my temper, I’ve learned to explain to my family how overwhelmed I am and what’s going on in my head. Even my teenage kids are starting to get it!
And then, my third tip: my ‘F*** Off’ mist for boundary setting. It’s this face mist with a cheeky label that smells gorgeous. When I need to use it, I show the label to my husband, he laughs, and he knows I’m about to lose it. Everyone should have one!
Home and Lifestyle
Q: What is your taste like? Do you have a favourite item of furniture or object in your home? Anything that has special significance or tells a story about your family?
My taste? Confused is probably the best word! My home is a mix—modern amenities, a country-style kitchen, and a vintage velvet couch. It’s not a showroom; it’s a home with personality. I’ve never thrown out a book since I was 16, and I read about two books a week, so there are books everywhere. Sometimes I try to go for that modern, minimalist look, but then color creeps in, and there are bright paintings and velvet everywhere.
Restoring the heritage buildings at ElevenEighty on Bolong Road influenced my love for vintage velvet, and a bit of that has snuck into my house. I’m obsessed with unique finds on Facebook Marketplace—nothing makes me happier than picking up a quirky piece at a fraction of the price. I even have a 1980s phone in my lounge room; it doesn’t work, but I love it. It’s a real mix, but it’s very much me.
Q: If you were to showcase the best of the local lifestyle to visiting friends, where would you take them and why?
The bottle shop in Berry, of course! Everyone loves the service and variety there. Pizza at Mountain Ridge on a Friday night is a must. I love the coffee from iV and Il Locale is my go-to for ridiculous fun banter and great food.
Productivity and Time Management
Q: What’s your go-to productivity hack? How do you stay organised and efficient, especially with multiple responsibilities?
Getting my butt into WorkLife with no distractions is my biggest hack. I can do in four hours there what would take me ten hours at home between washing and dinner planning. If I need to be productive, I need to get into WorkLife, where I can hit a deadline and get my stuff done. I’m also a fan of old-school lists—getting it all out of my head and the satisfaction of crossing things off is just blissful.
Benefits of WorkLife Membership
Q: Lastly, what’s been the most valuable aspect of being a member at WorkLife for you and your business?
WorkLife is my sanity check—my safe space. It’s where I can work productively, escape the chaos of home, and have adult conversations with people outside my business. Every time I come in, I feel like I can breathe again, and that’s invaluable.
