First Nations Entrepreneurship and Making Mardlaapa:

An interview with Temaana Sanderson-Bromley

This issue I got to yarn with Mardlaapa Designs founder Temaana Sanderson-Bromley about being a young First Nations entrepreneur and starting his own clothing brand.

Temaana is a proud Adnyamathanha, Narungga, and Wangkangurru Yarluyandi man from the Flinders Ranges, Yorke Peninsula, and Simpson Desert. Temaana is the owner and founder of surf clothing and apparel brand, Mardlaapa Designs. Temaana is also a UoA student currently completing a Bachelor of Marine and Wildlife Conservation and mentor at the Aboriginal Basketball Academy.

What inspired you to start Mardlaapa Designs?

Mardlaapa Designs started out as a dream in late 2021. I had always wanted to create my own clothing because of my interest in fashion and design. One day I decided to bite the bullet and take it head on. This was a big leap as I poured around $750 of my own savings into buying 50 shirts to print on. I was inspired by east and west coast surf brands and the way they operated their business in such a relaxed and welcoming way.

What has the process of starting your own business been like?

The first step I took was choosing the name. After brainstorming for a couple days, I settled on Mardlaapa (pronounced as mud~lar~pa) which is an Adnyamathanha word meaning “little”. When I was younger, I was called “mardlaapa yura’’ which means “little man”. I then started creating designs and eventually started producing the clothing. This process came with a lot of learning, feedback, experimenting, and trial and error.

What was your motivation for becoming an entrepreneur?

My parents have owned their own business since before I was born, running tours around Aboriginal history and cultural awareness training. As a result of this, growing up I always wanted to work for myself. My brother created his own business, which was the final kick I needed to fuel my desire to create a business of my own.

How did you build your customer base? Were there any strategies that worked really well for you?

I built my customer base through social media, word of mouth, and getting my name out at markets. This process was really slow and took a lot of work - I’ve still got a lot of work to increase my customer base. Some strategies I found really useful was identifying my target audience and making all my social media posts relevant to that group. This helped get the best responses from them.

Where can people find you?

You can find us on Instagram and TikTok @ mardlaapa_designs. We are also on Facebook as Mardlaapa Designs. I will also have my website up and running soon which you can reach at www.mardlaapadesigns.com

What is your favourite thing about running your own business?

I love having the chance to make clothing that people enjoy wearing. I like being able to create a fusion of contemporary Aboriginal art with surfy coastal life designs that hasn’t really been done by anyone else. I also love seeing others in my clothes and hope to see more and more people wear them. I also love the way it has developed me as a person, with aspects across my life [improving] such as [my] organisation and confidence.

What’s next for Mardlaapa?

Where do you see yourself and your business in five years?

I will keep pushing Mardlaapa throughout uni and in five years I want to see my business asup there with some of the other big league surf/street wear brands. Eventually, I want to open a store front and have my own shop to work in, but I think that’ll take a bit more time and work.

What advice would you give to other young First Nations people wanting to start their own business?

My biggest piece of advice is to stop dreaming about making your own business and make ita reality. Put in the work, time, and effort to create it, and lean on others for guidance and support. Also, once you get it started, push through thick and thin as there will be times where it’ll be really hard but you will have to [keep pushing].