Walker was inspired by the power of scents and memories as she set out to create fragrances that represented some of her favourite places in South Australia, such as Innes, Middleton and Penneshaw.

“Six years ago, Etikette started as a passion project in my laundry at home, hand pouring small batches of candles,” Walker said.

“Today, Etikette is a fast-growing, female-owned and operated manufacturing business based in the Adelaide Hills.

“Importantly, Etikette was born in tandem with my own journey into motherhood and I’m proud to have built a business whose DNA supports the success of entrepreneurial women and mothers.”

Etikette manufactures more than 120,000 products a year in a purpose-built warehouse, a candle-making site unique to South Australia. Ella’s business has grown to bring in $2.2 million in the last 12 months and is gearing up to launch internationally.

Partnering with philanthropic and community organisations has been a core part of Etikette’s operations through Ella’s three pillars for giving back to the community: Educate, Donate and Make Noise.

These core values not only helped Walker win the New State of Mind award but also launch social projects that help all of Australia.

For example, Etikette sponsored South Australian artist Annabelle Schuttlofel to travel to the Tarkine rainforest in Tasmania to produce a body of work in partnership with the Bob Brown Foundation.

“Etikette is financing the research trip, which will see Annabelle spend a week in the Tarkine with environmental campaigners for ‘Save The Tarkine’, whose activism protects the second largest temperate rainforest in the world,” Walker said.

“We’re proud to support and collaborate with local and like-minded organisations who champion change for good in the South Australian community,” Walker said.

She also shares Etikette’s business journey and structure with the Year 12 accounting students at University Senior College, where students learn about start-up principles and use Etikette as a growth case to apply accounting practices.

“I am very passionate about sharing our business evolution and learnings in the hope it will inspire more people to build and back their own endeavours,” Walker said.

Walker said the company’s motto for the next few years is “to the moon”, as they work to launch Etikette internationally.

“We’re currently in the process of qualifying for the Austrade EDMG (Export Development Marketing Grant) with plans to showcase Etikette at global retail trade shows, Maison Object in Paris and New York Now in across 2023/24. Our hope is to secure international distributors to galvanise Etikette’s expansion into these foreign markets,” Walker said.

“Similarly, we’re working in partnership with the South Australian Trade Commissioner in Tokyo, who is supporting Etikette’s launch into the Japanese market.”