In focus – Shannon Seipolt and Tracey Grills

Shannon Seipolt

Tint N Windows, Peregian Springs

The leap from legal secretary to window tinting operator might seem huge, but for Shannon Seipolt, the career change made perfect sense.

Having built a reputation in Airlie Beach for his quality work thanks to more than a decade of experience, Shannon says her husband Brad was asked to tint the windows at the law office where she worked, and after seeing him in action, she decided to join him.

Though they moved to the Sunshine Coast in 2015, the arrival of baby Oliver in early 2016 delayed their plans to re-establish the business on the Coast. But come December, Tint N Windows was back in business and servicing the whole region – from Tewantin to Pelican Waters.

“Tinting is an affordable luxury, especially with these horrible hot days,” says Shannon. “When you tint, the glare reduces and it makes the room more comfortable, so we wanted to make that option available to the whole Sunshine Coast.”

Opening at the start of summer, the business has unsurprisingly become popular with locals looking for smart, cost-effective ways to beat the heat, which Shannon says can be hard to balance with being a new mum.

“It’s difficult to juggle sometimes – making sure we have enough time for our son and making sure our business is as good as it can be at the same time,” she says. “We still work after hours and on weekends, so it’s a matter of finding the right work/life balance.”

But despite the challenge, she and Brad wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Being our own bosses and having some flexibility is great, but for me the thing I love most is getting to meet new people. Because you’re in their home, you get to know them and have a chat with them, and we’ve made some great friends as a result.”

Tracey Grills

Tracey G Prosthetics & Lingerie, Maroochydore

Having volunteered with the McGrath Foundation, Tracey Grills is no stranger to the struggles of women with breast cancer. Speaking with women who had undergone mastectomies and were struggling with their confidence, Tracey had always wanted to do something to help but just didn’t quite know how. It was a conversation with a breast care nurse which inspired Tracey to leave her role as an account manager for a multinational company and start her own business back in 2014.

Initially running her business as a mobile service, Tracey travelled around the Sunshine Coast fitting women who had undergone mastectomies with beautiful lingerie that offered prosthetic qualities, until she opened two stores in November last year, one in Maroochydore and another in Brisbane.

As a much-needed service on the Sunshine Coast and the first Amoena boutique in Queensland, Tracey G Prosthetics and Lingerie has already become popular with breast cancer survivors looking for swimwear and lingerie that boost their confidence.

“It’s an amazing feeling just being able to change a lady’s outlook or perspective on life when she’s had cancer by helping her realise she can still look and feel as good as she did before her mastectomy,” says Tracey.

Along with the incredibly rewarding nature of her job and working in a field she feels so passionate about, Tracey is also focused on altering the way people think about prosthetic lingerie.

“The biggest challenge has been overcoming people’s perception of what a mastectomy store is and what we sell. There used to be a perception that the only prosthetic options were daggy or ‘grandma’ lingerie, but we’re bringing sexy back!” she laughs.

“People can’t even tell there’s anything different. It’s definitely not daggy anymore!”