Leanne with her inspiration - Her children

Leanne's products have helped children all over the world

Leanne receiving her award

Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year

Many women find themselves having to make a choice; to prioritize either career or family. In a melding of these two huge facets of her life, Leanne Preston, CEO of Wild Child, has turned her natural passion for motherhood into a successful career. Far from a desperate housewife, Leanne is the 2007 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.

It all began with a few little jumping biting nasties. When her daughter came home from school one day with head lice Leanne searched high and low for a non-toxic treatment. All that she found was a gap in the market. Horrified, she discovered that the most common head lice treatment contained the pesticide Malathion, which is used in agricultural spraying, and came in a bottle labeled POISON. Watching her daughter cry as the product burned her scalp was the final straw and she began to experiment with making alternative treatments for head lice using all natural ingredients. Wild Child was ‘born, not made.’

What Leanne had unearthed was a door that had not gone unnoticed, but was simply waiting for the right person to open it. It turned out that scientists were already aware of a few natural pesticides produced by plants, but no one had bothered to harness these for a head lice treatment, until Leanne came along. She created a prototype product, eventually named ‘Quit Nits’, using natural plant oils.

"Watching her daughter cry as the product burned her scalp was the final straw and she began to experiment with making alternative treatments for head lice using all natural ingredients. Wild Child was ‘born, not made

In its first years of existence Quit Nits captured a respectable percent of the Head lice market in Australia. Leanne soon discovered that the gap that existed in the Australian market was actually a gaping world wide hole. Having always thought globally, she began with plans to export. Her first target was the UK market, leading to successfully landing an account with major Chemist chain Boots.

All the while as she tended her rapidly growing business, Leanne was also raising her family on her own. A separated single mother on a pension, Leanne first operated Wild Child from the lounge room of her Margaret River home in order to remain available to her children. Wild Child was the realization of her dream of a better life for herself and her family. Wild Child now exports to Europe, New Zealand, and from January 2008, to 44 states across the US through CVS Pharmacies. Their range has now expanded to include sunscreens and to developing other natural products for children. Through Wild Child Leanne has been able to support children at orphanages in Cambodia and Vietnam. Wild Child also donated a supply of Quit Nits to Happy Home for boys and Gracie’s Place for girls, both safe homes for at risk children in Fiji. 

"All the while as she tended her rapidly growing business, Leanne was also raising her family on her own. A separated single mother on a pension, Leanne first operated Wild Child from the lounge room of her Margaret River home in order to remain available to her children."

Leanne’s tremendous achievements have been recognized at the 2007 Telstra Business Awards. She won the over all award for Australian Business Woman of the Year, along with YellowTM Business Owner Award and the Australian Government Business Innovation Award in recognition of her extraordinary career.
 

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