She has been working alongside her mother, Sue, at O’Keefe’s IGA Seymour since she was nine.
Sue and her husband Peter started their family business in November 1999 with no previous retail experience.
It was all hands on deck, with a young Stephanie filling the shelves after school and on school holidays with her brothers Matthew and Timothy.
Stephanie has grown up in the business and has been helping Sue manage the store for the past five years, bringing her own modern approach with a focus on local suppliers.
She remembers how a strong work ethic was instilled in the children by their parents from a young age.
“Through their years of hard work, discipline and putting customers first, the supermarket evolved into a well-recognised business across the local community and the IGA network,” Stephanie said.
“I have been extremely lucky to not only work alongside my mum, but have her as my boss, colleague, mentor, confidant and, most importantly, my best friend.
“From a small independent store owner, I have witnessed the respect and recognition Mum has earned during the past 21 years.”
Sue and Stephanie said they considered it a real privilege to serve their local community and be advocates for local brands, producers and suppliers.
“I absolutely admire my mum’s strength to continue to drive our business forward,” Stephanie said.
“She always said our staff and customers are like family and we must always strive to give back, and that is something she continually does.
“Through internal and external renovations to the store, she is always trying to exceed customer expectations wherever possible.
“We remain passionate about food, wine and sharing local products with our customers, who are more like friends and family, every day.
“Thank you to my wonderful parents for their hard work and dedication, early starts, late nights and persistence.
“Both Mum and Dad are an inspiration to our entire family. They’ve built this business from scratch and proud is an understatement.”
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