The Hand Up Project
Cat Macnaughtan, Founder & CEO GETTING LOST
Cat’s journey to founding Getting Lost didn’t start with a five-year plan; it started with a ‘rage launch’ sparked by a $10,000 financial hit and a refusal to let others control her destiny.
From reclaiming her independence in just six weeks to navigating a surprise global inquiry from her spare room, Cat has built a brand that perfectly mirrors its mission: finding the magic in the detour.
In this second instalment of The Hand Up Project, she reminds us that the best parts of the journey are rarely found on the main highway, real growth happens when you’re brave enough to wander off-the-beaten-track and trust that getting lost is the only way to truly find your way.
What originally inspired you to start your business, and how has that initial motivation evolved?
It’s a tale of two halves. The idea for the Getting Lost Game came about really organically.
I had a travel blog called Getting Lost and people asked how we found all the off the beaten track places. From that it became apparent that technology, while great for helping us find things, had made us a bit rubbish at the art of getting lost and so we made a card game that would help people find new things – but more importantly enjoy the journey and not just the destination.
The actual launching of the game was very much a rage launch! Like many good ideas it could have remained just that if it weren’t for my boss at the time refusing to give me a pay rise and my ex-husband stopping paying child support in the same week. I was so mad about how little control I had over my destiny and so I decided to launch the game and earn back the $10,000 I’d just lost. I did that in 6 weeks.
What problem does your business solve better today than when you first began?
Wayfinding! Because we grew so organically we actually created a problem, ironically given we’re all about getting lost, that our customers couldn’t easily find the games that they wanted. We introduced a simple colour system, consistent naming conventions, a quiz and top 10 packs for trade to simplify and make it easier for people to buy from us.
What operational change or system had the biggest impact on your ability to step out of the day-to-day?
It was actually getting Covid during our busiest week and being forced to be at home for a week. It made me realise that I was absolutely not needed (and possibly more of a hindrance) during our busy times and I could do much more focussing on the marketing and letting the team focus on the tasks they were running rather than trying to be across everything.
What internal shift or mindset change has most transformed the way you lead?
I’ve had to learn that I’m not good at everything (not to mention there are only limited hours in a day), and to trust my team more to step up, learn new things and deliver projects without me needing to be involved in every step.
What was a turning point or decision that significantly accelerated your business’s growth?
It was actually appearing on Seven Sharp that step changed our business the most. But there were so many small things that we did in the lead up to that to make it happen. I went to a lot of trade shows and when I went I didn’t focus on just the sales – I made friends with other businesses exhibiting there. One of them happened to be on Seven Sharp and as she was being interviewed she mentioned our business to the reporter. That same reporter then read an interview we’d done that week in the Spinoff.
Later in the week the same reporter was dropping his kids off at school when he talked to a Dad there who said that he was flying solo that week because his wife was attending the first international trade show with her sister to sell a game called Getting Lost. He rang me the next morning and said that everywhere he went he heard about Getting Lost and could he interview me. Luck sure, but also just constantly putting yourself out there, trying new things and taking every opportunity.
What challenge did you not see coming, and how did you navigate it?
It’s definitely been about being ready for the big opportunities. In the second round of Auckland lockdowns in 2021 we were approached by Kohl’s (one of the largest department stores in the USA). Our brand had been flagged by the Meta algorithm and they were interested in selling our games. I thought it was a scam at first and then did a bit of digging and found out they were legit. At the time we were so small we were still trading out of our house!
But I had 3 meetings with the innovation team at Kohl’s – bluffing my way through all the questions and trying to figure out how we’d produce at scale in a lockdown. The moment came when they asked me who my importer of record was. I had no idea what this was and couldn’t even bluff my way out of it and just looked blank. Their next question was “So where is your US warehouse?” We didn’t even have a NZ warehouse (unless you count my spare room) and it was at this point I think we both realised just how tiny we were and the deal didn’t go ahead. It made lockdown way more fun though!
What role, hire, or support made the biggest difference in how your business operates?
An assistant GM! She’s an absolute legend. She does all our finances which has eliminated the need for an external bookkeeper, keeps me on track, helps to make hard decisions and is just generally brilliant!
What advice would you give to other female founders working to move from doing the work to leading the business more effectively?
I still don’t think I’m perfect at this but it is about letting go. Taking yourself off e-mail chains, empowering your team to make decisions and doing an honest audit of what your strengths are.
What shift do you believe female founders are uniquely positioned to benefit from right now?
I think there is a real sense of solidarity amongst female business owners (and women in general) with everyone trying to uplift and support each other to collectively grow female led businesses.
What’s one thing you wish more founders understood about building a sustainable, long-term business?
To get good, robust, money saving tactics in place to make your margins as big as they can be before you need them. We were profitable from year one and because of that I learnt so many bad habits that other businesses who had it tougher would have figured out much earlier. It did come back and bite me later on.
Bonus: What’s one piece of advice you wish you had received as a female leader?
Build your tribe. Actually, build a few of them (I have five I’m actively part of)! Being in business can be isolating, especially in the early days and having other business owners around you gives you a sounding board to navigate the tricky things.
Be vulnerable, open and share what you learn with your tribe and they’ll give it all back.
Get in touch with Cat or find out more about Getting Lost here
