5 minutes with Sarah Griffith

1. What did you study at RMIT and what attracted you to that program? 

I came from a Nursing background and did an undergraduate degree of division 1 Nursing before I came to RMIT. I took a patient to CT on placement and decided that I wanted to stay! So I did my Masters in Medical Imaging at RMIT after that. I wanted to become an MIT because I think it combined my two passions, learning about the human body, human anatomy, pathology and how it worked, and photography. I had a dark room set up at home and worked at a Camera House processing photos as my part time job during University.  

I have a very caring nature and the idea of being there for someone needing an x-ray on what is potentially the worst day of their life was very motivating to me as I felt I could do a good job of making it slightly better for them by taking good care of them during their X-Ray.

2. What is your business all about?

I began the business because as a junior radiographer I wanted pink X-Ray (left and right) side markers and I couldn’t find anywhere in Australia that would sell me some, so I decided to make them myself. This has grown into a business that I do full time, I have left my job at the hospital and am now working on making sparkly markers, badge reels and name tags for Radiographers and Nurses around the world. 

My little slogan is ‘add some sparkle to your work day’ and I think I embraced this idea as hospital scrubs and uniforms can be mundane and not reflect the personality of the individual underneath. I like the idea that hospital workers can showcase their personalities beyond their scrubs by having badge reels, name tags and x-ray markers that they feel represent who they are a little bit. 

3. Where do you see your business in 10 years’ time?

I would like to have a business running that caters to radiographers that would like to purchase markers and accessories for their placements/jobs. I love creating new products and I would like to branch out to also offer a range of work accessories to nursing staff, allied health and potentially members of other professions such as teachers that might like to add a little sparkle to their uniform.  

There is nothing better to me than having a customer get so excited when they see my products, it means the world to me and is the exact reason I do it. So if that is still happening in 10 years I will be very happy.

4. How has studying at RMIT prepared you to run your business? 

I think RMIT enabled me to learn and ask questions and develop my curiosity into how things worked. I always felt supported to extend my knowledge and learning beyond the curriculum and placements were a wonderful way to learn as much as I could, ask questions and follow my curiosity to ask why things were a certain way and whether I could offer anything to the situation I was presented with on placement. 

Coming from a Nursing background as a mature age student meant that I had some prior knowledge that was useful in the context of medical imaging and I think this was nurtured not only in the classroom but on placement as well. This drive to learn and extend my knowledge was part of the reason that I felt I could make my own way in the world of medical imaging by creating my own x-ray markers and then expand this to what it has become today.

5. What advice would you have offered yourself when you first started your business? 

There are people who are as nerdy as you that will be as excited as you are about what you are doing. You’ll make pretty things that will make people happy and as long as you’re doing that, then you’re on the right path. Don’t worry too much about ‘being salesy’, if someone is excited about your product and wants to buy it, it is just as good for them as it is for you as a business owner.

6. What is your most sold product?  

My bread and butter is X-Ray Markers, closely followed by badge reels. I have some beautiful badge reels that I put real dried flowers inside of, and then I put the customer’s name on the front. These make a lovely gift and are all unique which I think is part of their appeal.