Hi, I'm Olivia Ratten. I help owner-led manufacturers and food brands figure out why the market isn't choosing them, and fix it.
If you lead a manufacturing business or food brand, you know what it feels like when the product is strong but sales aren't reflecting it. I know that feeling too. I grew up inside it.
My Story
My father started a pet food manufacturing company. As a young person, I helped out with the basics. I packed dog food, supported trade show days, walked supermarket aisles handing out samples, and stepped into casual office roles. I saw firsthand what it takes to build something from scratch, and what it feels like when the success of the business is personal.
Even before all of that, I was curious about making ideas real. As a young adult I was drawn to web development and programming. In my mid-twenties I trained in communication and multimedia design and worked across graphic and web design, visual communication, and user interface design. I loved the craft of turning a concept into something people could see and use.
After building that foundation as a designer, I returned to the family business and moved into a sales and account relationship role, while also leading marketing and customer service. I carried a lot of responsibility, and I could feel the gap: we needed stronger decision-making, clearer product direction, and the confidence to negotiate and grow in a world dominated by major supermarkets.
That pressure is what pushed me to study an MBA — to build stronger business acumen and better tools for leading complex work.
The Turning Point
During that MBA, I found design again, but in a completely new way. Design Thinking. It wasn't just a toolset for creatives. It was a practical, human-centred process for navigating complexity and making progress as a group.
And that mattered deeply to me, because I'd lived the pain of teams who care but don't know how to decide.
In family businesses especially, people often have strong views and deep ownership, but not always shared methods for alignment. I'd watched meetings spiral into circular, emotional discussions. Decisions were deferred. Work stalled. The impact wasn't just meetings that went nowhere. It was felt in the day-to-day energy and productivity. Slower execution. Lost momentum. And ultimately, a weaker ability to compete.
That experience became the heart of my work.
What Drives Me Now
What drives me now is helping owner-led teams work together better.
I partner with manufacturers and food brands — typically $10M to $50M in revenue — as a fractional growth partner. I help you figure out why the market isn't choosing you, sharpen the story so buyers get it, and turn that into a plan your team can run with.
I bring human-centred design, customer focus, and structured ways of working that turn complexity into action. I help groups move from circular debate to clear choices, from uncertainty to learning through prototypes and testing, and from fragmented effort to alignment and forward motion.
My work sits at the intersection of customer insight, positioning, and commercial execution. It's equal parts thinking and doing.
A Bit More About Me
I live on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. I'm a board member of FAN (Food and Agribusiness Network), a mentor with Generation Innovation, and I care deeply about supporting local makers and values-led businesses.
My background spans design, marketing, sales, and product strategy — and I've served on industry boards leading strategic repositioning. But more than any of that, I know what it's like when your team is working hard and the market still isn't getting the message. That's the problem I'm here to solve.