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‘Shi* The Bed’ creator Renae Bunster left a career in journalism to create what is fast becoming Australia’s leading hot chilli sauce

‘Shi* The Bed’ creator Renae Bunster left a career in journalism to create what is fast becoming Australia’s leading hot chilli sauce

  • On January 24, 2018
  • 401, bunsters hot sauce, marketing podcast, renae bunster, SBBM, tim reid

Today we catch up with Renae Bunster who, on a chilled out holiday to South America, came up with the idea to create a hot chilli sauce like no other. In fact, it’s called Shit The Bed and after just two years, Renae has left her journalism career and is selling $8,000 worth of this mouth torturing delicacy per day! Also in episode 401 of your favourite marketing podcast you’ll discover the importance of suburb pages on your website, I help listener Adam buy an online business and listener Ryan helps past guest Wally Khwally develop strong partnership strategy. Big show, huh?!


“My husband would sit in the lounge room boxing up bottles of sauce, and I’d be in the kitchen all day long. We’d used every last glass bottle in Western Australia, every last chilli in Western Australia, and we thought ‘OK, we have to stop. We need to run a crowdfunding campaign’. We needed to get a factory because the sky really is the limit with this.”

-Renae Bunster,
Bunsters Hot Sauce


There’s loads more tips and insights just like this that will help you build that beautiful business of yours into the empire it deserves to be. Hit the PLAY button above to listen now, or subscribe free to hear the full interview. You’ll also find the full interview transcription below.

If you have questions about how to get your business idea off the ground, then you’ll get this answers in this interview, including:

  • Where did the idea for Bunsters Hot Sauce come from?
  • How did Renae take it from idea to product?
  • How does she market the Bunsters Hot Sauce product range?
  • Why is a memorable product or business name important to success?
  • How can crowdfunding help build a business in its early stages?
  • How do you get media coverage for your new business idea?
  • And so much more …

Ex journo Reana Bunster who during a massive holiday to Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica fell in love with their delicious fresh hot sauces.  Upon returning home to Perth, she couldn’t find anything that hit the spot, so she felt compelled to make her own. Friends who’d never even liked chilli before were suddenly kicking down her door for the stuff. It very quickly turned into a thriving business, with Renae sending her sauce all over Australia.

Things got serious when she raised $250,000 through a crowdfunding campaign allowing her to produce and sell much larger quantities. Her hot sauce is called Bunsters … and her flagship product is called Shit The Bed!

Bunsters is now the #1 selling hot sauce on Amazon behind the tried and tested Sriracha.
And she’s doing a lazy $8,000 per day in sales!

Here’s what caught my attention from my chat with Renae Bunster of Bunsters Hot Sauce:

  1. You can be the cheapest or the best. You can’t be everything to everyone. The minute you try to be then you become nothing to no one.
  2. If you’re looking to start a new business, or maybe just a side hustle, I love Renae’s advice about identifying something that people are passionate about. Then, if you get your offer right, you’ll have an interest tribe.
  3. Know your customer intimately. What about the way Renae described Dave … could you describe your ideal customer in such detail?

But the marketing gold doesn’t stop there, in this episode you’ll also discover:

  • Melbourne SEO’s Dave Jenyns explains the importance of suburb pages in helping your website rank well
  • Listener Ryan Speak shares a great idea for past guest Wally Khwali
  • And I help listener Adam Auld buy an online business


Resources mentioned:


Please support these businesses who make this show possible:

Prospa is Australia’s #1 online lender to small businesses. You can quickly apply online for loans up to $250,000, get a fast decision and in most cases receive the funding in under 24 hours. Call 1300 882 867.

DesignCrowd is the world’s #1 custom design marketplace where, with access to 550,000 designers, you’ll get the perfect design every time. Get $100 off your DesignCrowd brief here.

If something in this episode of Australia’s favourite marketing podcast peaked your interest, then let me know by leaving a comment below.

This post was provided by marketing speaker Tim Reid who is the host of The Small Business Big Marketing Show, Australia’s #1 marketing podcast, also heard on Virgin Airlines. Subscribe FREE on iTunes or Android.