Founder's Story

Here is a story of the mental anguish of helplessness, loss and despair that seemed endless and how the people around me helped with my rise out of that dark hole!

Be warned, you may be triggered but this story must be told. ‘Rippa mate’ has been birthed out of the fruit of my journey. It is a brand with a purpose.

Our mandate is to promote the true Aussie spirit of mateship.

 "It suddenly occurred to me that not only were our shares in the company worthless, but we were also going to lose our home. I was jobless, I had no income and for the first time in 20 years I had zero financial choices and a wife and 3 girls to feed.

 I’ll never forget the Saturday morning, lying in bed next to my wife of 20 years and telling her that my business partner had put the business we grew into a multi-million-dollar company into receivership! This business partner, we were close, we were God Parents to his children. Not only did he fold the company, but he had his own plan B in place in another state, utilising the intellectual property of our defunct company. He had duped us all!

We saw 3 Christmas’s come and go in our dream home. Then like the spoils of a thief in the night, it was stolen right from under our feet.

And so, my first ever MENTAL HEALTH roller coaster began.

What to do? I was in foreign territory, clueless as to what to do next. I needed money. I needed to support my family!

I went to Centrelink dressed in my best suit and shiniest of shoes, where I hold deep gratitude for the lady at the counter saying, ‘you look out of place, something has gone wrong.’ She pulled me to the front of the line and helped me fill out and submit the form for unemployment benefits. I went out to the car and for the first of many times to come, I cried my eyes out.

I remember like it was yesterday, the morning ritual that had become my normal start to the day:

• Wake
• Shower
• The burden of which I would carry led me to slide down the shower and cry.
• Regain my composure before fronting my family.
• Start the day!

 I thought at the time that it was my job to bear the brunt of the emotional torture and felt compelled to protect them at all costs. This was eventually going to come back and bite me later.

I’ll never forget sitting down opposite our Real Estate Agent, Greg and telling him our story. As I commenced the story, I was overwhelmed with emotion and sat there crying uncontrollable. Greg came around the desk and sat next to me, put his hand on mine and said these reassuring words, ‘I’ve got you mate.’

Without going into all the details, six of the next ten years were spent in a state of bankruptcy. What I once thought as a dirty word, now became our saving grace. Whilst this was all happening, my mental and physical health was declining.

The day that changed life was the day one of my employers said to me “you need to talk to a doctor and get professional help!” So, I did.

This as it turned out was probably one of the best and important decisions of my life! It was through a series of appointments with a professional that I learnt how to deal with the turmoil in my mind. She unpacked my mind of negative, destructive thoughts and repacked it with positive, affirming thoughts. I learnt tools that helped me deal with the pain of betrayal, regret, disillusionment, failure, and loss.

It’s times like this that can be a test of character and forever define a person, oh, and did it test me!

With the help of a family guarantor, we were able to buy an established café. My daughters got to be a part of the journey! My abstract drawings, an interest that I had picked up during these hard years, have now been collated and published as colouring books that are designed as a tool for helping people with their mindset.

I have a passion and what I would even call a purpose to help as many people as possible who are struggling with what life has dished up to them. I have been in the dark hole of despair, I have experienced firsthand, the fruit of betrayal, the mental anguish of helplessness and loss that seems endless!

Today I am mentally strong. I have vision and purpose. I have an incredible wife, now of 32 years. I have three amazing daughters who are as close to a father as you could ever imagine. I thank God for His un-denying presence in every day of my life’s journey and attribute my recovery to Him"

After all these years of adversity and challenges, and now on the other side, I will never forget those words of Greg the Real Estate agent, I’ve Got You Mate. These words are the essence and foundation of the Rippa Mate brand!

So come join me on this journey, of uniting all Australians under one brand! Wear your T-Shirt with pride and be there to look out for each other!

With care,

Trevor Broadbent