Inside Retail broke the news on Wednesday evening that Julie Mathers is departing the eco-friendly online retail business she founded in Australia in 2014, Flora & Fauna, at the end of February. Here’s an edited transcript of the conversation we had with her about why she’s leaving, where she’s going next, and what it was like to tell her team.Inside Retail: Were you always planning to depart Flora & Fauna when you sold it to beauty and wellness business BWX? Julie Mathers: Definitely not. We were really committed to staying, and then, for a multitude of reasons, we came to the decision over the last six months, and properly made it in November, to have a fresh start and do something new. I say ‘we’ because Tom [Abraham, Flora & Fauna COO,] is leaving too. We each have our own reasons, but we love love love Flora & Fauna, so it’s not because we’ve fallen out of love with our business. We haven’t at all. That’s the hardest thing actually. IR: Can you say why you decided to leave?JM: I can say it was 100 hundred per cent my decision. And the important thing is there are a lot of reasons – there’s no one particular reason.IR: Are you still happy with your decision to sell Flora & Fauna?JM: I’m still happy we made that decision. It was the right decision for us and Flora & Fauna. Flora & Fauna has a great future ahead of it. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but I’m actually in a really good spot and excited about the future for me. We’ve been going hard at this for nearly eight years, and we honestly have not stopped. It’s been absolutely exhausting. And I just said, ‘My time has come. I’m ready to make the move.’ It wasn’t one particular reason – I don’t think it ever is in these cases. IR: So, what’s next for you?JM: I’m taking the month of March off, and then starting something new in April, which is in the online space still. I know what I love in terms of small business and driving change and all of that good stuff. I can’t say exactly what it is yet, but I’m not going to retire!IR: Can you say if it is an existing business, or a new venture? JM: It’s an existing business. I just love working, so to be able to keep growing, particularly in the online space, and to keep [fulfilling] my purpose…it’s brilliant. I’m investing in a couple of businesses as well, like ReleaseIt. It’s really interesting for me to be able to invest in different businesses, and [I’m] mentoring, but it’s not enough to keep me occupied. IR: What does this mean for Flora & Fauna? JM: Flora & Fauna has an amazing team. They are really committed and passionate – we didn’t lose anyone through Covid – so I have every confidence they will be great in taking Flora & Fauna forward. Everyone [there] is so values-driven, I’m not concerned at all. We spent a lot of time and effort recruiting great people – they’ll be able to take the business even further and do more to keep the legacy going. But that’s probably the hardest part for me – leaving the team. That’s the piece that’s sort of gut-wrenching.IR: Did you have any parting words for them?JM: I’m leaving at the end of February, so I have a few more weeks. But [when I told them about the decision to leave], I was sobbing. I told them one by one, so it was a flood of tears all day. But they really are an incredible team. When I told Lauren in customer care, she said to me, ‘Don’t be sad, be really proud.’ And you know, Tom and I have spoken about this, and we’re so proud of what we’ve managed to do in seven years and the impact we’ve managed to have. Those are the things that we’re taking with us. And Flora & Fauna is probably ready for a fresh pair of eyes. I’ve always said that Flora & Fauna has to be bigger than me. I can walk away sad in one way, but proud and happy in another.