Jess Townsend wears many hats; she's a mother, a photographer, a brand designer, and although she might not know it, a very successful business owner.
Ms Townsend was looking for a way to inspire people and showcase the glory of life on the land so she picked up a camera and started capturing photos around the Northern Territory.
After realising that she wanted to build a legacy for her daughter, Ms Townsend decided she needed to branch out from her photography business and go bigger.
And so, Dusty Creek was born.
"I've been Dusty Creek Photography for over 10 years and I always captured rural life and celebrated rural life through my lens; I've captured rodeos, polocrosse, drafts and station life," Ms Townsend said.
"I knew I had to create something bigger and I'd stumbled on the word 'Dusty' when I first named my business.
"It was a very uniting, relatable world to everyone in the field so I knew I had to do something with it, but I didn't know what to do or how to do it.
"And then a few years ago I decided to drop the photography and create some caps."
It's not unusual to see many Dusty Creek caps around the streets of Roma or at a local rodeo or campdraft, but the brand has also started to take off both interstate, and internationally.
Around 600 caps leave the store each month, bought by people from all over Australia, and around 40 per month are sent overseas.
"I've always loved caps, I was the cap queen who collected them before they were cool," Ms Townsend said..
"I had so many ideas but this business has given me the opportunity to celebrate a life in the bush on a whole different scale."
Ms Townsend moved to Roma when she was 24-years-old after growing up on cattle stations in the Northern Territory and she believes that creating her brand has helped bring a little bit of home down south.
"I'm celebrating where I'm from and I'm building a bridge from here to home," she said.
"I've been able to build the brand and celebrate both where I'm from and where I am in doing that."
Dusty Creek has seen huge growth in the last 12 months, where Ms Townsend has gone from selling caps in a pop-up shop to building a boutique and successful online store.
Ms Townsend has big plans for her business in 2022, including travelling around the state with caps and clothing, a practice that she hopes to continue through other states in future years.
"It's going to be a big change with the trailers," she said.
"So many people just expect us to be like the big brands, saying why aren't you here, there and everywhere, and I say I can't do it because it's just me.
"But I'm also ready to say, okay that's not an excuse anymore, step up to the plate and invest in more equipment and staff, and get out on the road.
"I really want to go west and go where people don't usually go.
"You haven't seen 50 per cent of what I'm going to do yet. I've got big plans!"
After winning the wholesale and distribution award at the Maranoa Business Awards this year, Ms Townsend said it finally sank it that she was on the way to achieving her dream.
She also credited the Roma community for its support in building her business.
"I knew it was worth investing in this community and I'm so thankful that they backed me."
"I think 2022 is where I will learn how to be a real business owner and for now, I've just sort of gone with the flow and the momentum.
"It's been very hard to keep up but I've thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and it can only grow more and more with the right team behind me."
It's all about keeping it fun and fresh for Ms Townsend.
"I love creating a fun atmosphere and when you come into my shop, we're a family, we're welcoming."
"I feel so many people are excluded from things these days and I'm taking it upon myself to make them all welcome, come on in and belong to my Dusty tribe."
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