Amy Ben-Unu Photography.
Juggling a little one and growing a business has its challenges, but new dad Tomas Tappin has found a way to balance his men’s grooming brand Two Dudes with looking after his son Beau, as well as keeping his mental and physical health in check.
Speaking to Woman’s Day just ahead of his first Father’s Day, the award-winning Christchurch entrepreneur is open about his sporting background, which saw him captain the New Zealand under-20 ice hockey team, before being selected for our national Ice Blacks squad.
Unfortunately, his career as an athlete ended after he suffered three major concussions, underwent three hip operations and had a stroke caused by an undetected hole in his heart. The pain and having to quit the sport he loved took a toll on his mental health.
Tomas, 32, credits his wife, engineering geologist Georgie, 33 – whom he met while both were studying at the University of Canterbury – with getting him through those hard times.
“Georgie was really there for me and helped me move into the next chapter of my life,” he shares, beaming. “I’m the greatest fisherman of all time because I’ve caught the rarest thing in the ocean!”
They were married in 2024, with Tomas reminiscing, “I wish I could relive it. It was such an unreal feeling having all these special people in the same place at the same time.”
Another incredible milestone for Tomas was the birth of Beau, who was born on the businessman’s own birthday seven months ago. “It was the coolest thing to have this 10-kilo mini-me,” he tells.
“All of a sudden, there were three of us in the room and it was the best present ever. I’ve peaked when it comes to birthdays now. It’s Beau’s day now. I only hope that one day he thinks I’m cool enough to do a joint 50th and 18th party!”
Tomas co-founded Two Dudes skincare in 2020 with his friend Michael McRae, but the idea was conceived back in Tomas’ uni days, “sparked by one woman”, he admits.
“Georgie and I had just met, and she had her skincare routine dialled in. I saw what she was doing and stole some of her moisturiser, then I was like, ‘Oh, this feels quite nice.’ Eventually, she told me to bugger off and get my own. But I couldn’t find anything on the supermarket shelf that appealed.
“Then Georgie made what would become the first-ever Two Dudes prototype product – she gave me this little box with a face wash, day moisturiser, night moisturiser and a little handwritten instruction card. At that moment, Georgie had unknowingly planted the idea for Two Dudes.”
The business came to fruition when Tomas and Michael were living together in Singapore with Georgie.
Tomas recalls, “One day, we were watching [reality show] Shark Tank over a few beers. I said, ‘I’ve always had this idea to make a men’s skincare brand that removes confusion and makes it simple.’ Michael was the super-enthusiastic, very smart friend who was like, ‘Why don’t we give it a try?’”
From their first skincare kit based on Georgie’s prototype, Two Dudes has gone from strength to strength. It’s now stocked in Woolworths, New World and Chemist Warehouse, and has just launched in more than 2000 stores in Australia.
“But it’s so important for us to stand for something more than just a brand, a logo and a product,” insists Tomas, adding that they’re determined to contribute to the conversation around men’s mental health. Last year, the Two Dudes community raised an incredible $147,000 for men’s health charity Movember.
“Having a son actually makes that part of the business less abstract because now I’m raising a little dude who will one day decide whether or not he can talk about how he’s feeling,” says Tomas.
He’ll celebrate Father’s Day in Christchurch with Beau and his own dad.
He shares, “Dad had a logistics business, which always inspired me. He was proof that nice guys don’t always finish last. He always said, ‘Relationships and customer service first. Do the right thing.’ That showed me there’s a path to being the good guy and still having a great outcome.”
Meanwhile, although he’s only a new father, parenting has taught Tomas another important life lesson.
He says, “I’ve learnt to not try to be a dad and work at the same time. If I try to do both, I do them badly and I’m not present. I have to shift gears.”
When it comes to family life, it’s important to Tomas to “soak up the moments” and his wife inspires him to do just that.
He smiles, “Georgie said something very aspirational to me the other day: ‘Money lost, money found. Time lost, never found.’”
Subscribe to Woman’s Day to receive a bonus Two Dudes gift pack worth $58. Turn to page five or visit magshop.co.nz/wdz8.
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