As parents, we’re always concerned with our baby’s safety, so we strive to make our homes as safe for them as possible. But, we also want our homes to be stylish places for adults, too – which is why we love the concept behind The House of NOA! The House of NOA, founded by mompreneur Elizabeth Granados, creates traditional foam play mats for babies and kids – however, these are crafted with gorgeous designs – which are sure to add style to any room of your house. Elizabeth’s vision was to create a beautiful play mat both mama and baby would love. She teamed up with Illustrator and Designer, Sophia Vincent Guy, to create a unique and original design unlike any other play mat available. When you lay down the foam mat pieces, they create the illusion of a beautiful rug – but this “beautiful rug” is easy to clean and able to withstand the rough and tumble of a toddler! Unlike anything else on the market, the Little Nomad play mats are an elegant addition to any room of your house!
GG: How did you decide to launch your business? Tell us a little more about Little Nomad.
E.G.: The idea for Little Nomad came to me long before I was ever pregnant with my first and only child. In fact, at the time I was struggling with infertility. A friend of mine invited me over to her gorgeous new home and upon opening the front door – the otherwise tastefully decorated family room was covered in tacky foam plats. I began to have visions of how they could be reimagined, but felt that maybe I didn’t have the authority to have an opinion on the matter since I wasn’t a Mother myself. Years later and several months after giving birth to my daughter, the idea resurfaced in my mind, but this time with the confidence I needed to turn the vision from dream to reality. I decided to launch on Kickstarter as a way to validate the product rather than using investor funding because I wanted to get close to my customers from the start. What better way to build a company than to attract a community of tribe members who have your back and believe in what you’re doing?
GG: How do you balance work and family?
E.G.: I started working on Little Nomad when my daughter Taliah was about 6 months old. As an entrepreneur, my mind is always thinking of ideas and ways to change or improve what I’m working on. Sometimes, it can be difficult to turn these thoughts off so that I can focus on my family.
Additionally, I feel like my iPhone can be a terrible distraction – so I try to keep it out of sight when I’m spending time with my daughter. With my husband in residency and working very long hours, my most cherished moments of the day are at about 5:30AM when my daughter gets up and we eat breakfast as a family. In this fast paced world, its important for me to always be mindful of what matters more than any email or Facebook post, my wonderful husband and daughter.
GG: What’s the best part of being an mompreneur?
E.G.: When I was nine years old, my Mother developed an educational board game. She took my brother and I with her to Taiwan to meet with manufacturers. I didnt realize the impact that had on me until recently. My Mom taught me to be a fearless entrepreneur, leading by example. I hope to show my daughter that as women, we can achieve any goal we set our minds to. I hope to give her the same gift that my Mom gave me.
