Search Results for: Mompreneur

Mompreneur Spotlight: Amanda Cole of Yummy Mummy

Amanda Cole, entrepreneur and blogger, conceived of the idea for Yummy Mummy after the birth of her daughter when like many other new moms, she was looking for help overcoming the challenges of breastfeeding and motherhood. She saw a need for a one-stop-shop for support, services and products to help new moms meet their personal breastfeeding goals and their needs as a new mom. Yummy Mummy is a retail store on the Upper East Side of New York City, and is a company dedicated to All Things Breastfeeding and for moms-to-be! Unlike large big box retailers which sell everything, but specialize in nothing, Yummy Mummy is focused on new and expectant parents. The store prides itself on carrying fashionable and functional maternity and nursing apparel.

Gugu Guru: How and why did you start you Yummy Mummy?

Amanda Cole: After I gave birth to my daughter, Alexa, I struggled with breastfeeding. I was happy to put up with the struggle because it was important to me. But struggling with purchasing breastfeeding products and finding support was not an option. I thought “there must be a better way” and so I set out to create it.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

AC: The balance afforded to me by having my own business is immeasurable. I do the work – and then some – but I don’t miss out on family. It does mean that I’m constantly in “work mode,” but it’s a sacrifice I’m happy to make.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

AC: I love how rewarding I find my job. I remember the days when working meant waiting for the hours to pass and I don’t miss that. When you have your own business you’re all in; if you’re going to be successful, you have no choice! But caring that much can make even the most mundane tasks interesting and exciting.

Mompreneur Spotlight: Danielle Cohen of Easy Baby

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We’re big fans of any product that helps keep mama organized, especially while traveling during the holiday season. When we came across the genius Portable Diaper Bag Organizer Inserts from Easy Baby, we knew we wanted to share them with our readers. Today, founder Danielle Cohen is here to talk about creating a business and her oh so helpful bags for mamas.

GG: How and why did you start your Easy Baby?

DC: Having a baby (now toddler) is a beautiful gift that I am thankful for every day. What I was not thankful for was the abundance of “stuff” that was necessary to pack in my diaper bag to take my son out of the house. You had the diapers, wipes, creams, formula, snacks, back-up clothes… the list went on and on. I found that I would remember to pack everything on my list, only to not be able to find it during crunch time. My son would start wailing, but my meticulously packed diaper bag became a tornado and I became frantic to find ANYTHING I needed. I refused to use plastic bags as recommended by some veteran mothers because it didn’t help me find things faster. I still needed to pull each bag out to see what they contained. I then created Easy Baby, a color-coded organization set to help me find everything I needed in a flash while I was on my second week of maternity leave. It started with the basics: a green “Change Me” tote for the diapering needs, a purple “Feed Me” tote for feeding and burping needs, an orange insulated “Feed Me” tote to store freshly pumped milk or cups of yogurt and a blue “Dress Me” tote for back-up clothes in situations of diaper blowouts or messy eating. When some ladies in my mommy group saw the set they thought it was genius. They encouraged me to mass-produce, and I did. As my son grew, our needs changed and I have kept adding to the line to address those needs with “Change Me” changing pads, “Entertain Me” for toy storage, a water resistant “Clean Me” tote for dirty clothes and a red “Comfort Me” medicine bag, all color-coded and all easy to find.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

DC: Balancing work life and a family is a challenge that I am sure a lot of parents face. I am happy to be mother to a beautiful boy, Phineas, who is an energetic and amazing toddler. During the week when Phin is home we are sure to have computers and phones away to give him the attention he deserves.

I am extremely lucky to have unconditional support from my husband, Jason, to create and build this brand and also co-parent like champions. The whole endeavor is truly a family affair. Jason serves as my product photographer and is constantly teaching me the ropes of building a company. He is extremely knowledgeable in the tech world. Phin even helps out and serves as the CMO-in-Training! He likes to take our phones and will take selfies which we feature on our Instagram as #SelfieSunday.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

DC: The best part of being a Mompreneur is creating something that can truly make a routine just a little bit easier when navigating the new world of parenthood. I have a great platform that I am able to constantly grow as my son grows. This is also a great opportunity to teach Phin that he too can take an idea and run with it. With hard work and determination he can do anything!

Mompreneur Spotlight: Lauren Kleban from LEKfit

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The Gugu Guru team is big into adding must-have subscription services to your baby registry; when we came across Lauren Kleban’s workout streaming service, LEKfit, we knew we wanted to introduce Lauren to our mamas; we think LEKfit is a must-have item on your baby registry, as Lauren’s workouts are easy to follow and can be done anywhere! Lauren offers a ton of videos in her subscription service, with new workouts added every month. Read on about Lauren and her company, and head over to our Facebook to check out a special video Lauren created just for Gugu Guru’s followers (seriously, this is so cool). Head to the bottom of this post to enter for a chance to win 50% off a 3-month subscription to LEKfit.

Gugu Guru: How and why did you start LEKfit?

Lauren Kleban: I was a professional dancer before my first baby and I had been in the dance fitness industry since college so it was a natural transition. I created LEKfit because I saw a need for a workout that was both beneficial and fun; in a space where women (and men) could focus on achieving their healthiest self.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

LK: Everyday is different but I really try to stay present in whatever I am doing and focus on one task at a time. Finding balance will always be a work in progress.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

LK: I get to work from home! I get to see my littles in between clients and they get to see me working hard at something I absolutely love.

You can check out all of Lauren’s videos on her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Mompreneur Spotlight: Shelley Suh of Loyal Hana

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It’s no surprise that Gugu Guru is a huge fan of Loyal Hana, so we are thrilled that today’s Mompreneur spotlight is on Loyal Hana’s founder, Shelley Suh.

GG: How and why did you start Loyal Hana?

SS: Having worked in the fashion industry for over 18 years, I understand how having pieces in your wardrobe that look good and fit well can have the power to make women feel confident, capable and beautiful. It wasn’t until the birth of my children that I realized that this could be readily applied to solve an unmet need for tailored designs that flatter the bump and the boob.

When I had my daughter Cybelle in 2009, I returned to work and discovered a missing market in pregnancy and postpartum friendly clothing for women returning to their daily lives. About four or five months after my son Mason was born, I knew that I was not feeling like myself. I started getting the baby blues and on top of this, my father was diagnosed with his second cancer. I decided I needed to put all of my energy into something creative and with purpose.

I had the opportunity to introduce women to my collection in 2014 when Loyal Hana was born. More than just a collection of maternity and nursing garments, Loyal Hana is a reliable friend during a crucial time when the pressure is on to provide it all. The label represents a helping hand when circumstances make it difficult to be discreet; it’s a universal “thank you” and a way for new moms to feel confident and beautiful every day.

For me, Loyal Hana has been a success because it pulled me through a very hard time in my life and brought me back to serve a purpose by making things easier for other women out there.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

SS: Balancing work and life is a constant evolution each year. I am lucky to be the mother of two amazing children, Cybelle, who is seven and Mason, who is three.

I am fortunate to have support from my husband to create this line and co-parent the way we do, where we do. I think that when I started my family, I was challenged to redefine how to juggle my time between becoming a mother, being the best wife I can be, and maintaining my identity to have a career. With all this said, when you create something with purpose and passion you find balance and time to make it all exist. One precedes the next and without the birth of my kids, I would have never found my passion or personal challenge to start this collection. With every piece we make at Loyal Hana, I hope that it helps make the process easier for other women and makes them feel beautiful and confident.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

SS: Every mompreneur has a voice or platform to create something with purpose. Loyal Hana is my platform to share something, inspire someone, facilitate a process and simply to express who I am. This company has so much meaning to me because it pulled me through a very dark time in my life. This creative outlet inspired me to give back to the other moms that are having a similar struggle and want to return to their lives. The best part of starting this business is when I hear from another mom who loves my clothing and I hear it has helped her feel “beautiful.“

Mompreneur Spotlight: Monica Leonard of Molly’s Suds

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Today’s Mompreneur Spotlight is on Monica Leonard, the founder of Molly’s Suds. Molly’s Suds create soaps, detergents, cleaners and more which are all safe for both the environment and your skin and body, both on the outside and inside. Molly’s Suds products are made with earth and plant derived ingredients. If there’s something which needs to be cleaned, Molly’s Suds has a healthy solution for it!

GG: How did you decide to launch your business? Tell us a little more about Molly Suds.

ML: We launched Molly’s Suds in 2008, 3 years after the loss of our daughter, Molly. I was a nurse and mom to 3 at the time she was born, and never would have expected a stillbirth. Though I have a faith in God, I wondered why she was not breathing, no life at birth, what did my body do different. As a pediatric nurse, lactation counselor, and mom to 3 other healthy children, I was struggling for answers. After a few months passed, we were pregnant again, and I started doing research about stillbirths. I came across a study that would change the course of our lives forever.

It was my moment… I felt duped by the system, fooled, defeated. I found out the chemicals that we come into contact with every day are not really regulated, alter our endocrine systems, are found in the cord blood of newborns, and are passed on for generations via DNA. It was outrageous. And who knew? No one knew including my obstetrician, coworkers, and family.

I felt like I needed to educate myself more on the chemicals my family and I were being exposed on a daily basis, and see where it took me.

I started small by filling a big black trash bag with all of the toxic products we had after researching the ingredients and discovering the negative effects they have on human health.

We were not left with much on the shelves. I started to learn more about ingredient integrity, and talked to people that were on the same quest for safer products. I talked to people in the environmental science, healthcare, alternative medicine, and chemical industries; and I didn’t stop there.

I really talked about it to anyone who would listen; a lot of family and friends thought I was nuts. They believed the products on grocery shelves were all completely safe, and that the household names we all came to know and trust were just fine.

At this point, I had given birth to a healthy baby boy following Molly’s stillbirth, and I was able to find better organic or natural alternatives to use in place of the conventional brands we had been using…except when it came to laundry detergent. It was the only product I could not seem to replace comfortably. We decided to work with an organic facility to help us perfect a product I worked on for a couple years. I ultimately found my audience at farmer’s markets, mom groups, La Leche League, and other similar places, and in late 2008, at a farmer’s market in Buford, GA we sold our first bucket of Molly’s Suds – the rest is history!

GG: How do you balance work and family?

ML: Work life balance is very important to me. It can be done – we just have to set limits. I’ve had a pretty experienced journey at the game of life, and realize that we don’t get these years back. I’m manufacturing and selling laundry detergent, and so I have to remind myself, it’s not heart surgery. Emails and calls can wait. After work hours, I spend time with my family, which in turn keeps me less stressed and more productive when I am working. I also have an extremely supportive and loving husband, whom I think is the key to my success in our family business.

GG: What’s the best part of being a mompreneur?

ML: I love being a mompreneur because nobody can tell me I have to miss a field trip or performance, or find someone to watch my sick child. When I was a nurse, I missed a lot when it came to kids and family, because my shift always had to be covered. So I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to be there when I need to be. It’s hard work owning a company, and after the house winds down, I still may send out a few emails or sit on the patio with my husband to strategize. It’s good for the kids to see me working out of passion, making a difference, and allowing Molly’s little life make the world a better place one wash at a time!

Mompreneur Spotlight: Lindsey Laurain of ezpz

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Here at Gugu Guru, we’re proponents of any products and ideas which make mealtime easier for the family; which is why we’re so excited to introduce Lindsey Laurain of ezpz! ezpz features placemats, bowls, and mealtime tools which are not only healthy and safe for babies and kids, but promote self-feeding skills and independence in young children.

GG: How and why did you start ezpz?

LL: Our life can be pretty chaotic, especially at mealtime, and my husband and I were fed up with the messiness and cleanup time dedicated to each meal. One night (in the midst of his frustration) my husband said, “Someone needs to create something kids can’t toss or throw at meals!” The next day I hopped online and, low and behold, nothing exists. From that day on I was committed to creating products that made meals with kids ezpz – and that is how the Happy Mat came to be!

GG: How do you balance work and family?

Balancing work and family is a constant challenge, but I do my best! I try to shut down my computer when the kids get home from school and spend some time giving each one of my three boys the attention they deserve. One thing I love about starting ezpz from scratch has been teaching the boys about what you can achieve with hard work, a positive attitude and teamwork.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having an amazing team and community! I have the pleasure of working with my best friends, husband and brother! Our community (ezpz fans and supporters) are also phenomenal; they keep us motivated and upbeat even when times are tough.

Mompreneur Spotlight: Caroline Freedman, co-founder NurturMe

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This week’s Mompreneur interview is with Caroline Freedman, co-founder of NurturMe. NurturMe is the first and only family of certified-organic, dried fruit and veggie meals and snacks created to nourish healthy growth and overall wellness in little ones. Made from specially selected super fruits and veggies that are quick-dried in order to preserve freshness, flavor and vital nutrients, NurturMe baby and toddler foods are certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO and kosher, with no added preservatives, sugars or salts. They’re also super lightweight and made in the USA, leaving a smaller carbon footprint on our planet than the other options found in the baby aisle.

GG: How and why did you start your NurturMe?

CF: The idea came about seven years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child. I was doing a lot of research about when to feed your child, what ingredients are appropriate, how the whole process works. … It was very intimidating. I was surprised to find there was no innovation in baby food. It was still Gerber. It was still pureed foods in jars. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to create a brand that could appeal to modern parents.

GG: How do you balance work and family?

CF: I found a partner. Aside from actual workload, there is just so much problem-solving that goes on. My business partner, who also has two children, Lauren de la Rosa, and I help one another. We have two very different approaches, and, in some situations, her approach is more effective and, in others, mine is. The fact that we have that dynamic as co-founders has enabled us to both grow our families, stay sane and enjoy this ride we’re on. Also, in regards to maintaining balance, it’s important to have a rich and fulfilling social life. There’s this idea that entrepreneurs have to have their heads down and focus on work all the time, but my experience has been that as my company and my responsibilities have grown, my relationships and my friendships have deepened. I don’t have this tunnel vision on work 100 percent of the time.

GG: What’s the best part of being a “Mompreneur” and running your own business?

CF: One of the things I love most about it is being an example to my girls. Their view of what a mom does is work, run her own business, while also (hopefully, from their perspective) being an involved and present parent. It’s something that I hope will shape them into confident girls and women who feel that they, too, can do whatever they set their minds to.

Please visit nurturme.com for additional information, including pricing and where to purchase NurturMe products. Visit NurturMe on Facebook and Twitter for special promotions, recipes, new products and more.

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Mompreneur Spotlight: Ericka N. Perry, Founder of The Stork Bag

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For this week’s mompreneur spotlight, we sit down with Ericka N. Perry, CEO/Founder of The Stork Bag – the first ever reusable pregnancy subscription bag, curated with 8-12 products to meet your trimester and postpartum needs.

GG: How did you decide to launch your business? Tell us a little more about The Stork Bag.
EP: I launched The Stork Bag in 2014 after my best friend found out she was pregnant for the first time. I remember searching for the perfect care package to send her but coming up short. During that time I discovered there was no product out there that matched my needs so after about 4 weeks of planning, The Stork Bag was born and it has been history ever since. Having the opportunity to do what I absolutely love and serve a population that I am passionate about has been the most amazing part of my journey thus far.

GG: How do you balance work and family?
I have a schedule for everything! My kids know when its snack time, bedtime, quiet/reading time, etc. I use schedules to maintain sanity but more than that, I am a person who works well with deadlines. Scheduling helps me keep everything in focus and prioritize to get things done efficiently and effectively. I also am not afraid to seek help when things start getting too busy, which is why I rely on my team to help me maintain a comfortable balance and prevent me from work-overload.

GG: What’s the best part of being a mompreneur?
The flexibility to have time to spend with my family. Although, I work harder now as a mompreneur than I ever did working outside the home, the best part is being able to somewhat dictate my own schedule. I also have a passion for motherhood and take pride in being able to help promote other women-owned brands. Being a mompreneur gives me the platform to help promote, encourage and inspire and that is what I intend to do before it’s all said and done.

Mompreneur Spotlight: Morgan Hutchinson of Shop BURU ( + giveaway!)

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We are thrilled to be featuring Morgan Hutchinson for the Mompreneur spotlight today! Morgan is the founder and owner of Shop BURU, which designs chic, glamorous and totally functional attire for nursing and post-pregnancy moms. Morgan’s aim is to help new (and seasoned) moms feel and look their best, during breastfeeding, baby, and beyond!

GG: How did you decide to launch your business? Tell us a little more about Shop BURU.

MH: When my baby girl was just a few days old, it became blatantly obvious to me that the bulk of my wardrobe wasn’t going to work— for nursing, for my post baby body changes or for (countless) spit-up catastrophes! My husband and I had just moved back to the US from an almost 4 years stint in Beijing. We landed in my tiny hometown in Kentucky to be with family for the birth of our daughter. While it was fantastic to be near those we love most at this special time, it was quite challenging to go from a city of 25 million (with shopping galore) to a city of 25,000 with extremely limited options.

With a background in fashion—from designing lingerie to styling photo shoots in China, I couldn’t accept the fact that my style should change just because I became a mom. I also couldn’t accept the fact that most nursing clothes were sold exclusively within maternity stores—destinations that I did not look forward to revisiting for a while.

With the help and support of my husband, I began scouring the racks of department stores (a 2-hour drive away I might add) to find tops and dresses with easy access to nurse and silhouettes to accommodate my new shape (aka my out of control nursing boobs). It was time consuming and frustrating (plus it was so easy to be distracted and tempted by all the amazing styles that wouldn’t work for my new phase of life).

Brett saw and appreciated the challenges I faced and together we began to brainstorm about a solution. 8 weeks after Olive was born we traveled to NYC to a wholesale market to hunt for brands and styles that would work. With freshly printed business cards emblazoned with BURU (the mandarin word for breastfeed), a dose of “ignorance is bliss” and absolutely NO working website—we took to the streets and turned my pipe dream into a reality.

SHOPBURU—the online destination for elevated and functional #momstyle will turn 3 this September!

GG: How do you balance work and family?

MH: Ha ha! What’s balance? Honestly, aren’t we all just winging it every day. The truth is that it’s my family that keeps me balanced—my husband’s arms, my daughter’s giggles…they ground me. I am not me without them, yet I also not me without my goals, my hopes, my dreams. Balance for me is the big picture. Perhaps everyday is not a perfect legal scale measurement, but if I get to tuck my happy little Olive in at night with songs and stories and then fall asleep in Brett’s arms, then I am good—no matter how bad, chaotic or insane the day was.

GG: What’s the best part of being an mompreneur?

MH: I love this question! I am often asked what the worst part is, but it is SO much better to focus on the good. And the good for me is huge. Let’s start with my favorite—I get to take Olive to ballet class, I get to pick her up from school, I get to volunteer in her class and I don’t have to ask anyone for permission! I may not get to do it every time, but it’s my choice, my decision and I am so grateful. This doesn’t mean there are not times when work/BURU gets in the way—of course it does, but at least the only guilt I feel is self-inflicted. It doesn’t also come from a BOSS!

Like what you see here? Enter below to win $250 to Shop BURU!

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Mompreneur Spotlight: Heather Stoeckel Karpinsky of Baby A & Baby B

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This week’s fab mom is twin mom Heather Stoeckel Karpinsky of Baby A & Baby B.

GG: Tell us about your product and how you came up with the feeding set?

HSK: We were so excited when we found out we were expecting twins. The news came as a big surprise and so did their arrival. Grant and Gavin were born at just 31 weeks after I developed preeclampsia. When they were born, I did not get to hold them. They were rushed immediately into the NICU and I remained in the operating room praying. That day started my journey as a mother of twins and the experiences below gave me the idea for the Twin Feeding Set.

Stopping the Spread of Germs: When we were able to go home after 6 weeks in the NICU, we were very happy and nervous. My babies had entered into this world as warriors and I wanted to do everything in my power to protect them. Leaving the strict rules of the NICU and heading home made me very worried about exposing Grant and Gavin to sickness. Parents of premature babies know that colds can be harsh and in some cases cause permanent damage to a premature baby’s developing lungs. When my son Gavin got a cold at just 6 months old, I did everything in my power to ensure he got better quickly and that Grant did not get the same cold.

Keeping foods separate due to allergy: Being a parent makes you want to do the best for your children. I wanted the best and most healthy foods. I started making purees at home. It was a great way to save money and ensure only the best ingredients were used. We soon discovered that Grant loved anything with apples and Gavin did not. Gavin would get an upset stomach when he ate anything with apple. So ensuring their foods were not confused became important.

Making things a little easier: Feeding twins is so different than feeding a singleton. I always felt so silly juggling separate bowls and spoons while frantically trying to feed my boys. I also felt weird using the same spoon and bowl when both boys were healthy. It was a stressful experience and I hated making them wait so long in between bites. I searched online to try to find something that would make the process easier, but was unable to locate anything, so I started looking into doing it myself. These circumstances gave me the idea for the twin feeding set.

The Twin Feeding Set provides two mouthpieces to keep germs from spreading and two matching bowls that make it easy for parents to measure how much food each child has consumed. The Twin Feeding Set is also easy to hold and allows the parents of multiples to feed both children without juggling separate bowls and spoons. We started using the first model of the twin feeding set for my boys when they were 7 months old and they have yet to spread a cold or germs. We tested out the product for 6 months before we started to sell them online. The twin feeding set has enabled them to eat their favorite foods at every meal. It was a dream come true for us because it turned a stressful time into an enjoyable time for everyone.

GG: What is the best part of being a mompreneur?
HSK: The best part of being a mompreneur is connecting to other parents of twins. It makes me a better mother and I love hearing their stories. Becoming a mother to twins is my life’s greatest blessing and being able to use what I have learned from my past experiences has been truly wonderful.

When I graduated from Albright College in 2002 I started working at MBNA, a bank based in Wilmington, DE. I took a position in customer service that taught me to “think of yourself as a customer” and “success is finding a better method.” When MBNA was sold, I took a new role in development at the University of Delaware. I helped to raise money for scholarships, programs, and research. The birth of my twins altered my plans and going back to work was not possible. My salary did not cover the cost of daycare and coupled with my husband’s hectic career as a helicopter pilot we agreed it was best for me to stay at home with my boys. My focus was on nurturing and caring for my twins, however part of me missed working. When I discovered how simple changes to the products I already used everyday would make parenting twins a little easier my journey as a mompreneur began. Being a mompreneur has given me the best of both worlds. It enables me to be at home with my boys while letting me use my experience in customer service to help others. My new role has helped me grow personally and professionally while connecting me with parents of twins from around the world.

GG: How do you balance it all?
HSK: I take it one day at a time and always do my best. Balancing is almost impossible with twins! You can plan and prioritize and then something can happen that changes all of those plans. I am so lucky that I have a great support system (my husband, mother, father, friends, and my entire family) that I can always count on. The day of my first large order my son Grant had an allergic reaction that caused a severe asthma attack and I rushed him to the hospital. Without the help of my mom and my husband I would have failed in getting my orders completed that day. I would never want to let anyone down, so doing things all by myself would be impossible. It takes a village.

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