Featured Moms » Featured Mom

How and when did you come up with concept of Just Peachy Baby?
I was not sure if working full-time at the office was my calling as a Mom. I was drawn to the opportunity to work my own hours, so I decided to try my hand at starting my own business when my company went through a work force reduction when my baby was eight months old.

I turned to my first-time mom experiences and zeroed in on a product that I considered an everyday essential- my trusty shopping cart cover.  For the money I was spending, choices were limited and the cart covers were big and bulky.  I felt like I was lugging a pillow around and it was hard to handle.

I wanted to create a cart cover that was as hip and stylish as it was functional and quality-made. I knew I wanted my products to be US made and sweatshop free.  It was important that what I created had my personal values incorporated into it.

Did the idea to make it bacteria-resistant happen from the start?
Yes, making the cart covers bacteria-resistant was critical to finalizing on the product pick. I wanted to offer something unique, that my competitors did not have.  This was on my own wish list for a cart cover.

What has been the most challenging part of starting your own business?
The biggest challenge for me is having the guts to stick it out financially.  It was a bit naive of me to think that whatever I did for corporate America to launch products was even similar to launching one’s own business. For one thing, it is completely different because your own money is at stake and the return on investment is not immediate.

Being a small business owner is means having a limited budget! It is challenging to figure out where best to invest, to get the word out about your business.

What are some rookie mistakes you have made?
The first mistake was underestimating how difficult it was to create an e-commerce website.  There are so many options that it was overwhelming.  From sites like eBay, Etsy or Yahoo Store to the other end of the spectrum, where there are e-commerce sites built by top-notch web design firms.

The whole area of website development and web graphic design was foreign to me and it was a painful process. In the end, I got what I wanted. However, I was not prepared for the high level of involvement it took to put the website together.  There were many sleepless nights!

The second mistake was not trusting my gut more.  Since I was new to the manufacturing world, it was easy to feel intimated in some business situations. I felt intimidated bringing up questions with my manufacturer about the production process.  As a result, production was delayed.  I learned the hard way that it is important to listen to that sixth sense we all possess.

What advice can you offer someone who has an idea for his or her own business or a product but does not know where to begin?
1) Pick a business that you are passionate about.  Starting a business is not for the faint hearted, so if you have a business idea that you personally enjoy thinking about and working with, you will be motivated to go the distance.

2)  Research, research, research.  I recommend reading as much as possible about starting your own business and having a business plan before even considering starting one. Talk to people first-hand who are running their own businesses and ask them for input on your business plan.  Go online and Google your product area and make sure you understand whom the competition is.  Is the market saturated with your product idea?  How will your product be unique and stand out among the crowd? 

3) Stay positive.  To every new endeavor, I have found there is always inertia to keeping things status quo.  It is helpful to remind myself that it is normal to come across resistance or roadblocks.  Behind every question is the next step that will lead you further down the path.

How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have a very active two and a half-year-old who runs circles around me and keeps me humble.  I didn’t know I could love someone enough to eat cold food, sleep in 2-hour chunks and read the same story a gazillion times in an hour, until I met my adorable son.

Being environmentally conscious is important to JPB.  Do you incorporate that into your own life and that of your family’s as well?
We adopt the mindset to learn what we can do to avoid doing things that are dangerous to the environment.  It is also accepting that this responsibility comes with its share of inconvenience.
To dispose of old paints, florescent light bulbs, batteries, we schedule a drop off at our local Hazardous Waste Disposal facility, rather than just throwing them in the trash or pouring it out somewhere.  It is a three- week wait until our appointment, but as our culture acclimates to practicing environmental safety, services will improve.

We also patronize businesses that value environmental safety and conservation.  We take our dry cleaning to the one green dry cleaner in our county.  If their business flourishes, others will follow their example.

What has been the most exciting thing to happen to JPB since it began?
At JPB, we are in the honeymoon stage of the business (We hope to continue in our honeymoon mindset!).  The most exciting thing is receiving happy customer feedback, referrals, and glowing product reviews.

It is fulfilling when every little detail that we have put into the design and production process receives positive reviews from parents and grandparents, who are happy using and giving the cart covers.  It is a great thrill to score a great product review because we know that reviewers have seen countless products but something about JPB catches their eye.  It is like being asked to the senior prom by a high school crush.

What words of wisdom can you impart on the ConnectingMoms readers?
First, I am somewhat of a realist.  I wish someone had told me how hard it would be to be a parent.  A lot of the advice that was given to me was often very positive. It did not prepare me for the realities of parenting.  I went through a lot of guilt because I felt everything was so hard, while so many friends had told me not to worry, that parenting would come naturally.
Well, I am here to say that for some of us, it does not come naturally.  It is hard work to learn the ropes and to develop a feel for what works and does not work for your child.  I would say parenting is more like a journey, a self-discovery –there will be mistakes, struggles, and learning as you go.  When I realized that, I was able to stress less about parenting.

Seek out mom friends that encourage you to be that mom-in-progress too. Avoid the mom friends that make you feel like you missed the class where they handed out the secrets to perfect parenting.
 
Last, and not least, be kind to yourself.  Eat pastries, watch TV, go for walks, and take a nap on the weekends!