Ok, so...my last post was a novel...sorry! I also apologize for the several typos. I'm only human & a chronic multitasker...lol I am a well known spelling and grammar fanatic, so, the typos are making me crazy! I will do my best to proofread better in the future. I also think that sewing while blogging is probably not the best idea :)
Stay tuned for the next segment of my journey!
XOXO
Mama Bear
Saturday, June 25, 2016
The path to the creation of Baby Bear's Boutique
Hi everyone! I thought I should introduce myself before I take you through the journey of growing my business. My name is Lauren, but my friends call me Elle...at the end of the day, however, I'm mostly just Mama. Is there a sweeter name imaginable? I know that any mother out there will agree that nothing in this world compares!
My path to motherhood took far longer than I had ever imagined (but, that's a WHOLE different story...lol.) At the age of 36 my fiancé and I found out that we were finally expecting and that is when my path in life took a drastic turn; I'm certain this is true for all parents...but, I think that I might have taken it a bit further than some (I'm not known for doing anything halfway.) I had a difficult pregnancy and suddenly found that my life as I had known it (professionally) needed to change. No longer was I working day and night in the Fine Dining Restaurant Industry as I had done for the majority of my adult life...I simply wasn't able to anymore. Having a lot of time on my hands allowed me to truly reevaluate what I wanted to be "when I grew up"...lol I had a mental checklist (don't we all?) and I finally had the time to truly address it.
1- Find my soulmate...check
2-Start a family...check
3-Work for myself doing something that makes me happy...
This is where I was unsure. I have many varied interests and have always been able to become passionate about SOMR aspect of what I was doing for a living. So, after taking stock of what I found my bliss in working in the service industry I realized that it was making connections with individual guests and offering each one of them the personal attention that made them feel special. Jackpot! I realized that I wanted to do something that helped people and allowed me to offer something that made each individual feel as though THEY ALONE were my primary focus. After coming to this realization I delved further into what I was most passionate about...that was an easy one once I thought about what I focused on in what little "personal time" I'd had in my busy life. My TRUE passion has always been design. So, at this point I was left with the question of, "How do I incorporate these two passions into a viable business?" Honestly, I was stumped at this point. However, in preparing for the arrival of our child I became very interested in all things baby...not a surprise, I'm sure. I began researching all of the products that are geared towards caring for little ones. When I began researching babywearing I knew that I had hit the motherload (pun intended.) I started educating myself on the many benefits of babywearing for both parent and child. Thus I found my new passion....and my plan began to solidify. At this point I realized that I wasn't interested in trying to "build a better mousetrap", so to speak...I realized that there were amazing carrier options available and I knew that my path was in helping other parents to become as passionate about what I think to be the best of the best, the Líllébaby carriers. So, where do I go from here? I've always loved to sew and create beautiful things. How do I incorporate all of these things into a business? Time for more research (big surprise, huh?) I decided to become involved in the babywearing community and found a new home. There are so many amazing mom's (& dads) involved in the babywearing community! It was through relationships formed in this community that I found my niche (so to speak.) I realized that I wanted to help other new parents navigate the path into babywearing and make them personalized accessories for their carriers. I knew that, being who I am, thus was just a foundation for bigger things to come, but it was a start and I was thrilled :) I began to sew...a LOT! I spoke with other babywearing parents and through input gathered from them about what they did and did not like about the accessories that were currently available. At this point, we knew we were having a baby girl and had nicknamed her Bear. To honor our long awaited baby girl I decided to name my business Baby Bear's Boutique. I began to make prototype accessories and had people in the BW community test them and give me feedback. After a fair amount of trial and error I learned what worked and what didn't. As my due date began to approach I felt confident that I had built my foundation and began to make accessories for my baby girl. I was SO READY! Well, as ready as anyone CAN be when expecting their first child and starting a business at the same time...lol
My path to motherhood took far longer than I had ever imagined (but, that's a WHOLE different story...lol.) At the age of 36 my fiancé and I found out that we were finally expecting and that is when my path in life took a drastic turn; I'm certain this is true for all parents...but, I think that I might have taken it a bit further than some (I'm not known for doing anything halfway.) I had a difficult pregnancy and suddenly found that my life as I had known it (professionally) needed to change. No longer was I working day and night in the Fine Dining Restaurant Industry as I had done for the majority of my adult life...I simply wasn't able to anymore. Having a lot of time on my hands allowed me to truly reevaluate what I wanted to be "when I grew up"...lol I had a mental checklist (don't we all?) and I finally had the time to truly address it.
1- Find my soulmate...check
2-Start a family...check
3-Work for myself doing something that makes me happy...
This is where I was unsure. I have many varied interests and have always been able to become passionate about SOMR aspect of what I was doing for a living. So, after taking stock of what I found my bliss in working in the service industry I realized that it was making connections with individual guests and offering each one of them the personal attention that made them feel special. Jackpot! I realized that I wanted to do something that helped people and allowed me to offer something that made each individual feel as though THEY ALONE were my primary focus. After coming to this realization I delved further into what I was most passionate about...that was an easy one once I thought about what I focused on in what little "personal time" I'd had in my busy life. My TRUE passion has always been design. So, at this point I was left with the question of, "How do I incorporate these two passions into a viable business?" Honestly, I was stumped at this point. However, in preparing for the arrival of our child I became very interested in all things baby...not a surprise, I'm sure. I began researching all of the products that are geared towards caring for little ones. When I began researching babywearing I knew that I had hit the motherload (pun intended.) I started educating myself on the many benefits of babywearing for both parent and child. Thus I found my new passion....and my plan began to solidify. At this point I realized that I wasn't interested in trying to "build a better mousetrap", so to speak...I realized that there were amazing carrier options available and I knew that my path was in helping other parents to become as passionate about what I think to be the best of the best, the Líllébaby carriers. So, where do I go from here? I've always loved to sew and create beautiful things. How do I incorporate all of these things into a business? Time for more research (big surprise, huh?) I decided to become involved in the babywearing community and found a new home. There are so many amazing mom's (& dads) involved in the babywearing community! It was through relationships formed in this community that I found my niche (so to speak.) I realized that I wanted to help other new parents navigate the path into babywearing and make them personalized accessories for their carriers. I knew that, being who I am, thus was just a foundation for bigger things to come, but it was a start and I was thrilled :) I began to sew...a LOT! I spoke with other babywearing parents and through input gathered from them about what they did and did not like about the accessories that were currently available. At this point, we knew we were having a baby girl and had nicknamed her Bear. To honor our long awaited baby girl I decided to name my business Baby Bear's Boutique. I began to make prototype accessories and had people in the BW community test them and give me feedback. After a fair amount of trial and error I learned what worked and what didn't. As my due date began to approach I felt confident that I had built my foundation and began to make accessories for my baby girl. I was SO READY! Well, as ready as anyone CAN be when expecting their first child and starting a business at the same time...lol
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