June 2009

by True Cuddles on June 7, 2009

1. 1.Tell us a little about yourself, your family, and/or your business.
   

{Tracey} I am a mom of two boys, Jack 10 & Henry 6.  I have been married to my husband Mark for 12 ½ years.  When we decided to start a family I knew that I wanted to stay at home with my children and opted not to return to work.   Although having a second income would have been really helpful the thought of not being around for all their milestones would have been so hard.  We instead decided that I would stay home and we would live without extra luxuries such as vacations, new cars, brand new everything.  Things in the grand scheme of life that aren’t as important.  However, now that my children are a little older and becoming a bit more independent I do feel that I want them to see me as more than just their mother.  I want them to know that woman can be both great mothers and strong, successful business woman without compromising anything. Together with Louise, we decided to start up our own business, honeydumplings in order to remain home with our children and generate an income.

{Louise} I am a recently separated mom with a 10-year son and a 7-year old daughter. My formal training is in Graphic Design and although I loved the creative work I knew that I could not return to the last-minute deadlines and overtime hours involved in that kind of career - and now being a single mom, it makes it that much more important that I be available for my kids. So wanting to develop a business that would allow that flexibility was the motivation behind starting honeydumplings.

As far as our business is concerned, everything seems to be falling into place.  We certainly have put in many hours and developed many prototypes and variations on the product before we got it just right.  We don’t ever want our products to be just “good enough”.  They need to beneficial and of value for everybody – for the caregivers, the babies and our communities.  We are making products that we are proud of and the feedback we have been getting has been very, very positive which is very encouraging.

2. If you had to describe your business in less than 15 words, how would you do it?

{Tracey}  Products which provide natural cushy, comfort for children and are kind to our planet.

{Louise} Environmentally and socially responsible products for children’s comfort and relaxation – simple and natural.

3. 3.What is your inspiration for your business?  Your products?
   

{Tracey}  After watching my mother suffer with Parkinson’s and hospitalized in 2007 I developed an intense desire to help others and support and promote healing and well-being.  I became interested in the field of holistic healing and eventually trained and became certified in various therapies including Reflexology. When we decided to start a business together we didn’t have a specific product in mind, it really evolved over the past year.  However I did know from the start that I wanted to be associated with a product that was in some way, eco-friendly, health beneficial and natural and to continue on a path that takes care of others.

{Louise} We wanted to develop something simple that didn’t involve anything fancy with a multitude of patterns and colour choices, or with lots of features.  It grew out of frustration of having to make what seems like a hundred choices a day about every single purchase involving the care of our babies.  Too many choices and options just becomes very frustrating and also means more time spent researching products and less time spent with our babies.  I also remember buying tons of products for my children when they were babies that were totally useless but I somehow felt I needed to have.

Having a baby should be a very natural and simple event in a woman’s life and should not to be complicated by what we need to go out and buy.  This led us to want to focus on simple, calming, natural and relaxing products – products we wished were available when we had our babies.

Also having to go through a family breakup forced me to take a good look at where my life was heading and to actively initiate the changes that I wanted to see happen.  I did a lot of reading and spent a lot of time pursuing activities that calmed and relaxed me. I realized that being able to find peace and to self-soothe was actually a very important coping skill for me and one that we needed to nurture in our children. Our products are designed to encourage just that.

4. 4.What is the most rewarding thing about being a mom? A mom-preneur?
   

{Tracey} Mom:  Watching my two children grow into incredible little people and knowing that whenever they are angry with me they still tell me how much they love me at the end of the day.

Mompreneur: Knowing that my children are really proud of me.  Having my children view me as more than just “mommy”.  They get excited when we make a sale and are interested in what is going on with the business, their great cheerleaders.

{Louise} Mom:  Right now, seeing my two kids so happy about every sale and tiny success.  It’s kinda nice to have them question me about my day when they get home from school and know that they believe in me.

Mompreneur:  Having the children involved in the process.  Their feedback and comments are very valuable – and some of their ideas are inspirational!  And they always want to help – with taping the boxes, to sticking on the labels – definitely a family effort.  It’s nice to be able to share this venture with them.

5. What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a mom-preneur?

{Tracey}  Always believe in yourself and go for it. Preparation and research are necessary.  Read about other mom-preneurs and business women.  Ask others for advice and if someone offers you help take it, they wouldn’t be offering if they didn’t want to.

{Louise} “nothing ventured, nothing gained” - that sometimes you just have to jump in, accept the fact that it is going to cost you some money and just do it anyhow. Also to realize that everyone starts at the same spot and that if other people can figure out how it’s done, so can you…and that if it can happen for other people, it can happen for you too.

6. 6.What keeps you motivated?
   

{Tracey} My children and my husband.  I want them to be proud of me.  Also the positive feedback we have received from customers, it is so fulfilling when someone takes the time to email us and tell us how great they think are products and.

{Louise} Being on my own makes it that much more important for me to be successful because I don’t have the back-up of a second income or someone to help me out – that definitely keeps me motivated. I absolutely have to make this work and will put in all the required time and effort to get it done. It also helps to have a good partner like Tracey to work with which makes the process enjoyable and fun so it doesn’t really feel like work.

7. 7.What is your next big goal?
   

{Tracey} To get our products into the U.S. and international markets.

{Louise} To keep improving our website and to develop more products.

8. 8. What is your guilty pleasure?
   

{Tracey} Tim Horton’s coffee with two milks (not just a guilty pleasure but a necessity)

{Louise} letting myself fall asleep beside one of my children at bedtime – without thinking or stressing about all the stuff I should be doing instead.

9. 9.Name a product that you can’t live without, for you or your baby?
   

{Tracey} For myself; Burt’s Bees lip balm in watermelon.  When my children were babies: calomaseptine cream (it was the only cream that worked on my children’s diaper rash)

{Louise} At this moment, I can’t live without my macbook.  Everything is on it.  When my children were babies and still now - babywipes.

10. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned as a mom {so far}?

{Tracey} That I shouldn’t try to mold or force my children to be someone I think they should be or what all the other kids are like.  They are unique and individual beings who should always follow their own bliss.

{Louise} That my children are very forgiving and humbling.

Honeydumplings was formed in 2008 by business partners Tracey & Louise, both mom’s of two.  These ladies have created natural and organic products that induce rest and relaxation for baby. Ahhh…because we all know there is nothing better than a comfortable, sleeping baby.

Community-minded, socially and environmentally responsible are just a few of the values they hold themselves to. They’ve clearly chosen to run their business the same way they raise their families – with lots of care, dedication and determination.

Read more about Tracey and Louise, their mission and how what’s good for their families is good for our babies!

Enter honeydumpling’s giveaway for a comfy buckwheat toddler pillow!

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