Word of Mom: Mally Designs

Filed under: Baby and You, Hand-Picked Products, profile, What's In Store by Lusso Baby

Meet a Canadian Mompreneur

The birth of a baby is not only life-changing but, for many women, it can also be inspirational. At Lusso Baby we are proud to celebrate the Canadian women who have taken on the challenge of being moms while at the same time launching a new career. Inspired by the needs of their own children, these moms have created unique, organic and engaging products that parents everywhere can love. In our new column, we will present our fans our favourite Canadian-made goodies, from clothes and shoes to toys and strollers.

THIS WEEK: MALLY DESIGNS
WHO: Nicole Garza
CLAIM TO FAME: Uniquely stylish leather bibs
VISION: To design a baby bib that saved time and laundry while always looking stylish and new

What were you doing before you started MallyDesigns?
I worked in the Communications and Interior Design Department at Ikea. It was there that my love for design really started to blossom and where I developed a passion for modern and functional design that was family friendly.

Do you have a design background? If not, what inspired you to venture into design?
Yes, through my previous career, although that was only part of it. It was a combination of that and my 2 children that were the inspiration for designing a children’s product. My daughter was 10 months old when I came up with Mally Bibs. Her name is Malia and I wanted to spend less time laundering bibs and more time with her and my son.

We love that you recycle your scraps with other leather accessory products. Do you consider your products ‘green’ in any other way?
Yes, absolutely! Because our bibs are so easy to clean and never need to be laundered, it saves on laundry, therefore water and electricity (not to mention time!). As well, our bibs are the only bib you need, so imagine having just 1 or 2 bibs instead of 1 or 2 dozen bibs. That’s less plastic, vinyl and other non-biodegradable bibs ending up in landfills. Leather is a biodegradable material.

How do you balance work with being a mom?
I have learned the best way to balance this is to keep my work hours for when my children are in school and keep my family hours for when they are out of school and try not to let the two overlap for the most part, but of course there are times when this is not entirely possible. I also try to incorporate the kids in my business when I see fit, or when it’s of interest to them.

My kids are both very creative, so I go to them for design ideas! My son insisted that I design a dinosaur for example, so I did! I involved them in color choices as well as ask their opinion on design. Kids will always give honest and critical feedback, which I love. My son has even come up with some of our marketing promotions. I see a little entrepreneur budding in him, which I fully encourage!

What are the challenges of running your own business? The benefits?
Challenges – there are many! Everything is a learning game when you start a business from scratch. You’re forced to wear many hats and become an expert in areas that you may have never known before such as manufacturing, accounting, design, marketing, sales, shipping, importing, exporting, managing staff – the list goes on!

Thankfully, for the most part, the challenges become enticing. As for the benefits, I enjoy being in the driver’s seat, being able to choose the direction of my business and all the excitement that goes with it. I am a dreamer and my business allows me to dream often. The possibilities are endless.

Have there been any special moments in becoming part of the mompreneur community that you’d like to share?
I have made some amazing friends in the mompreneur community that I know whole heartedly want to see my business succeed and I wish nothing but the same for them. We are there for each other during challenging times and rewarding times. I consider some of these women to be among my best friends, and I’m forever grateful for them because only they could fully understand some of the challenges that we go through as mompreneurs.

What is your favorite product so far and why?
Definitely our leather bibs – they are our hero product and how it all began. It makes it all worthwhile every time a customer tells us how much they appreciate the time it has saved them, or when they tell us it’s the best baby gift they received. I’m so incredibly proud of and pleased with our new change purses as well! They have really been a hit and have even been featured on Daily Candy Kids!

What do you wish someone had told you about starting your own business?
To be aware of the fact that not everybody is honest, and some will try to take advantage. Learn to peg who has the right morals and intentions. I don’t like to talk about the negative, so I won’t dwell on this one too much, but for new entrepreneurs this is certainly something to be aware of.

What’s your advice for the moms (and dads) out there who are thinking of launching their own business?
Do your research and have a clear plan / vision with realistic goals. Think outside the box and be careful not to juggle too many balls at once. Network with other similar businesses at various stages. Learn from those who you can learn from and share with those who can learn from you.

What’s next for Mally Designs?
We have some fun new products in the works – stay tuned! Subscribe to Mally Mail via the mallybibs.com homepage to be the first to know!

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