Word of Mom: Playpants

Filed under: 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: PLAYPANTS
WHO: Rachel Boguski, Anna Day, and Zoe Flower
CLAIM TO FAME: Organic cotton bloomers
PHILOSOPHY: Individuality, playfulness, and simplicity in everyday life

What were you doing before you started Playpants?
We have completely different backgrounds: Anna in biology, Rachel in event management and Zoe in video games. We were all on (or just recently finishing) maternity leave at the time the idea of Playpants was born – it was a total “a-ha!” moment.

Do you have a clothing design background?
We don’t. We’re all product and design fanatics. We love examining how and where products are made, packaged and marketed, so the process of learning about garment manufacturing has been so exciting (we’re still learning!). We’re thankful for the support and expertise of our friends within the industry.

(L to R: Rachel, Zoe and Anna) Photo by Jane Eaton Hamilton

Were you surprised by the success of your bloomers? And what would you be doing now if they hadn’t taken off?
We were very surprised! We knew bloomers were something we felt was a necessity for every baby. The three of us had daughters who wore them (and still do!) and we all swapped baby clothing – it was literally just the question of “where can I buy a pair?” that we asked each other and none of us knew the answer. I think had we not come up with the idea we’d have found something else. We’re not the type to sit still!

How do you balance work with being a mom?
This is something we are always asked and can never quite answer because it’s certainly not easy! We are moms first to six children under the age of four between the three of us – and we all consider Playpants our “baby”. There are a lot of conference calls, “playdates”, Sunday brunches and we’ve had one really, really nice dinner out. It’s a constant struggle to find the perfect balance between motherhood and our careers, but we’re up for the challenge.

What are the challenges of running your own business? The benefits?
Having our own business has been so incredibly rewarding. It’s allowed us to be creative, to feel professionally satisfied, to grow something from the ground up (that is not a child!) and most importantly it’s given us the flexibility to spend time with our families. It can definitely be that book that you just can’t put down, but we recognize the importance of taking a break.

It seems that there are a lot of mompreneurs based out of BC. Have there been any pleasant surprises about being part of this community of mom-based businesses?
It’s been wonderful. There is so much talent right here in BC and we’ve been fortunate to be part of a community that shares ideas and supports one another. We’re also members of VanEMN (Vancouver Enterprising Moms Network) – a great resource for mompreneurs! It’s certainly a community that continues to grow.

What are you most proud of?
We did it. We had an idea and we saw it through. We recently celebrated a year since establishing our business (that was the really nice dinner!) That in itself is such an accomplishment.

What do you wish someone had told you about starting your own business?
It’s really what people can’t tell you that is important. You’ll never know how it will unfold until you do it – you just can’t. For so many, it’s taking that first step. It’s a really scary step to take, but if you don’t someone will take it for you and you’ll wish you’d done it sooner.

What’s your advice for the moms (and dads) out there who are thinking of launching their own business?
We always say we couldn’t have done this alone. Not without each other, and certainly not without the support of our families and friends. They are there to help us, to listen to us, to share our ideas. That support system is so important (coffee and chocolate help too).

What’s next for Playpants?
We’ve recently received our new Laundry Day and Sunday Brunch styles in our new sizing which now fits up to 3T (by popular request!) and filled our first US wholesale orders. We’ll also be introducing new styles just in time for spring – it’s a great time to bloom!

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