Contestant's Case to Win

Starting a new company – or even experimenting with an idea to see if it has the potential to turn into a successful business – can be daunting for anyone. But my sister – also my business partner – and I took on the challenge while raising five children between us. We took risks – many financial - and started a business with the intention of making life easier for moms.

Our company created two products that were invented out of my sister’s own personal frustrations in two areas of motherhood; breastfeeding and prenatal sleep.

Our flagship product addresses one of the top reasons women quit breastfeeding, and an issue that lactation consultants have been trying to address for decades. This is the tiresome act of women having to physically support and adjust their breast throughout each feeding to assure that the baby is latched on correctly and stays latched on. While the product is now sold globally through retailers/eTailers, hospitals, catalogues and private practice, our most humbling moment was when we were at the 2007 International Lactation Consultant Conference – drawing in health professionals from around the world - and one of the keynote speakers featured our product in her presentation!

The strides made with this product gave us the confidence to persevere through another product launch cycle with our second product – the Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillow. The pillow alleviates two major issues that expectant moms have to endure – severe back pain and lack of sleep. Still new to the market, it has been earning rave reviews within OBGYN offices, from the executive panel of reviewers at Disney's iParenting Group, editorial reviewers, real moms throughout the U.S., and even from an author of well-known prenatal fitness books.

We feel that we should be considered as a winner of the Leading Moms in Business Competition, because our goal from the outset has been to help other moms overcome challenges that can be physically and emotionally frustrating during these life-changing times. We took a grass roots approach and ultimately gained the recognition, trust and influence from healthcare professionals that can in turn recommend our products to moms. We did this virtually on our own… taking our kids to trade shows, conferences, sales pitches, etc. All the while knowing that we both share in the excitement, the challenges, the “wins” and continued traction we’re seeing with the products.