Life Crafting Role Models: Andrea

It’s Thursday and I’m Crafting my Life! July’s theme is looking to our role models. Because other people have walked this path before, and we can learn from them. Since today is Canada Day, I am talking to Andrea Gregg-Aylott, a local mom who was on the popular Canadian TV Show, Dragons’ Den. On the show aspiring entrepreneurs present their idea to a panel of ‘dragons’, experienced in business. Andrea and her Nursery Naturals Baby Wipes were featured in the search for Canada’s best “Greenvention”. Read on, to hear what Andrea had to say.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?
I am a Mom of three wonderful kids aged 8, 7 and 2. Before having my son who is now 2, I worked as a caregiver in long term care. I also worked for some time in different management positions in both retail and the hospitality industry.

How did you decide to start your own business?
During my year off on maternity leave, I was doing a lot of research on baby and kids products looking for more natural products. It really bothered me that our everyday baby products have some potentially hazardous ingredients in them, and specifically baby wipes, being that we use them at least 5 times a day. One site that really opened my eyes was safecosmetics.org, with its cosmetics database. I’ve always been a problem solver, so I developed a baby wipe solution to use on my son at home, and from there the idea grew into developing our product. In September 2009, I went through the Self Employment Program at Douglas College where I wrote my business plan and developed strategies and a marketing plan to get started.

You are one busy mama. How do you juggle all your different commitments?
My husband really is a huge support for both family life and Nursery Naturals Baby Wipes. We prioritize each day’s tasks together and work as a team to accomplish everything. I am a terrible juggler, I totally lack the co-ordination! I was never a very good hula-hooper either. [Amber - Me neither, but I do a mean cartwheel!]

I also have a second business that is almost 2 months old and growing every week called Used Clothes Rock. With two businesses and three kids, the support of my husband really makes it possible to keep all the balls in the air!

What are the upsides, for you, of running a business?
The best, best, BEST part of running my own business is not having to keep to a strict schedule! I do have my own schedule, but not having to deal with rush hour traffic, commuting and being away from my kids is a huge bonus.

I also like that my kids are learning how to be innovative! My kids are naturally taking after Mom. I caught them playing “entrepreneur” a few times, where they jot down crazy things about appointments and customers and developing whatever business they are imagining that week.

Is there anything that you wish you had known before starting out?
I wish I would have known the importance of planning and making time for myself. It is so important to recharge by doing something I love, something relaxing, or some just plain old girls-being-silly time!

What is the biggest challenge you face in balancing your family with everything else?
The biggest challenge for me is handling the unexpected situations at the same time as my Mom/kids time. Sometime it is unavoidable, and something comes up that must be dealt with right away. In those times, I make sure all 3 kids are occupied, then switch into business owner mode. Sometimes family and business clash a little, but the faster the issues are dealt with, the sooner I can get back to my kiddos!

Can you tell me a little bit about the experience of being on Dragons’ Den?
I noticed in April that Dragons’ Den was calling for green businesses to compete for the Greenvention competition sponsored by SunChips. It had been suggested to me a few times that I should go on Dragons’ Den with Nursery Naturals Baby Wipes, but it really was the last thing I thought I would ever do, until the Greenvention competition. It has been an amazing opportunity for Nursery Naturals Baby Wipes to be featured as one of three finalists as Canada’s top eco-entrepreneur.

The most important part of my time in the Den was experiencing complete fear and the worst case of anxiety and working through it! I never thought that I would be able to stand in front of the Dragons, let alone speak to them, but as I continued with my pitch, my confidence grew. The input of the Dragons on my product was priceless and the exposure for Nursery Naturals Baby Wipes has been more than I could have ever hoped for. The only thing that I think could have been valuable during the deliberation/question and answer period would have been for the finalists to question each other. I think we would have had some great thought provoking eco questions that would have made the decision more difficult for the Dragons.

Where are you headed next?
This really is an exciting time for us! We have amazing new opportunities that seem to coming up every day and we are looking right now at how to keep up! We are definitely headed towards having Nursery Naturals Baby Wipes in stores across Canada!

Is there anything else that you would like to share about making your business and life work together?
There is no magic solution or equation that will make life easier, whether you are a working mom, a stay at home mom, or a mompreneur. Every family has unique challenges and we do the best we can do with what we have. I think that adapting, changing and always learning about parenting and business is what will keep working for my family. The more we learn, the better equipped we are!

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Thanks so much for talking to me, Andrea! I’m so excited to see your success, and I know that lots more good things are in store for you.

July’s Crafting my Life series is about our role models. On the last Thursday of the month, which just happens to be the 29th, I will include a link up. To participate, write a post on this month’s theme anytime in July, or track down a post you’ve written on the subject sometime in the past, and add yourself to the list. Then read everyone else’s ideas and thoughts and be inspired! Check out the link-ups from January, February and March to get a feel for how it works.

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