We were lucky to catch up with Amy Kuber recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

I absolutely LOVE connecting with customers. Motherhood has the ability to bring women together with a very raw and shared private experience (yes, that’s an oxymoron, but so true!). No one ever truly knows what to expect, and we tend to idealize becoming a mother, and think we will behave a certain way and have it all figured out on our own terms. Then the reality of it all comes crashing down. Our individual struggles may be different, but the notion that we all fall in love with our tiny little stranger, and then have to navigate life caring for this sweet helpless fledgling, knowing we would die, or kill for them is universal. And then we bring in the struggles of Post Partum Depression, Anxiety, Trauma and other maternal mental health issues- it is real and more common than we all want to admit. It is our dirty little secret, and we often feel ashamed for not feeling joy in every second of our stressed out, sleep deprived, hangry journey. As much as it is a product, the Wanderling babywearing jacket also provides a service for moms. My goal is to make life easier for moms, and the jacket helps to create peace of mind while going outside (which we once thought of as a basic, simple task) in even the worst of weather conditions. And in addition to the jacket, when a mom makes a purchase, she gets me. I am not special or extraordinary. I am “just a mom”, and I had post partum depression and anxiety, and PTSD from a traumatic birth experience. And I get it. You are NOT alone, mama. And you can do this. It is ok to feel overwhelmed. Let’s talk about it, It takes a village to raise a child, but who raises the village? I try to, one mom at a time.
I love to stay connected to customers, they are more than that. They become part of the village. I love watching their adventures through social media. Some send me emails or letters. They have my support, admiration, hopeful feel that they belong and that someone out there has their back. As a Critical Care RN, I have seen some of the worst things imaginable. I’ve been with families at their most vulnerable. I’ve learned that we all have the same wants and needs, hopes and dreams, on a most basic level. And we all need to feel valued. I try to send that message out to everyone I meet, not just people who buy the babywearing jacket. What harm can come from admitting that we are all in this together?

Amy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Becoming a business owner started by accident. As a babywearing mother of 3, I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious when trying to get the kids outside. When my husband suggested we post-hole in 4 feet of snow through the national forest to cut down a Christmas tree, I panicked. I was worried about my baby getting cold, or me overheating in a winter coat while trapped under the straps of my baby carrier. I went on a mad hunt to find a jacket that I could use to stay warm while sharing body warmth with my son, and have the freedom to take the jacket off if I got too warm. I hated using my husband’s jacket, as the sleeves were too long, it was bulky and drafty and I’d have to wear it backwards with the hood in my face, as my son liked to be on my back. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so late one night I made one. It was ugly and lopsided and the sleeves weren’t the same length. The zippers were crooked. But it worked! My son and I stayed warm and dry, and when hiking warmed me up, I could unzip or remove it without having to take the carrier off. It was a game changer for outdoor activity with the kids in the winter.
It only took a few weeks before the response from other moms was overwhelming. They wanted to know where to get one, or wished they’d had one when their babies were little. So, as a Critical Care Registered Nurse with no business, marketing or accounting background, I dove into the world of design, production, e-commerce and sales.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As a woman with no business background, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the shuffle. It’s still a very male dominated culture, and I’ve often found that if my husband is with me during business negotiations, they turn to him for information and proposals. My husband is very supportive and knows that I know the business and the product and the customer far better than he does. We’ve had several conversations about the issue, and he does a wonderful job of directing the focus back to me. I’ve become better at hearing “no”. It took some time for me to not take rejection personally. Since this product means so much to me, and I have such a personal connection with the consumer, I’ve learned to be stronger and bounce back when I get negative feedback from someone. I try to make sure that I learn something from the experience and that motivates me to work on being flexible and thinking outside the box.
I have worked really hard to connect with other “mompreneurs” and have a created a supportive environment where we lift each other up and help our businesses grow. Making connections and building a trusting relationship is very time consuming, but is very rewarding to have the support and to celebrate each others’ successes.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

In the beginning, we simply took out a 2nd mortgage on our home. I was still working full time as a registered nurse, and we made sure that we could absorb the payments if the business didn’t provide enough revenue. We are currently trying to expand and add products, so we are preparing a pitch and screening potential investors that we feel would be a good fit for our brand mission. I’d rather be small and independent than align ourselves with someone who might not have our customers best interest in mind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wanderling.us
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlingllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderlingmama
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-kuber-wanderlinglmama/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-gMLdqCOWR4eKVWM5Uc9A