Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bessie Lee-Cappell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Bessie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Many who know me, know that my new journey as a full-time entrepreneur is one of the biggest risks I have taken in my life thus far. I left my full-time position as a social worker for the city of Philadelphia to fulfill my journey as an entrepreneur. Many would think that I am crazy to leave such a great job, with great pay and city benefits, for a journey that has uncertainty. I would agree with those who think that I am crazy for the risk. However, I am a true believer that without great risk, you can not experience a great reward. The reward in the risk will not always result in a financial reward; but can result in a lesson learned. The lesson can be one of the greatest lessons that you will ever learn in life. Many people fear the unknown, whereas, I welcome the unknown. When my life comes to an end, I do not want any regrets, thinking to myself “what if I did that..”
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Ever since she was a young girl, entrepreneur Bessie Lee-Cappell has always heard people tell her that she was “special.” The statements did not make much sense to her until later in life, when she invented her first baby product.
Despite having more than a fair share of struggles, the Philadelphia native has managed to overcome any and all adversities and thrive. One of seven siblings, she holds the title of having the most firsts in her family. She was the first to graduate high school and college and the first one to attend and complete her graduate studies. The accomplished individual proceeded to receive her license from Temple University and has since become a full-time social worker for the Philadelphia Department of Human Services.
As a mother of three, she has experienced firsthand the many challenges of raising children. She realized that the majority of the existing baby products on the market do not meet the needs of mothers and kids all over the world.
In July of 2019, the inventor decided to take matters into her own hands and created her very first baby product: Brush Bib. Channeling her frustrations in life into something more productive, the innovative woman went on to develop unique and functional baby items. Finally, she saw an opportunity to grow her enterprise, and since then, her company Baby Bottle Brush Bib Co was born.
Being a child safety advocate herself, Bessie Lee-Cappell wants to bring awareness and educate parents across the globe on what safety and health features they should look out for when buying products for their babies. She extends the same advocacy to her company and ensures that all her products use non-hazardous materials and pass safety inspection checks. This level of care and diligence makes Baby Bottle Brush Bib Co’s products stand out from the competition. Overall, the company promises a cleaner solution for the baby’s oral health.
When asked to talk about the safety and quality of her products, the inventor enthusiastically shared, “Our Brush bibs are the only protective barrier made for bottle brushes to prevent the user from being splashed on. Our Pacifier Teether Clips are the only all-in-one pacifier clips which grow with baby to toddlerhood, offer changeable suspender clips, doubles as a teether, made off 100% silicone for easier cleaning, FDA-approved and BPA-free. Our Elephant suspender clips are the only suspender clips that double as a teether made off 100% silicone FDA-approved and BPA-free.”
Crediting her optimistic nature and her go-getter attitude, Bessie Lee-Cappell is exceptionally proud of her accomplishments. She also takes great pride and joy as a pioneering African American business owner in the baby industry.
In the foreseeable future, the self-made entrepreneur remains steadfast in her mission and plans to continue being a game-changer for the baby product industry. She also sees the company rising through the ranks and becoming a global leader producing premium quality baby items.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
When I began my business, I was working full-time as a social worker. I began to finance all of my projects with income from my full-time job. As the business began to grow, I began to save my income from my full-time position. This is how I began to raise capital for my business. When I received my first large purchase order, I started my first GoFundme campaign. I raised $1,500 with that campaign.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
All my life I had to be resilient. I was raised in a separate household from my siblings and biological parents. Not growing up with my siblings and biological parents was difficult. It was a life that I had to adjust to. Going to school, seeing other children with their siblings and parents weighed heavily on me. Despite it all, I overcame it. At the age of 19, I was pregnant with my first born while attending college full-time. While pregnant with my first born, my oldest sister suddenly passed away. This was a truly difficult time in my life, however adjusted to my new life, and graduated college one year late as a result.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.babybottlebrushbib.com
- Instagram: bess_the_inventor
- Facebook: Bessie Lee-Cappell
- Linkedin: Bessie Lee-Cappell
- Twitter: Babybottlebrus1
- Youtube: Bess The Inventor
- Other: bessiesloveandcare.com
Image Credits
photographer- Wesley Brown