We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deeanne Akerson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Deeanne below.

Alright, Deeanne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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?

Pregnant and nursing moms often feel isolated, and we want them to know that they’re not alone. Yes, our bras and pajamas are super comfortable, and we know moms love how they feel in our clothes, but we focus more on making sure moms feel heard and understood. We try to make every touchpoint feel personal, whether it’s an email, social post, or chat with Customer Care.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a breastfeeding mom, I was desperate for a comfortable pair of nursing pajamas, but nothing was exactly what I needed. At the same time, my husband was looking for a business idea, and one night I suggested nursing sleepwear. “Moms want to feel stylish and put together, even in our pajamas. They just have to be cute, stylish, comfortable, and actually work for breastfeeding.”

We researched the idea, and I got to work creating my perfect pair of nursing pajamas. After we launched, I began hearing from moms who loved how comfortable they felt, and they all wanted to know where they could find a bra that felt as amazing as the pajamas. So I began designing bras and other clothes that would bring comfort to moms while also being functional and stylish.

Our goal is to help moms find comfort and community – whether that’s through a comfortable pair of new pajamas, blogs and emails that remind them how amazing they are, or social posts that encourage and support them.

In business, there’s such a focus on numbers that it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we need to connect on a personal level. At Kindred Bravely, we’re constantly thinking of our customers as individuals and trying to put ourselves in their shoes. What does each person want or need? What would make her day?

We’re always looking for possible pain or friction points and finding ways to make them better. We fall in love with our customers and work to make their days brighter – instead of just looking to generate revenue. Products come and go, but if you consistently put your customer first and keep your focus on finding solutions for their pain points, you’ll win every time.

From Mom’s Choice Awards to What to Expect to Lucie’s List, Kindred Bravely’s clothes have consistently been recognized for their superior quality, innovative design, and attention to detail. But more importantly than that, I’m proudest when we’re making a positive impact on women’s lives.

Whether it’s helping moms find the comfortable and cute clothes they’ve been searching for, empowering female entrepreneurs through our partnership with Free the Girls, donating pumping bras to frontline health care workers, or hiring a remote workforce full of people who are eager to make an impact, we’re dedicated to supporting women and building community.

We’re passionate about delivering high-quality, supremely comfortable maternity and nursing clothes. Each product is lovingly designed to meet a specific need and make moms feel amazing. We pay close attention to every detail to make sure that every product will be as useful and functional as it is beautiful and comfortable. We’re here for you, and we can’t wait to help you find comfort.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

We’re devoted to supporting moms. Along with leaving wonderful reviews for our products, our customers regularly commend us for delivering incredible customer service. We’ve empowered each member of our Customer Care Team to provide individualized attention to everyone who reaches out from assisting with refunds and replacements to sending flowers, personal notes, or gift cards to their favorite restaurants.

From our social platforms to our blogs to our emails, we try to encourage every mom as she navigates pregnancy, breastfeeding, postpartum, and beyond. Whether she’s expecting her first baby or weaning her fourth, we share relevant, informative blogs and articles, celebrate her journey, and remind her that she’s doing an amazing job.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Most of our products are available on our website and on Amazon, though there are a couple of exclusive products on each platform. When we first launched in 2015, we focused mostly on driving sales to Amazon, and at that time it worked quite well. Ranking on Amazon was much easier, especially since there weren’t as many brands trying to take up the same space. Amazon also required less overhead costs compared with selling and shipping through our own website, so we were able to generate more cash to invest back into building our business.

Selling on Amazon can be a challenge in a crowded landscape. We don’t have full control of our storytelling or the end-to-end customer experience, and we’re always managing inventory to make sure we’re fully stocked, but never overstocked.

What we’ve found most successful in every aspect of our business is trying to meet people where they are. We want to connect with them on the social channels they prefer and be available in their favorite stores – whether that’s on Amazon, Nordstrom, or our own website.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kindredbravely.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindredbravely/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindredbravely
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kindredbravely/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Kindredbravely
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kindred-bravely-oceanside