We were lucky to catch up with Elena Shamanova Ducoin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elena , thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my product was born thanks to my daughter. When she was just 2 years old, she made the bold decision that she was fully potty trained—yes, I was that lucky mom! She refused to wear diapers or pull-ups even at night and insisted on wearing only underwear. And honestly, we discovered later that she made the right choice. Indeed, within a few weeks, she was completely out of diapers—day and night—with barely any accidents since she was 2.5. (Just to compare, she’s 4 now, and many of her school friends are still in nighttime diapers!)

But her decision came with a tough transition, especially for me and my husband. During those few weeks of learning, she wet the bed almost every night and it was exhausting! We were constantly waking up to wash her, strip and change the bedding, her pajama, her stuffed animals. It was stressful and overwhelming as we both worked full time jobs during the day. We tried every type of potty training and bedwetting underwear on the market, but nothing worked—they all leaked.

One night, after yet another mess and feeling totally drained, I got creative. I sewed a pocket into her regular underwear and slipped a maternity pad that I had inside. And actually it worked so well that it changed the whole game for us! The pad absorbed the leaks, and my daughter still felt like she was wearing “big kid” underwear. Plus, she could feel the wetness from the accident—which is a crucial part of nighttime potty training. So in just a few more weeks, the accidents stopped completely. Since then, we haven’t had diapers or pull-ups in the house at all.

I remember thinking at the time, this is such a great solution—someone should really invent it! But I wasn’t planning to start a business at all. I was working in my corporate job in construction industry and becoming a product based business owner was not in my mind at all!

Fast forward —my corporate path hit a rough patch, and that’s when the idea came back to me. I thought, given how great this solution worked for us, why not build this for other parents? I knew how many moms and dads were going through the same exhausting experience.

So, I took a leap of faith! And year later, here I am—leading an emerging brand focused on innovative potty training solutions. We launched on Kickstarter in February, got fully funded, and ever since, I’ve been receiving heartfelt messages from customers about how much our product has helped them, which is the most rewarding feeling in the world.

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

Hi, I’m Elena—mom of two, founder, and the inventor behind potty training and bedwetting underwear with customizable absorbency.

The idea for this product came to me when I was potty training my daughter and had to deal with bedwetting accidents. I’ve tried many existing potty training underwear but none really solve the problem—most of them leaked, and this is where I created the first prototype of MyBeeBear undies – to help my daughter during nighttime training.

But when I started my business I had very few knowledge about kids apparel industry to be hones. Indeed, my background is actually in law! I’m a trained French lawyer and used to work in the U.S. in the legal department of a construction company, managing compliance and contracts. So when I decided to start this business, I had zero experience in apparel, product development, or the parenting industry. I had to dive in headfirst: reading, researching, and learning everything from scratch. Fortunately, I was lucky to connect with the right people—amazing consultants in the production as well as childhood and parenting space who helped me fine-tune the product to make it truly effective and family-friendly.

What makes our underwear unique is that it’s customizable. Indeed, here’s how most parents typically approach potty training: during the day, they use potty training underwear to catch small accidents(although most of these products tend to leak). Then, at night, they usually switch back to diapers or pull-ups for extra protection. And once the child is considered potty trained, families often buy regular underwear—but many continue using pull-ups at night for months or even years afterward. This back-and-forth approach is not only expensive budget wise, but also creates confusion for the child. As indeed, switching between diapers and underwear sends mixed signals, often leading to setbacks and power struggles. Many children start resisting regular underwear and prefer to go back to the comfort and familiarity of pull-ups, which delays full potty training independence.

Our underwear is a perfect solution for such hectic approach, thanks to it’s customizable feature. Parents can adjust the absorbency depending on their child’s needs—whether it’s for daytime training, nighttime bedwetting, or post-training use. This allows families to use the same pair of underwear across different stages of potty training, instead of switching between multiple products. It also helps kids feel more in control and confident, which is so important in the process.

Our underwear is made from 100% organic cotton, so it’s breathable, reusable, and long-lasting—one pair can be used for months as long as the child still fits in it. And because it’s designed to feel like real underwear, it helps children connect the dots faster during both day and night training, hence keeping potty training on the right track. That not only reduces the emotional and behavioral stress around potty training—it also cuts down on the family budget and environmental waste caused by disposable diapers and pull-ups.

What sets us apart is that we’re not just selling a product—we’re solving a real problem for families. We’re helping children gain independence and confidence, while alleviating stress over accidents for parents.

What I’m most proud of? It’s the messages I receive from other parents—stories about how our product helped them through a tough transition, how their kids feel proud and excited to wear our undies, and how it’s made a stressful process more manageable. Very recently I received a sweet thank you message from one of our customers. She bought our undies for her twins – she said that since they started to use the undies, they had zero accidents – neither day nor during the night! This type of feedback reminds me why I took the leap, and why I keep pushing forward, however hard it could be some time!

If there’s one thing I want potential customers to know, it’s this: I’ve been in your shoes. I created this product out of my personal struggle and necessity, and I’ve poured my heart, research, and parenting experience into making it as helpful as possible. My goal is to support families in a meaningful way—and to make potty training just a little bit easier for everyone.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Figuring out manufacturing was one of the hardest parts of building my business.
Coming from the construction industry, I had absolutely no idea how to manufacture a kids’ underwear product. It was a whole new world for me. So, I committed to a steep learning curve—I took courses, listened to countless podcasts, read everything I could find. Like many first-time founders, I started with Alibaba. It seemed like the easiest and most accessible option, and I was able to find several verified manufacturers to sample with. But the quality just was not there. And I’m very particular about quality—especially when it comes to a product for kids! It was non-negotiable for me that the product had to be top-notch, both in functionality and material.

Next, I tried going through a connection I had—a mom from my son’s school who worked as a sourcing agent. She gave me access to great contacts, and I’m still grateful for that, but unfortunately, they weren’t a good fit for the type of product I needed. I also reached out to our local chamber of commerce related to textiles, contacted industry organizations, and tried multiple supplier platforms…

Eventually, after several months of researches, I decided to reverse-engineer my approach. Instead of cold-sampling from random factories, I thought: Why not find brands whose quality I already admire, and figure out who manufactures for them? That way, I’d at least know the bar was high. So I researched, ordered products from those brands and started tracking down their suppliers. And that’s when I finally found my perfect fit!

I still remember the moment—after months of dead ends, poor samples, and stressful negotiations—I received the sample from the manufacturer I work with today. It was exactly what I had been envisioning. My husband even took a video of me crying tears of joy over this little pair of underwear! That moment felt like a major breakthrough, and I’ll never forget it.

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned?
Take your time to find the right manufacturer. Don’t just go with the first one who agrees to work with you—especially as a small startup, it’s tempting to accept any help you can get. But stick to your standards. Find a partner who believes in your vision, who will deliver the quality your product deserves, and who treats your relationship with care and professionalism. A great manufacturer isn’t just a supplier—they’re a key part of your entrepreneurial journey.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn on this entrepreneurial journey is this: age means nothing—it’s just a freaking number! :)

I was 39, a mom of two, when I started my business. Honestly, I was terrified. I was stepping into a world I knew nothing about—I didn’t know the industry, I had no idea how to build a product, and I had almost no one around me who could guide me through it back then.

But deep down, I had this strong conviction: if I don’t try this now, and just stay in my corporate job (with all its “uncomfortable comfort”), I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. So, the change in life was a real leap of faith for me – jumping head first, hoping to land in the best spot!

And honestly, starting this business wasn’t easy. at all I felt “too old,”, surrounded by 20 years old founders, while I felt like a grandma! I was scared, I doubted myself constantly, and there were moments I felt completely desperate and lonely (as entrepreneurship IS a lonely journey). But the further I go, the more certain I am that I made the right choice—for myself and for my family. Because building something of your own, that actually helps people bring this incredible feeling of doing something so meaningful and impactful that it drive me further and further. And now, I know for sure: even at 39 (or any age!), you can absolutely pivot your life and go after your dream. Age really is just a freaking number!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mybeebear.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_bee_bear/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mybeebear/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@My_Bee_bear
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/My_bee_bear/potty-training/