Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jocelyn Newman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Jocelyn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
My commitment to sustainability is unique from the industry standard. As a mom, I just couldn’t accept the notion that baby clothes were intended to be worn once or twice and then tossed in the landfill. I found it so frustrating that baby clothing brands always placed their “models” on pristine white sheets, as though a young child has ever kept anything pristinely white. My son is curious, bold, and so messy; I wanted to create clothes that embraced all of those traits.
At First Peak, our clothes are made to last, and to handle all the messes and mayhem that come with growing up. All our products are made from eco-friendly materials, like EPA-certified PurThread or recycled Seawool. They naturally and safely fight off odor, bacteria, and moisture, meaning they can be worn far more, while being washed far less. Ultimately, this means less water and energy are used on laundry, and less textile waste is accumulated. I strive for our clothes to be the toughest and comfiest in any kid’s wardrobe, and to also make great hand-me-downs.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My name is Jocelyn Newman and I’m a mom, adventure traveler, and the founder of First Peak. I’m a lover of the outdoors, and truly believe that parenting journeys and entrepreneurship journeys share many parallels — they have blissful highs and painful lows, and ultimately require patience, heart, a little risk-taking, and kindness toward yourself.
First Peak makes sustainable adventurewear for babies and toddlers (3 months – 4 years). Our clothes are made in the Bay Area from eco-friendly fabrics, and are built to take the stress out of mess and exploration: they’re odor-resistant, quick-drying, sun-safe, and super soft. They’re purpose-built to handle spills, sweat, and spit up; and our customers rave about them for hiking, travel, beach days, and really any mess.
I founded the company shortly after my son was born, inspired by our own adventures outdoors. I wanted clothes for him that could perform as well as my own activewear — I craved something comfy and breathable, that also didn’t get stinky and moist as my son ran around. When I couldn’t find anything on the market, I decided to create the clothes myself, diving in as a first time entrepreneur, totally new to the manufacturing industry.
Since launching First Peak, my family has taken a few big leaps: my husband and I left our 9-5s, we gave up our apartment, and we’ve been living nomadically since last summer. My son wears First Peak clothes every day, so the products are constantly being tested and improved. Dressing him in First Peak has also enabled us to pack lighter, as we can get more wear out of each item; we’ve been on the road for 8 months and have never checked a bag.
I named my company First Peak to honor and celebrate all the peaks and milestones our little ones achieve, whether in our backyards or 1000s of miles from home. I hope that our clothes can take some of the stress out of family adventures, and empower families to explore and enjoy together.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
Last summer, my family made the bold decision to give up our apartment, sell and donate nearly all our things, and set off on a year of nomadic travel. We made this choice just a few months after I’d launched First Peak, so the majority of my experience building the company has been from the road at this point. That said, before we left, farmers’ markets and craft fairs were my bread-and-butter. I loved meeting customers face-to-face and learning more about their needs. Saying goodbye to our wonderful Bay Area community was one of the hardest parts of our departure.
When the time came, we kicked off our journey with a cross-country roadtrip. My toddler and our dog shared the backseat, and we stuffed our trunk with all our luggage and all my First Peak inventory (luckily, baby clothes are small!). We spent our days enjoying the outdoors, and I leveraged drive time, early mornings, and late evenings to work on First Peak.
At some point in Western Montana, I realized that our dreams of nomadic travel and my ability to connect with customers weren’t mutually exclusive. I went on an outdoorsy moms Facebook group and posted about our trip, and the fact that I was driving across the country with a car full of adventure clothes for babies and toddlers.
The response blew me away. From that post, we were able to connect with about 20 families in-person along our drive. Each time, we’d ask the locals to pick out a hike or park, and we’d pull up, pop the trunk, and let kids and parents touch and try out the clothes. At the end of our afternoons together, most families bought a few items, many liked or followed my social media accounts, and a few have become real friends and advocates.
As an introvert, this experience felt so far out of my comfort zone, but it has stuck with me as a critical lesson of entrepreneurship: right now, I’m my company’s sole employee and its biggest asset. Putting myself out there, while a bit scary, is critical for the business to grow, and it unlocks the most authentic growth.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
I first had the idea for First Peak during a family trip to Yosemite when my son was 6 months old. In short, his run-of-the-mill baby clothes totally failed us: he spilled milk on himself within a few minutes of leaving the car and quickly started to smell rancid in the hot son. As we both got sweaty with him in the baby carrier, his shirt became moist, and stayed that way even as we tried to air him out. His sleeves rode up, and his exposed hands and wrists got sunburnt. Suffice it to say, I became incredibly excited about the idea of making better baby clothes for family adventures.
At the time, I was working as a Director at a publicly traded tech company, and was only a few months back from my maternity leave. I had a decade’s worth of experience in software — particularly in fast-growing startups — but no experience in manufacturing or retail.
I started out by simply making a lot of phone calls during early mornings, late evenings, and weekend naps. I spoke to anyone I could about making clothes, and always ended each call asking whom I should speak to next. As I started to get a lay of the land, I also made the strategic decision to manufacture locally in the Bay Area. Being so new to the industry, I wanted the ability to meet my partners and manufacturers face-to-face, and to watch and learn the process in depth. I was often stealing away right as my workday ended or before it began, or even just as I put my son down to nap, so having my design and manufacturing centered nearby made it possible to stay intimately involved.
As far as milestones, much of it was organic. I didn’t start out saying I wanted to create a massive business. Rather, I wanted to create clothes for my own son, and maybe a few friends. But quickly, I started seeing interest, and celebrated my first sale to a stranger, my first sold out SKU, and eventually selling out my entire first run. I recognized that this business would need more from me to grow, and I wanted to take the chance to see what that growth could look like.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.firstpeak.co
- Instagram: @firstpeakbaby
Image Credits
Photos 1 and 3: Sarah Renee Photography Photos 2 and 4: Will Chilton