We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yewande Akinjaiyeju a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Yewande, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?
Coming out of school I understood that being successful at a job roughly boiled down to three things – 1) you should say smart things, 2) be professional in your conduct and most importantly 3) work hard. Without tooting my own horn too much I left school feeling that I would be one of the ones that had it in the bag. Good grades, a white middle class upbringing (despite being a black woman..that story is for another day!) and a work ethic forged from the parenting style of first generation Nigerian immigrants who worked their way from the farm to medical school. And even when it came time to find a job and the path to the prized graduation positions were dead ends for me, I was not deterred, after all there was more than one path to the top of the mountain.
I eventually got my first run on the career ladder after landing a HR role for a technology company. I would apply these three straightforward strategies for success and make my mark. Over the next ten years I would definitely describe my career as straightforward but not in a good way. Much of it resembled a flat line on a hospital monitor. Despite saying smart things and being an authority in my area, being professional and working hard I was not going anywhere. I felt like one of those gaming characters that runs into a wall turns around and runs back into the wall again when no one is at the controller. I was going nowhere while others around me were moving ahead. I felt like I had missed a class in school that everyone else had taken and aced.
It was not until I had the opportunity to meet a newly hired business leader to the organization that I learned what was holding me back. “Who are you?” She asked me. That question kicked off a pivotal point in my career that had nothing to do with my work and everything to do with being vulnerable. “You can not be seen if you don’t reveal who you are”. I had stayed behind a wall of professionalism and grind for all of my career but was never myself, never revealed myself. I did not create a space for others to see inside my head, keeping the unperfected, unclear, half baked, the challenges, the puzzles to myself for fear of not being good enough. I did not ask for help, I did not take on anything unless I was certain I could succeed. I had been going it alone for my entire career.
Vulnerability was the breakthrough lesson that turned not only my career around but also changed me as a person. Vulnerability is infectious, when you bring your walls down, you give permission for others to do the same. Relationships both professional and personally are forged on the strength of connection. Great things happen when you invite others into the process, better outcomes are achieved than what you could have achieved on your own. Ideas you would have never had..the benefits are endless. That’s not to say vulnerability is not without its risk but so far those have paled in comparison to the reward in terms of relationships and opportunities I have gained. I would have never felt good enough to start a business without this breakthrough. I would have never been able to do many of the things I have done to date without being able to ask for help, saying when I don’t know, moving forward without all the answers. Today I am a person who leads with vulnerability and courage and loves to explore with others – customers, vendors, partners, ways they can do the same.
Yewande, 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?
Childhood sets the foundation for life. The experiences children have in childhood shape so much of who they are and them reaching their full potential. As a parent I want to provide my children with an environment that nurtures, stimulates and protects this vital moment in their lives.
It was this motivation that inspired me to envision a contemporary children’s brand that was about cherishing childhood.
Every child should have cherished memories of their childhood. That is why supporting child advocacy organizations like Child Protective Services was another motivation for starting Bird + Bear Kids. I desire strongly to have a positive impact in the lives of children and stand alongside groups that do the same. With Bird + Bear Kids, I set out to capture the innocence, whimsy and magic of childhood with products that are practical, sustainable and joyful.
..An organic sleep sack blanket that not only provides a safe and effective sleep solution but becomes part of a beloved bedtime routine that you create with your child..
Every moment can be a cherished moment of childhood.
We’ve been meticulous and thoughtful about every aspect of bringing Bird + Bear Kids together. We’ve been intentional about the type of company we want to be and stand for, the culture, our partners, suppliers. Doing what’s right over what’s easiest started as my own personal mantra to becoming a commitment we make in every decision we take.
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Our principles of Boundless Gratitude, Generous Care and Radical Courage allow us to shine brightly. We hope that people will be drawn to this light and our products.
Our capsule collection of 100% cotton sleep sacks and blankets is a first step in realizing the Bird + Bear Kids brand. The journey that started just over a year ago is one of passion, collaboration and faith , working with other small business owners, artists and entrepreneurs – taking a chance on them, on each other and taking a chance on ourselves. We are proud to have worked with other phenomenal women and we are proud that Bird + Bear Kids is Black owned.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Care deeply for others. If you only do this you will have gotten 90% of the way to a high performing team.
I believe Care is ensuring people have their needs met. Being seen and heard by acknowledging people’s perspectives. Give the support needed to meet work and personal goals, involving your team in decisions, empowering, and building a safe environment within your team for people to be vulnerable.
Care is also about clarity. Clarity is kindness is a beloved phrase I picked up along my professional journey in corporate. Nothing demotivates like ambiguity, inconsistency, unspecified expectations and a visionless team. This doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers either. You can be honest and say “I don’t know yet”. But trust lives and dies on your ability to be straightforward with your team.
Ultimately your perspective matters on what you are doing. Being a manager is often about controlling people to accomplish a goal. Whereas leadership is about inspiring, and enabling people to achieve a vision that they have been part of shaping.
Lead with care.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
The vision of being a beloved global brand for children as I sat at the kitchen table after the kids were in bed, trolling through the internet on how to start a business, felt unobtainable most days. The biggest hurdle for many and myself included was the amount of money needed to get things started. Regardless of what type of e-commerce business you want to start, there are goods that need to be acquired and moved from manufacturers to the end customer.
My capital outlaw was modest to say the least and so stepping out into a business model where I would need to provide the capital for the supply chain and logistics and fulfillment was not an option.
Amazon provided a partnership of sorts where I could plug into an existing business model and focus testing the market for my brand. One of the world’s most recognizable brands and most visited platforms with fulfillment services and business support from manufacturers to customer.And while there is a lot of competition, you are at least in the arena albeit starting out in the noise bleed seats.
It comes at a cost – financially there are fees upon fees. You have to read the fine print carefully and be prepared to navigate their processes and procedures. It’s not a long term solution, or at least it will not be my only channel.
I look forward to the day where the business affords me independent options for fulfillment and direct selling from my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.birdandbearkids.com
- Instagram: @birdandbearkids
Image Credits
@anniejeanphotography, @toyin.jpeg