THE MOM-PRENEUR (MOM ENTREPRENEUR)
In the spirit of Black History Month, I wanted to feature some black women who I know who have been inspirational to me because of the fact that they have been able to successfully balance motherhood with the ‘perils’ of owning their own home-grown businesses. So meet my classmate and dear friend Uyo Okebie Eichelberger and her recently established business – You! Lingerie. Read below for excerpts from our discussion:
KK: What is the company's name?
YL: The Company’s name is You! Lingerie - a fashionable and sexy maternity/nursing lingerie brand.
KK: When did you start the business?
YL: You! Lingerie launched in October 2010.
KK: What is the concept behind the business? What prompted you to start the business?
YL: It is really simple. After I had my daughter two years ago, it was impossible to find nursing bras that were pretty and affordable. During my endless search, the options I found were limited to bland colored (that is, black , white & beige) nursing lingerie that were reasonably priced or when I did find ones that were somewhat cute, they were super expensive and lacked proper fit and support. So I did what most women do, I reluctantly settled for the bland options. At that time, I believed that there was a huge void in the maternity market. I mean when you are pregnant or if you just had a baby, your hormones are all over the place and you may not feel like your sexy self. Everyone knows that beautiful lingerie can make a woman feel sexy and confident. So I decided to take matters into my own hands to see if other breastfeeding moms felt like I did.
KK: Why did you start this business?
YL: After conducting my market research and exploring the space, it was truly an "AHA" moment to see the results confirm my hypothesis and belief that there was a need for pretty, functional and affordable nursing bras. I passionately believed in the idea that Fabulous + Affordable nursing lingerie were possible. So I took a leap of faith and started You! Lingerie. You! Lingerie brings beautiful, high quality, luxurious, sexy nursing bras to stylish moms at an affordable price. You! Lingerie is designed to embrace and celebrate your new body shape during pregnancy and nursing. Since our launch late last year, we are sold in about 5 countries including numerous maternity stores in the United States.
KK: Where is the business located? Where can we get more information about it?
YL: You can shop online or find a retailer near you that carries our collection at www.you-lingerie.com.
KK: Were there any road blocks during your journey that you came across and if so, what were they?
YL: I don't think we necessarily had any road blocks but more like challenges. As with any new startup, you have to think outside the box and be creative so that you can make good business decisions and take calculated risks.
KK: Anything else that you would like to share with us about the company
YL: You! Lingerie has been getting rave reviews from mommas around the world and we are very happy and honored to be a part of their amazing journey of motherhood and breastfeeding. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are beautiful, so why should you wear an unflattering nursing bra or pay an exuberant amount for a beautiful one? We believe that YOU do not have to give up your fashionista style just because you are a mommy!
Point well stated Uyo!
