NWEM Mamapreneur of the Month:
Lisa Cook, Crybaby Comforts
My name is Lisa Cook and the story of Crybaby
Comforts started in 2004 with the birth of my first son Tavian. We
knew as a family that we wanted me to stay at home with our
children. However, we soon found that I would need to work to help the family financially.
I worked at Microsoft as a contractor for 1 year. During that time I started Crybaby Comforts to sell Bumbo
Baby Seats part time while I was working. Our 2nd son Ander was delivered in June 2005. There was no
way with addition of a 2nd child that
we could afford to have me work. The soaring costs of childcare for 2 children under 2 years
of age would have eaten up my entire paycheck. We also knew that without a 2nd paycheck making
ends meet would be difficult.
When Ander was a few months old we went to
visit my husband Brian’s office. The woman running the front desk had a business idea for me. She had a friend who had started to do baby equipment rentals
for vacationers with equipment donated from friends. Her friend was doing well as a part time business.
She thought I might have enough baby equipment to get started
and do the same thing. I
asked her to give my name and number to the friend thinking I could
work with them to expand their business. After several attempts I
never did hear from them. By this time I was quite excited about the idea and my
husband and I reflected, deciding to go forward with it on our own.
We changed Crybaby Comforts to a rental company from selling Bumbo
Seats which had dropped off dramatically. I put together a simple business plan and got to work
renting baby equipment to families visiting Seattle, grandparents,
and pretty much anyone who needed baby equipment on a short time
basis. My very first vacation rental was in January of 2006.
What we didn’t expect at the time I started the
rental business was that within months our oldest son Tavian would
be diagnosed with Autism. What we thought was only a simple speech delay had turned
into a diagnosis that would grow to include 30+ hours of therapy. Running my own business has allowed me the flexibility to
schedule my time to helping my son and our finances.
Over the last 2 years my business has grown and
changed to add long term rentals allowing families to save their
money and rent infant items that you likely will only use a few
months. It’s a great way
for families to save money and storage space when you aren’t using
these items. No longer
do parents have to pay $80 on an exersaucer to find out that their
bundle of joy won’t even use it.
Crybaby Comforts continues to grow and expand
locally and as part of a national network.
I have found I really enjoy
what I do. The
excitement the families have when I arrive is infectious. I am only starting my journey as a mother and a business
owner. I look forward to
watching both my children and my business grow into what I know they
can become.
|
