We recently returned from a long holiday on the west side...California, that is. Our goal was to take in the surf & the sand and soak up the sun! Oh the sun! It was so bright, that our New York eyes were not accustomed to such vibrancy this time of year. Que Babiators, stylish children's sunglasses which became an essential accessory on our trip. Babiators are bendable (literally they are unbreakable in the hands of my oh so curious toddler), and they are UVA and UVB protected, as well as BPA free. They seem to also be the only children's sunglasses brand that will replace any lost or damaged pair. Pretty cool right? Allow me to introduce one of the creators of Babiators, Molly Fienning:
Bebe Birds (BB): Hi Molly! Can you share the inspiration when creating Babiators?
Molly Fienning (MF): I was on a millitary base in South Carolina in February 2010, excited to see my husband Ted, a fighter pilot for the Marine Corps, return home from training on the west coast. All the pilots' children were running around in the bright sun squinting while trying to identify their moms and and dads in the jets. Like most children, these kids wanted to be just like their parents. I thought--if the pilots get cool aviator sunglasses, why aren't there aviators for children too? My husband Ted loved the idea and coined the name Babiators from "baby aviators". We told two or our best friends, Carolyn and Matthew Guard, about the idea and they thought it had great potential. We put together a survey, did some market research and realized that promoting safe, durable and awesome sunglasses for children was a compelling business model too. We incorporated Babiators llc in the Fall of 2010 and launched sales in May 2011.
Within 18 months Babiators has now moved into 700 retail locations and 20 countries, including Neiman Marcus stores, Harrods in London, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Giggle, Diapers.com as well as LA taste makers Kitson and Fred Segal. In addition to its retail success, Babiators has been featured as a "must-have" summer essential for kids on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Today Show, Newsweek, Good Morning, America, The Huffington Post, Daily Candy, US Magazine, People Magazine, BBC World News, CNBC and more. Celebrity children of Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck, Guiliana Rancic, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon, Hillary Duff, Alyssa Milano, Tiffani Thiessen and more are frequently spotted stylin' in their Babiators. We are thrilled with the momentum!
BB: That's impressive! How has it been creating such a successful company with friends?
MF: Keeping our friendships strong is incredibly important to us, regardless of what happens on the business side. Babiators would not be the successful venture it is today without the solid friendship foundation that we've shared since college.
We've learned that an important aspect of working with friends is understanding the unique personality traits that each partner brings to the table. My husband and I are more action-oriented, creative and extroverted, which is valuable for the design, marketing and relationship side of the business. Carolyn and Matthew are more analytical, conservative and big planners, which is essential for the financial and operations side of the business. It is so useful to have friends with different backgrounds and strengths in business, so we can dived and conquer a wide range of tasks to ultimately build greater success.
Molly & Carolyn rocking some Babiators
BB: Your replacement policy on lost or broken Babiators is wonderful! How did you come up with such a concept?
MF: When surveying the market on kids' sunglasses before we created Babiators the most common complaints we received were 1) the sunglasses broke too easily and 2) my child lost them quickly. So, we created Babiators out of the most durable material we could find, a flexible rubber instead of traditional plastic. And listening to the feedback on loss, we took a risk and became the only children's brand to guarantee against loss and breakage. So, if your child loses or breaks her Babiators within one of year of purchase, we will send out a replacement pair for free. Our customers are big fans of our Babiators Guarantee!
BB: Many people post pictures on the Babiators Facebook page of their children sporting Babiators. What have been some of your favorites?
Seeing the photos of the adorable children in Babiators is one of the best parts of the business and I love them all! My favorites change every few days, though. Right now, I'm really loving these cuties:
BB: Adorable! I remember you guys were testing out different cases at ENK Childrens Club Trade Show in October. Are you going to be launching cases in the coming year? What can we look forward to this year with Babiators?
MF: Yes!!!!!!!!!!! This March, we will be launching our Babiators Polarized line, complete with polarized lens protection from the sun, cool printed frames (including chevrons, camo and zebra) and an adorable cloud shaped sunglasses case. Look for our new collection in just a few short months!
BB: Any advice for entrepreneurs wanting to open up a business for the first time?
For us, seeking out the right partners/team has been key. I recommend looking for someone who complements your own strengths and weaknesses. Are you the financial or creative type? Are you someone who is interested in speaking publicly/pitching the project, media, businesses, etc or do you want to be focused on the back-end/operation/details? Understanding yourself and what you need from your teammates is invaluable.
Also, we have benefited immensely from the expertise of our mentors and entreprenurial peers. I highly recommend reaching out to accomplished people you respect in your industry or similar industries. Ask them out for lunch/coffee/a quick phone call to share their stories and what they have learned. They might advise you on the right people, business practices and strategies to use and to avoid.
Great advice Molly! And for all you Mama and Papa Birds out there looking to get your hands on these awesome specs for your bebe bird visit Babiators to shop online or find a retailer nearest you.
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