Interview with Bubnest organic portable baby nests

Product name: Bubnest

Description: organic cotton sleeping nests for babies

Creator: Astrid

Can you tell us a bit about your brand, how you chose Bubnest as the name and what inspired you to create your beautiful bub nests?

I made nests for my babies when they were newborn and I just couldn’t live without them. My babies quickly settled when I placed them in the nest, perhaps they recognised the smell or they liked the soft snug edges. I used them everywhere around the house, at friends places, in the park, while exercising and while travelling to Sweden where my family lives. I couldn’t understand how other new parents would survive without a nest so it became my mission to give other new parents a rest by providing a healthy safe place for their bubbas to sleep. When having babies I also suddenly started to realise how much plastic and chemicals we are surrounded by, and the amount of allergies in kids seem to increase all the time. Given babies sleep a considerable part of the day the first months, I want babies to sleep in an as healthy environment as possible which is why the nest is made out of purely organic materials which are free from toxins and chemicals.

I am from Sweden and had never heard the word “bub” before but once I fell pregnant this word was the highest ranking most-heard-word for a long time. My friends in Sweden who hadn’t heard of “bub” either called us Boob-nest before they got it. The name Bubnest just came to me and it felt right straight away.

The nests are all handmade in Australia as one of my drivers is to provide flexible working opportunities for local women. I think Australia has a long way to go when it comes to equality. Day care is expensive which often results in one parent staying at home with kids, more often than not this is the woman. This puts her in an unfavourable position when and if she wants to go back to work later, which I don’t think is right nor healthy for the individual, the relationship or the society.

What roadblocks and challenges have you encountered while creating Bubnest?

Developing products is so much harder than I thought, and especially organic products as the supply of organic materials are limited and expensive. Organic materials are also harder to work with as they don’t have memory such as polyester which is made out of plastics. So we have to come up with solutions that wouldn’t have been a problem if we used polyester in our products. But that’s not an option for us as then we would potentially harm the health of the baby as well as the environment. We like to choose the right way, even if it is sometimes a bit harder.

How have you juggled family life, working and developing your brand and products at the same time?

I must admit that family life has suffered a bit after starting Bubnest. But on the other hand, I am a much happier person when I get to do what I love so I hope that counteracts somewhat. Working on Bubnest is such a passion for me that it just comes naturally and I don’t see it as work as I am having fun and feel that I am spending my time on something that is creating value for clients.

What’s your biggest motivation for continuing to work on Bubnest?

The clients and the team! We receive so many reviews that the nest has helped them with better sleep or easier travels and that is the best ever energy boost to continue going through the late nights, ups and downs. We have a lovely team of six people and it definitely makes the small-business-life easier when sharing it with other people, otherwise it can get quite lonely.

What’s next for Bubnest? Any more products? :)

Yes we are working on more products, for example a stylish lightweight breastfeeding pillow that will look good in any sofa.

You obviously have amazing work ethic and strive to deliver quality in your brand, what is the biggest lesson you’d like your kids to learn from you?

Follow your heart, work hard and never give up. I am not sure how to actually teach this to my kids as whatever I say seem to go in one ear and out the other. Hopefully some of the words stick somewhere in their little heads. At least I try to lead by example.

What would you tell others who are also looking to create their own product line and brand?

If you have always had a feeling that your destiny is to do your own thing then DO IT! Choose a product or service that you are TOTALLY in love with and that you are hundred percent convinced will make this world a better place. This is the only thing that will keep you going when everything that possibly can go wrong goes wrong. Because that will happen. Running a business is constant challenges and problem solving but more importantly incredibly fun and fulfilling.