We were lucky to catch up with Bo Zhao recently and have shared our conversation below.
Bo, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Purpose has never arrived for me with the grandiosity of fanfare or the certainty of a calling. Instead, it has crept in—quietly, insistently—and shaped me through the pauses in my life, in the moments when I was forced to stop and listen.
Much of my early life was shaped by the immigrant journey, which defined success as academic achievement and financial security—to prove that my parents’ sacrifices were worth it. I pursued a career in STEM and even attained a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering.
But life—unpredictable—had other plans. Failures, loves, health crises, and even economic recessions mercurially knocked me off my supposed path. Chapters ended before I was ready. And in those unplanned pauses, in the uncertainty of not knowing what came next, I felt purpose seep in through the cracks.
Motherhood was another one of those inflection points. When I became a mother, the world sharpened into focus in an entirely new way. I began to think deeply about the world we were leaving to our children. Sustainability was no longer an intellectual exercise but an anxiety I could feel in my bones.
One day, a school questionnaire asked: What are your hopes and dreams for your children?
A better world.
I truly believe that real change doesn’t come from one grand act or person but from many people each doing a little bit better. That is how movements grow, how cultures shift. And my work—to improve the circularity of baby gear—is my little part in making the world better.
That was the moment I realized my purpose had been forming all along. It wasn’t found in a single defining event but in the accumulation of every moment that had shaped me. The supposed missteps—the failure of so many job applications, following a love to a new city without a plan, changing careers into business and e-commerce, and failing again—were never mistakes. In hindsight, I can see how each of them linked together, forming a path I never could have drawn myself but one that, in retrospect, makes perfect sense. Each step led me here and gave me the experience and expertise to do my work today.
Purpose, I have learned, is not the rigid pursuit of a single goal. It is built in life’s inflection points, in the forced redirections that seem like setbacks but are actually gentle nudges toward something truer. It is not a path I could have mapped out from the beginning. It is the one that revealed itself when I started walking.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I created Baby Gear Group based on my own frustrating experience trying to get the right baby gear as a new mom. Everything was expensive, all the advice and reviews conflicted, and I couldn’t figure out what I really needed. I found myself wishing there was a way to try out the gear in my home, keep using what worked, return what didn’t, and, when I was done, have it just magically disappear. In a true lightbulb moment, I realized—I could create this service! Be the change!
Hop, skip, and a jump later…
Today, Baby Gear Group is a growing national network of baby gear rental libraries, each serving its local community. It’s like Rent the Runway, but for baby gear and local. We help families gear up for their little ones while saving money (82% on average), reducing clutter, and promoting sustainability. In my vision for the future, I hope that when someone is expecting, instead of immediately creating a registry, they’ll first check out their local Baby Gear Group branch!
By maximizing the reuse of high-quality baby gear, we’re keeping these items out of landfills and reducing unnecessary manufacturing. We won the 2024 SustainPHL Business Impact Award in recognition of our significant environmental impact. We are in the B Corp application process. I love that my work is truly helping families and the planet! I am always so honored to feel the love from our community and to receive testimonials about how our service has made their parenting journey easier.
What’s New?
We’re growing! Baby Gear Group currently has five locations across three states, and we’re looking to expand to more communities. Babies are everywhere, and everyone can benefit. If you’re interested in opening a Baby Gear Group branch in your area, please reach out! Let’s work together to build a more sustainable future for our children.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Let me offer up some qualities/skills that are less talked about, but that I’ve found helpful for my professional and entrepreneurial journey.
1: Having an Inner “Chad”
Beyoncé has an alter ego named Sasha Fierce, which enables her to be the confident performer she is on stage. Similarly, you can have an inner “Chad” to give you the confidence and permission to take risks.
“I have a personality defect where I sort of refuse to see myself as an underdog… It’s because of my parents. They raised me with the entitlement of a tall, blond, white man.” — Mindy Kaling
What would Chad do? Would he agonize over the tone of that email? Would he spiral after making a mistake at work? No, he’d move on. He’d apply for that promotion. He’d talk himself up in that interview. He wouldn’t worry about what others thought of him.
2: Seeing How Your Weaknesses Can Be Strengths
There are things I always thought were weaknesses about me. I love structure. I love external validation, which is supposed to be a bad thing. I am a perfectionist, which means I can be slow to act. I have two small children I want to spend time with, so I only work “school hours.” These are all qualities that are traditionally seen as counterproductive in entrepreneurship!
However, I can think of so many examples where these qualities actually helped me!
Because I love structure and external validation, I was drawn to the B Corp application process, which guides you through all the different dimensions of impact a company can have. Going through that process made every aspect of my business better. I applied to fellowships and grants, which made me think deeply and strategically about how I wanted to grow my business.
Because I am slow and time-limited, I did not pursue a VC funding strategy. Being bootstrapped forced me to be savvy about how I spend my cash and to seek profitability quickly, which is fundamentally good for the business, and now I can educate others on how to do the same!
After all, perception is reality. If you can see how your so-called weaknesses and limitations have actually helped you, you can start to leverage them as tools. When you start thinking of yourself with a more positive mindset, you’ll gain more confidence.
3: Building in Community
The entrepreneurial and leadership journey can be really lonely. Your spouse, friends, and family may not fully understand the challenges you face. Maybe you can’t be anything less than polished with your team or coworkers. So who can you turn to, who can you be vulnerable with, who can you bounce half-formed, harebrained ideas off of?
You need a network of peers. For me, that’s a Mom-preneur group and my Baby Gear Group branch owners, who help me with both business-specific advice and general mom/life encouragement.
Don’t silo yourself. Create connections. Collaborate!
As a Wharton MBA, I used to be very much in the mindset of beating the competition. However, my peer network has shown me time and time again how collaboration is so much better—both for business and for my blood pressure!
Everything is so much more enjoyable when you do it in a supportive community!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes! I’d love to connect with anyone who resonates with my story.
Potential Baby Gear Group Branch Owners –
We’re specifically looking for mission-driven people interested in opening a Baby Gear Group branch in their community. Would you love to bring this sustainable resource to families in your area? We can walk you through the entire process! I like to call it “safe space entrepreneurship” because we guide you through everything. It’s the best fit for someone already familiar with baby gear, who is open to becoming a community leader, and who prefers a part-time/flex-time commitment.
Media & Storytellers –
If you’re covering topics like sustainability, lessons in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, or the realities of building a business as a mom, I’d love to be a guest. I can share insights on the challenges and joys of growing a mission-driven company, establishing the “new normal” of work and motherhood, and rethinking how we consume.
Please reach out via [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bozhaophd/. Let’s impact and inspire!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.babygeargroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babygeargroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babygeargroup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bozhaophd/
Image Credits
Cham Zhao
Bo Zhao
A. H.
BeauMonde Originals
Bo Zhao
Ian McLaughlin
Beth Auguste
The Tamron Hall Show
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
