We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Judith Carr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Judith, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
By the age of 8, I was a precocious and highly energetic little girl. School was a joy and provided me with a great forum for social interaction. The problem – I was supposed to sit quietly and learn like the other children. That was just not going to happen. My mom was invited (more like summoned) to the school to noodle possible outlets for my excessive energy. The collective wisdom – they would put me in ballet class.
That decision would change my life. I arrived at my first class thinking “how hard could this be?” I was a free spirit – I would just pirouette around the room, throw in a couple leaps and jumps and I would be a star. Then reality set in. My teacher was a New Zealand transplant – a ballet zealot, steeped in the art of discipline. I knew my life was about to change when she lined us up at the barre. She was all about precision – all about eight little girls moving in perfect unison. My free spirit was about to be caged and if I had any doubt, I had only to look at the pointer stick she carried. One thing out of line and a gentle pop of the stick would remind us that nothing short of perfection would be tolerated.
I loved the challenge and slowly grew to embrace the discipline required to become good at my chosen art form. Ballet became my life – classes every day and rehearsals every weekend. The talented and the less talented alike were groomed for a professional dance career. Discipline, hard work and dedication became the bedrock of my life. I have many stories of performing in spite of injury and/or bleeding feet. I was back in class two days after an emergency appendectomy because missing class was not to be tolerated.
Discipline enabled me to meet many, if not all, of life challenges. My years in a ballet studio gave me the mind set that I could achieve impossible goals if I believed, worked hard and stayed the course. I will be forever grateful to those wise adults who decided to tame my wild spirit and teach me the art of discipline.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Bumbershoots by Nana hand-crafts wearable art for infants & toddlers. Our designs use textiles – mixing textures & colors to create a visually stimulating experience. Our sleep sacks add joy & whimsy to sleep time, turning a practical sleeper into a work of art! Our research-based designs focus on child development & safety – baby products of impeccable luxury & heirloom-quality construction.
My mom – my hero, an immensely talented & artistic tailor, became the costume designer for a ballet company to pay for my expensive classes. I became her apprentice, learning the fine art of design & construction. We found immense joy in creating beautiful costumes – our special together time. After earning four degrees in business and organizations and a successful career as a corporate executive, the birth of my grandson brought me full circle. I started Bumbershoots by Nana to create artistic sleepwear for infants and toddlers.
Sheer joy – returning to my artistic roots! Bumbershoots provided the perfect platform – the perfect convergence of business and art to give me a wonderful second act. Bumbershoots has given me the opportunity to give back – to share in the celebration of the birth of a new life. Bumbershoots is dedicated to sweet dreams for all the little ones we love. Awards: Mom’s Choice Award, Red Tricycle Best Sleep Sacks & Mom-Invented Products Their Editors Love, LUXlife Parent & Baby Awards.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Success is the culmination of many experiences, hard work and yes, a smattering of luck. Success doesn’t just happen, you have to “get your ducks in a row” first. You have to prepare for the magical window of opportunity you need to make your dreams come true. For me, passion, commitment to service and hard work were the “ducks” I leveraged to enable the creation and success of Bumbershoots by Nana.
For me, every idea, every project starts with passion. Bumbershoots started with an idea – my daughter loved the sleep sacks I made for John, my grandson. Soon I was making sleep sacks for my family and friends. It became obvious to all of us that Bumbershoots could have legs, could actually grow into a commercial venture. Would I have the passion and drive to stay the course – to get through all the challenges and obstacles that come with growing an idea into a viable business? My answer was yes. I am deeply dedicated to family – the birth of a child is a mountain top experience. And, our crazy idea, turning practical sleep wear into works of art, evoked strong emotion for me. Yes, I had the passion to take on the challenges and financial risk to commit to a start-up business.
I decided early on that Bumbershoots needed to be all about clients, those who would buy and use my products. A product without a buyer is just an expensive idea. I started with several prototypes, a well-designed website and hours of selling at a local street fair. I listened to customer feedback, what they wanted, what would make my products better. I incorporated their ideas into my products, marketing and sales strategies. For me, customers are king. My entire business was/is predicated on making customers happy. My philosophy – go the extra mile, stand behind my products, and ensure that customers aren’t just satisfied but ecstatic about my sleep sacks. Happy customers are repeat customers who bring in new customers. If you make customer service the hallmark of your business, the results will astound you!
There is a lot of hype and passion associated with a start-up, but at the end of the day, it simply comes down to hard work. Failure is not something to be feared, it is something to be expected – it is the best teacher you can have. Hard work means dedication, trying new things, listening to clients and evolving the business. Success comes with a bit of trial and error. It is extremely rare to get everything right on the day the business launches. Although trite – “if at first you don’t succeed, try again.” On the days I wondered if it was insane to commit to a start-up, I focused on the positive and just put my head down and kept at it. My advice to those embarking on this journey is to ask lots of questions and think through what your “ducks” are. Are you willing to make the commitment to your dream?
How would you describe your ideal client?
At the beginning of my journey, my daughter and I did a lot of market research to define our perfect client. It is important to have a clear understanding of the demographic you wish to serve. A new business cannot be all things to all people – it will dilute your efforts and you will fail.
My products are hand-crafted and labor-intensive, using only the best quality fabrics and notions. They are expensive to make and expensive to buy. There is no way we could compete with the $20 sleep sacks made overseas and mass marketed in less expensive outlets. It was obvious that our demographic would consist of clients with greater disposable income.
Once we narrowed our demographic, we looked at the characteristics of buyers who would be drawn to our products. Three characteristics stand out: love and dedication to family, a bent for art and a unique product and commitment to quality.
Commitment to family is a universal emotion. Our products scream family and most people are drawn to beautiful products for their precious little ones. Grandparents are among our best customers – they have a deep love of family and they have greater disposable income. Grandparents are drawn to my booth – what an opportunity to buy unique and beautiful gifts. Shopping becomes an adventure where they share family stories and often talk as if they are the only grandparents in the world!! I love that they share their joy with me!! It is not unusual for a mom or dad to select the perfect sleep sack and bring grandma or grandpa in to provide the credit card. Everyone goes home with a brochure – knowing they have access to all my products on-line.
My clients tend to be drawn to unique and artful products. They love buying wearable art for babies and toddlers. They love that each sleep sack, blanket or buddy has a theme and tells a story. They love buying a Bumbershoot sleep sack knowing it is so unique that it will be the favorite baby gift. My clients love picking the perfect nursery set to match baby’s nursery theme. You would be amazed at the crazy themes – I even designed a “Grateful Dead” baby sleep sack. It was adorable!
Lastly, my clients are drawn to quality. Our research-based designs focus on child development & safety – baby products of impeccable luxury & heirloom-quality construction. My designs have a beautiful, artistic outer shell and are reversed lined with fabrics that are soft to baby’s touch. Once I determine the theme, I source the highest quality fabrics, taking care to mix colors & textures to stimulate baby’s cognitive development. My clients are willing to invest in quality knowing that my sleep sacks stay beautiful over time. One client was excited to tell me that the sack I gifted to him was with the third baby.
My advice to those starting on this journey – research, research, research!! Define your demographic and the characteristics of your potential clients. If you do this, every decision you make will drive you to the outcome you desire!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bumbershootsbynana.com
- Instagram: @bumbershootsbynana.com
- Facebook: @bumbershootsbynana.com
- Linkedin: @bumbershootsbynana.com
- Twitter: @bumbershootsbynana.com
Image Credits
Jennifer Brandt Lauren Daue
