We love to shop. We love to do good. And in episode 8 of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we meet the woman behind our latest go-to gift for baby shower shopping. Kate Marie Grinold Sigfusson is the founder of Babies4Babies, the Chicago-based ecommerce baby brand on a mission to save one million newborn lives. The site, which sells high-quality swaddle blankets, helps your dollars go further. For every one blanket purchased, four life-saving antiseptic treatments are given to four babies in the developing world.
In addition to her founding #startupmom CEO role at Babies4Babies, Kate Marie is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper Fellow and previously held leadership roles with FAIR Girls and IT.com. She’s also – get this, a 2009 Miss America Top 10 Finalist. On today’s podcast, Kate Marie shares how she built took her idea to product, her tricks for managing business and dealing with fear.
LISTEN NOW
TO OUR CONVERSATION WITH
KATE MARIE GRINOLD SIGFUSSON:
On iTunes [for Apple devices]
On Stitcher [for Android devices]
TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S SHOW:
- On Facing Fear: “My biggest challenge was getting comfortable with the idea of failure, and that is what keeps most people from entrepreneurship.”
- On Getting the Guts: “I just believed in my idea so much I had to do it. I had to launch it. It wasn’t easy. It took a very long time. I had no idea what I was doing.”
- Making It Happen: Why Kate Marie waited 3 months before pushing the launch button on her business
- Creating Comfort: Kate Marie on getting familiar with the idea of failure, even when feeling afraid of it.
- That Solopreneur Life: Her techniques for surviving? “Tackling the things that give you anxiety first … always juggling priorities.”
- Perks of Being the Boss Lady: “As an entrepreneur, I have this unique opportunity to reimagine what work looks like. A type of integration that is flowing and changing constantly depending on your family’s or company’s needs … Here I am making my own path.”
- Perfect Partner: Babies4Babies NGO partner, Saving Mothers
- Idea, Meet Fruition: What is Kate Marie’s advice to others with a business idea? “If you have an idea that grabs hold and won’t let go, you have to go for it.”
- Just Do It: Still hesitating? Just remember, Kate Marie says, “You don’t have to be an expert to start.”
- Learn More: Babies4Babies.com
- On Instagram: Follow her @Babies4Babies