Mama Bear Spotlight Sunday: Meet Mompreneur Charlotte Evans of Elkie & Co.
Every Sunday we will be spotlight a mompreneurs that rock to be featured in our “Mama Bear Spotlight” series.
The Mama Bear Spotlight series was created to feature mompreneurs who are not only moms, but also creators, writers, business owners and more.
These women are showing us how they balance motherhood, passion projects, businesses all while staying true to their inner self.
First off, can I say how beautiful the bags are at Elkie & Co. I definitely will be ordering mine soon :). Please tell us what inspired you to start Elkie & Co.?
Let’s back it up to February 2014—I just splurged on the cutest PPB diaper bag. It was adorable and totally in style. I used it every single day. FF to March 2016 I was pregnant again and getting ready for Kate to arrive. In preparation I started to pack my diaper bag but first I had to clean it up. I looked for a tag to see if I could wash it—there was none. I googled to see if I could wash it. I only read the horror story of someone ruining their bag by throwing it in the washing machine. Ok, I had two options: I could buy a new bag or clean the one I had up. I would’ve loved to buy a new bag but we didn’t have tons of money and I already spent around $200 on my PPB bag so my frugal fancy self decided to try to clean it up. I put it in the bathtub with some laundry detergent and a dish brush and scrubbed it as clean as I could. It wasn’t perfect but better.
After this experience the idea to create a machine washable bag was born. It took a few years, a lot of research, resources, stress, feedback, tears, excitement, anxiety, hard work, fear, patience, anticipation, and support BUT…here we are a year and a half officially into the business and I couldn’t be happier with how far we have come.
Getting into the fashion industry there is always a hardship between finding the right manufacture, pricing, materials, etc. what startup challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
The hardest thing was having an idea and not knowing how to make it come to life– from the first time I had the idea until I took started reaching out to manufacturers was three years, I reached out to so many manufacturers before choosing the one to work with- I wanted to find one that was ethical and created high quality work. I did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions. In the end I couldn’t be happier with the manufacturer that we choose.
Now before you designed the Aberdeen diaper, you went through six different diapers bags that you felt just wasn’t right…can you share what was wrong with them? And how does Aberdeen differ?
I had everything from a $20 walmart diaper bag to a $400 Dooney and Bourke diaper bag. All of the bags that I owned had good features about them and things that I loved. In the end I wanted a bag that would continue to look brand new even after years of use. The microfiber leather that we use as well as the washable interior really sets our bags apart from the rest.
Most of the moms I chat with don’t even bother with make-up anymore and spend more time in PJs than anything (chuckle). As a fashionable mom, what style are you currently sporting during COVID?
I like to call my style comfy but chic. Even though I work from home I still get ready every single day. That’s my secret to a successful day. I feel like I am more productive when I look cute.
How has COVID affected your business, if at all?
We have been extremely blessed and haven’t been hit too hard by the pandemic.
Your diaper bags start at $170.00 and up, do you feel your clientele is more on the higher end?
Yes and no. I have learned moms are willing to spend a little on themselves if it makes their lives easier and makes them look and feel good. We do provide AfterPay for those that need to spread out their payments.
Related article: Meet Mompreneuer Health Coach Holly Fitt
Who is your “mom” that your designs speak to?
We have a little bit of every type of mom that wears our bags- working mamas, stay at home mamas, stylish mamas, mamas that just care about ease and functionality. Moms from all walks of life across the world love our bags.
How has social media benefited your company? And what marketing strategies work for you?
As a new company social media has really helped us with brand recognition. We love connecting with women on a more personal level. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, as well as TikTok.
What’s a day in the life for you?
I like to call myself a SAHM by day and working mom by night. I am a mom to five young kids on top of running Elkie so every day is busy and sometimes unpredictable. We wake up at 7:30 every morning and I get the kids off the school. The mornings I usually catch up on emails and chores around the house, We have preschool pickup, lunch, and then preschool drop off. The afternoons during quiet time I work on Elkie. After school pickup it is crazy busy getting the kids to their extracurricular activities, dinner, chores around the house and then bed. As soon as my babies are asleep I head to the office and get to work. Luckily I have a super supportive husband who helps out a ton.
How do you balance being a Mama Bear and a Mompreneur? Do you ever feel mom guilt? How do you overcome it if so?
It is definitely hard and some days I do better at balancing all the things than others. The number one rule that I have made for myself is to be very intentional with my time and that has helped me a ton. When I am spending time with my kids I try to stay off my phone and try to be there for them. After school I do not work at all and spend 100% of my time with my kids– we cook, read books, go for runs/bike rides, talk, etc. I also have a great support system who is there to help with the kids when I need it. When I feel mom guilt, it is because I am focusing too much time on my work and not enough on my family. When that happens we get out of the house and do something fun together.
How do you inspire other women to push forward on their dreams of being a business owner?
I love to see women start businesses and will always be a huge advocate of women following their dreams. I am an open book and will answer just about any question anyone has about starting a business. I frequently have people call, text, message me about starting a business. I have promised myself to be open and help other women follow their dreams because I wish I would have had someone to ask all the questions to when I was starting out.
For the new customer, what is the ‘must have’ item?
It depends on your style and how much you pack around. Our Aberdeen bag is larger than the Capri and is more of a tote style bag. The Capri is what I find myself grabbing more recently because I tend to pack a little less on a daily basis.
What’s next for Elkie & Co?
Elkie has so many exciting things to look forward to, Our long term dream is to have bags for women, men, and children. We are currently working on a smaller tote/backpack style bag with removable lining and plan to release it this fall.
Related article: Meet Mompreneur Motivation Coach, Cherry Scott-Jones
5 Questions for our Mama Bears!
What is your daily self-care routine?
My secret to success is I get ready every single day. I put on a cute outfit and a little bit of makeup. When I feel good about myself I put forth my best work. I also love my baths. I take a bath just about every day. It is my time to relax,
Best advice you received when you became a mom…
The best advice and something I always go back to was you know what is best for your child. Everyone loves to give advice and tell you of their motherhood experiences and what worked and didn’t work for their child, and what you should be doing differently. In the end you are the mom, you know what’s best for your baby. Listen to your gut and you will do just fine.
Favorite thing to do when you have alone time?
I love to shop. Recently I have loved online shopping #covid But, I do still love to go into stores and window shop.
What would you tell your pre-mom self?
Enjoy every single stage. It sounds so cliche but kids really do grow up so fast. The days are long but the years are short.
Your proudest motherhood moment…
I have survived this far! I am proud of the relationship that I have with each of my kids. I have always strived to be my kids best friend andt someone that they can tell everything to. My kids are still young but I hope that each of our relationships continue to grow and develop as time goes on.