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. Katie Marie Grinold Sigfusson is the founder of Chicago-based luxury social impact shopping brand Babies4Babies. The site, which sells high-quality swaddle blankets, helps your dollars go further. For every one blanket purchased, four blankets are donated to save newborns lives in the developing world.
Previous to Babies4Babies Kate held positions at the World Economic Forum, FAIR Girls (formerly FAIR Fund) and IT.com. She’s also – get this, a 2009 Miss America Top 10 Finalist. On today’s podcast, Kate shares how she built took her idea to product, her tricks for managing business and dealing with fear.
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 waited 3 months before pushing the launch button on her business
- Creating Comfort: Kate 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’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 says, “You don’t have to be an expert to start.”
- Learn More: com
- On Twitter:Follow her @KMGrinold
- On Instagram: Follow her @Babies4Babies
