The Mamalode Starter Series is an exciting opportunity for us to introduce you to some of the amazing people we get to meet. Starting something takes enormous amounts of work, faith, help and community. Every week we'll share another story of starting. So, community of Mamalode, read up, get inspired and check out these wonder-folk.

Tell us a bit about your business and how you started it.

When the recession hit, like many others across the country, I lost my job. It was a blessing in disguise. The idea of working to help grow my family into the close, loving and healthy unit that every young mother dreams of–this was the basis for the creation of The Natural Baby Company and GroVia.

When I had my second child, there was a limited amount of natural parenting and baby products available in my hometown of Bozeman, MT.  I thought “Staying healthy, natural and away from toxins should be every parent’s concern!” And I was right on trend. I opened The Natural Baby Company, an online boutique operating out of my laundry room, in 2003 as the country began buzzing about going green and staying natural. It was perfect timing.

Five years later, I was fed up when I could not find a cloth diaper that united the system’s innate eco-friendliness and health consciousness with a great fit, fun colors and cute designs, and basic functions that would greatly benefit the user. Basically, I wanted more of the convenience that disposable diapers offered–but without jeopardizing the health of my baby and our planet. And then I realized what mothers realize multiple times every day-there’s no sense in getting frustrated, just fix the problem.

Today, The Natural Baby Company and GroVia are helping unite eco-responsibility and function in homes across the globe, all because we offer a simple way to nurture baby, naturally. We sell multiple brands online and through our brick & mortar store, all providing natural, green parenting solutions. As a production company, The Natural Baby Company has created and produced the GroVia, Tiny Bubbles, and Magic Stick brands. The Natural Baby Company’s mission has always been to create the ultimate in cloth diapering and natural baby products. Each of our products was designed out of necessity and innovation, and buying from The Natural Baby Company means you are purchasing well made, often organic, products that have been tested and proven in the marketplace.

What do your kids think about your job?

I love that for the most part my children are oblivious to what it is that I do each day. They are just busy being kids! As my oldest children have grown they have started to recognize that we don’t just own a business that we are creating environmentally friendly products that are sold across the globe. They are pretty proud that we are making a difference. This upcoming generation is going to be hugely important in protecting our environment so starting to teach them these lessons at a young age is so important.

Tell us about a total mom + biz fail? 

Oh gosh…there are many. My most common “failure” is my ability to overbook myself, both in business and as a mom. It ends up causing a bunch of unnecessary stress. I’m slowly learning to give myself space in both arenas because you just can’t predict either of them. I’m getting better at saying “no” sometimes simply to preserve my and my families sanity!

Share with us a total win (brag away!) 

That’s easy…my biggest win is my family! I feel so fortunate to have been able to fulfill two lifelong dreams….build a career doing something I love and having a big family. The fact that both of these have gone together symbiotically is a dream come true! My success in life is not a shelf full of business awards; it is the legacy of family that Duane and I have created. 

What's your relationship with Mamalode? 

The Natural Baby Company store in Bozeman has been a distributor of Mamalode magazines “since the early days” and we have even occasionally advertised our store with them. They have always been very open-minded and creative in finding ways for us to collaborate, even to the point that we have occasional brainstorming sessions where we have been thinking WAY outside of the box about future initiatives