The Spot Interview with: Baby Swags

Who is Baby Swags and what sets you apart from other marketing and public relations business? Where are you located?
Baby Swags is an Entertainment Marketing company that is based out of Illinois; that specializes in promoting work at home mom products and/or services and making them the newest must have’s for all new parents. Baby Swags does not promote direct marketers, or products that are mass produced and found in national retailer chains. These are products that are found in specialty, upscale boutiques around the country and in Canada, that are still being made by moms, grandma’s, aunts and girlfriends. Baby Swags will place any work at home mom, woman inspired product into the hands of celebrities to further promote the product and create the “buzz” that provides credibility and awareness to the participating company. Our strategy is proving to be an effective form of marketing. We have seen our clients' products on television, in print, online and have received some wonderful thank you notes from our celebrity recipients, so we know what we are doing is working. I also put together co-operative magazine ads so WAHM’s can get their products advertised in national magazines at a fraction of the cost. We do online baskets giveaways, get products placed in magazines such as our latest success where three clients were featured in the Fall 2007 Pregnancy Magazine’s Buyers Guide.

How did you come up with your business name?
It was a month after I attended an MTV gifting lounge event for my other business when I realized that there had to be another way for work at home moms to get their products out there that didn’t cost an outrageous amount. After spending well over $6000.00, sitting in my family room chair, watching a VH1 special on the Hollywood Baby Boom, something inside, just screamed, “Baby Swags”, I have to swag the babies!

When and why did you decide to start your own business?
Baby Swags was not my first business. Baby Swags started as a result of another business adventure. I have a business called Bandana Boutique that was started in 2004 and in 2006 I received an invitation to attend the MTV Movie Awards gifting suite. It was not the official gifting suite, but it was just as good as far as I was concerned. I went on that trip and discovered many, many work at home moms just like me trying to promote products the best way they could, only I didn’t have a bottomless pool of money so I had to think of alternatives to get my products out there. That was the start of my Baby Swags thinking. I wanted to help other work at home moms get ‘their’ products out there and have it be done on a work at home mom budget. It was also a great way for me to start contributing to the family finances. I had struggled to find the right ‘job’ for me for many, many years and when I had the opportunity to make money from home, doing what I was meant to be doing, I took it. I have a degree in marketing and retail however with a new marriage, us starting a family, my degree was never used. I fell into a comfy job and stayed there for about 13 years. Now with my children older, I realized it was about time mom found something to do to make money because once the kids are in school full time, what skills do I have after being home for 10+ years? I went back to my basics and found the love I once had for a career that took a backseat to my family’s needs. Now it is mom's turn!


How did you get started?
After seeing that VH1 special, when my “light bulb moment” happened, I ran to my computer, searched for the domain name “babyswags.com” and to my satisfaction, it was available. I purchased it and one week later, September 9, 2006, I had a website up and running. I started the business with no money and within a months time I was sending out my first basket. I am not even sure how I received my first client, but ever since that one, I now have a newsletter that goes out to 135+ clients and is growing daily.

What motivates you to keep your business going?
I am motivated by the results I have been receiving. It gives me nothing but happiness and joy to see the growing success of the clients I have been blessed with. I have had their product seen on television, magazine photos, online photos that I can almost hear their screams of excitement through our emails when we share the news with each other. They (WAHM’s) are my driving force. Seeing them happy and successful is my reward and it is the proof I need that I am doing my job right.
Are there any particular products you are looking for at the moment?
At first I was only looking for maternity or baby products, but after a re-evaluation of our celebrities and their families, I am looking to make our baskets more of a ‘family’ basket that involves everyone. If someone makes a product for a dad, or sibling, or teen products, even pet product, I am looking for it all. I would love to acquire some corporate sponsors who are willing to help support and promote work at home moms and their products by having them participate in our baskets. If it is handmade, high quality products, I am interested.

How do you juggle family and work at home?
I am not going to lie, it is a struggle. I have three children who are at different stages, yet all have outside activities. I spend most of my days in the car driving back and forth from preschool to kindergarten with a very limited time to work during the day. We have ballet, baseball, gymnastics, choir, errands, cleaning, laundry, and yet somehow it all gets done and the kids go where they need to be. For work, a majority of that gets done from 9PM – 3AM every night. I am up late taking photos, writing press releases, updating my website, answering 30 emails per day, but in the end, I love it. I know this is a temporary timing issue that once my youngest is in school everyday, I will have more time during the day to dedicate to work, like normal people. One thing I have started to do recently is take the weekends off. From late Friday night till Monday morning, I limit my work. I will skim my emails to make sure nothing urgent is requiring my immediate attention and if not, it will wait until Monday. This gives me time to spend quality time with my kids and my husband doing things as a family. We also have dinner every night together and discuss the good and bad things that have happened throughout the day. I try to give each child their own time at night by reading stories to them individually, lying down with them and talking to them one on one. I owe that to my children, for they are the reason I am at home and able to do what I do.


What advice would you give to moms seeking to become a WAHM?
Think of something you are truly passionate about and find a way to make a living doing it. Find your talent, step out of your comfort zone, and go for it. You create your own happiness, make it count. Being a WAHM is so rewarding when you can look at your young daughter and she tells you she wants to be just like you because you are strong, you go after your dreams, and more importantly, you believe in yourself. What a priceless moment!


Visit Baby Swags at: www.babyswags.com


Ongoing promotions at the moment:
I require every company to fill out a registration form along with sending in a product sample to insure the product is of the quality and craftsmanship that I am looking for. For your readers, there is a “How did you hear about us” spot, if they fill in WAHM interview, I will take 25% off their first basket inclusion. (Not to include our gifting events, such as our Holiday Gift Baskets, or the Oscar/Grammy baskets).