From Red Carpet to Diaper Kits: Baby a GoGo’s Bold Leap into Parenting Innovation

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women in Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Women in Motion and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Women in Motion, we have Lindsey Shores with Baby a GoGo. Welcome.

Lindsey Shores: Thank you. So happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: I am so excited to learn about Baby a GoGo. How are you serving folks?

Lindsey Shores: So, I’m a mother of three. I have ages eight, six, and a three-year-old, almost four. And I am here to create better, more innovative, essential baby products to make – like I like – depending on the situation, I like to say it makes parent life less sweaty because it can be really stressful, but here to make it a little bit smoother and modernize products that have not been updated for years and years and years that are feeling really behind the times to make parent life a lot easier.

Lee Kantor: So, were you always making products before you had kids?

Lindsey Shores: No. Good question. I’ve actually been a personal fashion stylist for about 15 years. I still do projects here and there. Sounds fun. I started actually as a red carpet stylist in my early 20s, an assistant there, and I grew into my own personal styling company I had for multiple years, and I’ve worked in television, a lot of editorial and personal shopping and consultation or, excuse me, consulting as well.

Lindsey Shores: So, they’ve been quite the random pivot, but I have also created my own women’s fashion line pre-COVID. And I got my hands really dirty and understood how factories and product development and everything worked hands-on. And so from there, I – yeah, I found a new love and passion and problem that I wanted years later.

Lee Kantor: So, what was the first Baby a GoGo problem that you solved?

Lindsey Shores: So, we have created – I have created a diaper kit called the Dipe N’ Wipe, and it’s an on-the-go diaper kit that fits into your pocket. And it includes one diaper and five wipes. The little pile of five wipes was – it’s an uncommon thing. So we’re working on separate – selling those separately as well. But it’s a diaper kit that’s compact and vacuum-sealed. So it’s as big as, you know, George Costanza’s wallet, actually smaller, I should say if anyone is familiar with that episode. But I kind of joke that it’s like the man’s new diaper bag but it’s also the woman’s because, I mean, I have three kids. The more you have kids, the less you want to carry. And it feels ridiculous to run into obstacles and situations where you have to go buy 15 more diapers when you actually just need one.

Lee Kantor: And so you have this idea, then how did you kind of build it out and then get it manufactured?

Lindsey Shores: Yeah. So, like I mentioned, I did a women’s line. So just a little backstory, I didn’t know how to sketch. I am still not a great sketcher or drawer or anything, but I worked in fashion for so long. I had a great idea of doing women’s long shorts that were appropriate for the office, at home, that you could play around with your kids, and so I taught myself how to sketch, and I hit the market six months later with 15 pieces, and I was ready for retail, ready for the pop-ups, everything. And this product – the difference with Dipe N’ Wipe compared to the woman’s entire clothing line I did, and astronomically different and more challenging because it’s a new idea.

Lindsey Shores: And to hone in on the correct packaging and make sure that it’s as sustainable as it can be because the product itself is, you know, creating a lot of problems in the landfill so trying to juggle that idea along with making it appealing and understandable. I actually worked with a factory in China for my fashion line, and I got really close to the lady there that was, basically, I mean, she’s young, she’s very young at the time. But she was on top of things and made the factory run and was my communicator there. And I actually flew to China and worked with the factory hands-on for about a week. And so I got to know her really well, and we ran around to all the markets together, spent a lot of time together, and I actually reached out to her again to help me with this product.

Lindsey Shores: And so, it’s – she’s been an awesome partner overseas, I guess you should say. I just hired her out to help with the random things that I need on sourcing different products. I describe exactly what I need and she is really great and we have a great connection of understanding each other really well.

Lee Kantor: Now, for folks who aren’t familiar with how to work with somebody overseas like that, do you have any advice that you can share about doing something like that? Because it seems for some people a pretty daunting challenge to just, you know, trust, I guess, you’re working over Zoom or you have an idea. I mean, there’s some fear. Like, are they going to steal my idea? Like, there’s all kinds of emotions that go into this. Can you share maybe your experience and what you’ve learned? Maybe some advice?

Lindsey Shores: Yes, definitely. So, I had no idea what to do or how to start myself. And I started literally googling China factories when I first came across them. And when I was doing my fashion line, most factories wanted to do a quantity of at least a thousand pieces of each product. And I talked them down, this one factory that was willing to do 500, and I talked him down to doing 100, per piece, because obviously it’s just a lot of upfront cost.

Lindsey Shores: But I literally googled and reached out to probably 75, maybe 50 to 75 factories. Most of them just a quick response of like, “Yeah, we can’t do low minimums,” “not interested,” you know. And I felt very lucky to come across them. And we started communicating through WhatsApp and I started – you know, it was very delicate at the beginning because I didn’t know where the trust was.

Lindsey Shores: And we just became very thorough. She would send images and there were pieces that I would be developing. I would send her videos of kind of like my sketches of the line, and that’s kind of the same route that we’ve been going- the exact same route we’ve been doing for the Dipe N’ Wipe and communicating that way. So obviously, their time is almost like a world – like, you know, their nighttime is our daytime.

Lindsey Shores: So, I remember during the fashion line, like, I would wake up in the middle of the night and hop on my computer for an hour or two to get things done. And for this product, this go round, we basically – she will, you know, go source, go to the market, and then she’ll send me that night what she found. And that night is my morning. And so it kind of just really worked itself out. And we just continued to build trust there.

Lindsey Shores: As far as feeling worried about the idea getting stolen, I actually have an IP attorney. We did have a patent pending for a long time and still may go that route again. But, you know, just can’t completely patent a product is what it kind of comes down to completely make it to not be copied ever. There’s not, like, a full way to do that. And if someone were to copy it completely, the amount that it takes to go take them down is pretty extravagant. And so at this time, we’re just, you know, crossing our fingers that there will be knockoffs but, you know, if you’re kind of the OG, then that’s kind of the hope that the brand could sustain on its own.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you had the idea, did you – before you got into manufacturing it, did you do any type of focus group or testing of any kind, or did you just kind of take the leap? And then once you had those initial 100 that you were going to then see if the market would buy it.

Lindsey Shores: So, the 100 was actually the fashion line. Are you talking about the diaper?

Lee Kantor: Oh, the diaper. Yeah, the Dipe N’ Wipe.

Lindsey Shores: Right. So, the Dipe N’ Wipe, we had to do a much larger order because diapers have a much higher minimum, minimum of requirement, minimum quantity, I should say. But no, I did do a lot of testing, a lot of testing, a lot of surveying, a lot of sharing the product idea and physically sending them out to a lot of my high-profile influencer friends, having them test the product, giving me feedback constantly, constantly on the design, the wrap itself, the size, the amount of wipes.

Lindsey Shores: Yeah, I did a lot of surveying and testing, and that’s how we kind of landed on everything as far as, like the packaging, the aesthetic. I have an awesome shot from different product designers. And we’ve tested that route as well. And we’ve tested out what type of diaper, what sizing to start with, the amount of wipes to start with, and any and all feedback. So it’s definitely, like, down to the product we have now. But we went through a lot of renditions. It actually started with having three diapers in a kit or possibly five diapers with 20 wipes. And then it came down to be one and how we just really feel like we need a one-stop shop plan and backup product for when people are in a pinch.

Lee Kantor: And then are you selling this direct-to-consumer, like through your website or through Amazon, or is this in stores?

Lindsey Shores: Yeah, we’re not on Amazon right now, probably considering, but we are in a handful of stores. We’re onboarding one of the largest travel agencies through some of their big Atlanta stores here in the next couple of months, as well as a bunch of their major turnpikes. And then we’re also rolling out to a large grocery store on the East Coast. And then we have them in a handful of pharmacies, groceries, convenience stores as well. And then we do duty as well from our website.

Lee Kantor: And then what – did you have a background in kind of rolling out into retail like that, or is this something you’re also kind of learning on the fly?

Lindsey Shores: I think I have some experience. I mean, my fashion line was sold directly to consumers as well. But I have – I don’t know, I’m very familiar with retail. I’ve been around it a lot. I think my experience in China really suited and helped me understand how things worked as far as the manufacturing side, and then coming over to the retail side. And I’m just a very, like, ground running. Like, I will just go knock on doors, like walk into Maverik headquarters with my fashion line. I stopped in Seattle and snuck my way up to Nordstrom’s headquarters. And I have no problem just, like, going to people face to face and talking to them about what I have because I have such a big passion for it.

Lindsey Shores: And it works a lot of the time that people are, they understand the product and, you know, half of the product, 50% of it, product status or, excuse me, like success is the product and 50% is the person, right? And kind of just like how hard they’re working and pushing and that people want to work with them. And so that’s how I found a lot of it.

Lee Kantor: So, what was the reason you got involved with WBEC-West? Why was it important to be a certified woman-owned business?

Lindsey Shores: Yeah, it was really important to me because I have been working on this company now for two and a half years, and it’s just me. I hire out different things when it comes to design, when it comes to, I mean, maybe some social ideas, but mostly it’s just me. And knowing the grueling amount it takes of time and the amount it takes of emotion with the family, and the females, you know, are often not highlighted in different routes, but they are in different ways.

Lindsey Shores: I came across WBENC and was so excited to know that they were, you know, integrated with WBEC and they had a lot of these events to promote and bring this community together females and women owners and women creators and women designers and people in tech and everything. And I just, I love I got home and a space for, excuse me, people that can understand me as far as the hardship of entrepreneurship. And then on top of that, for your family within that and promoting exciting everyone, especially young females that they too can create a product and still be a stay-at-home mom and be a female.

Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Lindsey Shores: Yeah. I’ve really enjoyed the events I’ve hopped on. You know, it’s been very special and exciting and always so interesting to hear everyone’s path and journey. I think – I don’t know, that’s a good question. I feel like I’m very much aware of all the awesome offerings you guys do, and I think it’s been very positive. But I think just, you know, I guess promotion or sharing more ideas, I think more groups of coming together and kind of exploring and bouncing ideas off of each other. And brainstorming is always like, those are fun luncheons and breakfasts and do with people because otherwise a lot of us are working on our own day-to-day.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there anything that Baby a GoGo needs? Do you need more customers? Do you need more retail partners? Do you need funding? What do you need to continue your growth?

Lindsey Shores: Yeah, I think down the road, maybe more in the future, we possibly might be open to funding. But at this time, yeah, we would love everyone to just visit our site, see the importance of the product, and test it out, see how it works for them. I’m still open to feedback always. I love getting critical feedback and knowing how to develop things better.

Lindsey Shores: I also just – yeah, I love having people spread the word and excitement on products that are trying to make life easier for us parents because it can be so tricky. And so, I think just understanding the story, as well as just seeing the product and being excited and sharing that through socials or just by word of mouth is always, you know, the most important way of sharing anything.

Lee Kantor: So, what’s the website? What’s the best way to connect?

Lindsey Shores: Yeah, it’s thebabyagogo.com. And you can hop on there and see that we have our Dipe N’ Wipe kit. We also have – we’re rolling out soon on the site, but we haven’t really technically promoted anything of it yet, but it’s called the Magic Wipe, and that’s a tiny little exciting product that you put on of your hand. You press down the center and it expands into a wipe. And it’s a very, like, wow factor product that’s been really fun.

Lindsey Shores: But yeah, I would love people to hop on there and test out the product and see if they have any thoughts or ideas on it. I love collaborations as well. It’s always exciting when people want to work together if they also own a baby company or a woman’s postpartum company or anything like that.

Lee Kantor: Well, Lindsey, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work. And we appreciate you.

Lindsey Shores: Thank you, Lee. It’s been awesome to be here.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women in Motion.