Moms on Monday :: Jamie Bird of MiniMe Baby Gear & Wet Happened?

The Wet Happened? Zippered Wet Bag was created for all those times you need to separate wet items when you are out and about, and as an added bonus, they are stylish too! They will grow with your child; from diapers through potty training and you will always have a fashionable and stylish way to store wet items.

Jamie Bird is the inventor behind Wet Happened? and also the owner of a fabulous baby boutique, MiniMe Baby Gear.

I asked Jamie about the start of her business and the inspiration behind it...."When I started my business, I did not even know initially what I was going to sell. All I knew was that I needed to find something to do from home; working long hours away from my baby was no longer cutting it. Inspiration struck while I was visiting my mother across the country and happened upon her 30-year-old sewing machine. It was a solid metal Kenmore and weighed close to 22 pounds. Looking at my mom's clunker of a machine, I am not really sure what I was thinking. Even sewing a straight stitch was not all that natural to me. I lugged that machine across three airports, determined to create something to sell.

I went to the library in search of a good How-To book upon my return home, and fell in love with creating baby accessories. I went to work, sewing seams, ripping them out, and sewing them again, better the second and third and fourth time around. I offered up the creations each week, and started getting repeat customers and referrals soon after.

Since my mom lived cross-country, I flew frequently with my first. My son saved his wettest, messiest accidents for in-flight entertainment. I would return to my seat with the stinky mess in tow, and slip it into the back pocket of my diaper bag. A large mess ensued when I later removed it for wash. I realized that every parent had a need for a sturdy, washable bag to capture the wet accidents that come into children’s’ lives so frequently. The bag needed to look fantastic, too, as most moms I knew were hip, fashion-conscious women. The first wet bag I created was a process of testing out different waterproof fabrics, stitching them various ways to best water holding abilities, scouring over fabrics, and trying to make the sides look seamless. Endless hours were spent perfecting that, and I focus mainly on manufacturing the Wet Happened? wet bags these days."

i know a mom :: What did you do before becoming a mompreneur? How did it help you in this venture?

jamie :: I worked in an investment banking office as an assistant to the Senior Vice President. It was a desk job, one that lacked any type of creativity or color. Although my heart was not into the financial service industry, I did learn tenacity. My boss did not graduate high school, yet here he was making upwards of a million dollars a year. Seeing the way he worked was inspiring. I knew anything was possible.

i know a mom :: What is next for MiniMe Baby Gear & WetHappened?

jamie :: I love to find new and exciting baby products to offer through MiniMe BabyGear. It is a joy to find something that makes moms life easier, so I plan on adding more products this next year that fit that category. Affordable yet luxurious. For the Wet Happened? wet bags, I am working on creating an organics line. Four whimsical patterns will be added. The Wet Happened? wet bag will also be offered in two additional sizes and three new patterns are set to debut the first of the year.

i know a mom :: What are your most popular products?

jamie :: Other than the Wet Happened? wet bags, the changing pads by Resa Design are very popular. They are compact and beautiful to use. MadebyAngie Wipes cases are also a great addition to a diaper bag. Anything that makes you happy to change a diaper is a good thing in my book.

i know a mom :: What is the most difficult part of being a mom business owner?

jamie :: Hands down, the hardest part is finding time to work. Our day is busy enough; the only time I really get to work is in the evening after my kids have gone to bed. Working from home makes it near impossible to take a night off. The work is always there, and sometimes the amount of work that needs accomplishing is overwhelming.

i know a mom :: The most rewarding?

jamie :: The most rewarding is two-fold. First, I get to be with my kids. I never miss picking up my son from preschool; I never miss a grin or inhaling the sweet smell of a baby after a bath. I love those moments. It also is very gratifying to watch a business grow. I have no formal training, yet my Wet Happened? bags are sold on the shelves at Target. It still amazes me.

i know a mom :: What was the best piece of advice you received starting out?

jamie :: The best piece of advice I received was to find other moms in the same industry and help each other out. It would have been more difficult to grow as quickly as I have without it. So often, I contact another mom to ask advice or opinions. It saves me a lot of time and energy, and I have met some wonderful friends along the way!

GIVEAWAY :: Enter to win a Wet Happened? Bag. To enter, post a comment on this post - any comment at all. Enter by Tuesday, October 7th at 10:00 pm (pst). If your contact information is not linked to your google account, don't forget to leave your contact information in your comment. (If winner does not come forward within one week, a new winner will be randomly selected.) Or you can check back on Wednesday, October 8th to see if you won! Anonymous comments will be ignored/removed. One entry per person, please. Good luck!!

DISCOUNT :: 10% off your purchase at MiniMe Baby Gear. Use coupon code "MINIME".