My friend Nicole sent me a really interesting article the other day about Millennials and why they should start their own businesses. But what if it wasn't a millennial starting an amazing business at all, but rather a mother, a grandmother and a friend?
Now I had the privilege of meeting Susana Goldin-Douaire, of Bonjour Baby Baskets, at a neighbourhood Christmas market back in December after corresponding via email a few times and following one another on Instagram. Susana sent me one of her gorgeous baby baskets for baby Magnus and was incredibly impressed by product itself, the presentation and the fact that I loved everything in it. We received countless baskets once Magnus was born and this was by far one of the very best. I would certainly order her baskets for friends and colleagues, but more than likely I would just get them for myself. So in meeting Susana and speaking to her I knew I wanted to get to know her even more and be able to share her story.
Here is my interview with Susana, she's one of a kind let me tell ya' :
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your family.
Twenty-something years ago I made the best decision of my life by moving to Canada. It wasn't easy - especially considering that I was alone with 3 young kids - but we managed, we supported one another, we pull ourselves together with positive thoughts and lots of love. I consider myself to be fortunate to live in this country, specially Toronto, where opportunities abound and people from many parts of the world live side-by-side and call themselves neighbors. I am thankful to live in a place where my kids have grown surrounded by tolerance and acceptance and learned how to be kind and caring to others. I couldn't have it any other way.
What sparked the idea for Bonjour Baby Baskets?
I always tried to find beautiful and good quality gift baby baskets to send to colleagues and clients with designer's products that parents will treasure and actually use; but I could not find them anywhere. At one of our family gatherings, I was chatting with the kids about my frustration and we all agreed that there was a need for luxury baby gift baskets in the market and they encouraged me to go for it. First thing in the new venture's agenda was selecting a name (that took us a long time).
What role do your children play in your business?
They play a big role, They are my stylists, marketing specialists, web design advisors and advertising consultants and I totally trust their opinions. They are all very creative and they have careers in those fields so their opinion is very valuable to me and they have and continue to help building Bonjour Baby Baskets.
In 5 years, where do you see BBB?
We would love to have a storefront and have a more personal contact with all our clients.
If you had to pick one holiday to be your favorite, which one would it be?
I personally love Christmas!! We get all together with the kids and my granddaughter. It's all about good food, laughs, surprises and love. Sometimes we have a themed Christmas party. A couple of years ago it was a Christmas PJ party and next year will be Santa Workshop. That reminds me, I should try to get the costumes on sale soon!!
What would people be most surprised to find out about you?
I've always loved art, I have a background in Visual Arts and actually exhibited some of my art work in various venues in Canada and internationally. I'm not participating in any shows right now but, time permitting, I would love to in the future. In the meantime I use all my creativity curating those fabulous baby gift baskets.
Who inspires you?
I have met fabulous people in my life; people who mentored me, who helped me when I needed it, and who were there for me during difficult times. All of them inspired me on different stages in my life. My rocks are my kids and my husband. I treasure every moment with them and they are my true inspiration every day.
What surprised you most about motherhood?
The immensity of the love a mother's heart can have and how unconditional and absolutely pure that love is.
If you could give one piece of advice to new moms what would it be?
Smile often, it's contagious, listen to your kids with your heart, never stop hugging and kissing them, and always, I mean every single day, tell them how much you love them. ooops, sorry, you said only one piece of advice....
Thank you so much Susana for sharing a bit of yourself with us today.
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