Working Mom: Elle Rowley of Solly Baby

She’s making a lot of moms’ lives easier with the Solly Baby wrap, and she’s sharing how this amazing idea came to be and what it’s like now balancing a business and 3 babies of her own! Elle Rowley founded Solly Baby to keep little ones close to mom or pops in a (compfy) way that lets them go about their daily tasks too – genius. Here’s how this working mom rocks the baby product world and her kids’ worlds at the same time.

 

Name: Elle Rowley

Company: Solly Baby

Title: Founder, CEO

City: Carlsbad, California

Kids: Lucy, 6; Solomon, 3; Frances 1

 

We absolute love the Solly Baby Wrap! How did you come up with the idea, and eventually start Solly Baby?

Solly Baby came about at a time when I was blogging, sewing, having babies and constantly thinking of ways to simplify and beautify my role as a mother. So many of the products on the market for parenting were either for the parent or the child, not both. I wanted to make a wrap that was the most comfortable place for a baby to be as well as the caregiver and help the wearer retain a sense of self.

 

Tell us about your beautiful family! How do you balance being a Mom to three and running your own business?

I think that’s an ever-evolving process as my kids are also “ever-evolving”, but right now the goal is to limit work to my office hours and to be really present when I’m with my kids. I say “goal” because it’s hard and I’m far from perfect. I try to begin every day with that goal in mind, though. The day-to-day of running a business can be unrelenting so I try to remember that at the end of all of this, they are all that really matter.

 

 

What is Your favorite part about your job?

Connecting with mothers. I go through our Solly Baby hashtag on Instagram each week and find myself in tears literally every time. Moms are amazing. The late nights, pushing a double stroller with two kids while wearing a third, the countless dinners, the tears as her maternity leave is almost up, the teething babies, the adoption stories, the seemingly mundane moments of every day life, all of it is just beautiful. I feel overwhelmingly honored that our product plays any part in these women’s lives.

 

 

What is your favorite part about being a mom?

Seeing my kids learn something new. I love seeing that spark go off in them. And it inspires me to keep learning, growing, bettering myself. And the cuddles. Kids give way better hugs and kisses than adults.

 

How do you find space and time for yourself to be the best mom and business woman you can be?

I feel so fortunate to run Solly Baby with my husband, Jared. We are a team and we try hard to be aware of the other’s needs. I think it’s rare to find a woman who gives herself all the space and time she really needs so I’m grateful he helps me do that. When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, he’ll make me take the afternoon off by myself or take something off my plate so I can relax. He’s good to me.

 

 

 

What’s the best parenting advice you have ever received?

Walk the walk. Don’t just tell your little ones to be kind, show them. It kind of stinks because it’s so much easier to just tell your kids to do stuff than to actually live it, but it also pushes me to be a better person, which I love.

 

 

 

What is one piece of encouragement you’d like to pass along to other working moms like yourself?

I think this is something all moms should hear more often: be kind to yourself. Being a parent is impossibly hard, but you’re doing a better job than you think you are. The next time you’re tempted to guilt yourself about something instead tell yourself that you are enough.

 

 

Favorite activity to do with your kids: read

Favorite date night spot with your hubby: eating Indian food and talking

Beauty Secret: dry shampoo

 

Someone You would love to work with someday: Gwyneth Paltrow

I can’t live without: I’m really trying to not say my phone. But, let’s be honest, what would we do without them?!