Bessie Campillo of Nursingmom: Easy, Breezy, Stylish!

The mompreneur: Bessie Campillo, former marketing manager, full-time businesswoman, wife to Adrian, and mom to three-year-old Amara.

The business: "Nursingmom is a line of high-end, stylish designer baby accessories—nursing covers, diaper bags, burp cloths—that help mothers look fashionable and stylish. My personal goal is to help new moms feel good about themselves despite all the physical and emotional changes and the demands of motherhood, and I find fulfillment in providing chic products they would be proud to wear and carry anywhere. This is my own personal contribution to the breastfeeding cause."

How it works: "Currently, Nursingmom is a one-woman team! I am totally hands-on: I do everything from conceptualization, design, purchasing of raw materials, managing third-party suppliers, managing inventory, distribution, and admin work. I occasionally hire a part-time worker to do repackaging for me, and my husband helps me out whenever I have off-site events like demos and bazaars. He is also my sounding board whenever I have ideas or strategic issues that need to be dealt with."

Click here to read more about Nursingmom crowd favorites, Bessie's business advice, how she maintains work-life balance and more about Nursingmom.

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Read on about Nursingmom crowd favorites, Bessie's business advice, how she maintains work-life balance and more about Nursingmom.

Crowd favorites: "I receive a lot of raves about my fabrics—customers always tell me how unique Nursingmom prints are. They are such feel-good, happy designs! What is really touching though, is when customers tell me how their cover has helped them gain confidence in breastfeeding, and how much they appreciate what this product is doing for them and other breastfeeding mothers. When business is slow and I am tempted by the call of a steady corporate income, these comments help me stay the course."

Business advice: "Think things through, but act quickly. It is typical to have many fears about starting a business, especially if you are used to a fixed monthly salary as an employee. But if you think you have a good idea, chances are a lot of other people have thought about it too, so don’t waste time. Also, if you can manage it, start the business while you are still employed. Doing it as a sideline is a great way to test the waters without risking too much." 

Work-life balance: "Most mompreneurs would say, delineate your work time vs. your family time… I say, integrate them!  Involve your family and your children so that it does not have to feel like ‘work’ all the time. I bring my daughter with me on meetings and store checks whenever I can, and for her, it feels like an outing, when actually I’m able to get work done." 

How to reach them: Visit nursingmom.multiply.com, e-mail nursingmom.manila@gmail.com, or contact 0917-8970175. Nursingmom products are also available at the following mommy-friendly stores: Au Lait Maternity and Nursing, Contour and Plume Maternity and Nursing Boutique, The Medela House, and Wonderworld Toy Kiosk.

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