Karen

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Kaz and I’m a mother of a two and a half year old. I’m originally from Ireland but have lived in this beautiful country for 12 years. I met my Estonian husband while we were fruit picking on a tomato farm in Queensland when we were backpackers. 

My full time job is in finance but it’s definitely not a passion of mine, but l’m doing it to fund Bambebi with the hope I can eventually resign and work on what I love!

You are the founder of Bambebi which launched in September. Tell us about what made you decide to start your own business and what products you will specialise in?

So we launched on Tuesday and it was such a fun day! So much love and support from friends but also from people I’d never met! I want to do it all again. The idea for Bambebi came to me when I was off on maternity leave ( which I think is fairly common with mumtrepeneurs!). 

I was so paranoid about having my daughter out in the sun. It seemed normal for people in Australia to have chunks of skin cut out because of skin cancer and I found that terrifying. I would put lots of sunscreen on but how do you really know if you have enough on, or if you’ve put it everywhere and not missed a spot? How do you know when to reapply? The sun is so intense here, I just wanted something light to throw over her to protect her but not overheat her. And I couldn’t find anything. There were hooded towels but they’re not very stylish and are too warm to wear in summer. So I did some research, found bamboo, fell in love with it, played around with designs, and finally, over a year later, I found the one!

We also sell beautiful sun hats and sunglasses to complete the look and provide added sun protection.

Describe motherhood in 3 words?

All about them

What is the best advice or support you have received about motherhood?

I was so lucky to have the best mother’s group. I honestly would’ve been lost without them. We were all first time mums and had no clue what we were doing but we were constantly there for each other through every sleepless night, nappy rash, introduction of solids, toilet training, teething, and every virus under the sun! You name it! There was no judgement. Just honesty, advice, love and support. Plus we have a paediatrician in the group which is a bonus!

What are your dreams and hopes for your child?

I hope she will be passionate about something in her life, so she feels like she has a purpose. I hope she has the confidence to go after what she really wants, and the faith to know she can do it. And I hope she is a good friend to people, and she feels a lot of love in her life.

As a parent, what sustainability issue needs the most focus?

I think the biggest issue is disposable nappies and baby wipes.

We are living in an uncertain time, what has helped you and your family cope with what is happening in the world?

I try not to dwell on it too much because it’s too hard. Being from Ireland and Estonia, my husband and I already feel guilty for living so far from the grandparents, and now we have no idea when we will see them again. No one has any idea how long this will affect our lives and it doesn’t seem to be leaving us so is this the new normal? When will we get to travel freely again? It’s just too hard to think about that, so we don’t really talk about it.

It has affected every single person on this planet. Some more than others, but there’s not one person unaffected.

 Image supplied by Karen founder of Bambebi, via Instagram account @bambebi.official