WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH YOU COULD OFFER YOUR FORMER, EXPECTANT SELF?

Listen to your gut and listen to your body. Don’t read too many things on the internet that make you question your own intuition. As pregnant women and new mothers, it’s all we have in the beginning. Protect it.

DID THE LAUNCH OF POPPYLIST START OFF AS A PASSION PROJECT? A REACTION? WHAT CAME BEFORE?

It started as a reaction. A “how the heck did I do this” (buying a mini crib) after I’d already spent hours and hours researching baby products. Then a project. I created a quiz on Type Form to see if anyone would want to take it. It was a 10 question quiz. Based on results, parents received one of four pre-populated baby registry checklists matched to their parent type: The Minimalist, The Practical, The Tech-Savvy, or the Environmentalist Parent. I had over 400 people complete the quiz in my first month, and I knew I had something special.

IS THIS WHAT YOU EXPECTED WHEN YOU DREAMED UP YOUR PROFESSIONAL FUTURE?

I went to college to be a broadcast journalist. When I was 18, my professional future included reporting on the sidelines at the women’s world cup or calling play-by-play on the radio. Funny how things turn out!

YOUR CANDOR ABOUT PPD IS A POWERFUL VALIDATION FOR SO VERY MANY PARENTS AND FAMILIES. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS ADVANCES THE STORY OF PARENTHOOD?

I’m determined to help parents, especially mothers, spend less time researching products for their baby registry and more time preparing for their own mental and physical health postpartum. Imagine a world where fewer women suffer from PPD…this is the world I am going to create. And a world where more women have the tools and resources they need to heal and enter motherhood with confidence and good health, which could advance parenthood beyond my imagination.

POPPYLIST IS AN  EXPRESSION OF YOUR TALENT AND DESIRE TO SUPPORT OTHERS. YOU ARE MUCH LOVED! HOW HAVE YOUR BUSINESS MODEL AND HABITS SHIFTED AS A RESULT OF COVID? BEING A FIRST-TIME ENTREPRENEUR?

Thank you! I do feel immense love, and I’m eternally grateful. Since my co-founder is a new dad, my idea of the regular work hours has completely shifted. The output of work no longer needs to equal 40 hours. I want us to wake up and feel alive, not depressed. I see this optimistic attitude pour into our work, too. We don’t take things too seriously. We are playful in our social media content, and we create a space that permits parents to take a break and give themselves grace. We make them laugh along the way, too. And this is so desperately needed after the year we’ve all had.

As a mother, I’ve learned that there’s no one right way to do something. And the same can be said for entrepreneurship. Sure, there are guides and resources for both. But ultimately, you have to trust and follow your gut, show up every day, and find a community that helps you put one foot in front of the other.

I  KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY HOME LIFE, HOW DO YOU MANAGE ALL YOU DO?

With help. Lots of help. My husband and I have to divide and conquer. He does drop off, and I do pick up. We outsource two meals a week. We are big on routines that help with predictability—our daughter.

YOU WORK LONG HOURS AND OBVIOUSLY POUR YOUR DEDICATION INTO ALL YOU DO. HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF RESTED AND WELL?

First and foremost, I see my therapist every other Monday. I exercise a minimum of three times a week, even if that’s just walking. I’m protective of my time and spend it with friends and family that breathe life into ours. I’ve had to say no to many things and put up boundaries that protect my overall health and wellbeing. It’s been challenging to stay rested and healthy, but it’s required of us as parents. And as Amelia’s mom, I feel empowered and responsible for showing her how to best structure a healthy life.

WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A NEW MOTHER  WORKING? IF NOT, WHAT?

I’ve been a high performer my entire life, including playing DI soccer all four years of my collegiate career. When I returned to work, I was expected to have the same output as before, and I couldn’t even meet my expectations. Because the stress I put on myself correlated to my milk production. When my milk supply started to deplete, I began feeling defeat and disappointment in ways I’d never experienced before.

WHAT PRO-TIPS DO YOU HAVE TO SHARE WITH OTHER NEW OR EXPECTANT MOTHERS?

Here are a few things I wish someone would have told me:

1. If your baby won’t stop crying, try going outside. There’s something about the air that calms a baby.
2. Keep two ziplock baggies in the car, each one packed with an extra outfit. This way, when your baby has a blowout, you’ll have clean clothes + a baggie to store the dirty ones.
3. Build your baby registry, then go through it and ask yourself these three questions: (1) Do I need this now, or in a year? (2) Where will I store it? And (3) Can I borrow this instead?

WHO WAS YOUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF SUPPORT IN RETURNING TO WORK AS A NEW MOTHER?

My husband, Scott. He helped me with drop-off and pick-up at daycare. He’d help wash all my pumping parts after work, make sure we were all fed, and check-in with me throughout the workday. His attentiveness, encouragement, and willingness to help make the most challenging transition of my life a little easier.

WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS? WHO DO YOU MENTOR?

My father is my first mentor. When I call him, his first question is always, “Do you want dad advice or business advice?” Our relationship has been balanced like this for as long as I can remember. He’s a business owner himself, and he’s led with a people-first mentality his entire career, something I’ve always admired. Then, my Uncle Don. He’s a technologist, extremely smart, generous with his time and someone I’ve always trusted. He was the first person I asked to mentor me when I started thinking about Poppylist. I have the privilege of mentoring our intern, Tina. She’s a sophomore at Yale and also a collegiate soccer player. We hope to bring her on full-time when she graduates. I’m grateful she wants to spend her time learning alongside us and helping accelerate our business.

FILL IN THE BLANKS:

As a working parent, I never expected cooking dinner would be so hard, and managing everyone’s schedules would be so much easier.

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