Interview With Tealbee Founder, Gina Park
Curious how Tealbee was started? Learn more about us as we interview Tealbee’s founder!
1. What motivated you to start Tealbee? How did you come up with the idea?
I started Tealbee after my first son was born. As a first time mom, I struggled with making my son sleep and was really hit hard with the lifestyle changes of becoming a mom. I still remember the days I jiggled and bounced him to sleep. After I sleep trained my son, making sure that he is comfortable sleeping independently in his crib became really important. I went through so many sleeping bags and not happy with what I found in the market, I created Tealbee.
2. What did you do before Tealbee?
I was in a corporate job for almost 10 years! I worked for Fortune 100 companies in various finance roles. I was far from doing anything creative but I've always enjoyed being in a creative environment. Being in corporate environment has taught me many skills in becoming a business owner, and I absolutely love running a business of my own and immersing myself in creativity.
3. Is there anything that has been especially challenging when building and growing Tealbee?
Running a business comes with many many challenges. But now that I have two small children, balancing motherhood and work has been a big challenge for me. It's a constant balancing act and skill that I'm developing every single day.
4. How do you balance running a business and two small children? Do you have a daily routine?
Focus is the key to getting anything done! And believe me, it's hard to get when you have two small children running around the house and you are constantly interrupted. I plan weekly and designate what I will work on each day of the week. And I always plan the night before. I also make sure my team know what their priorities are for each week so that they can help me run my business.
5. In addition to Tealbee products, what are must have items that you believe new parents should know about?
There are so many depending on what age they are in. Right now, my second one is 8 months old. And for this age, he is becoming really active as he is starting to crawl and pull up. At this age, I am loving Stokke high chair as he is eating a lot more solids. I also love baby push toy such as this Vtech one. And we use Ergo 360 All Carry Positions every day since he was a teeny infant. And as he is starting to stand up in the crib, our Dreamsuit is a lifesaver!
6. What's your favorite Tealbee print?
I like all of them! But if I have to really pick one, it will be Love Milk since that is the very first print I designed for Tealbee.
7. What are your five must-have items for new moms?
- Nursing Tops
- Water bottle (Swell) for hydration and warm water
- Comfortable yoga pants / leggings
- Good carrier like Ergo 360
- Tealbee crib sheets of course!
Relevant Read:
8. What are your top items for mamas-to-be?
- Good pregnancy pillow
- Prenatal yoga
- Nursing Bras (Get them early while you're pregnant!)
9. What are your favorite family activities?
- Going to the beach with the family!
- Ski trips in the winter
- Legoland with the kids
- Doing arts and crafts at home
- Attending sports games (baseball and soccer!) on the weekend