The Tuesday Ten: Mom 4 Life's Heather Ledoboer

Welcome to the first Tuesday Ten at Berrie Sweet Picks!
I have come across so many wonderful mom-invented products that I thought it only fitting to learn more about the moms behind the ideas. My hope is to make this a weekly feature, and I hope you all enjoy!

My first Tuesday Ten interview is with Mom4Life owner Heather Ledoboer. She's got one of the hottest online mom shops around, and so far, has had products featured on Berriesweet Picks here and here.
Read on to learn more!

Q:So tell me a little about your company and the inspiration behind it.
A: Mom 4 Life is an online retail website that focuses on unique products for moms and their children. We offer over 900 of these products and 100% of them are mom invented. It was inspired by my desire to be able to work from home so that I could have more time with my children.

Q: What sets your product or business apart from the rest? What's your "It" factor?
A: My focus is on doing hundreds of little, but important things, very well. Things such as free shipping with no minimum order to all US locations, free gift wrapping, excellent customer service and 24-48 hour order processing are certainly great, but what I like most about Mom 4 Life is that every product on our site is mom invented! We also feature the story and photo of the mom behind the product with almost every product description!

Q: How did you come to decide to open a shop showcasing mom-invented products?
A: When I had my first child 5 years ago, I started discovering how many products were missing from the big box stores that were not only unique but useful. I wanted to offer a place for these “new to the market” products to be found by the moms that needed them.

Q: What's your favorite part of running your boutique?
A: I enjoy talking business with the mom owners of the products I sell and I love communicating with the moms who shop from Mom 4 Life and read the Mom 4 Life blog. Lastly, I love being able to offer support to moms in need through 10% of our proceeds.

Q: Who's the brains behind the operation?
A: Although the idea started within my brain, I was encouraged to act on my idea by my husband (thank you honey). I also am now blessed to have an amazing team of women that help keep Mom 4 Life running while also allowing me to still be a stay at home mommy! You can take a peek at this lovely bunch of ladies on our About Us page where you will also find a 3 minute YouTube video where we impersonate the TV sitcom, The Office.

Q: Glass half empty of half full? Or can you not tell because it already got spilled by one of the kids?
A: I am definably a glass half full type of girl. In general I am laid back and can handle stressful situations without “losing it”. This usually works to my advantage however one time I hired someone that ended up showing up late on her first day, taking off early and then skipped a day of work unannounced to visit her boyfriend in the next state (all in her first week). I had to learn quickly that I maybe shouldn’t look at everyone with my rose colored glasses on!


Q: Why do you think your products hit home with moms?
A: Moms trust other moms. If a product was invented by a mom, it often is worth considering. I think moms also enjoy knowing that they are buying products that moms created and in the process are supporting moms in businesses rather than some large corporation.

Q: What press have you received since you started? what's the coolest, berrie sweetest press you have gotten to date? (answer carefully....*wink wink*!)
A: Oh you mean besides this awesome interview!?? It was a goal of mine to get on TV and I had a feature on KUSI TV in San Diego and KGTV (also in San Diego) a few years ago. It was really fun to see that goal realized (and a little scary too)! Just recently, I was informed that Mom 4Life was voted the “Best Online Baby Store” by the readers of Pregnancy & Newborn magazine. This was a huge honor, not only because it was through the votes of moms but because Babies R Us was listed in the same category as Mom 4 Life and we got more votes!

Q: Sneaky chef or eat-those-veggies-now! What's your parenting style?
A: Laid back yet involved with a desire to be well informed. I do my best to stay current on things such as products that are PBA and paraben free but yet I am also known to let my kids have a few minutes of fun playing in the snow barefoot (hey, you only live once right?).

Q: What's on the menu for dinner tonight? (and can I come over?)
A: Yes come on over! Papa Murphys pizza is in the oven. I am really blessed because my husband is very involved in the everyday parts of our home. It is very common that he will be the one getting dinner ready which gives me a little extra time to answer some emails before the end of the day.

Next up is Janalee from Ma! Motherhood with Attitude! Read her interview next Tuesday.