We had the wonderful opportunity to hear from entrepreneur and mom of 7, Mia Carr and we're feeling ever inspired. She's a fearless leader in the baby industry, but perhaps even more compelling is that she's cultivated a community of mothers unlike many others. Through vulnerability, connection and care, Mia is paving a whole new approach to social media. Enjoy!
Can you give us a brief introduction of Mia Carr?
I'm Mia Carr, Founder of Snuggle Me Organic. I am a homeschool mama living in Minnesota. We have seven children, ages 2-15 years old.
What first sparked the idea for Snuggle Me Organic? What did your life look like at the time?
We invented and patented the Snuggle Me sensory lounger in 2007 after I had twins. I had struggled to care for the needs of 2 babies and a toddler alone while my husband worked. At the time, I was a young stay-at home-mom and I had no business experience whatsoever. We simply saw a need postpartum that we knew needed to be filled. We started taking steps and just kept walking.
Was there ever a point when you thought Snuggle Me might not succeed? What helped you pull through those rough patches?
I always believed we would break through eventually. I think what made it possible for us is that I really didn't care whether or not we did or didn't, I just really enjoyed trying. I enjoyed the journey and the challenge more than the actual finish line. We have been at this for 13 years now and I don't think I could have gone through everything we have if I didn't truly enjoy the process.
What do you think is the most important characteristic of an entrepreneur?
If I had to choose one, I would choose fearlessness. You need a lot of things to be an entrepreneur, and most can be developed over time but I think fearfulness is something that can make or break you. It can make you hesitate and miss chances. It can scare you into being too small.
Would you say you're more of a gut instinct person or a research person?
I am very much a gut instinct person. I will use "research" to learn things I believe I need to learn, but not so much to make really big decisions, no matter if that's in business or parenting. Not everyone can do that, but for me, my instincts have never steered me wrong. That has been especially true in parenting. Through the years, I feel like the more I "researched" the more fearful I became and that voice that knew best got quieter. I've gone down many confusing/wrong paths because of "parenting research".
How has your parenting style changed from your first child to your seventh?
I used to have much more energy for sure and was probably way more strict in the beginning. But I used to doubt myself more as well. I used to worry and believe I it was my responsibility to shape who my children became. The biggest lesson I've taken away with having 7 individual children is that there really is so little we can control. Our job is instead to love and surrender to who they are already determined to be. This has made me really focus on just enjoying each child and discovering who they are alongside them. I might need more coffee now, but I am definitely more confident and at peace with how well I am doing as a mother.
Your writing is so powerful. What do you hope is the main takeaway for people who follow you on social media?
What I hope is that when people read the things I write, they have a moment where they feel heard. Where they feel that maybe they aren't alone. Where their own feelings are spoken outright and they can have a moment of clarity and perspective. We are using our space in such a unique way and I think people really resonate with the rawness of what we talk about on our social media.
Tell us something you've loved about motherhood this week.
I've loved working alongside my eldest son at our shop actually. He is on summer break and it's his first year really able to work. I cannot tell you how proud I am of his emerging work ethic. It's so fun to just see him develop deep character.
Lastly, we all have gifts, you have a gift to gather...
community and connection. I believe these 2 things are why we have had so much success with Snuggle Me. I genuinely enjoy connecting with families and finding new ways to create community on these online platforms we have the privilege of working through.
Comments
Theres nothing better than supporting a confident company with a fearless, humble, genuine leader! Thanks Mia for being such a special mother to other moms in this community.