Before they became Brave Buddy, friends Carolina de Oliveira-Duff and Nadine Burjony were two mums and health professionals who were deeply concerned about how their children were managing fears and anxieties, particularly when faced with new experiences like getting an injection. Watching their children struggle with the fear of needles became a powerful turning point for them, sparking a desire to help both parents and children and leading them on the journey to create Brave Buddy. They both believe that by equipping children with the right tools and a supportive approach, we can help them face their fears with confidence. At Brave Buddy, their mission is to help children build confidence and provide them with the tools to face their challenges head-on.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Brave Buddy was born in a coffee shop after having countless discussions about the challenges of being a parent and helping our children navigate daily obstacles. As both of us have children who are afraid of needles, we spent many hours talking about this and brainstorming ideas and tips on how to help them. Like every parent, we often encounter moments that test our children’s courage and we want to find ways to ease their anxiety and make daunting experiences more manageable.
This inspired the creation of Brave Buddy, a brand dedicated to helping children tackle the challenges of facing their fears. Our flagship product, the Brave Buddy Kit, is designed to provide comfort and reassurance during tough moments, such as having an injection. The kit includes tools to reduce injection pain, such as the Brave Buddy Pain Reducer Pad, a Fun Ice Pack, a pack of cool plasters and some Brave Buddy stickers!
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
We are both health professionals, so as this is our first business, creating an effective product involved extensive research, sourcing materials, ensuring safety and designing a kit that was both functional and fun. We spent hours brainstorming ideas and exploring what could help alleviate children’s fear of needles. Our aim was to create something tangible that could make a difference, which led us to develop the Brave Buddy Kit. Our goal was to combine practical tools with elements of fun to transform a stressful experience into something more approachable.
In the early days, we did a lot of research before we refined our concept. The support from other parents who shared similar experiences encouraged us to move forward, and we poured our hearts into building a brand that would resonate with families everywhere.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
First, we are thrilled to introduce to New Zealand a product that has proven to be very successful overseas.
Our biggest breakthrough came when we received our first positive feedback from parents and children who used the Brave Buddy Kit. Hearing stories about how the kit helped ease a child’s fear of needles and made the experience more manageable was incredibly validating. This feedback not only reinforced our belief in the product but also inspired us to expand our reach. It motivated us to actively seek partnerships with healthcare providers, schools and clinics, allowing us to share our mission with a wider audience. Additionally, seeing our kit embraced in real-world settings confirmed that we were on the right path and encouraged us to continue our journey.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Balancing work and family is always a challenge, especially when starting a business, which can be very demanding in the beginning. We have found that establishing a daily routine makes life much easier and allows us to prioritise the important things, such as spending quality time with family, being present physically and emotionally for our kids, and focusing on our health and wellbeing. We usually work after the children go to bed, as there’s always something that needs to be done. We feel very lucky to work from home and enjoy the flexibility to do it at any time.
We also try to involve our children in our work whenever possible. Whether it’s asking for their opinions on product designs or letting them help us brainstorm ideas, this not only fosters their creativity but also gives them a sense of ownership in what we’re building.
