The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
We’ve faced several challenges on our journey with Brave Buddy, and overcoming them has been a significant part of our growth. The first challenge was overcoming our own fear of not being able to make a meaningful impact. We had to confront our concerns about whether our product would truly help children and resonate with parents, especially since we are introducing a new product to New Zealand. While we know that the pain reducer pad has been successfully used overseas for many years to reduce pain during injections, we are presenting it to a new audience and need to focus on our marketing strategies. We love talking to people and are genuinely passionate about what we’re creating, so we seize every opportunity to share Brave Buddy, ensuring that other parents and children can get the help they need.
Not having a background in business has also been a challenge. We both took a course on “How to Start Your Own Business”, which was very helpful and eye opening. We’ve been handling everything from developing our own website and sourcing products to creating content for social media, all while wearing many hats and learning on the go. This can be very stressful, but it’s also rewarding at the same time.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The big plus is to have flexibility in setting our schedule and pursue a passion that truly motivates us. We have control over decision-making and the potential for substantial growth, allowing us to make a meaningful impact in our community. However, the journey also comes with uncertainty and risk, particularly in the early stages, which can be stressful. The workload is often demanding, requiring long hours and commitment that may lead to burnout, while financial pressures can create strain if cash flow is inconsistent.
One of the hardest parts for us is the social media and marketing aspect. We are both quite camera shy and not eager to show our faces, but we understand that this is an important part of connecting with our community and sharing valuable information.
We are very lucky to be in business together. Sharing the same ideas and having similar visions has made this such a wonderful journey. It’s great to have the support of a business partner during challenges and to celebrate the wins together.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
This is our favourite part-we love hopes and dreams and have big ambitions for our brand.
Looking ahead, our vision for Brave Buddy is to evolve into a fully social impact-driven brand. We aim to continue developing meaningful products that empower children to face challenges with confidence while addressing broader issues related to childhood fear and anxiety. We plan to expand our product line by incorporating feedback from our community.
By prioritising social responsibility in our business practices, we hope to inspire a movement that champions the emotional wellbeing of children everywhere. We genuinely hope we can support parents and children on this remarkable, challenging and all-consuming journey of parenting that we are experiencing together.
Additionally, we want to engage in partnerships with schools and healthcare organisations to expand our reach and impact. Our goal is not only to provide practical solutions but also to create resources that educate and support families. We are developing downloadable resources and activities for parents to access information, as well as fun materials for children to play and learn (this can be found on our website).
By ensuring children have the tools to express and cope with their feelings, it helps them flourish and make the scary world of childhood more manageable. We believe that with the right support, a little courage, and maybe a fun sticker or two, we can make a difference.
Join us on this journey to make the world a little less scary and a lot more fun, one emotion at a time!
Visit the Brave Buddy website to find out more, and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
