A passionate advocate for cloth nappies, Nicole Brownlow really wanted to help other families move to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. After receiving lots of questions from other mums, she was inspired to create her business, Critters Creations, selling modern cloth nappies and eco-friendly baby products. She wants to spread the word about cloth nappies and how easy it is to make them part of your daily routine: caring for those delicate little bottoms, while helping the environment at the same time. Critters Creations is your one-stop shop for your eco-friendly baby accessories and cloth nappy needs. Here, Nicole talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her business, the delicate work-family balance, and the challenges she has faced along the way.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I remember sitting in a mums’ group being asked loads of questions about cloth nappies – How do they work? How do you clean them? And on, and on. Then I thought to myself, “I really need to share this love more”. So, with a two-month-old in tow, I started building my business from the ground (or website) up and helped other parents move to an eco-friendlier lifestyle.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I was (and still am) very excited. So, every opportunity I had, I put time into growing my business. And yes, that meant, lots of early morning chats with our website developer (while little ones were asleep) or working from the car while the baby slept. It really is amazing what you can do when you have a free 10 mins.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Learning technology was for sure the biggest achievement. I was and sometimes still am new to the world of social media and websites, but I am open to learning. I feel that when we are learning, we are growing. 😊
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
My lovely and supportive husband, Luke, has helped me with ensuring we have a wonderful work-life balance. He will often look after our boys (who are both under three) so that I can have a productive day for Critters Creations. Luke often helps behind the scenes with packing orders or doing post office runs. It really does help having a team.
