Having witnessed first hand the challenges faced by children and their families, Hazel Brown set out to empower caregivers with uplifting approaches to help children express themselves in fun and creative ways. At Hazeyboo, they are on a mission to spread positivity and mental health awareness – helping individuals to express themselves through their unique and uplifting range of clothing. With a range that caters for children and adults, they strive to support others to overcome the challenges the world throws at them, in fun and meaningful ways. Here Hazel talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her business, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
As an early childhood educator, I personally witnessed numerous challenges faced by children and their families. It deeply impacted them, evoking a strong desire within me to seek positive solutions. I aimed to empower parents and teachers with uplifting approaches that would enable their children to express themselves in fun-filled and creative ways.
This sparked my interest in creating clothing designs that cater to not just children, but also parents, teachers, and other adults. Embarking on this journey, I started while juggling a full-time teaching job, which provided me with daily inspiration and insights into the challenges kids were experiencing. Being a teacher offered a unique perspective, allowing me to see these challenges in a different light and offer support to both children and their parents in overcoming them. As the world continues to grow and change, countless opportunities arise, but they also bring along new challenges that everyone must confront and conquer. It is my goal that through HazeyBoo, we bring light to these challenges and give people the opportunity to overcome them.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
We kicked off our journey by brainstorming unique designs that serve specific purposes and cater to people of every age group. Once we dedicated a couple of months to perfecting these designs, I embarked on a hunt for top-notch apparel from a New Zealand company that shares our commitment to the environment and ethical practices. It was crucial for us to align ourselves with like-minded businesses, as our goal is to create an environmentally and ethically friendly brand.
After conducting several months of design experiments and searching for the best apparel suppliers, I proudly launched the HazeyBoo website from my cozy home in Invercargill, New Zealand in July 2022. However, in January 2023, my fiancé and I made an exciting move to Christchurch, and this led to more opportunities to participate in the numerous local markets. The best part about these markets is that they provide fantastic opportunities for me to connect with the community and meet our wonderful customers face-to-face. It’s always a joy to attend these events and be a part of the thriving local scene!
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
One of our biggest breakthroughs has been expanding our range to include mental health designs for adults. After experiencing my own mental health challenges and seeing others close to me experience them too, I knew that I wanted to bring light to these as well so began designing clothing to help people to face these challenges.
I’ve also begun designing products that promote a positive understanding of Autism and Down Syndrome, as well as exploring other conditions to raise awareness for them too. Being a teacher, I’ve come across various conditions that children and their parents deal with, and my goal is to shed more light on these without any shame. Instead, let’s openly embrace and accept them, for they should be loved and respected just the way they are.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
As a teacher, I know full well the importance of a work-life balance. There were many times as a new graduate that I would spend hours working to keep up with paperwork at home and I know many other teachers have experienced this as well. Now I make it a priority to leave my work at the door and set times that I will focus on my business and be with my family. Like many people, I still struggle with keeping to the times I set myself, but work hard to keep to them as I know it’s what’s best for me and my family.
