Please welcome to MomDot Danielle and Cindy, co-owners of Baby Fish Mouth, a company that sells hip and witty baby t-shirts for infants and toddlers printed with slogans inspired by our favorite movies.

1. Tell us about your boutique and how you got started selling online?

Cindy and I met in college at Washington University in St. Louis. We were both Fine Arts majors in the Advertising and Graphic Communications program. Cindy and I bonded over our love for photography, Dairy Queen Blizzards, road trips and our ability to quote films and songs with ease. Some things never change!

We moved to separate cities after graduation. Me back to NY and Cindy to Chicago. But we always stayed close. I got married and it was at my wedding that Cindy met her now-husband. She moved to Los Angeles to be with him, and I remained in NY where I soon had my son, Owen. Cindy had a daughter about a year after (her face is our adorable logo) and we both remained in our corporate roles. Me in television marketing and she in print production. But when Owen was 2, I started to yearn for something more. I was watching Rachel Ray one morning and she had on “mompreneurs” or Moms who had all started their own businesses. As they rattled off success stories, I thought to myself, “I could do that.” And I did. I went home and hatched the idea for Baby Fish Mouth. I immediately called Cindy, because we always talked of doing something together. And 2 hours, a unique popcorn packaging concept and about 100 movie slogans later, BFM was born. Of course it took another 6 months to launch our site and create our tees and onesies but almost one year later, our labor of love is still going strong.

2. How did you come up with the name “Baby Fish Mouth”?

It is from the famous pictionary scene in When Harry Met Sally which I always thought was hysterical. And it just perfectly suits a line of clothes aimed at babies that pays homage to movies.

3. We love the movie quotes on your baby clothing line. So what are some of your favorite movies?

Danielle: The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorites. Anything in the 80’s by John Hughes. Cindy: I also love anything 80s (The Breakfast Club being one of my all-time favorites) and Rom-Coms like Pretty Woman and There’s Something About Mary. Disaster films like The Poseidon Adventure and Titanic are also up there.

4. There are so many movies out there. How do you decide which quotes to feature on your products?

Initially it was from pure memory. We just rattled off famous movie lines and went from there. We try to mix it up using classic films like Apocalypse Now and newer ones too, like Fight Club. We also scour the internet for inspiration.

5. How do you advertise your business and what advertising methods have you found to be effective?

Since we are a small business that is self-funded we mostly rely on Word-of-Mom. We have a Facebook Fan Page, are on twitter, belong to many mom communities and network like crazy with friends, business associates and family. And we shamelessly put our kids in the shirts so people on the street will comment! Gives us an excuse to hand out business cards! We were lucky enough to be featured in Redbook Magazine, were on CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and have gotten loads of good blog press from sending products to be reviewed. Nothing has been that “golden ticket” yet but all of it combines for some nice awareness.

6. What is your biggest challenge being a WAHM?

Time, time and did I mention, time? I freelance copywrite on top of Baby Fish Mouth and have a 3 year old so clearly I am overextended. I stay up till about 12am every night and wake at 7 and have my laptop attached to me almost all day. I do my best to carve out time with Owen that is just him and me but it is often easier said than done. But I like that he knows Mommy has a business and hope he will be inspired by my dedication when he is old enough to understand it. Cindy: Danielle speaks the truth – there just aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s a labor of love, co-running a business like BFM while working a full time job and raising a 2 year old as I do. Finding the right balance between all of the responsibilities is something that I try and figure out each and every day.

7. What advice would you give other moms wanting to become a WAHM?

Follow your dream. I have never been happier than I am now that I make my own schedule and am working for myself. Of course, I have never worked harder either! I could not do this without my business partner, the support of my family and a wonderful mom community I belong to. The internet is such an amazing tool and support system. Be prepared for success to be hard-fought but I know that when it happens, it will be worth it.

CONTEST

Each t-shirt is beautifully giftwrapped in Baby Fish Mouth’s signature Movie Popcorn Box.  What a perfect gift idea!  You can have the chance to win one of these for either a gift or to keep because Baby Fish Mouth has very generously given MomDot readers a chance to win YOUR CHOICE of one of their products.  Simply go to their Web site and select which shirt you would choose and then come back here and write about it in a comment.  For an extra entry you can blog about it or link back to this giveaway, and be sure and leave a comment about your blog post.  The contest ends October 22nd.

Interviewed by Christy aka The Write Gal