When we came across 4moms we were beyond thrilled to find this AMAZING Mom company! 4moms is just that - 4 (well, really 5) real life moms! The moms - Jenn, Cindy, Kristen, Elizabeth and Erin have 15 kids between them -- they really know their stuff! We couldn't wait to share this one of a kind Mom company with you so we deicded to sit down with one of the Moms to get to know 4moms! We also HAD to rave about one of the, no it is the BEST product on the market with you -- their famous mamaRoo -- NOT your average infant seat!
The mamaRoo is the new, high-tech baby swing that bounces and sways simultaneously like parents do to calm their fussy babies. With 5 unique motions like “car ride” and “kangaroo”, and a hookup for mp3 players, the $200.00 swing is the must-have product for Hollywood’s new, tired parents, including Mario Lopez, James Van Der Beek, Samantha Harris, Nina Garcia, and Emily Proctor. The mamaRoo was also just featured on “Entertainment Tonight”.
We also love the removable toy mobile with the three plush toy balls decorated in the style of classical artisit, Van Gogh, Monet, and Seurat -- both in color on one side and B&W on the other. The give built-in nature sounds keep your little one ammussed for hours AND get this - you can hook up any mp3 player - so, they can listen to whatever music suits their ear....or yours! The LCD display is so easy to use and the seat reclines! Another plus - it is machine washable! Just unzip the removable fabric and throw it right in the washing machine. What's not to love? Check out the video and fall in love over on 4MOMS.com.
Well, one mom -- Elizabeth Rychcik! Elizabeth is mom to Kaitlyn (8) and Connor (5). Before moving to Pittsburgh, Elizabeth attended Miami University of Ohio, where she majored in Psychology (and attended classes alongside Erin, though the two never met until years later!). Elizabeth went on to earn a master's degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron. She moved to Pittsburgh when she married her husband, Carl, and taught psychology courses at several colleges in the Pittsburgh area. Elizabeth's favorite part of working with 4moms is being surrounded by fun, intelligent people all working toward the same goals. In her free time, she loves reading, running, baking, and tennis.
1.) Please tell us how exactly 4moms became, well, just that.
I'm sure you've heard that quote by Plato: "Necessity, who is the mother of invention," right? Well, 4moms was formed because of a necessity. As young parents, we realized that there was a necessity for cool, innovative products that utilized technology. Since there was nothing out on the market that fit that bill, a husband of one of the moms formed 4moms with a business partner. He asked 5 of us to be his first focus group and to give our feedback about product ideas since we were "in the trenches" with young children. Although there are actually 5 moms, the name 4moms sounded much cooler, so that was chosen as our company name.
2.) Your MamaRoo is probably - no, scratch that - is the best baby "gear" product to have. Not only does it look good in your home, super-chic and modern but it keeps your little ones calm and content. Who can we thank for the genius idea and how was it inspired?
Thanks for the awesome compliments about the mamaRoo! I totally agree with you - it's the best out there! Like all of our products, the mamaRoo was inspired by our parenting experiences and our frustrations with the available products in the marketplace. When my children were babies, the only infant seats available utilized a swinging or vibrating motion. We all know that parents don't swing or vibrate their children when soothing them, so we thought to ourselves (and said out loud a million times) "there HAS to be a better way!" And the mamaRoo was born! We wanted to incorporate the natural movements that parents use, and I think we've done a pretty darn good job of it! Thankfully, we have an AMAZING team of engineers, roboticists, designers, and business professionals that all contributed to make the mamaRoo such a great success!
3.) Being a mom, managing a company, constantly staying up on new products...what tips can you give other MOMpreneurs and parents juggling many hats?
Juggling many hats can be both blessing and a curse! I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to attempt to do more than one thing at a time, but it can also be quite stressful. The very nature of being a parent requires one to multi-task. Ever try to make dinner, help a child with homework, listen to another child's frustrations with his or her day, fill out paperwork, and plan for the following day all at the same time? Makes me anxious just thinking about it, yet that's the blueprint for every evening in my house! I think the most important tip is to do everything you can to maintain balance in your life, whether it's work/family balance, parenting/"you-time" balance, or serious/fun balance. Without balance, we are not very fulfilled and something in our lives suffers. Another important tip is to surround yourself with people who inspire you. With good people around, you are bound to succeed!
Juggling many hats can be both blessing and a curse! I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to attempt to do more than one thing at a time, but it can also be quite stressful. The very nature of being a parent requires one to multi-task. Ever try to make dinner, help a child with homework, listen to another child's frustrations with his or her day, fill out paperwork, and plan for the following day all at the same time? Makes me anxious just thinking about it, yet that's the blueprint for every evening in my house! I think the most important tip is to do everything you can to maintain balance in your life, whether it's work/family balance, parenting/"you-time" balance, or serious/fun balance. Without balance, we are not very fulfilled and something in our lives suffers. Another important tip is to surround yourself with people who inspire you. With good people around, you are bound to succeed!
4.) Do you have a favorite product in the line? If so, why?
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the mamaRoo! I love the modern aesthetic, the mp3 player hookup, the toy balls with classical artists instead of teddy bears and puppy dogs, I love everything about it! It's obviously soothing for babies, but I think it's equally soothing for adults watching it do its work!
5.) What is one thing, as a mother, you can't live without?
One thing as a mother that I cannot live without is tennis! Tennis is the way I maintain the balance I spoke of earlier. I play tennis to get exercise, get some socialization, and to remind myself that there is a piece of me that is only for me, and no one else in my family. Parenting can be all-consuming and in order to be the best mother I can be, I need something that is just for me. Tennis is that thing for me. Other people might need knitting, running, photography, reading, a hot bath every night, hiking, painting, etc. I hope that all parents find something that they can call their own and feel good about.
6.) What is up next for the company? New product launches we can only
hope.....
There is always something new going on at 4moms! Our Origami is set to be released in the spring of 2011! For those who aren't familiar with it, the Origami is the world's first power-folding stroller. We are super excited about the Origami and expect it to make a huge splash in the stroller market, just as the mamaRoo did in the baby seat market. (Anyone who’s interested can sign up for email updates on the Origami at www.4moms.com/origami.) We've got a number of other projects in the pipeline, all of which will be cool, innovative, and different from everything else you see out there so keep your eyes on us!
As you can see 4moms and Elizabeth is pretty amazing! They always have the best innovative products out there and the best part - they are moms, they know what they are doing!
