An Interview with Momtrepreneur Neva Arboleda Santos from Manila Baby Shop
Momtrepreneur Neva with husband, Dan
Today, I got to interview my beloved sister-in-law 🙂 (Finally!). She’s one of my idols. This momtrepreneur is so busy with her two sons, work (she currently works as a full time research analyst in a multinational firm), business, etc. I don’t know how she does it. She is one of the strongest people that I know and she’s a very loving wife and mother. In her own words, she says…
I love being a mom, I have two boys the eldest is aged 4 and our youngest is only 5 months. I’ve been married to Dan for 5 years but we’ve known each other for about 13 years. I also pen a blog called manilamommy.com and I run an online business called Manila Baby Shop (manilababyshop.com) with Dan and two friends.
My goal is to grow Manilamommy and ManilaBaby Shop and spend as much time with my growing kids as possible.
Here’s my interview with Mommy Neva:
Ginger: So, Ate Nina (I call her Nina), what is your brand/business? Can you tell us What is it about and how long have you been in business?
Neva: ManilaBaby Shop offers fun, fashionable and functional bags and accessories for families with babies and toddlers. We have been in business for 3 years.
Ginger: How did you come up with this idea? I actually don’t know this story. And, what made you decide to start this kind of business?
Neva: We were looking for locally made diaper bags that didn’t break the bank nor were designed with a lot of cartoon characters. I contacted my friends at FabManila to tell them if they had any plans of making baby bags. They told me that they were planning to but didn’t know how and they needed a mom to help them. In just a few emails, we both made small investments in ManilaBaby and launched our first two baby bags: the FrootLoops and the Lifesavers
Ginger: Were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming a momtrepreneur? What are these?
Neva: Finding time to do the things that we want for the shop is our greatest challenge. Dan and I have a lot of plans but it takes us weeks even months to implement them just because we can only focus on the shop during our free time, which we don’t have a lot of.
Ginger: What are three traits that you think a momtrepreneur should have when starting their own business?
Neva: Three traits: Passion, Determination and Love (for your business). When you have these three, you won’t feel that your business is a job.
Ginger: Do you have any unforgettable lesson or lessons that you learned as a Momtrepreneur?
Neva: I’ve learned that as long as you love what you’re doing, the benefits will come.
Ginger: What advice can you give to other Momtrepreneurs?
Neva: My advice is to find a business that you are passionate about and to keep going at it. Surround yourself with experts and be immersed in the community that you are targeting so that you can better serve your market.
Thank you so much, Ate Nina! 🙂 I wish you more success for Manila Baby Shop!
Manila Baby Shop Contact information:
a. Website: http://manilababyshop.com
b. Multiply site: http://manilababyshop.multiply.com
c. Email address: manilababyshop@gmail.com
d. Mobile Number: 09175334209
e. Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/manilababyshop
f. Twitter account: http://twitter.com/manilababyshop
