"If you are starting a business, make sure you have a strong WHY" with Tara Williams
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Tara moved to the San Francisco Bay Area after college to pursue a career in the medical device industry. Here she met Rob; they’ve been married for almost 9 years and have 4 children. Tara has held various roles in marketing, sales and leadership for a number of medical startups before realizing a need for weighted blanket infants could safely wear. Tara launched Dreamland Baby in 2019 and adoringly refers to the company as her 5th baby!
Can you tell our readers about your background?
Prior to starting Dreamland Baby, I was in medical device sales and marketing, bringing novel products to market. It was a really niche and amazing experience that gave me the opportunity to work everywhere in country being involved in surgeries in the operating room to clinical trials to FDA approvals and more.
What inspired you to start your business?
My son was 6 months old and still waking up every 1.5 hours. We had tried everything, but nothing helped improve his sleep. I put a heavy throw blanket on him and noticed he was immediately calm. I knew he needed a weighted blanket, but I couldn’t find one designed for infants to safely wear. My mother-in-law sewed my idea and the first night my son wore it he slept 12 hours. The rest is history.
Where is your business based?
Dreamland Baby is based in Danville, California.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
After my son’s sleep success, I immediately started getting requests from friends and families. It was clear there was a huge gap in the market for a product like this. We had lived through 6 months of sleepless nights and knew how awful it was both mentally and physically. We knew so many other parents were in the same boat and we had a real opportunity to help them. Because weighted blankets were beginning to become really popular in 2018, the first thing I did was get a utility and design patent on my invention. Then began to partner with the medical community for safety questions while I was looking for manufacturers who could produce at scale. Everything took about a year to come together, I am thankful I was doing things simultaneously rather than linear or it would have taken several years to bring the product to market.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Word of mouth. It has been a snowball effect. One parent tries it and then tells two parents, and they tell two parents, etc. We have been lucky, because the product works so well, we don’t have to spend as much money on marketing to create awareness.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Starting out without any funding was our biggest challenge. My husband got laid off the day before my son was born and I was laid off during maternity leave. It was a rough time to start a business. I did a Kickstarter, so I was able to fund my first order. From there we have focused on B2C so each order that is placed in paid for at the time of purchase. It has kept us able to stay cash positive.
How do you stay focused?
Having four children and running a business full time definitely requires laser focus. I really love what I do and hearing the stories of parents and families whose lives we have changed keeps me motivated. The two things that center my day: my morning routine and a daily 30-minute workout.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
While there are plenty of sleep sacks and swaddles available, Dreamland Baby offers a sleep solution via deep touch stimulation. Babies feel an immediate calm from the evenly distributed, gentle weight. When baby feels calm, they are able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Working with influencers. While we don’t pay influencers, we do offer product exchange. We send them the product to try with their baby and if they like it, they post about it. When their followers see how Dreamland Baby has transformed their baby’s sleep, they look into purchasing one for themselves.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
If you are starting a business, make sure you have a strong WHY. There have been so many moments that I have cried in my closet and felt like what is this all for. The late nights, the time away from my kids, etc but knowing WHY I am doing what I am doing has been my north star.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
My favorite app Slack. We use it every single day to stay connected and quickly share information.
I just finished Shoe Dog, a memoir by Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight. It is an incredible story; you can feel the hustle through his words. I found it hugely inspirational but also a great reminder to enjoy the journey.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I love the App Loox. It collects customer reviews. This gives us the opportunity to hear customer’s feedback and make any necessary improvements to the product. Every batch we order we are making small tweaks so it’s better than the one before. It is also great social proof for other customers who are on the fence about purchasing. If they can read a review from another customer than has a similar story to them, they feel more confident in their purchase.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Ann Crady Weiss, the co-founder of Hatch Baby. She generous with her time and knowledge. She has accomplished so much and cheers on other women entrepreneurs.
How do you balance work and life?
This is a tough one. I don’t balance very well. I work 50-60 hours per week. That being said, I am super social and having time with my family and friends is very important to me. I try to schedule every week; one night out with my girlfriends, one date night with my husband and two family activates. I always take Sunday completely off and reenergize for the week.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Going on a run. I live in a really interesting place that is completely suburban but our neighborhoods back up to rolling hills with grazing cows. I do the same run almost every day and stop and watch the cows for a few minutes. Being so close to nature is completely centering.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
We just launched weighted blankets for children age 3-8. This was our first product launch outside of our weighted sleep sack and swaddles. You can expect to see another fun launch from us in Q2!
How can our readers connect with you?
Instagram and Facebook are the primary places we hang out. @dreamlandbabyco
We also have a chat feature on our website: https://dreamlandbabyco.com