Shannon McLaughlin - Ubuntu Baba (Episode #012)

Shannon McLaughlin — Building Products People Love, Creating Brand Ambassadors, Fourth Trimester Struggles, I Am Because We Are, Making People Matter, Whole Body Yesses, and More (#012)  

“When I hired, I always said that it was going to be half-day jobs for everyone, because we are moms. So when we had the shop, we didn't open from nine to five, we opened at half past eight in the morning, and we closed at 1:30pm, because whoever was in that shop was a mom, and she had to fetch her child from school and then go spend the afternoon with their child.” —Shannon McLaughlin

Shannon McLaughlin (@shannonmarymac) is the Founder and CEO of Ubuntu Baba Baby Carriers (@ubuntubaba) . Shannon’s business launched in February 2015, just six months after her son was born, out of a personal need to help her baby sleep for longer periods of time and to have more freedom as a struggling and overwhelmed first-time mom.

Before Shannon launched Ubuntu Baba, she was a freelance web designer, who worked mainly with female startup businesses. 

Shannon’s goal was to create an easy to use, breathable and comfortable carrier that could be used from the newborn days onwards. When Shannon launched her business, she started with one machine ist who worked part-time making baby carriers. Today, Ubuntu Baba has a full-time team of six who manufactures the carriers, as well as another team of six that helps Shannon run the business. 

Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Ubuntu Baba Founder, Shannon McLaughlin, and Moms Who Build host, Margie Chuang! 

Show Notes

The inspiration behind creating Ubuntu Baba Baby Carriers. [2:39]Shannon’s fourth trimester experience. [4:14]The 3-month journey to building the first prototype. [7:25]Shannon’s experience with postnatal depression while building Ubuntu Baba. [10:23]Recognizing postnatal depression and getting help. [12:18]Building a product people love and how Shannon grew Ubuntu Baba to 10,000 customers. [14:53]Getting feedback, moms helping moms, and selling the first Ubuntu Baba baby carriers. [17:00]Building a community beyond the product. [22:19]Growing a beloved brand and Ubuntu’s slogan: To A Happy Now, #toahappynow. [25:22]More than a brick and mortar shop. [29:40]The impact of the global pandemic on Ubuntu Baba’s operations and shop in South Africa. [32:18]Persevering through the challenges of running a company and lessons learned. [36:23]Living the professional and personal life you want. [40:36]Building a parent-inclusive workplace. [41:32]How Shannon prioritizes and organizes her life. [45:03]How Shannon prepares for interviews and public speaking engagements. [50:10]Advice Shannon would give to her past self and how to handle feedback. [52:55]Learning to say no and the whole body yes. [53:47]What’s next for Ubuntu Baba? [55:23]Rapid Fire Questions. [57:01]Parting thoughts and encouraging words. [1:00:21]

 

For more about this episode, visit https://www.momswhobuild.com/home/shannon-mclaughlin-ubuntu-baba-episode-012. 

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Connect with Shannon McLaughlin on: 

Website | Twitter

Connect with Ubuntu Baba: 

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Blog

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For past interviews with inspirational moms building inspirational things, visit momswhobuild.com. 

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