Prioritizing and making a to-do list every week, sometimes even daily. And, not to forget, the workout routine makes me more efficient.
Lisa Furuland is the creator of the DockATot multi-functional lounging, playing, chilling, resting, and snuggling dock for a baby that you can take anywhere. Created with love in Sweden with a strict emphasis on design and comfort, there is simply nothing else like it on the market that allows mothers to feed, soothe, and bond with baby. Babies need a nurturing and cozy surrounding and feel calmer being in a smaller environment, which mimicks the mother’s womb. DockATot™ creates a soft and tender surrounding for little ones to lie in and feel snug and comforted. DockATot™ travels easily from place-to-place and features a plush, cocoon-like design for optimal protection and durability.
Where did the idea for DockATot come from?
I created the DockATot multifunctional baby lounger to help simplify my life as a mom. When my son, Ilias, was born in 2006, I searched unsuccessfully for an alternative to the blanket, the cot, and the baby lounger. I craved something more snug and, at the same time, more versatile. I came up with the name DockATot™ because I’m living [with my family] in a small seaside town where docks are considered safe harbors. I wanted our docks to serve as a secure place for parents to place their little ones.
What does your typical day look like?
I wake up and spend breakfast with the kids and my husband. We then watch the kids walk to school (which is one house down from ours!). Then it’s full steam ahead with work and Skype meetings until the kids get home. I am lucky to work from home, so no time is wasted on commuting. I try to squeeze in a little workout, too, whenever I can. Preferably in the mornings.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I see where there’s a need for parents and then pair that with great design and ingenuity.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Not sure if it’s a trend, but the idea that parents are now co-sleeping with their babies and not keeping it a secret. I’m passionate about co-sleeping.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Prioritizing and making a to-do list every week, sometimes even daily. And, not to forget, the workout routine makes me more efficient.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
Well, I’ve had a few interesting ones when I was still in college. I was a cleaner in a hospital, where I had to mop the floors of the morgue. I was also a postman, where my route entailed getting up at 4 am every day. I’ve learned that so-called low-status jobs are THE most important ones. I have the deepest respect for people servicing the community; teachers, nurses, firemen, police. They’ve chosen to serve others and their work comes with the highest level of responsibility, while the monetary compensation is questionably low. They are people looking after our children, our elders, and people who are sick. Without them, everything would come to a standstill. Which is more than one can say about many high-status jobs!
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I would have launched the product earlier in the North American market.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Reevaluate if your product or brand is growing and not standing still. Always move forward. Never settle. Even the word ‘settle’ makes me cringe.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
Using social media has been a huge strategy for us. Once one mom falls in love with DockATot, she shares it on her Instagram or Facebook account and then it’s like a domino effect. Getting your baby to sleep for long periods of time is no easy task. DockATot has helped so many parents get more sleep and that’s something they want to share.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Taking on too many of the tasks that I didn’t specialize in. I soon realized I had to hire more people to take on some of the work that was getting in the way of me doing what I do best, which is creating and designing products.
Tell us something about you that very few people know?
I can do headstands!
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
We use Shopify as our e-commerce platform. It has been great for us in terms of the amount of apps that help with our online marketing and customer retention.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
‘The Tipping Point’ by Malcolm Gladwell. He’s one of the best thought leaders of our time and this book shows how ideas can go viral, which is such an important part of marketing.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
Although I will continuously keep him to myself (!), I have to say Costa, my husband. He’s my go-to person in times of trouble. He always puts things into perspective. He’s the wisest person I know. As to entrepreneurs who inspire me, there are quite a few. Other people’s success act purely as inspiration to me, never as a source of jealousy. I’m happy my brain works that way.
Just to mention one example, I’d say Richard Branson. I love that he’s driven by passion. He throws himself into things that he’s genuinely interested in and creates a viable business around that passion. My passion is sleep. For babies and parents alike. Sleep is as vital as the air we breathe.
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.