Here at Belly Bandit HQ, a women-owned and operated company, we believe in celebrating the success of all women in business! Our “Moms Who Made It” series is our way of honoring Mompreneurs who inspire us every day.
This week we're featuring Monica Banks founder of Gugu Guru, a website designed to help moms create their baby registry. The site provides personalized product recommendations based on lifestyle and personal style so moms get exactly what they need!
Describe your business philosophy in 5 words:
Failure is not an option.
What inspired you to start your business?
I had been working as a marketing consultant in the mom & baby space for several years before starting Gugu Guru. My best friend got pregnant and asked me to help her with her registry because, like almost every other expecting parent starting a baby registry, she was extremely overwhelmed with the selection out there. I could only help her so much, since building a registry is largely based on personal style and lifestyle preferences. After all, you may have everything in common with your best friend, but would you want her to pick out all the furniture for your house or select the car you drive every day? Probably not. I was sitting on Facebook one day and saw one of those Buzzfeed-type quizzes, I want to say it was, “Which Disney character are you?” and I thought, “Why isn’t someone doing this quiz for baby registry?” That was my a-ha moment.
When did you know you, “made it?”
When did you know you, “made it?” I wouldn’t say that we’ve made it just yet because Gugu Guru is ultimately a tech company and we’re constantly evolving the experience and perfecting it…but we’re getting close. However, when I started seeing registries coming in immediately after launching the site and the user feedback was so positive, we were confident we were on to something.
Who is your mentor?
I don’t have just one. My husband, my parents, my older siblings, my former bosses and generally my team at Gugu Guru – I am lucky to have a ton of smart people surrounding me to give me advice and root me on.
What's your #1 tip for moms interested in starting their own business
Have patience. I’m finding that success is often not determined by just one moment in time. It’s a series of events, moments, coincidences, mishaps (and, more importantly, how you learned from those mishaps) that all build up to create your success.
What does “me” time mean to you?
A massage and a facial at Spa Adriana in Huntington.
What‘s on your bedside table?
I haven’t read any fiction in ages. Andy Cohen’s “Most Talkative” is on the top of the pile right now but my favorite authors are Malcolm Gladwell and Chuck Klosterman.
Words to live by - Share you favorite quote!
We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. – Maya Angelou
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To learn more about Monica, this amazing Mom Who Made It, head to: www.guguguru.com
