While Cris is a international law major and Kirsten, an environmental consultant before they settled for being full time mothers. They had never been pals per say until a brainstorming session that brought them close.
"Our kids were in pre-school together, but we really didn’t know each other" shares Cris. In a interesting conversation about a school fundraiser, their "Going Green" idea is what helped them hit it off nicely. Like most moms, both of them were used to handing out those wrapped up plastic lunch bags to their kids. However, the idea seemed wasteful to them.
The chemistry of ideas is what help them partner together for bringing out a better alternative product for many other parents like them.
Surfing the Internet for some basics before getting started, they found products like "food wraps that opened up into place mats, pencils made from recycled newspapers, even a reusable paper towel" as plausible Go Green ideas to start off with. But the plastic lunch wraps was what they believed need to be transformed and bettered.
It was their "Eureka" moment!
Joined by Cris's childhood friend and graphic designer, Jennie Stoller Barakat, the women started their own company called 3GreenMoms to market their product LunchSkins. The roots of the idea was found in a online pastry-bag manufacturer who made food wraps that could withstand high temperature as well as keep the food clean. In a word, it was their reuseable commodity that they were looking for.
In the school's fundraiser show, they managed to catch a few interested parents who found the idea sustainable. However, the moms were still a step away from being mom-preneurs, proper.
In a marriage that Cris attended, the interaction with women who knew about their products and wished to place orders, is what drive them to think about going online with their business idea.
"We didn’t have the cash to pay a developer" recalls Cris, "so there I was in the backend of Go Daddy...we needed to be sure this venture had legs before we invested a lot of money". With offers coming in, they soon got featured on Mommy Bloggers and O Magazine as a mark of their growing presence locally.
The moms were clearly set to march a lot more than just the neighborhood. They took their business to the Expo West - a trade show of global retailers. LunchSkins was a success here too, with them bagging the Best New Product award; a close runner up to Chobani yogurt.
It's been four years since the momm of kindergardners launched their 3Green Moms. As of now their small business has sold more than 1 million reusable snack and lunch bags. Reputed retailers like Target and The Container Store are their business partners.
Talking about their future expansion plans, the accidental mom-preneurs are looking to go beyond the lunch wraps to lunch totes and napkins for kids.
The inspirational moms add that their SMB was not a thought-out idea. "It’s like having a baby,there’s never a perfect time. But when an idea comes you have to go with it, because you just don’t know when another one will come along."
We salute these "Green" women, as LunchSkins is expanding is vistas to protect our environment in new ways daily. Do check out their website by clicking on the link.
You can also hear their short little inspiring business story in this video below.The inspirational moms add that their SMB was not a thought-out idea. "It’s like having a baby,there’s never a perfect time. But when an idea comes you have to go with it, because you just don’t know when another one will come along."
We salute these "Green" women, as LunchSkins is expanding is vistas to protect our environment in new ways daily. Do check out their website by clicking on the link.
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