Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

How did you come up with your business idea?

I started this business after a trip to my mother’s cat sitter with her. As I stepped into this woman’s beautifully appointed living room, the first thing I noticed was that it was filled with shipping cartons. She saw me looking around and sheepishly explained, “They’re for the cats.” 

Now, I know why cats love cardboard boxes (there is some serious science to explain it), but it got me thinking: why do their owners put up with dirty, ugly Amazon boxes in their homes? Why not boxes that are clean, cat-safe, fun? 

My boxes are whimsical, environmentally friendly, and imprinted with human-grade, soy-based inks — and cats and their owners love them!

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

The second thing that excites me about my business is the opportunity to connect with like-minded people every day. I’m a lifelong animal lover, and I get to connect – through social media mostly – with cat owners every single day! It was one of the unexpected joys of starting this business.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

Cats are crazy for cardboard boxes. Google “cats in the boxes” and you’ll get about 140 million hits, mostly goofy photos of cats squeezing into boxes they have no business squeezing into. 

This is such a universal phenomenon that scientists have compelling research about why cats are so cardboard box crazy.

The question then, really isn’t why cats like cardboard boxes, but why owners put up with filthy, ugly Amazon boxes in their homes. My boxes are fun, attractive, environmentally friendly, cat safe and made in the USA. And cats love them.

My products have been featured in The Boston Globe, Product Hunt, Parade.com and other major media outlets. DesignBoom, one of the world’s leading design publications, called my Mega Milk Carton a “Warhol-esque stroke of genius.”

Come think inside the box with me!

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Any final words to end this interview?

Connect and partner up with Cat in the Box on Enterprise League

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

One of my biggest triggers is being underestimated. However, I’ve learned to embrace it – as I have come to realize being underestimated is one of my biggest competitive advantages.

How did you come up with your business idea?

After years of working in the fashion industry, I learned some unsettling facts. I learned that the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry — right behind the oil industry. I learned that it is also the second most polluting industry to our clean waterways — right behind agriculture. I learned how complex the fashion supply chain is and that almost all of our clothing, made both internationally and domestically, is being produced in sweatshops with absolutely horrible working conditions. I learned that 98% of these workers don’t make enough to meet their basic needs and that 75% of them are women. I learned that child labor is actively being utilized by the majority of these companies, and children are being exploited every day. I learned that the fashion industry produces more carbon emissions than international flying and maritime shipping combined. I learned that 60% of our clothing is being made out of synthetic fabrics that release microplastics into our air, soil, water, and bodies with every wash and wear. I learned that a polyester shirt takes over 200 years to decompose and that once it finally does, the toxic chemicals that are used seep into our environment. And if that is not upsetting enough, I learned that over 8,000 synthetic chemicals are being used in the production of our clothing, many of which are known carcinogens, allergens, and endocrine disruptors. 

Ultimately, it was my concern about the industry’s effect on our environment and humanity that led me to come up with my business. 

For The Feel’s plan was always to connect conscious consumers with feel-good apparel. However, when the pandemic hit… our entire launch plan changed. As soon as it became clear that the fabric face masks, largely produced by the fashion industry, were going to become a vital part of our everyday wardrobe, I knew we needed to do something. That is when we partnered with the only 100% GOTS certified organic manufacturer in the U.S. to produce safe and effective reusable face masks, that FEEL good not only to people but also to our planet. In partnership with our manufacturer, our mask’s quality and design has been approved by one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. and is being worn by doctors and nurses throughout the U.S.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

I would not be where I am today without the support of two of my team members, Jada Street and Ronak Patel. The fact that they trust me to successfully guide them on the achievement journey and that they buy into my north star means the world to me. I can not move mountains alone. But with people like them by my side, the “impossible” feels possible. As corny as it sounds, I truly believe teamwork makes the dream work.  

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

100% yes. To be honest, I would be extremely surprised to learn that there is a female out there who hasn’t ever felt this way. But when my abilities are being questioned by someone purely due to my gender… watch out.    

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

Being a perfectionist about the work I put out into the world is my most instrumental trait. I have to constantly remind myself on a daily basis that it is about progress, not perfection. I’ve learned when I focus on perfection it takes too long to make progress. That is why these days, I’ve deemed myself a recovering perfectionist and an aspiring “good-enoughist”.   

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

The part that excites me the most about being an entrepreneur is that I get to wake up every day and dream out loud. And that I have the opportunity to truly make a difference in people’s lives and the planet we live on.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

Sit quietly and stay the course. (Don’t ever do that. The magic happens when you color outside the lines!)

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

We are on a mission to shift the landscape of the fashion industry. Most people are unaware that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting and unethical industries doused in a myriad of unregulated chemicals. This is extremely problematic because many of these chemicals are known to be harmful not only to our environment but also to human health. Yet, there is no single US federal agency that oversees the ingredients used in the production of our clothing and face masks. That is why as a business, we aim to lead by example proving it can (and should) be done in a better way by designing and developing feel-good essentials made with clean and premium materials. We believe in a fair, healthy, and sustainable approach to the apparel we make, and the people we work with, and the community we sell to.  

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

Success doesn’t happen overnight. Work hard. Don’t expect anything to be handed to you. Surround yourself with people that know more than you in the areas you know less. Don’t ask someone to invest in you, if you wouldn’t invest in yourself first. Stand out from the pack. You don’t get noticed being just like everyone else.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

My goal for 2021 is to continue helping people stay safe and healthy during this pandemic with our toxic-free face mask. In addition to encouraging people to curate a wardrobe that builds a better foundation and future. One that feels good. #ForTheFeel 

Any final words to end this interview?

This holiday season instead of just participating in an ordinary sale we decided to give our customers 15% off and give back 15% of all our profits to the role models out there making an impact each and every day.  After all, Christmas is all about giving back and giving thanks. So we wanted to do just that. We were asking people to send us the names of teachers, nurses, vet techs, social workers, postal workers, or anyone else they look up to so we could pay it forward to as many as we could. It feels good to care about others! #ForTheFeel

Connect and partner up with For the Feel on Enterprise League

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

Imagine you check your 6-month-old child into the hospital for what you perceive to be a simple fever, but instead find out that your child has been diagnosed with a rare disease for which there is no known cure?  No mother or family should have to endure this, but it was from this traumatic personal experience, and many months spent alongside my child at the hospital, that I founded both: The Spread the Joy Foundation, a registered 501(c)3, and Open the Joy LLC, with the joint mission of spreading joy to pediatric patients and developing emotional intelligence in kids.  

During the months I spent at my daughter’s bedside, I was resolved to transform the experience of pediatric hospitalization into a more positive one for families. Working for two years alongside a pediatric psychologist, Open the Joy and Spread the Joy were born with the mission of providing families with the tools required to deal with times of crisis with positivity and creativity. We focus on healing through play.

How did you come up with your business idea?

It all started with my daughter lying on top of me, in a hospital bedroom, with me googling on my cell phone (with my one free hand) “screen-free things for kids to do in the hospital.” I realized very quickly that there wasn’t a single toy company out there addressing the social and emotional needs of the 3 million hospitalized children in America every year. 

I also understood that given my daughter’s diagnosis, my children would lead slightly different lives from other kids and have to navigate the world with an added layer of caution. I wanted to equip them, from a young age, with important life skills that their journey would require of them, such as patience, self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and an overall sense of gratitude. 

I worked with a child therapist to better understand how to create fun, playful and joyful experiences for children going through difficult times. Every toy, game, or even set of cards we created focuses on building a child’s self-esteem and creating bonding experiences for families. I realized that what we had developed was indeed universal, and we launched the toy collected at NY NOW in August 2019.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

Our biggest supporter has been the Tory Burch Foundation. In March 2020, I was selected as a fellow by the Tory Burch Foundation for promising Female Entrepreneurs. The team there has provided incredible business insights, guidance, resources and have been so supportive of our mission and vision. Hessun Lho, the Program Director, is such a kind and encouraging soul. I was blessed to have been included in the cohort.

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

Yes, when it comes to financing. I believe there needs to be some levelling out of the playing field in this regard.

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

Through the growth of our company, I hope to be able to grow our charitable giving a thousand-fold! This is what excites me the most about my entrepreneurial journey. Our company does its part through our partnership with the Spread the Joy Foundation, but I would like us to be able to do so much more.

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

I was once advised to sell my company in its early stages of development. This is the worst business advice I have ever received. Had I listened, I wouldn’t have been able to build my company nor the Foundation, and truly lost a part of myself. Be open to selling, but make sure it’s the right timing and that you have grown both professionally and personally from the experience. 

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

Making Kids Kinder

While the world focuses on making kids smarter, we make toys to make them kinder. We are the only toy company that focuses on the emotional well-being of children. Every product in the line – be it a simple pack of cards to a large rainy-day activity box – fosters family bonding through conversation starters, jokes, and creative activities. To lead by example, we support the Spread the Joy Foundation, a registered 501(c)3, in the free distribution of activity kits to hospitalized kids across America. 

You play. We give. Kids Heal.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

DELIVER. Deliver on what you promise. It’s always better to under-promise and over-deliver than to over promise and under deliver. At the early stages of any business, you’re selling yourself and your ideas a lot (without large amounts of inventory). When it comes time to deliver, like most start-ups, those teething pains will be there. Be prepared for that. 

And be patient with yourself. It takes time to bring to life what you can already see in your mind.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

To successfully launch the collection in mass market… we are in the midst of negotiating an amazing deal! Top Secret… more to come!

Any final words to end this interview?

Visit us online and explore our new collection of activity kits launching 2021!

Connect and partner up with Open the Joy on Enterprise League