Nana's Baby and Angela Solomon

One Moxie Mama: Angela Solomon
Business Name: Nana's Baby, LLC
Type of Business: Development toys and t-shirts for babies
Location: Marshalls Creek, PA & Brooklyn, NY
Website: nanaslilbaby.com
Length of Time in Business: 2 years, 4 months

Over the past ten years, Angela Solomon (Founder and President of Nana’s Baby LLC) grew very unsatisfied with the apparel options for her three young children. She had no desire to dress them in ‘child-size, adult clothing’. She was uncomfortable with the busy, brand-plated fashions that were saturating the children’s wear market. “Children should dress like children, not adults. I wanted clothes that were simple, colorful and playful,” she explained.

Additionally, Solomon wanted fashions that clearly reflected the uniqueness of her children, and the diverse American culture they now represented. In efforts to satisfy her definitive taste and appeal to socially-conscious, contemporary parents, Solomon created Nana’s Lil Baby*… A Remix on Tradition.

As a child growing up in the 80’s in Bushwick, Brooklyn during the inception of Hip Hop, most of her profound memories were of block party’s, double dutch, break dancing, graffiti and street corner lyrical rhyming as expressions of art. Her mom, a New York City school teacher taught her to reach her fullest potential. These things along with her fondest memories of her Nana Mabel gave birth to the brainchild, Nana’s Baby.

When it was time to come up with a name for the company, Angela came up with plenty of names but none of them rang true to her heart and soul, like the sound of Nana’s Baby. Whether you call her Nana, Nani, Mema, Grammy, Gammy, Granny or just plain ole’ Grandma it’s synonymous with pure love! Nana’s Baby toys and tees speak to everyone!

Nana’s Lil Baby (a division of Nana’s Baby, LLC) tees blend some of the sayings from “back in the day” with graffiti art, giving the t-shirts a nostalgic feel. It also incorporates some of today’s hippest sayings for the urban line and a sports collection for the fanatic.

With playful graphics, engaging colors and unforgettable messages, Nana’s Lil Baby creatively blends the worlds of fashion and parenting. These American-made, quality cotton onesies and tees are available at www.nanaslilbaby.com and at select retailers across the country.

With increased media influences that continually warp the distinctions between ‘adult and child’, Solomon is a living witness to how modern-day parenting has become a critical domestic issue. She believes, “We’ve somehow lost our way culturally, and its time to go back to basics, but with a new-age twist. I want Nana’s Baby to make an imprint on society by helping children and families find their way.”

Before Launching
I launched this business based on an idea after the birth of my daughter Madison Mabel. Prior to this, I worked as a financial headhunter, mother and wife.

Following the Entrepreneurial Spirit
I always had the entrepreneurial spirit. My dad owned a record store in Brownsville Brooklyn when I was a little girl and I remember how cool it was to set your own hours and make your own money. He always instilled in me the importance of not only being self-employed but also being able to create jobs for others.

Getting a Strong Start
First thing I did was hire a patent attorney to see if my toy idea would qualify. Then I sprung into action once she said it would and starting building upon my idea by adding the onesies and t-shirts for babies/toddlers. I always try to think global in my ideas, then research whether or not it's feasible. Then, I create it or decide to postpone it. My t-shirts are art meets baby. The graphics are very much graffiti, hip hop inspired.

Were You Afraid to Get Started?
Not at all. Never be afraid to take that next step. I always said if it doesn’t work, then at least I tried. I didn’t want to get older saying woulda, coulda, shoulda.

First Steps
The last job I left was the Thursday after 9-11. I was laid off because the company that I worked for felt they could no longer expand into NYC. I became self-employed after that, consulting with various agencies. But, most importantly, I concentrated on my family. I would say the first thing I did was panic. My emotions were running wild from the week’s events. But most of all I knew things would be fine.

Family Always First
Nana’s Baby’s first customers were family, friends and colleagues. They are the first to support any of my new endeavors and I was very appreciative of that.

Don’t Underestimate Word-of-Mouth Marketing
The word of mouth strategy has worked the most and was the initial strategy for our shirts. The unique 45-record packaging is appreciated the most by our customers along with the quality of the t-shirts. The trendy, hip sayings have also been a hit and well received by our audience. Our strategy has evolved to also include internet marketing, advertisement in magazines and online shopping sites. We have also done pages on MySpace, Blogger, etc. We have also done celebrity mailings.

Words of Wisdom
Stay true to your passion is the advice I would give anyone interested in launching a business. It has to be something you eat, sleep and breathe everyday, all day.

Next on the List…
Our immediate future goal for the business is to launch our toys, which are still in the developmental phase. We are hoping they will be on the market by Jan. 2009. We are excited about our future ventures into the toy industry. Our goals are literally “A Remix on Tradition”: to bridge the gap between old and new. We want to mix hip and trendy with vintage and heirloom. It also bridges cultural backgrounds.

Is There Really Such a Thing As Balance…
Sometimes balancing is very hard to do, but I manage. I am sometimes on the phone talking about Nana’s Baby while cooking dinner, helping the kids with their homework, or getting them ready for school or bed, depending on the time of day.