This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Elle Rowley, founder of Solly Baby, a company that produces sustainably sourced baby wraps made of 100% certified TENCEL Modal and other baby gear. In 2023, Rowley stepped away from her day-to-day role (she now serves the brand as a strategic advisor and is on the board), and the company welcomed Nicole Newhouse as CEO to lead the next stage of Solly Baby’s growth.
When did you start Solly Baby as a side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
After having my first baby in 2009, I was surprised to find a surge of creative inspiration that I had never known before having kids. My husband was still in school, and I was hungry to start something to supplement our meager student income. By the time I was pregnant with our second child in 2011, the online world was fertile ground for mothers looking to start a side hustle from home. I tried a few different things, but I intuitively knew that there was a gap in the market when it came to aesthetically pleasing baby gear, so I was pretty focused on that space throughout my pregnancy.
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