Tools for the Modern Father - Fathercraft

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paul Zalewski, Partner of Fathercraft, located in Denver, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

At Fathercraft, we make stuff that makes parenting even more awesome. Our customers are new dads and dads-to-be who want to be involved parents but aren't quite sure where to start the learning process. We create in-depth product reviews, YouTube videos, and how-to guides and sell online courses and diaper bags for dads on our website.

Tell us about yourself

We're brothers-in-law (John is married to Paul's sister) who became dads at around the same time and had a bunch of conversations about parenting when we first became dads. We both went looking for online resources to learn about this journey, but couldn't find stuff that resonated with us, so we decided to build the company we wished we'd found when we first became dads.

What motivates us to keep going today is the idea that we're making at least some small difference in parents' lives and, through them, the lives of children. There's no higher reward than getting emails from parents that we've helped them become more confident, pick the right baby monitor, or help them feel more prepared.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We're really proud of all of our work, but bringing our first physical product, The Fathercraft Bag, to market was a huge accomplishment. Doing so was a multi-year journey that took literally years longer than we thought it would and cost a whole lot more money, but we're thrilled with the end result—it's amazing to be able to hold in your hand a product that you've created that didn't exist in the world before you dreamt it up.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Sequencing our work and focus so that we can grow the company with minimal resources. We're completely bootstrapped, and all of our partners have demanding day jobs in addition to working on the business. So, we think a lot about the idea that given we have minimal time and can't execute all of our ideas, what should come first, and what should get pushed back to allow us to achieve our goals.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Work with people you have a blast spending time with. We're lucky in that we get along great and have a ton of fun together. Our 3rd business partner is our other brother, Mark, and the 3 of us genuinely enjoy spending time together.
2. Pick something you're passionate about and that helps people. Financial success is a good motivator, but if it's your only one, you won't have the additional drive to keep going when things get hard.
3. Be authentically you in your brand and your marketing. It's just easier, and your customers will appreciate it a heck of a lot more. If you're quirky and a small business, trying to look like a buttoned-up corporation is a huge disservice to everyone.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://fathercraft.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fathercraftco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fathercraft/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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