A Resource for Conscious Moms - Gimme the Good Stuff

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maia James, owner of Gimme the Good Stuff, Inc., located in Lancaster, PA, USA.

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

Gimme the Good Stuff provides busy parents with tips to easily avoid toxins in their homes, as well as an online store with hundreds of safe products, all hand-picked by me!

Tell us about yourself

I started Gimme when I was a new stay-at-home mom, spending hours online researching the safest products for my baby--I decided to share my findings on a very simple blog for friends who might be doing the same thing! From there, the audience grew, and the store became a necessary extension. Every day I still get to spend my time finding non-toxic products, which I must enjoy doing, or I wouldn't have lasted this long. I am now extra fortunate to have my parents and my brother working with me at Gimme--the joy it brings me to work with my favorite people far outweighs the inevitable (but rare, thankfully) challenges of a family business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm so proud (and frankly, stunned) that I have been able to grow this passion project into a legitimate business without ever having a business plan, raising any money, or emptying my life savings into it. I do recognize the privilege of having a husband who could financially support our family (although we were on a strict budget!) while I tried this idea out.

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

Imposter syndrome is a constant struggle, and I know from conversations with other female founders that I am not alone here. Because I don't have an MBA, didn't raise capital, and never even wrote up a business plan, there are days when I think, "who do I think I am running this company?" Also, of course, sometimes I dream of a job where the buck wouldn't stop with me--this job comes with a huge amount of responsibility!

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

"Ready, fire, aim" was a bit of advice I took early on, and it has worked for Gimme. You want to do a certain amount of preparation, but then go ahead and try things! You can refine and improve after that.
Invest in help to the degree that you are able. I prioritized paying for help with childcare and house-cleaning early on, and I think that was a better investment in my business than putting those funds into more inventory or marketing. There are only so many hours in the day!
Start with doing one thing really well. My early plans for Gimme were crazy ambitious and far-reaching (I wanted to offer everything from a meal delivery service to brick-and-mortar stores), but I just started with five simple guides of the products I had investigated-- diaper cream, disposable diapers, mattresses, wipes, and nipple cream (breastfeeding was a nightmare for me!). I spent tens of hours on each of these to make sure they were really high quality and sent them out to my personal network. I didn't even have a revenue stream in place (this would come later via the store and affiliate relationships). If you focus on the quality of your work (be it a product or a service), getting a larger audience and making money will happen.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gimmethegoodstuff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gimmethegoodstuf/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.