Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joy Williams & Jane Molina, co-founders of Ninni Co., located in St. Charles, MO, USA.

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

We are Ninni Co. An e-commerce company founded by two sisters, Joy and Jane, that sell a patented, one-of-a-kind breastlike pacifier to customers all over the world. We began sales on March 1, 2021, after seven years of research and development. This product has literally changed our lives in every single way. Jane and I grew up in the construction industry. Our dad was a small business owner all of our lives. We eventually took a portion of his business over. Once we both owned up to the fact that Contracting wasn’t our passion, we decided to sell what we were so comfortable doing to chase a wild dream. Jane and I are moms to 6 children (3 a piece) between the two of us- we discovered something in the marketplace that didn’t exist.

Tell us about yourself

As busy wives, mothers active in our church and community, we also breastfed our children! Specifically, when Jane was exclusively breastfeeding her third child, she wanted to know- why wasn’t there a pacifier on the market that mimicked the same oral movement, soft skin-like feel, tongue, and mouth pattern that occurs when a baby is latched onto the breast? Her son wouldn’t take a pacifier. He rejected everything she attempted to give him. It appeared that everything offered on the market was hard, rigid, just...different. Every device took the “work” out of suckling. It made it a thoughtless act to keep the baby soothed but ultimately caused poor oral development. This was such a common problem among her friends as well. As Jane went on chat forums, moms everywhere were expressing this concern! Tired, touched out new moms pleading with other moms in their tribe, “help! Do any of your babies take a pacifier? If so, which one? I need a break, and I can’t find anything my baby will take!”

We are so grateful to satisfy a pain point in the baby industry- not reinventing the wheel, but giving thoughtful consideration to products that have saturated the baby industry forever and said, “Is this the best there is?” Who created this anyway? Specifically, how will this product impact my baby for the better now and as they grow? We realized that the pacifier needed fine-tuning after staying the same for over a hundred years. Jane and I worked with local designers, engineers, and attorneys to create the first-ever, patented breastlike pacifier to soothe the pickiest of babies. When a mom messages us to say, “I’m crying right now. You have no idea. I’ve tried at least 12 different pacifiers, and none have worked. The Ninni Co. pacifier is an answer to prayers. Thank you so much for inventing this. You have no idea how grateful we are!” That...is priceless. We’ll never get tired of hearing it.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Gosh, we love everything about what we do! When we get to speak with moms in-person and through our DM's on social media, hearing about the way our product has helped them? It makes the long, grueling journey of getting this product to market all worth it!

The fact that we pursued a dream without abandon didn't listen to the neigh sayers but stayed focused on our mission- that came successfully to fruition? The sales we experience every week, the heartfelt testimonials, are just the dream that comes true every single day.

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

Currently, exploring all the ins and outs of a new industry and self-fulfilling all of our products. We intend to outsource this work eventually, but as a small business with no big VC backing or large capital infusion, we have to take baby steps to sustain our growth properly. We have to walk before we run- and as dreamers, this can be hard sometimes! Often, we get an influx of orders that creates time away from our families to get pacifiers out to customers. But, we are committed to getting them out to moms as quickly as we can.

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

  1. Start a business that you are passionate about. Love what you do! That will get you through the tough times.
  2. Scale at a pace you're comfortable with. Don't try to grow too big, too fast!
  3. It's great to outsource jobs within your business but have a great understanding of your cash flow and profitability!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't dare to dream!
Beyond your dreams, step out in faith.
The only thing stopping you from turning your idea into a successful product is you!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ninnico.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninnipacifier
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninnipacifier/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninnico/

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.

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