BCM- What has been the biggest challenge for you in motherhood?
Ellen - Carving out me/couple-time. When you are a new mom, it’s pretty easy to revolve your whole life around a new baby, but soon after having my son, I realized that it was important to take some time for myself and spend some alone time with my husband. Plus, making new ‘Mom’ friends was key too – Big City Moms is perfect for that!

BCM- What activities do you like to do with your son?
Ellen - When he was a baby we loved going to music classes and mommy groups for play-dates. As a toddler we loved exploring all of the amazing playgrounds NYC has to offer – a different one each weekend! Now that he is almost ten, we are enjoying museums, spending time in Chelsea Market (great gelato!) and biking along the Hudson River.

BCM- Skip Hop is an incredible company!! What inspired you to create Skip*Hop?
Ellen - Living in NYC and the need for better designed, more functional, on-the-go parenting products. When my son was born 9 years ago, the products available to new parents functioned just fine, but they weren’t quite up to speed with our busy urban lifestyle or design aesthetic. The market was wide open and my husband and I were focused on creating products for a new generation of parents that were smart, functional AND beautifully designed. We started with our Duo Diaper Bag – the world’s first stroller bag that converted into a shoulder bag – and seven years later we are still at it! Since Skip Hop launched, many other wonderful companies have joined us on our mission to great products for parents and babies. Today’s moms are so lucky – there are so many options to choose from!

When you started the company you had 1 diaper bag, now it seems like you have hundred of products.  Do you have a favorite?
Ellen - Our first product, the original Duo Diaper Bag, is of course is my favorite. It started the company and the entire “stroller bag” category. My other favorite is our Splash Bottle Drying Rack – a designer twist on a boring item that looked like a dish-rack. New parents still have great taste and there is no reason why their baby products shouldn’t reflect that!

Can you share some advice for moms who are planning to start their own company?
Ellen - Take advantage of the huge network of moms that you might have. They are your focus group! Before starting any type of parenting product or service-oriented business it’s a good idea to test the waters and get some honest feedback.

Skip*Hop is a family business that you run with your husband.  What is it like to work with your husband?
Ellen - Most of the time, it works out really well for us as we have complimentary skill sets. I lead the creative side while Michael handles the business end of things. The key is to never take business conflicts personally and to leave work matters at the office, even though it’s tough sometimes.

BCM- How do you manage your work/life balance?
Ellen - As our company grows, so does the need for time spent away from home and travelling outside of NYC. Fortunately, our son loves to participate! He often travels with us and helps out at our events. His favorite event is the Elizabeth Glaser Kids for Kids Pediatric Aids Carnival held every fall.

BCM- Name your favorite Big City Moms event to date.
Ellen - This is an easy one – it’s the big shower, of course! We love chatting with all the expectant moms and telling them about Skip Hop! With hundreds of moms-to-be all in one room, the buzz is contagious. It’s really great to see how excited these women are about their new arrivals and keeps us in touch with our true customer. It’s a really special event, where the moms get to do something just for themselves, meet other expectant moms and it brings back amazing memories of being a mom-to-be myself!