In this special column called the “TLC x Fempreneurs Series”, we will be featuring inspiring Female Entrepreneurs (Fempreneurs) in short. You will be able to have a sneak peek at their mindsets and their daily habits.
Believe in the power of community. On some days when you feel big goals are impossible, or when you feel like giving up, you need to lean on your like-minded community. You can even “borrow” motivation, and in turn “return” with your own inspiring stories to pay it forward.
Meet Jayne Leong (the baby closet)
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a mother, wife, daughter, friend, employee, and mumpreneur. the baby closet aims to be a lifestyle platform for parents to shop with peace of mind and confidence where we curate one of the finest and high-quality collections of organic sustainable clothing for our little ones. Our collection includes a plethora of brands that focus on keeping close to producing products that are natural, organic, sustainable, and without having to compromise on quality. They are eco-friendly, chemical-free, and non-toxic.
What got you started on your business?
My husband and I have been aspiring to start a passion project for a while. I love all things children-related and since I spent quite a lot of time researching and understanding the importance of natural, organic baby products – we wanted to put passion into reality. And when Covid hit last year, it got us back to the drawing board to kick start this.
Before you started on your business, what did you do on a full time basis?
I am working full time in the finance industry and still am. the baby closet is a passion project that I am lucky enough to start with my best friend who is my husband.
What were some difficulties you faced in your life and how did you overcome them?
I suffered consecutive recurrent pregnancy losses over the last two years. It took a toll on my mental health, and as a result, I found myself sinking into a dark emotional place that affected my daily life. The feeling of failing on every front of my life was pressurizing and isolating. I started journaling, took some time off work to refocus, and did light exercises to help alleviate my mood.
Who inspires you?
I am blessed to be surrounded by many inspirational people. From my cousin who is courageously fighting leukemia, to my daughter who shows me what humility looks like when she maneuvers through tricky toddler relationships.
What excites you most about your industry?
I am excited to see fashion brands and the people behind, moving away from fast fashion to encouraging consumers to approach shopping more responsibly. Apart from high-end fashion such as Stella McCartney who has been an early advocate in sustainability efforts, I see a growing number of eco-friendly fashion brands coming up such as “Everybody & Everyone” started by Veronica Chou and “Pangaia” the sustainable fashion brand helmed by scientists, engineers, artists, designers, thinkers counting Miroslava Duma (founder of Future Tech Lab, an incubator specializing in responsible technological innovations) as one of the brains behind the label.
What is even more exciting is these brands are investing and coming up with technological solutions that have sustainability as an end objective. Similarly, in the infant apparel market, I see more parents empowered through knowledge and information and perhaps as a result more exciting brands are born out of a passion to be change-makers such as ‘Generation Peace’ launched by Nour Arida, an inspirational Lebanese influencer. Part of her brand ethics is to try as much as possible to ensure the supply chain and factories she works with are not mistreating or under-paying their workers and her packaging is 100% eco-friendly and recyclable.
Here at the baby closet, we are excited to offer brands that have a focus on natural, quality products that veer away from the fast fashion mentality, such as Purebaby, L’ovedbaby, and Natursutten, amongst our product offering and we continue to work to bring other select brands into our the baby closet family.
What is your vision / personal motto?
As Michelle Obama eloquently puts it and I am going to borrow her quote to describe my personal motto “Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else say distract you from your goals”.
Do you have any word of advice for other ladies who are starting their business/ starting to pursue their dream?
I am mindful that the baby closet is at its infancy stage, I am going to sound like a cliché when I say that I personally believe it is never too late to start your business/pursue your dreams. I read in an article that according to a report published in the Harvard Business Review, the average age of a successful start-up founder is 45!
How do you think you can help ladies to feel confident and empowered?
There is a lot of power in the decisions we make, even when we play the role of consumers. My hope is that we use this power for good. A little change in the way we buy goes a very long way.
What have you learnt recently that you hope the other ladies can take back?
Recently my husband and I were faced with a difficult situation, instinctively I felt I had to do something, anything, to remedy the situation. My husband encouraged me to do nothing and remain still until my mind was clear before making a decision – this lesson of doing nothing, until I felt I was ready, is one that I hope speaks to you, who needs this assurance.
What is one thing you are grateful for?
I am grateful that my family is healthy and happy.
What do you do in your free time as self-care? How do you unwind?
I now view self-care as being responsible for my overall mental and physical health. I make it a point to schedule in a weekly yoga session and try to fit evening walks with my husband and daughter. Journaling and working on my brush calligraphy help me to decompress – I also love that my daughter is influenced to craft alongside me and it puts a smile on my face when she makes cards and writes notes for her friends and the family.
Let us know more about what you do!
the baby closet began from an idea to curate high-quality organic baby essentials that are kind to a baby’s skin and can be handed down through generations while ensuring that all this is done through sustainable methods and only natural materials are used. So that you, can shop with confidence. You may find us recently featured on NUYOU!
Get 10% off with a minimum purchase of $50. Quote: LADIESCUE10
Connect with the baby closet!
Website: www.thebabycloset.sg
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebabycloset.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebabycloset.sg
Read TLC x Fempreneur Series:
- Margaret Wu, For Beloved One
- Hong Choy Yin, Tots Society
- Pearline Foo, Spring Breeze Marketing
- Evangeline Leong, Kobe
- Maddy Barber, Madly Gems
- Ezza Yusof, 2morrow Official (Malaysia)
- Julie Yim, Lilin+Co (Malaysia)
- Nadia, HelloBello (Malaysia)
- Zairin Azman, UMMA (Malaysia)
- Manon Allano (EstheClinic Singapore)