Babe Behind the Biz: Lene at IdaBee by Eiress

This week we had the pleasure of catching up with the amazing woman behind IdaBee by Eiress: a business created for the fashion-forward, eco-aware mum who wants to look good, feel good and be a great mum to her baby. Lene’s Norwegian heritage and love for her baby inspired her range of silicone jewellery that can be worn from dawn to dusk, and we can’t get enough of it!

Babe Behind the Biz: Lene at IdaBee | www.nestlingcollective.com

A visit from Ida when at the markets

Tell us a bit about yourself:
I was born and raised in Norway, left the country at the age of 20. Lived in France and Switzerland for 8 years, where I got my hairdressing diploma, before I moved to Australia, got married and had my two beautiful children with my handsome Aussie man!

How did you get started with your biz?
I wanted something colourful to wear that was baby friendly, but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. So I made some for myself. A stranger asked on a local chat if anyone knew where to get silicone jewellery, and I showed her some of what I had made, and made my first sale! That planted the seed in my head, and while I started off with all silicone jewellery, I slowly added teethers as well. After I felt confident enough, I sent them for testing – and they passed. Now I have a large range of silicone jewellery in fashionable and classic colours, some exclusive to Eiress, different teether designs and more brewing now that the market season is slow for winter! So exciting!

What (or who) are your biggest influences?
Nature. As I work with colour, I look to nature and anything that is inspirational. Interiors, design, people!

Do you experience mum guilt and how do you tackle that?
I can get stressed, and that makes me full of guilt as I don’t always handle stress that well. I also have a fair bit of guilt for missing out on a lot of family time in the weekends as I often do markets, sometimes all weekend though I try to only do a couple each month now. I look forward to winter where I can spend lots more time with family at the weekends, and focus on new ideas for my business!

Keeping the kids busy while working

If you could sum up your day in three words what would those words be?
Busy – Chaotic – Messy

What does your workstation look like? (share a photo if you’re brave enough!)
My view when I am working 🙂

My workspace on a tidy day!

Slowly getting stock made

Give me your best kid distraction strategy:
TV/movies. Makes me feel like a terrible mother haha! Also I like to give my daughter some crafty stuff if I have to dig in to creating while little man has his nap. That way she is happy and I can do what I have to do. Also, daycare is the only way for me to really get things done.

Most embarrassing moment as a mum, or in your biz?
I think I have done fairly alright till now. Or maybe I have done so much embarrassing stuff in the past that I am a bit immune to it now?

What are you most proud of achieving biz wise?
I am just proud overall. I have learned so much the last year and a half, about business, about myself! I am so incredibly proud of where I am today as a person and as the owner and designer of my business, where my business is today, growing each week. I keep climbing and achieving bigger goals every month.

What are your big goals for the next 12 months?
Spread out and have more shops stocking my products, add more products to my shop, where two new products should be available by the end of winter! So excited 🙂