“Inspire Adventure” - a promise I made to my daughter when she was first born. If I took an inventory of my experiences, it would be easy to define myself as adventurous. I travel, I have cool hobbies, but something was still amiss. When I looked at my day-to-day I realized that I needed something new. To think outside the box. To stop playing small. Long story short, I designed a lightweight baby-carrier that keeps you sweat-free and launched a small business - Mars and Stars baby.
Was I born an entrepreneur? Not so much. Three things had to come together and light a spark that allowed me to do this: a desire to create, to share, and to learn. Here’s how I dove into an entrepreneurial mindset and created a heart-centred business.

1 - An obsession, a need, and a little creativity

I was obsessed with baby-wearing from day one. I’d take my little newborn daughter on daily walks all snuggled in a wrap. The womb-like sensations kept her super calm. She literally never cried. When she got a bit older we’d let her face out, and she was super stimulated and curious during our walks. Again, never cried.

My husband was just as obsessed as I was. It was his chance to bond after being away at work. He’d complain to me that he was too sweaty in the baby wrap, but he still never passed up his chance to wear the baby.

And then there was the day we went on an eight-hour hike at Rattlesnake Point. In July. I did the baby-wearing, and I suddenly understood. Sweating sucks. It was on that walk that I came up with The Breezy Wrap - a cotton-mesh baby carrier. A spark that made everything fall into place.

2 - Sharing and connecting

“Inspire adventure”. That’s still my promise, and the WHY of my business. My website helps parents make that possible. From tips for traveling with babies to self-care basics for new moms. And of course we share some parenting humour. Lots of humour.

As for a daily connection, I love checking in with parents around the world on Instagram. From Australia to Mississauga, I get to be part of their adventure and invite them into mine.

3 - Yearning for Learning

When your goal is to learn, there’s no such thing as failure. Learning is my raison d’etre. In fact that’s the real thing that was missing. I needed a new challenge. When that business idea sparked in my mind, I was immediately excited about all the things I’ll get to learn. Web design, marketing, production and logistics, it never ends!

The next several months were spent reading books and attending courses. I gained so much from the Mississauga Business Enterprise Centre (MBEC) through their business workshops - I couldn’t thank them enough.

And of course, there was good ol’ trial and error. As a new business owner I’ve facepalmed many times over mistakes I’ve made, but it’s always a great lesson. I’m sure there will be many more such lessons. I have no doubts.

Creating, sharing, and learning. Those were the three ingredients for a new adventure and a heart-centred business.

Maryna Shkvorets is a Mississauga-based entrepreneur. You can find her products and her blog at marsandstarsbaby.com or connect with her on Instagram or Facebook @marsandstarsbaby