Small Shop Feature - Kelli from Pretty Please Teethers

Pretty Please Teethers (est. in 2017) is located in Utah and is a Black woman-owned business that specializes in handmade, modern, and stylish baby products. Kelli, the owner and designer, creates teething products that -naturally and safely- help provide relief for your baby. We love her minimalist designs that are both beautiful and functional! We truly enjoyed getting to know more about Kelli and share more of her story below!

What made you want to start Pretty Please Teethers?

"Our story was simple to find Natural ||Modern || and Handmade teethers for my little one-- something that was safe and functional all while fitting my modern and minimalist style."

Seems simple, right?? But it was, surprisingly, harder than expected. I ran into those same traditional bright bold colors every time. Which was not only frustrating but shocking. I couldn’t be the only person who wanted to branch away from these traditional colors. So while being pregnant with my youngest and on bed rest with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG, or severe morning sickness) I had a lot of spare time on my hands, and since I couldn't find what I wanted elsewhere, I decided to make my natural and eco friendly silicone teether for my little guy and haven’t stopped making them since.

Small Shop Feature - Kelli from Pretty Please Teethers

What challenges in starting a small business have you had to overcome?

One of the major challenge I had when I started was knowing my customers. I knew I wanted to sell to moms around the world. However I didn't know my direct target audience besides that they were moms and we all know each mom is different. So I had to push back and really find my target audience. Once I found my target audience wasn't just moms but was modern parents. I was able to talk directly to them and know they shared the same passion and values which helped with building a better and stronger community around my products.

What has been the biggest achievement or victory so far in your business?

"Having our staff in the right role has helped relived some of my workload giving me more time to do what I love about my job, and that is to be creative and designing new products."

While I am sure I can share many, my all time achievement is finding the right person for the right roles within PPT. For the first 3 years I was running PPT by myself. I quickly started to become overwhelmed with the roles that was turning more into a full time position, and knowing that that a company can't just run with one person I knew I had to look for help. I was beyond excited when I hired my first clip maker, graphic designer, and teether maker. Having our staff in the right role has helped relived some of my workload giving me more time to do what I love about my job, and that is to be creative and designing new products.

What made you want to expand your products from teethers to bibs, pacifiers, snack cups and other fun products?

This was a decision that took me over a year to decide on. I wanted to provide more modern and functional daily accessories for the modern parent. I wanted PPT to share many journeys with their littles' for the first year while providing them with safe, modern, and functional products.

How can teethers and babywearing be used together to comfort your baby?

Keeping your little close with a sling is great for providing your little with much needed comfort and its easy to soothe your little's teething needs by adding our clips and attaching our Modern Pacifiers or our Handmade Teethers.

What advice do you have for mothers out there thinking about starting their own business?

Nike says it the best. JUST DO IT, stay true to your vision, do your research, and follow your passion. You will have some hard days and long nights but it will be worth it in the long run. Don't expect change to happen overnight. As long as you are passionate about what you are doing change will come in time.