Mommy of invention: B.C. women and men tell it the way it is
Sydney Irvine
Co-founder, urbanmommies.com
URBANMOMMIES.COM: HOW CONCEIVED?
"A frustrating online search for a diaper bag for a friend. All the sites were in the U.S.! There was no local online baby and parenting information. My business partner Arndrea and I kind of created it over a glass of wine, and after a year and a half of brainstorming, we launched it."
BIRTH PAINS?
"Pains, not so much. Long delivery? Absolutely. We were really committed to getting the concept right — the content, the look, the layout, all of it — so we really took our time."
STILL IN ITS INFANCY?
"For sure. We're just a few months old, so we're talking big-time baby steps. There's lots of room for growth."
NEXT STEP?
"Right now, our biggest focus is maintaining quality info on the site — fresh, fun, relevant. It keeps us very busy."
Working with your best friend: great or gruesome?
"Great! Arndrea and I are complementary opposites. There's a lot of laughter. Urbanmommies.com feels like an excuse to spend time together."
SEPARATE ROLES?
"I'm the people and content person — I love to search — and Arndrea is great with online IT contacts and has a marketing degree. It couldn't have worked out any better."
YOU: URBAN OR SUBURBAN?
"Completely suburban. I love that my kids can run around the yard while I garden. I love knowing our neighbours and that my girls will grow up playing with their friends in our cul-de-sac. But I swear I'll never get a mini van!"
MORNING SCHEDULE?
"What schedule? During the summer, we just try to go with the flow of the day and enjoy it. This won't last, of course. Kindergarten is coming!"
ALWAYS BESIDE THE BED?
"Well, it's more like 'around the bed.' I can't live without my very worn copy of The Balanced Mom. I love its message — if I can find it in the mess."
ALWAYS IN THE FRIDGE?
"Yogurt tubes and veggie juice."
WORDS TO LIVE BY?
"Life's too short for an ugly diaper bag."
