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more moms should create products · From 9 to Mom

• Catie: Welcome back to From Nine to Mom. Danielle: Where we discuss balancing the nine to five hustle with the beautiful chaos that we call motherhood. Catie: And today we have a very special guest, Katie Holter, who is a mom of three. And she is the founder of August and Ivy, which branding just spoke to Danielle and I, which is why we reached out to you in the first place. but August and Ivy was founded, really born out of a moment in early motherhood for Katie that sent her looking for solutions that just didn't exist. So rather than settling for what was on the market, Katie designed her own, starting the Ivy Go, which is a diaper bag that's built with real support for real life kids. and what began as a personal project has really grown into an entire brand. And we can't wait to dive into more. But thank you, Katie, for being on today. Katie Holter: Thank you guys so much for having me. I am so excited, like just being here. I'm I'm fangirling. I love I love this podcast. I love listening to you guys. So I'm so honored and excited to come chat. Catie: We we can't believe that you're a fan, I think Danielle and I keep being like people actually listen and like are enjoying it still hasn't Danielle: Yes, every time. What? Katie Holter: Who I know. It's so true. Catie: still hasn't fully Danielle: It isn't clicked in for us. So thank you for feeding like our souls a little bit. 'Cause we're like, we just do this for fun and therapy. And then when people say they actually listen, it makes us feel better. So thank you. Katie Holter: There's a lot of us moms that like you are in our earbuds on our morning walk. So Danielle: Yeah. Katie Holter: it's awesome. Catie: We love that. We love that. Well, so we need to start out before we dive into your whole business side of life. We need to ask how old the kids are, what's going on in your household right now and what's bringing chaos. Katie Holter: so the kids are six just turned five this weekend and two. Danielle: Happy birthday. Katie Holter: Yes. So they're really more like six, four, and two in terms of their because my other one's birthday is in two weeks, but for for accuracy's sake, they're that those are their current ages right now. and they're all girls, so we have that layer of fun in the household at all times. It's everything girly all the time. but chaos wise, I just feel like summer, this chaos of summer of like every kid seems to be doing something different at a different time. And now even moving towards school. Like last night we went and we were doing some school shopping and even just like I was sitting down with my husband today being like, We need to even start thinking about planning meals for the school year and just like all of that when you're diving back in, I feel like that's I don't know if I'm ready for all that right now. Catie: It's like the routine that's setting back in, but then you need to have the prep to have the routine too. But how's Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: back how's back to school shopping? Because Danielle and I talked about it last week and how cute like the Target stuff is for back to school for girls. Danielle: And you have all girls. Katie Holter: It's so fun. I have to be honest. It was it was Catie: Yeah. Katie Holter: so fun, you know, picking out their cute little folders and the like you're saying, all the cutesy, like, you know, they the girls were just having a ball. My middle one is funny too. She's very she loves that kind of stuff, but she also is much more like she'd rather be outside kicking a ball around than doing that kind of thing. So it's kind of like a juggle between like trying to get all the things, trying to look at the list, trying to make sure my middle one isn't at one point she was riding in the cart using my purse as a horse harness. and Catie: Yeah. Katie Holter: I'm like, girl, we gotta we just gotta get through this. Okay. Yeah. It's so Danielle: Second born. It doesn't matter. Second born are different. They're just different. No offense, Katie. You Catie: Let's say. Katie Holter: true. So yeah, we got through it though. I was like, I told my husband, I think we got everything. I'm gonna go through when I have a calm moment and check everything off. But it was good. I was Catie: I I had a similar moment. We did some back to school shopping and I think we were talking that we I don't start till after Labor Day school for the kids. And so this is early to be school shopping for me, which is on par with my personality. But we were shopping and I took the brave option of no cart in Target with both boys. And Katie Holter: yeah. Catie: 'Cause I thought we were just gonna like walk through the toys and that and then it turned into school shopping. Like, Katie Holter: Mm-hmm. Catie: you know, it was to waste some time. And so at Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: one point we of course like ran into somebody we knew and then Jack's laying on the grounds, like Calvin's pulling off folders off there. I'm like, what did I do? And I knew why did Katie Holter: Yep. Yep. Catie: I come in here with with no card? Katie Holter: way through it you're thinking, maybe I should have just done this online, you know? Catie: Right. I'm Danielle: Unless you're meaning or like went back to school on Monday and we hadn't gotten a backpack or anything like that yet. So we went to Dick Sporting Goods on the same day that everybody does. Cause if you play sports, everyone in the area gets twenty percent off the coupon. But just at that one dicks, we ran into everyone. But it was really cute to see like Colton actually cared this year about like what he was wearing and his Katie Holter: Yeah. Danielle: like how like swaggy and drippy they call it they felt. So but I understand the chaos and I On the other side of it, I'm only three days in. I'm talking like I'm an expert. I already feel so much calmer with like the routine, even though there's no real routine. But so there is hope for you yet. The chaos will calm down. Katie Holter: Thank you. I'm I'm hoping so. Cause Catie: Ha ha. Katie Holter: yeah, it's like you're right, like getting there and getting through all of like these pre kind of things that you have to do, but then you settle into it and you're like, All right, we're back into the flow and now we can just be sick every day. So then I'm excited for Danielle: Ha ha ha. Katie Holter: the next phase. I always get excited about the routine and then I'm like, and then the illness hits and then it doesn't Catie: or can Katie Holter: stop and I'm like, it's it's always something, right? Catie: It's a vicious cycle we're in. But so we Katie Holter: Yeah, yeah. Catie: we have to ask because you have the bag behind you. So if you guys are only listening to us, it's worth flipping on to look look at look at us while we're talking to you. but Katie, you have the bag beh the Ivy Go bag. You need to tell us how it came to be. Katie Holter: Yes, yes. Okay. So I think we talked a little bit about this at the beginning, but basically I was sitting in a pediatrician's appointment. it was after I had my third baby, so it was like the first appointment, you know, after you're released from the hospital. So I had my two other little ones with me and it was just chaos. You know, they had stripped her down, she's just in a diaper, she's screaming because she's cold, because they had just weighed her and you're waiting for the doctor to come in. You know, and she's and I'm thinking like, okay, I just have to give her some milk because she's we gotta do something. She's you know, she's freaking out. So I'm trying to breastfeed and I'm trying to hold her up. You know, you're postpartum, you're sweaty, you're stinky. It's just like it's hot in there. It was just like the perfect storm of like I just am sitting in this moment and I'm thinking You know, it in the moment I felt like just like a failure, like, why can't I do this? I'm failing, I can't do this, I feel out of control. But then after I was like, Maybe there's a better way, you know, like maybe there's something that that I could do differently, or maybe there's a product that could support this. And in that moment, I reached down, I grabbed my diaper bag, and I used it to kind of prop up the baby and try to get her to be able to feed. And it was like a light bulb went off, and I was like, What if I could make a diaper bag? that would be supportive. So that's exactly basically what I did is this is our Ivy Go diaper bag. It is a structured bag for exactly that purpose. So when you put it on your lap, I'm trying to scoop back a little bit so I can actually show. But when you put it on your lap it is supportive enough that you can use it as a surface on the go to either breastfeed bottle feed there is also a pocket in here where you can pull out a nursing cover if you like to have a cover when you feed. Catie: So cool. Katie Holter: the strap is adjustable around the neck, so you can kind of figure out what works for you. It connects right in the bag. This comes off in case you're wanting, you know, obviously to watch Catie: Amazing. Katie Holter: it. when you're done, you can just shove it right back in the pocket, zip it up. And yeah, this back pocket also has a changing mat. So this is kind of what gives you that kind of squishy, soft, supportive surface. So it's not like too structured. and then the inside of the bag I personally love because I hate digging for stuff in a bag. So it has these kind of compartments. This one I Catie: Yeah. Danielle: And if you're not during you're not watching, watch because the way these compartments are, we'll try and visually Catie: I don't Danielle: explain them. So I cannot tell you how many inserts I bought for like diaper bags or like additional bags to put inside of the diaper Katie Holter: Yes. Danielle: bag to try and organize all the things. And I was an exclusive I'm looking at it watching you do it. Even as an exclusive pumping mom, like I'm a type C mom. So like having all the things, remembering them all together at one is sometimes a challenge when I'm Like habitually like burning the candle at both ends. But Katie Holter: Yeah. Danielle: having like the cover where you I could put the pump in my diaper bag instead of having to have a d a pump bag, a diaper. You always had your diaper bag with you, no matter what, right? So like being able to put those things in and like you said, pump, breastfeed, bottle feed, like have it all there in one spot is just a true gift. So thank you for your struggle in that pediatrician office because Katie Holter: Thank you. Danielle: I wish I had that bag. Katie Holter: Thank you so much. It's Catie: I know. Katie Holter: yeah, it's really it's we completely designed it to do exactly what you're saying. Help moms. We're already so busy doing all the things. It's so hard to remember those things that you need, especially when you're flying out the door with even just flying out the door with one kid is overwhelming, let alone multiple. So Danielle: Mm-hmm. Katie Holter: yeah, that's really kind of how it started. Catie: And I feel like as time's gone on, because I remember watching, I think it was for Father's Day, right? And your husband did a little series about how he was using the bag. And Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: it had me laughing so hard because it was so true. But there's so many other uses besides that, like the kids just having somewhere to sit when you're out. Katie Holter: Yes. Catie: you know, snacks and all the phases that you go through. a structured bag is like it. Katie Holter: It's been really fun. Yeah. It's Danielle: Yeah, what are some of the most unique things that people have used it for that they've told you about? Katie Holter: been really fun. I would say the most unique thing that one of the moms who bought the bag sent us a message and showed us was she actually wears it almost like a almost like a hip carrier. So she wears it crossbody, but then she actually will put like if she's holding her baby, she'll use this. For the baby's bottom and put the leg, you know, baby's legs this way, either close facing or outward facing. And she just uses it as Catie: right. Katie Holter: like a a little seat that way. So, like that was my mind was blown. We do that all the time now with our two and a half year old because it's like she still likes to be carried. and then the other thing that was really unique is people using it this way as like a seat. even just for a toddler who's wanting to sit and tie their shoes. Or like my daughter, my husband took my daughter, I think what you were talking about in those videos, like they were at a baseball game and he put it right on the seat and she sat on it like a little booster seat. So it has been fun to Catie: smart. I love that. Katie Holter: see like different uses for it than we had even intended, you know. Catie: Yeah. And I think too like one of the things you had that light bulb moment of that, but I we of course need to know the nerdy details of like how'd you start and what was your background prior to this to create Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: this product. Katie Holter: Absolutely. So absolutely nothing related Danielle: Mm-hmm. Catie: Yeah. Katie Holter: to product, you know, development, merchandising, absolutely zero. I started off as a teacher. I taught for a few years and then I actually pivoted out of that before we had kids. I worked at a tech startup for a little while. I did kind of like a bunch of different jobs. I was a writer for a while. I wrote for like a magazine that was really focused on the earth and things like that. So it was kind of cool having a background in some of the especially leading into our other products that we have that use like natural fibers. That was kind of a neat parallel. But I did all of those things and really didn't have any sort of any sort of background in doing any of this. I kind of did what I think most people do is they Hit up Google and they're like, all right, I have an idea. What do I do? So we started off with a patent attorney. That that was like our step one, because we knew we had not, you know, this product that didn't exist yet. So we were like, let's start there. So we started there, and then our next step was like, okay, now we need a technical design. That's what they call it. A tech pack is basically like the industry term for that, which is essentially a blueprint. that for anything any product on the market, whether it's a piece of clothing we're wearing or a pen that we're holding on to, every single product has one of these technical designs behind it so that the factory knows exactly what to do, the the products needed to, you know, the materials, the stitching, everything. So I actually went on to like upwork. I went on to Upwork, which is just kind of like a site where you can hire freelance workers. And so I interviewed a bunch of different technical designers and I found one that I really, really loved. So we started working together and kind of hammering out the design. That was like really our first and second steps, I would say. Danielle: From start to Catie: So Danielle: finish, how long did it take you to get the design that you were happy with? Katie Holter: Gosh, probably a year. Probably a year. I mean, we were fully like before we had product in hand ready to launch, it was two full years of development. And yeah. So once we got the design in hand, we were comfortable with, then it was like, Okay, now we have to find a factory. Like we have our blueprint, but what do we do with it? So that was a whole nother thing. So we kind of went Same thing, hit up Google and I'm like, all right. I don't I have no idea. Catie: Yeah, yeah. Danielle: Your business code, Google, it's fine. Katie Holter: You know. Yeah, we just that's what we tried. It did not go very well. you know, there's a there's a lot of factories, but if you really don't know much about it, like I didn't, there's different countries have different specialties, different factories might be interested in working with you, some may not because you're a startup and you're new. A lot of factories are pretty comfortable with their current workload. and just kind of like as a standard across the industry, the factories are always seeming to have more work than they do time. So it's like you're already trying to just squeeze in to their current, you know, load of what they've got going, which is really a challenge. So we struggled for a while with that. We we tried and we just weren't having a whole lot of success. So We then went back to our designer and she had a contact who was kind of in production. so then we met up with them and they kind of helped us then through that process of connecting with a factory, making sure that our technical specifications were being followed, because that's another thing. I mean, a lot of these factories, you'll send them your technical design and they're like, cool. That's great. We we like that, but we're gonna kinda do whatever we want and try to sort of kinda do it. It's kind of it it happens. So then finding a factory that's like taking your your tech pack seriously and following it, that was challenging too. But finally we made it through all of that and we're really, really happy with the product. It we did a couple iterations of it too, you know, honing in on different things, making some different changes and so Yeah, it was a long it was a long road, that's for sure. Danielle: Yeah. And you mentioned that you did you wrote for a an earth conscious or like material conscious art magazine or was it a magazine or a newspaper? Okay. Katie Holter: Yeah, it was like an online newspaper. Mm-hmm. Danielle: So I know that you took a lot of time and thought into what kind of materials you were gonna source and paying attention to those details. Can you Katie Holter: Yep. Danielle: tell us little bit about that on top of everything else? Katie Holter: Yes. So you know, I feel like with the bag there the materials that we had to choose or that we chose from are we didn't have as much flexibility with the diaper bag because we want it to be waterproof, we want it to be stain resistant, we want durability. I mean that being said, we were really able to lean into like using Pima Cotton, which is a very High quality cotton for our nursing covers and for our new apparel line that we have of children's wear. So that I feel like the material choices were more fun when it came to that type of thing because we had a lot more, like there's a gajillion fabrics on the market, you know? And so we were able to choose a really organic, all of the you name it in terms of certificates, like it has it. We have pretty much every certification you can have for our cotton, which we just really wanted to offer, especially something that's gonna be close to a baby. we were really excited to be able to do that. And one thing that's really interesting that not many people know is we see a lot of like the bamboo fabrics. I'm sure you guys have seen bamboo this, bamboo that, right? Danielle: Yeah. Katie Holter: Well, bamboo is actually made via a chemical process. They basically use a chemical solvent that kind of takes the materials and mushes them up and and basically makes this fabric through this kind of icky process. It's very damaging to ecosystems. It's it actually causes like reproductive harm on the workers that are processing this. It's like it's got a lot of we've been very greenwashed to see bamboo and think, I mean that's what I thought. bamboo. It sounds great. Danielle: Until this very second, that's what I thought. So Catie: Literally, yeah. Katie Holter: Yeah, it sounds really great, like healthy, it's good, like yay. But really it's it's not. And cotton is one of the few fibers that truly are natural and non damaging to people, the ecosystem. I mean, there's conversations you could have, I'm sure, about virtually any type of fabric on the market, but it's a lot less damaging than a lot of the mainstream products that we have on the market right now. Catie: Yeah. And when you so you were sourcing this, how because th I've never had experiences, how did you go about like pricing the bag then? Because obviously like higher end, you know, quality Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: to the bag and that, like what was your thought process behind that? Katie Holter: Yeah, so our production like teams, they have s they have people within the team that really focus on looking at all of those metrics. So like they'll take pricing from all different other brands and kind of do like a big comparison to make sure that you're fitting in within, you know, your bracket of where you're gonna line up. So they do like a lot of research. But also it's really challenging as a new brand because your costs are going to be much higher than like bigger brands that are having a lot of order volume. You know, you're starting off small. So that was really a challenge. So we basically did our absolute best in terms of pricing. We want to offer the best price that we can, but it's also so hard because you still need to be able to pay your factory and like it's your margins are really really tight when you're starting off and and that's a challenge 'cause you just you wanna be able to keep moving forward and be able to then, you know, place future orders and that was a really hard part too. Catie: Yeah, and I can imagine too, because you want to like your mom yourself, like you you're like, I want something that is within range but hits the quality and is gonna last. And Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: I'm sure there were so many things that went into that. Danielle: And I think too you you you were kind of a disruptor in the industry a little bit because everybody knows everybody that tried br breastfeeding or that pumped or whatever, we you had a five thousand breastfriends all over your house. The breastfriend Katie Holter: Yeah. Danielle: was my second adventure because I had bumbo pillows all over my house that became dog beds. Then you had a million different covers that you tried. And, you know, then on top of that, the diaper bag. So when you priced it out, I'm sure. At first people like that's they might have said, like, you were worried that they were gonna say that's an expensive diaper bag. But the reality is it's not just a diaper bag, it's a lot of other things. Katie Holter: Yes. Well, and it does include our changing mat, the nursing cover, it includes stroller clips, so you can kind of almost turn it into a stroller bag as well. We have a lot of moms that love doing that. but yeah, I mean, you know, it's it's definitely a product we feel that grows with a family too, which you know, we've got moms that are maybe not using the changing mat anymore, not necessarily carrying around a diaper bag, and they carry this thing to work and they put their laptop in the back. which is really fun to see. Like that was another surprise for me because I just didn't know I was hopeful that that would be the case, that people would continue to use it and just love it as like a a maybe a bag or a work bag, but you never know. And so seeing that has been really fun, that people are like enjoying using it beyond just the baby phase. Danielle: life form. 'Cause Catie: And let me tell you, there's Danielle: you know, Catie: there's been times where I wish I had a changing pad, like for my three year old just being out like we're body trained, but these bo like the things that they just decide to do and you're like, Could you not sit on the floor in the bathroom stall? Like could you Katie Holter: no. Danielle: that's what I mean I'm thinking about soccer, Katie. Like the amount of times I've taken Katie to the game for Catie: Holy gosh. Danielle: built-in like for something, I forget the seat or I have to bring 5,000 snacks because we can't sit through 15 minutes of anything with the movie theater. Like it's just I still bring my diaper bag, which I do not need Daisy's potty. I do not need a diaper bag, but I will still bring my diaper bag around and it doesn't have all those things because I'm desperate for places to put stuff. Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: For sure. Katie Holter: I mean my youngest is two and a half and we still carry this thing just about everywhere because even though she's not a baby baby, it's still like you're saying and one thing we love too, you mentioned with the snacks. I mean, how many times have you had snacks that then you take it out of the diaper bag and it's like maybe a granola bar and it's all just crumbs? So like we love that because I mean you could throw this thing down a hill and you're gonna have if you have a bag of potato chips in there, they are gonna be A bag of potato chips when they get to the bottom of the hill, you know? Catie: It's such a good point though. Like I we've had a an applesauce incident where we've had it and like the kids have smushed on the thing and applesauce goes all over. So definitely Katie Holter: us two many times you Danielle: So as Katie Holter: know. Danielle: you're building out this product, and I'm switching gears a little bit, but I I want to ask, you were doing this all while you were postpartum, like freshly postpartum. Can you tell us what that felt like? What Katie Holter: Yeah. Danielle: like it seems like it would be a lot. Katie Holter: Yeah, it was definitely not ideal. it was never something in a million years I would have ever thought would be something I'd be doing, you know, a couple months postpartum with our third baby. And also after I had my third, I developed severe preoclampsia. So I was hospitalized for eight days. It really was, I think now in retrospect, this company truly has saved me. And it really got me through some of my darkest times because my anxiety was out of control. I mean, that medical event was extremely unexpected. and then, you know, trying to navigate that with three children and then the lasting effects of, you know, I was still on medication for a while and then I'm like, my gosh, like what if what if my blood pressure spikes again? Or like I mean, it was so I feel like this grounded me and it gave me something to focus on that wasn't my health or the kids all the time it kind of broke me out of a lot of those like depressive thoughts that I was having during that time. And I'm really it wasn't ideal, but at the same time I feel like it now in retrospect it it kinda saved me to have something else to lean into. Catie: Yeah, and it can b I'm sure like outside of the the medical side of it for you, like three kids, tell us about what kind of village you have to be doing all these things. Katie Holter: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, we my parents are wonderful. My mom and my dad, they live close. They are we're so thankful and lucky to have them. They literally will help us with anything we need. They're so supportive. and so I feel like, you know, and I have a brother and a sister as well, and they're wonderful as well. They're younger than me. they don't have their own children yet or spouses. So, you know, my kids are always very spoiled by having cool aunts and uncles that wanna Catie: Yeah. Katie Holter: do things with them. So we, you know, we do have a I would say we have a small village, but we have a really powerful one. Even though the you know, the body count might be small, Catie: Yeah. Katie Holter: you know, you name it, we we have support. And we also we have wonderful like we have a couple sitters that are really great. So we've kind of gotten some people in our corner that if we need support and we need help, we we have a couple people. So it's been it's been great. Catie: And what so I feel like the the whole purpose of us wanting you on the podcast, not only for the amazing product that you built to help other moms and that, but also from the entrepreneurial side, like you Katie Holter: Yes. Catie: had the the drive to do this during postpartum and that. What would be advice you might give somebody that has an idea and you know hasn't taken that leap to to run with? Katie Holter: Yeah. I would say, you know, Google is your friend. Chat GPT is your friend. If you're feeling overwhelmed to start, that's normal. You're I mean you're never I feel overwhelmed even now with some of the decisions we have to make and th and different things. But honestly, the best advice I could give somebody is just take the first step because things build on each other. You know, you might take the first step with one person or you make one decision and that person knows somebody else. Or then you get to the next level. I feel like our journey has very much built on itself. Like one person leads us to another person, then that gives us another idea. And that it's really just about going for it, even though it's really it is, it's terrifying because you don't know how it's gonna go. But if you feel passionate about something, chances are other people or other moms are gonna feel the same way, you know? Danielle: That's so true. Catie: Absolutely. And I hate Katie Holter: Worth it. Catie: I hate to put you on the spot because I also know investment is a huge part of this, not only your time. Katie Holter: Yeah. Catie: Do you feel I don't know if you feel comfortable sharing like from an investment side, how did you guys you were postpartum? I mean, it's always a hard time. How did that Katie Holter: Yes. Yeah. Catie: go for you guys as a family? Katie Holter: You know, it's really it's I'm gonna be honest, it's really a challenge because, you know, we didn't find a whole lot of luck in terms of like securing financing or anything like that. I think a lot of people maybe have or can or some people I've heard of using like Kickstarter and that type of thing. But I mean we just straight up took out some loans, maxed out some credit cards. It's not It's not glamorous and it's not cute. You know, we sold a car. yeah, it's it's really something that we've truly just believed in to the point where we're like, we're willing to do this because we we want to bring this to the market. Danielle: That shows your dedication to like and your true belief in like the product that you wanted to create. And I've heard other people say things like that. Like, you know, if you're gonna go max out your credit card, if you're gonna go take out loans, like you are going to bust your butt to make sure that this is going to work. Do you feel like that did encourage you to work that much harder and go that much farther than if you would Katie Holter: Yeah. Danielle: have gotten investment? Katie Holter: I think so. I mean, I feel like, you know, when you truly are putting your life on the line where you're going, If we can't pay this, like we we have to pay this. We can't not, you know, there's not an option and it it really does really mo it's very motivating to go, Okay, you know, maybe it's not I think it is kind of insane when you actually think about it. People you know, that do start businesses. I think there is like honestly like a level of somewhat insanity because it's kind of like Danielle: Yes. Catie: Literally though, yes. Katie Holter: you really are making these decisions where you're like, it's not based on any promise that this is gonna work out. You are just running full speed at you know, off a cliff, truly, and you're praying to God that your parachute opens up while you're descending because that's really what the decisions kind of feel like, you know. Danielle: But when you family Catie: We Danielle: to support and like people that are relying on you, it changes your mindset a little bit of what you are capable of. And I think it's just motivating for Katie and I and hopefully our listeners too to say, like, I think we all wait for that perfect moment. The finances Katie Holter: Yes. Danielle: need to be in order, the family needs to be in order. Everything I everything needs to be perfect before I take you, like you said, that one step. And the reality is that's usually not the case. And if you bet on yourself and you really believe in it, that you can make. the things happen that you want to happen. And I think that's motivating to any mom who's like thinking about doing something different. Katie Holter: Yeah. Well, and I think you can apply it even just to anything that you're doing in motherhood. It's it's helped me even in my own just nothing business related, even motherhood related, where I'm like, even little things like, you know, I've got ten loads of laundry and I'm like, just do one. Just do one. Or even like after I had my third baby, I mean I was I think I had gained almost eighty-five pounds. You know, I mean, it happens to a lot of us, especially as you had more kids. It was just like I was in a place where I'm going, I just want to feel more like me. And it was like, Okay, just start walking, just do one thing, you know, and it's just like I think the business side has also impacted me as a mom just by how I think about things and just doing like little things that then just build on each other. And it's been helpful. Catie: Well, we appreciate you being so vulnerable and quite honestly just real about the whole process because I think it's something people miss. They hear the glamorous story and like, you know, all the success in that. And it's like, well, we need advice on how to get started and and support on how that works. And yeah, especially being moms, there's so much going on that you forget that there is more time to do things. And if you believe in something, you have to go for it. Katie Holter: Yeah, it's true. And I mean even your I think the other piece of advice that I would that I never heard well it maybe I heard from some people but I never really understood it is you really do also have to know that your current like circle of people in your life will also change if you start something and you do something different. You know, it's doing something different is not it's gonna be received differently by different people. So some people might be like, yay, this is great. And other people might be like, well that's kind of weird, you know? And so that was kind of that's kind of a weird shift too is you you bring a bunch of new people in your life and your circle just kind of changes too. Which isn't a bad thing. It's just something that I wasn't ever really thinking about, you know. Catie: Yeah, that piece of it evolves too. So as we look forward, what can we expect from August and Ivy through the rest of this year? Katie Holter: Well we are super excited. We're already working on our next version of the bag, so we have some fun things that we are gonna be changing. One of one of the things that we're doing is we are gonna have insulated pockets on the side. So whether you're putting in a hot bottle, cold bottle, you know, whatever, that is one change. yeah, we are we are playing around with a couple different fun things, so that's on the horizon, and we also We did recently launch our small line of children's wear. So we've got some really cute, like zippy rompers, we've got some hats, we've got some bibs, so possibly expanding more into some other items in that. But yeah, I'm just I'm excited to see even just where the brand goes. Cause I I don't even know. I mean I I Danielle: Yeah. Katie Holter: think I know, but we also love getting feedback from people and even people that already have our items. We love like hearing you know, what people are wanting and we like to really take stuff like that into consideration too. Danielle: And I think it's great to be able to support, you know, someone that you know as a mom is also like a mom and doing all the right things, like you said, with your like sourcing materials and building it out for the busy mom, because you don't just do August and Ivy. I don't think people probably know that, but you also have like a a nine to five job on top of August and Ivy. And so does your husband. So that's a lot. Katie Holter: I do. Yep. Yep, we do. It's really a lot. It is. And a lot of times, you know, we many times we get our kids down and then from like ten PM till sometimes one AM we're packaging orders, we're doing emails, we're it it is definitely like we talked about it's it's non glamorous that's for sure. Especially when you're starting up. It's a lot of it's a lot of elbow grease, it's a lot of effort, you know. Danielle: Glamour can be overrated. Okay. It's about realness and having fun like with what you're doing. And it's all I'm Katie Holter: Less. Danielle: gonna say this. This is a total one-off, but you listen to us, so you know that's usually what I do. I watched The Hawk. I finished The Hawk. Have either of you watched that show? Katie Holter: No. Danielle: Okay, so Katie, your husband's an as was a pro golf like, wasn't he a pro golfer? Okay. Katie Holter: Yeah, yeah. Danielle: It's about it's a golf show and it's will fair. Katie Holter: my gosh, well we're gonna have to watch it. Danielle: You have to watch it. Catie: Brian's and nerdy. Danielle: But I don't want to ruin it for you, but there's a moment where like the glamour. is like what he thinks he wants and then he's like, I just want like the realness of this other and it's just like that's all I can think of right now. But then I'm like, wait, her husband was a pro golfer. That you have to watch the show while you're doing work. It's hilarious. Katie Holter: We will I love that idea. And we're always looking for something. Right now we've been he's funny. He cracks me up. My husband is more into like the chick flicks than I am. Like throw on like any girly show and he's into it. Like Catie: Mm-hmm. Katie Holter: we like the other night he's like, I just want to watch Sweet Magnolias with you. I'm like, Okay, we can do that. That's a good show too lately we've been watching. But yes, I completely agree. And I always try to tell myself too when I'm feeling tired or I'm feeling like You know, you're not gonna be motivated a hundred percent of the time. But I also feel like you just learn it becomes just part of you. You don't have to feel motivated to act motivated, you know? You just are like you just do it. but one thing that I heard and it was like if what you're doing or if you're tired because you love what you're doing, it's it's a good tired. So I try to tell myself that. Even when I'm tired or fried, I'm like, it's a good tired. It's a good fried. I couldn't I couldn't ask for a better Reason to feel tired. Catie: So amazing. Well, I feel like we can keep talking forever, but I do want to give everyone where they can find the bag. Of course, we will, Katie Holter: Yes, yes. Catie: if you guys are listening to us, we have it linked in the notes here wherever you're listening. but you can find August and Ivy on Instagram as well. We'll have them tagged there, but we do have a special promo code for you guys on the Ivy Go bag. we have $20 off. if you use code 92M20. So it's 9TO MOM20. So we'll make sure we have that link too. But Katie, thank you again for coming on here. This was so fun. Katie Holter: This is so fun. Thank you guys. I'm it was Danielle: It's great talking to you. Katie Holter: just a blast. I love chatting with you girls. Catie: Alright, we'll see you on Danielle: Excited what's next? Catie: next time. Katie Holter: I