Raegan-Moya Jones, the sparkling Australian-born entrepreneur behind the popular aden + anais line of baby products is a passionate evangelist for the ancient practice of swaddling. In her book Swaddle Love, the 42 year-old author convincingly makes her case, detailing how lightweight fabric wraps–like the ones she produces–help infants feel secure. In Raegan’s view, swaddled babies are happy babies. And this mother of four daughters is also her own best customer, with baby Amelie arriving just last month. Workingmother.com recently got to chat with her about her experience in starting a fast-growing business.

Writing the book on swaddling
Swaddling is one of the most endearing child-rearing practices that you will learn, but it is sometimes misunderstood. Indeed, successful swaddling is more about consistency and perseverance than precise techniques.

I believe that all babies like to be swaddled. If you do not agree, think back to your first peek at a hospital nursery. Swaddling is a common bond among maternity nurses and midwives the world over because it replicates a universal feeling of security that all babies recognize, say experts. Swaddling reproduces the snug, calming environment of the womb, which is in sharper contrast to the noisy, bright, wide-open world into which babies are thrust at birth. What a way to enter the world, via shock therapy!

Meeting a need?
I had always wanted to run my own business, but like many people I didn't know what that business would be. As soon as I had Anais, I realized that you could not get muslin swaddle wraps in the US. And given every Aussie mum can't live without them, I had a hunch that once American mums knew they existed they would feel the same way. I was visiting a girlfriend of mine who lived in California (my ex business partner Claudia) on my way back from Australia where I had spent eight weeks of my maternity leave. Claudia had just had her first baby (Aden) at the time and as a fellow Aussie we were lamenting about how annoying it was that we couldn't get the wraps here in the US. Pretty much on the spot we decided to go into business making them ourselves, came up with the name, aden + anais and then spent the next 18 months trying to source the fabric and find a manufacturer that would work with us, which was no easy feat. I eventually attended a textile show in New York and after walking the entire show and being told by every manufacturer there that they could not produce muslin, I stopped at the very last booth by the exit. I spoke to the gentlemen at the booth who also said he was not familiar with the fabric, but he worked for one of the largest manufacturers in China and would take it back to the factory to see if they could do it. The factory said yes, and we had found our manufacturer. Claudia and I put in our own money to start the business. The initial amount we invested was $20,000 each.

Early feedback
We knew we were on to something in less than a week. Every store that took the product had called to place a reorder. I remember the owner of the Upper Breast Side in New York– the first store to take the product–called me three days after I had left her with 12 packs of the wraps and said " We're sold out...hold on to your hat, you are going to be in for a wild ride." That turned out to be the understatement of 2006!

Growth and Expansion
We have ten fulltime employees and eight independent sales reps in the US. We are now also incorporated in Australia and in the UK. We have distributors in five countries and our product is now sold in approximately 20 countries around the world, with products in more than 1800 boutiques in the US alone, not including Target. Our growth from 2008 to 2009 was 232% and in 2009, we grew another 135%.

We are constantly asked to make the blankets in "adult size" We still have some many new baby products in the works that I don't foresee moving into the adult market in the immediate future. But one thing the last 4 years of running this business has taught me is never say never...

On being an example to her daughters
Anais has just turned six and is now beginning to understand that her mum runs her own business that is named after her, she thinks that is really "cool." Lourdes who is four and Arin who is two, are both fans of the product and all the girls have an opinion on new designs and all have their favorites. A big part of starting my own business was to be able to involve the girls in my work life. I set the office up two blocks away from our apartment in Brooklyn, with a toy box and lounge area with DVD's so the girls and all the children of the people who work here feel welcome and like to come visit. The biggest attraction is Edi, our resident Cockapoo.

Lessons learned

  • I’ve learned to believe in your self and follow your gut instinct, it is usually right
  • I've learned to know what you don't know and be OK with letting other people guide you on all that you don't
  • I've learned that you need to have a very thick skin
  • I've learned that good staff is hard to find but when you do if you are grateful for what they do and treat them with respect they will be by your side every step of the way
  • I've learned that you need to have an incredibly supportive spouse/partner as the toll building a small business takes on your personal life is huge
  • I've learned that you can survive on three hours of sleep a night


What it takes to live the dream
I wish that going into the business I was more prepared for the amount of time and energy it would take to build it. The past three years of my life have involved nothing more than the immediate care of my family and my work. I was not even remotely prepared for the sacrifices you had to make to build a successful business. That said, I would do it all again even knowing what I now know.

aden + anais products are available online and in select Target stores.  Visit the aden + anais website for a list of boutique stores that also carry aden + anais products.