A Balancing Act: Adena Surabian of Nature's Baby

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Adena Surabian is the founder of Nature's Baby, a line of natural baby products available in over 300 stores nationwide-including Whole Foods. Adena balances between the all consuming life of an entrepreneur behind a fast growing company and raising her two daughters, ages 3 and 6.

Samantha: Before launching your current company, you started an online child safety store. What prompted that?

Adena: We spent over $1000 to professionally baby proof our home and they still missed things that were dangerous.

At the time my first daughter was born, I was working as a V.P. for an Internet Software Development Company. It really was my husband's idea to start the child safety store. He wanted me to be able to work less and work from our home so I could spend more time with my daughter.

Samantha: How did you balance working on the business with caring for your baby?

Adena: I insisted that a nursery and play area be built into our offices so that I could be with my daughter. Since it was an internet business, I could work flexible hours; early mornings, late evenings, and between naps. As our business grew, I was able to hire employees, but in the end it was my family that truly made it work.

My grandparents moved to LA to be closer to the family. For years they had owned and operated a snack bar in the Union Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas. My grandfather, who was 85 at the time, really missed working. One day he showed up, ready to work, and started packing up my orders. Because he could not drive, my grandmother would have to drive him. She also helped me out a lot with my daughter.

Our customers were very supportive and knew we were a family owned business. They were accustomed to hearing my daughter in the background.

Samantha: How did you end up launching Nature's Baby?

Adena: When my daughter was around 17 months old, she developed a horrible rash. I took her to several dermatologists, each who instructed me to try and find a common thread between the baby products I was using. So I sat down at my computer to look up the ingredients and they had listings that said bio-hazardous, carcinogenic, potentially harmful, and possible irritants. I was floored!

It turns out, my daughter is allergic to certain chemicals and she is sensitive to perfumes and dyes, so I tried the natural products that were already on the market and they simply did not work. Both my daughters were born with a ton of hair and the natural shampoos would not even get through their hair. With my husband's blessing I hired a chemist and went to work.

Samantha: Do you have suggestions for combating the feelings of guilt that plague so many moms?

Adena: Feeling guilty and worrying about our children seems to go hand in hand. Something that really worked for me was recognizing that I did not have to be my child's playmate all the time. It is actually healthy to teach them how to play by themselves and to entertain themselves. It allows imagination and creativity to develop.

Samantha: What is your childcare situation like?