Before Huddy was born, I thought using a pacifier was one of the biggest decisions I’d have to make in those first few weeks so I did what any stressed out mama would do and googled it…. It was maddening. Some people said you’ll ruin your chances of breastfeeding and create nipple confusion while other people said it’s why their baby slept through the night at 4 weeks old. The stakes seemed so high and I was so overwhelmed by all of the different opinions. It didn’t even matter in the end because even though I decided to use one with Huddy, he refused to take it. But the whole experience taught me that no matter what choice I made about the pacifier, or anything else about parenting, it was the right one for me and Huddy because every kid is different and we’d figure it out together.
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When Lindsey first had the idea to create a clip to keep her daughter’s pacifiers away from their family dog, she had no idea how successful the company would become 8 years later. Yet, the part of the business that she is most proud of is the amazing community of moms that Ryan and Rose has brought together. The community of moms embraces differences and supports one another through their motherhood journeys.
What was the inspiration for your company?
We started Ryan & Rose in 2013. At that time, my oldest, Ryan Rose, who the business is named after, was about a year old. She used a pacifier. Our dog Penny used to eat all her pacifiers. I started looking for a clip, but everything was super long. I had some mommy hunch that this isn’t right. And that’s when Ryan & Rose started in 2013.
What was it like to grow the business from the ground up?
I think when a lot of people see the business now they just think we’re a really successful business, and it started this way, but thats a big misunderstanding. lt took us four years to really grow. It started off really small and my family was a huge help with childcare and with the business. We had some flexibility since my husband, Brett had his own business and was doing heating and air. I was off from teaching in the summer which also helped.
When people comment on our success, I have to remind them that this is year 8 for us. A lot of hard work and tears have gone into this. It took four years for me to even start paying myself. Everything that we earned, we just put right back into the business. The business was located in our house up until a year and a half ago. It was great to save money, but also a little crazy to have 10 employees working upstairs at my house, while my girls were downstairs. So it’s been quite the ride to get the business to where it is today.
How has the business extended to be more than just a retail business?
A lot of people who know my history know I have a lot of medical issues. I’ve had 24 major surgeries. At a young age, I was told I could never have kids. So being able to have two blessings is such a miracle. And we them as the inspiration for the business. However the business is so much more to us now. The business is our mission in life to bring women together to be a light and uplift one another. We also have a Facebook group to give women the space to have a connection and support each other.
I think the thing that I love seeing the most is friendships being made. We have so many people that have become friends through Ryan & Rose. Initially we were just selling pacifiers and clips, but it’s become so much more than that.
Bridget Garsh
Co-founder & COO
Bridget is mom to two little boys, Hudson and Brooks, and a champion of working moms everywhere. NeighborSchools itself was borne out of Bridget’s challenge to find high-quality yet affordable child care, and the realization that so many parents struggle with these same issues every day.
Read more from Bridget, follow her on IG, and check out her new series, Work Like a Mother.
