Interview: Angela Kelly of Just Ducky Babies

By Beth Manning

Every so often TheBabywearer.com will present interviews with sling makers, manufacturers, and vendors. The interviewees are selected by random drawing by baby Nora, my daughter. All of the vendors are assigned numbers and put in a hat. The first number to make it to Nora's mouth is the winner!

We are happy to showcase Angela Kelly of Just Ducky Babies as our first interviewee. Enjoy!

Business Questions

Q. Describe your business, Just Ducky Babies, in one sentence.
A. pampering for mom and baby

Q. How long have you been in business?
A. since Nov. 2000

Q. What inspired you to get started?
A. My daughter, Alona. When she was born I learned about Attachment Parenting, but found some of the products hard to find in my area. I love looking at products for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and babies! I started by designing a logo and went from there.

Q. What is the most challenging thing about selling baby carriers?
A. It's tough selling them online to first time users.

Q. What is the most rewarding?
A. The feedback from those first time users!

Background Questions

Q. Where do you live?
A. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA.

A. My husband Mike and my two daughters: Alona, 5 years old and Olivia, 16 months old. My husband is absolutely wonderful and so supportive. He just recently started helping with the business this past year. We have a little different household. Since my youngest was born, my husband quit work and is a SAHD. I work outside the home. Alona was really high needs as a baby and continues to be at 5. Having a sling was wonderful when she was little, but I found it even more invaluable when my second, Olivia, was born. It was really hard keeping up with a 4-year old without wearing the newborn in a sling. Olivia is completely the opposite of Alona and it continues to amaze me! People and relatives always seem to be concerned that if you keep your baby in a sling they won't crawl, walk, etc. on schedule. Well, Miss Olivia started walking at 9 months!

Q. Tell us a little about your own sling use.
A. I used a sling for both girls - Alona from 5 months on and Olivia from 3 days old on. People were always startled when Olivia was a newborn and they realized there was a baby in the sling I was wearing.

Q. Do you have any hobbies? If so, what?
A. boating, reading, scrapbooking and spending time with family and friends

Q. What did you do before you went into the baby business?
A. I have a degree in graphic design and I'm still putting that to good use.

Q. How do you manage balancing personal and professional life?
A. It's very hard in the beginning. Now I have it down to a very simple pattern: I fulfil orders in the very early morning or late at night and it doesn't take any time away from the family.

Q. Choose any day of the week and describe it in as much or as little detail as you wish.
A. Friday...it's pizza night!

Fun Questions

Q. What is the last good book you read, and why?
A. Up Country by Nelson Demille. It was interesting to learn about the Vietnam War. I don't have time to actually read anymore, I listen to books on tape/cd.

Q. The last good movie?
A. A real, non-kid movie? I can't even remember...but "Finding Nemo" was very cute!

Q. What 's the most useless talent that you posess?
A. I'm really good with a lint roller!

Q. What is your favorite baby carrier, and why?
A. My absolute favorite is the Maya Pouch! (Huge plug for someone else since I don't carry them!)

Q. What are your three favorite websites?
A. ebay.com, mothering.com and mac.com

Q. Assume money and time are no issue - where would you most like to visit?
A. Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas

Q. What is your favorite joke at the moment?
A. I can never remember jokes...I'm horrible at it!

Q. What is one important thing you think we could all do to make the world a better place?
A. Not to be so judgmental of everyone else. What works for you may not work for the person sitting next to you. Your children will become what you are, so be what you want them to be.

Q. Is there anything else the babywearing world should know about you?
A. Enough said :)