Lollipop Guild

The connection that comes along with being twins, not only spans finishing each other’s sentences, but extends into business for this dynamic duo. Eleanor and Angel, the founders of Vancouver-based baby goods company Loulou Lollipop, set up shop in 2015 and are making a serious name for themselves in the world of teething jewelry, pacifier clips, and now blankets.

MINI | We are thrilled to spend the afternoon with two powerhouse moms— and twin sisters! Tell us about your idea to start Loulou Lollipop.

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | The idea of Loulou Lollipop started when Eleanor was at one of her lowest times. When Eleanor was six month pregnant, the interior design company that she worked for went bankrupt and left her jobless. While she was on maternity leave, she was looking for ways to help with her family’s financial needs. The idea came when her then seven-month-old broke a couple of her beloved necklaces. Her frustration led her to seek out a solution and this was how Loulou Lollipop came about.

MINI | What makes you two a great team?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | We finish each other’s sentences! It’s a joke, but it’s close to being true. Not sure if it’s because we are twins, but we often have very similar ideas on various aspects of business, so we don’t need to explain to each other in detail what we are trying to say. However, since we came from different education and work backgrounds, we play different roles in our company. Eleanor leads the creative direction of the company, while Angel handles the systems and marketing side of the business.

MINI | What is a typical work day like for you two?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | Every day is new, with new challenges, and new things to learn. However, our day usually starts after dropping off our kids at daycare or school. We start with an extra large coffee, [then] shuffle between the front office and the back warehouse. We help out wherever and whenever our team needs us. Priority is the key, and we prioritize our day according what’s the most urgent.

MINI | Introduce our readers to the brand. What does Loulou Lollipop make?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | Loulou Lollipop is a life style brand with a focus on designing fun, functional, and eco-friendly silicone teething products and muslin baby goods. As moms ourselves, we understand how hard the first couple years of your baby’s life can be: the lack of sleep, the loneliness, and the constant battle of mom guilt. So we set out to create products to put a smile on your face, to help you appreciate the smallest wins, and to look at the silver linings of every hardship and to make lasting memories.

MINI | How have you seen the brand evolve or grow since it began?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | Our brand originally started as a home-based, handmade business making and selling silicone necklaces on Etsy to now a lifestyle brand offering 200+ original and unique styles of silicone toys, accessories, and muslin blankets for babies at over 800 specialty stores, as well as major shopping destinations like Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn Kids.

MINI | Show us around the office. How long have you been in this space?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | We have only been in our current office for seven months, but this office is everything that we dreamed of. It has a huge high ceiling warehouse area where we keep all of our stocks. The front office is where the creativity and magic happen. We love plants, so there are quite a few in the office. It calms us and helps us focus and tackle a day’s work.

MINI | How do you two support each other as moms, as well as in business?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | We both understand that family is our priority, so when one of us has to take a leave of absence from work for family reasons, we will have no problem stepping in and completing each other’s work. We both know each other’s role and current tasks very well, and we communicate regularly so that we are always on the same page.

MINI | What advice do you have for moms who are looking to start their own business?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | Have a support system in place. A new business is like a newborn baby; it takes time to nurture and grow it. Especially in the beginning when there is lots of ground work that needs to be done, it’s important to have someone that can help support you.

MINI | How do you balance career and motherhood?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | There is no such thing as balance. There are sacrifices that both of us and our family have to make. It’s about compromise. Before we started our business, we cooked more often and our homes were more organized. Now, we eat out more and house work is not always done. However, we have great, supportive husbands that have our backs. They are extremely hands-on and step in to help whether is at home or at work. They are always willing to lend an extra pair of hands.

MINI | How about the greatest challenge of being a working mom?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | The greatest challenge is being able to be “present.” It’s hard to separate family life from work. Time management is really important to make sure what matters to us the most gets done first. The challenge is setting priorities and boundaries.

MINI | Give us your take on “having it all.”

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | Having it all is doable for a short period of time, but it won’t last. Something is going to give, whether it be our health, relationships with family, or friends. The importance is not to have it all and be OK with it. We are all imperfect; it’s fine to not be able to have it all.

MINI | Where do you hope to see the brand go in the future?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | We have big hopes for our brand. We hope that our brand will one day not only be recognized as an international brand synonymous with quality and trend-setting designs in the baby industry, but a brand that gives back to help provide a better future for our next generations and the less fortunate.

MINI | Looking back to your first days as moms, what would you tell yourselves?

ELEANOR AND ANGEL | Sleep while baby sleeps. This is really easier than said than done. We often found ourselves staying up way too late catching up on our “me” time and it really impacted the well-being of ourselves and our family.

Draw.

Extra large, two cream, two sugar.

Glass of water and family pictures.

Check someone’s poo.

Louis Armstrong and Kenny G.

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.

Chili sauce.

Eating a half dozen Portuguese egg tarts all at once.

Wings night at a local pub.

Citrus Bergamot.

Japanese Ramen

Castle in the Sky

Sleep.

Two cream, one sugar.

My wedding picture.

Japanese Ramen.

Nothing. I like my peace and quiet.

Liturgy of the Ordinary.

Lemon.

Eating a whole bag of gummy bears by myself.

Westworld.

Green tea with ginger.

Smell someone’s bum.

Harry Potter

Photography by Emmy Lou Virginia