Guest blog post by Kayli Joann, Founder & CEO of Tender Seasons.
I stared in the mirror in disgust at the baggy, “cute” nightgown I had purchased for a little getaway with my husband. I was very pregnant and excited to get out of the house for a weekend! I had been on the search for something cute to make me feel pretty and more myself for my husband. This boxy, baggy, “pregnancy/nursing-friendly” nightgown that I had just gotten in the mail was such a disappointment. There had to be better options, I had scoured the internet for hours it seemed to try and find something that I felt confident in, to no avail.
And that’s how it started. A few months later, newly postpartum and feeling very much a stranger in my body – I sat down with my sketchpad next to our son, sleeping peacefully in his bouncy seat, and started to sketch the very first design that would become a total game changer in my life. Here was born the Fearless Collection nightgown that started Tender Seasons. There had to be better options out there for moms. Something to make us feel confident and pretty in this season of life that is so fragile. We so often feel like we are living in someone else’s body as we navigate pregnancy and postpartum in so many different ways. I just felt like I could do better, to design options for women that would put a total 180 spin on the normal designs for nursing-friendly, and postpartum wear.
It wasn’t long before I asked my sister-in-law to join me on this new adventure, I needed a partner to help me bring my dream to life. And what better option than a fellow mom that was no stranger to postpartum life, who also happened to be family and a dear friend. It became such a work of love for both of us, a passion to do better and make better options for moms that fueled body positivity in multiple ways! We poured our heart and soul into getting Tender Seasons off the ground. Everything from designing our website, to cultivating new product ideas, to photo shoots and product testing. It became so much of what we lived and breathed.
Since that day, we have strived to keep the vision that started it all alive and thriving. “To design maternity and nursing wear that combines comfort, functionality, and allure. Our goal is for you to feel beautiful and confident throughout every stage of motherhood”.
We have since designed more nightgowns, nursing bras, baby swaddles, and even commissioned a friend to make our famous all-over-baby balm that continues to be a mom favorite.
This has not just been about starting a business to help our families financially, or provide a sense of purpose to “mom life”. Tender Seasons has been a game changer in the lives of so many women. We want to create a sense of belonging and community here. For moms to feel confident using our products. To know they’re beautiful and strong in every single season of motherhood. It’s not easy, each phase brings new challenges, hills, and valleys. We want moms to know they aren’t alone!
We’ve now been honored to be mentioned and loved in so many households across the United States. Our business has grown enough now that we are able to give back as well! Now, when moms shop with us, a portion of their purchase goes to a non-profit called Carry Them Ministries. A body of incredible people who have come together to provide nutritional and breastfeeding support to moms and infants in Nigeria. This has always been a dream of mine, to give back. And seeing it come to fruition is absolutely an emotional experience. We are working towards the day when Tender Seasons will be a casual household name in the world of mom brands. We’re getting there!
We hope and pray always that our designs can make a difference, and that when moms put on our nightgowns or nursing bras they feel absolutely beautiful; because they truly are.