Interview with the founders of sandiia®
Who is actually behind the brand sandiia? They are two friends and moms who got together in 2018 to fulfill a big dream:
-How did you two meet?
We met in 2013 in an advertising agency in Düsseldorf and immediately got along very well. It was love at first sight 😉 A few years later we became pregnant almost at the same time. This intensive time really bonded us together.
-How did the idea for sandiia® come about?
During our parental leave, we both realized that there are no fashionable and beautiful baby carriers that are also ergonomic. The topic of carrying was (unfortunately) not very attractive for either of us, which is of course a shame, as carrying is the most natural way to transport your child, to calm it down and it is incredibly helpful for the child's development.
-And how did you then put your idea into action?
When we both returned to agency life after parental leave in 2016, it was clear to us that this work was not completely fulfilling for us. We have become more and more obsessed with the idea of living a life as a digital nomad. To be flexible. Even work from home sometimes. In the time before the pandemic, this was almost never possible.
Then we dealt intensively with the topic of baby carriers again and started researching. The competition, the target group and of course the procurement of goods in our case – weaving mills. It quickly became clear to us: we can do better! We then founded our company in 2018. We first started with woven slings. We developed the designs and patterns ourselves. When we went online with our shop in 2019. We didn't expect such success. The cloths were well received and on the first day we had already generated 3 sales - one even to Hungary. Without advertising! We always stayed on the ball and eventually developed our own baby carrier from scratch. The best thing about it: We were able to implement everything that was important to both of us as mothers. That was the absolute game changer and success was inevitable. Things have only been going up since then.
- Who helped you found it?
We didn't get any help and just decided on a lot of things based on gut feeling. Everything was learning by doing. If we got stuck somewhere, we researched or asked around. But most importantly, we just started and kept going and never gave up. The best thing: we weren't alone and were always able to push and support each other. Since we complement each other so well, it was just a lot of fun.
-What hurdles are there?? Especially with small children.
To be honest, the pandemic played a bit into our hands because it meant we were able to work from home a lot. There was no need to go to the office and lunch breaks could be used for sandiia. We were able to organize our time better ourselves. We worked for Sandiia every free second, especially in the evenings when they were sleeping or on weekends when they were out with their fathers. We were happy to do it because it was our baby together!
-What fears and expectations did you have when you founded the company?
We had no fears because we always believed in our idea and started without any major financial risk. Because we did everything ourselves, we not only saved a lot, but also learned a lot.Even a permanent position involves risks; the last 3 years have shown us that nothing in the world is certain. You have to take your life and your professional happiness into your own hands.
-What does your everyday work look like?
We are currently living our dream! The nice thing is that we can work very flexibly. That was always our wish and goal. We work in the mornings when the children are at school and daycare. Meetings, customer appointments, brainstorming sessions, giving training courses, planning social media content, etc. The most important thing we learned was good time management and setting priorities and sometimes handing over tasks.
-Where and how do you work?
We both work flexibly from anywhere. We have managed to become digital nomads. We have built our business in such a way that we are independent of location and time.
-What makes the carrier special? What is the concept?
We developed our baby carrier personally. Two mothers who put their heart and soul into a baby carrier. We implemented everything in the carrier that would have been important to us at the time. There is a lot of love in every detail of the carrier. Our carriers are not only stylish, but also super easy to use. In addition, our carriers are minimalist without a lot of frills but still ergonomic. Our stretcher has been tested and certified according to EU standards and as a hip-healthy product. Of course, our patterns and colors are also special. Before the customer receives our carrier, it goes through two independent quality controls.
-What are your next steps with sandiia?
Definitely expand. We are already a well-known brand in Germany and the DACH region. Our goal is to do the same in other countries. There are also more products in the pipeline ;) We still have so many ideas and look forward to implementing them in the future.
