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Founder@ Interview
With Lucy Woodbridge
Credits@ Lucy Woodbridge, Butterbean
“Never have one income stream, set yourself up with multiple income streams so that if one goes belly up you have something else to fall back on. This will keep your business afloat and lower the risks. ” – Lucy Woodbridge
Today we feature Lucy Woodbridge, the founder at Butterbean. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
My name is Lucy, I’m a mum of two based in East London. I am the founder of Butterbean – an online hub of resources for pregnant women and parents. Butterbean is named after my daughter – I nicknamed her ‘Butterbean’ when I was pregnant. My role as the founder is to run the business but I also create all of the materials and videos. We have a series of online birth prep courses which are led by me and a team of midwives who are on hand to support our parents should they need guidance during pregnancy or when they’re caring for their new baby. We are the most affordable and in-depth provider of birth prep you’ll find.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
Before I founded my business I worked in Museums. My job was to use the narrative of the Museum and collection to create experiences for visitors. We would ticket the experiences to generate revenue for the Museum. My most loved role was at the Natural History Museum where I organised a series of events for Dippy’s departure from the Hintze Hall. Although my job was really fulfilling and interesting, when I had my first baby I felt a new calling – to support women to have a better time than I did with birth and infant feeding. I felt there was a void of information for new mothers and that the birth prep available on the market was either limited in content or very expensive. Since the business launched in 2022 we have won multiple industry awards and I have had my second baby – Frankie.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
We are based in London but our services are online so can be accessed anywhere and at anytime. We provide online courses for parents to prepare for birth and feeding. This covers labour, c-sections, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, expressing milk and what to do if you face feeding challenges. Our aim is to guide and support – we never tell women how they should give birth or how they should feed their baby. Our ethos is to provide the information to help parents make informed choices. On top of the courses, we have a team of midwives available to help with extra questions and guidance should our parents need it. This means that our support is holistic, in-depth and accessible to all.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
I took an online hypnobirthing course when I was preparing for my first birth and I felt utterly prepared to breathe my baby out. When it came to birth, I wasn’t prepared for having to make decisions because the course I took prepared me to avoid all medical interventions. It would have been better to understand them rather then avoid them altogether. It was this experience that led me to see the need for a course that gave women ALL of the information that they need so they can make choices for themselves. I believe that is how you empower people – with knowledge. There is no one size fits all approach to birth and feeding – some don’t want a vaginal birth, some do, some don’t want to breastfeed, some do and some can’t. To create butterbean, I have enlisted the help of designers who have brought the brand to life. I wanted a brand that was warm, represented everyone, was never ending and encompassed a holistic approach to motherhood. I also sought the support of a copywriter who helped to turn my words into scripts that could be filmed as short videos. I worked with a website designer and developer to create a user friendly experience that would drive up conversions. Finally, I work closely with an SEO expert so we can be sure that we are found on Google by the right people. Setting up Butterbean has taught me a huge amount. I now take on the majority of the website design and I create and run my social media which is where I engage with my core audience. Butterbean is still in its infancy and we have a long way to go but within a year of launching we have the building blocks of a well loved brand.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
I have worked with some brilliant suppliers who have been with me all the way and I have worked with some suppliers who just don’t get it and lose interest after a short while. The biggest learning curve has been entering into contractual agreements with suppliers who then lose interest. If I were to go back in time I could have saved myself a lot of money and energy on working with suppliers who aren’t there to champion the brand – for the long haul.
That the world of e-commerce is a minefield and ever changing. There is no magic bullet for success and finding what works for your business to thrive can take a long time.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t run, walk. Take your time. It’s OK to step back and let things bed in. Sometimes it’s best to take a step back and sleep on a decision. I can be very impulsive but I am learning to take steps and not leaps.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
Credits@ Lucy Woodbridge, Butterbean
That the world of e-commerce is a minefield and ever changing. There is no magic bullet for success and finding what works for your business to thrive can take a long time.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
Winning multiple awards and being shortlisted in the 2024 Mother&Baby Awards – ceremony is on my birthday which is a huge treat.
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What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
I want to run my own business so I can spend more time with my kids. Yes running a business is a lot of work but working for yourself means you can flex your time around school, parents evenings ETC. Working for myself and at home will mean I can do something I love and be a mum who is there when my kids need me.
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
Never have one income stream, set yourself up with multiple income streams so that if one goes belly up you have something else to fall back on. This will keep your business afloat and lower the risks.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Butterbean”
To learn more about Butterbean Visit www.butterbean.uk
Find on social media @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butterbean.birth/
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