Hi! My name is Dana, and I am the proud and happy mama behind Little Chief Covers! We make versatile, stretchy and breathable baby covers perfect for covering car seats and for breastfeeding, among many other uses. Little Chief Covers makes just one thing, and we make it well.
Little Chief Covers are inspired by my daughter, the littlest chief love of our lives. My wonderful husband is the brainchild behind the name, because he got to calling her Little Chief when our little one was still on the inside. I developed the product because I am obsessed with thoughtful design and versatility, which are all too lacking in the world of baby essentials. Together, we’re a family business, designed and run by our family to make life better for your family! We’d love to offer your family a 20% discount using the code #MOMBOSS as a thank you for reading! Click HERE to shop!
What is your business and what inspired you to start your business?
Little Chief Covers are soft, breathable, stretchy and versatile baby covers. The same item works quickly and easily as a car seat cover, a breastfeeding cover, an infinity scarf, a baby-wearing carrier cover, a stroller blanket that can’t be kicked off, a swaddle blanket, and more! Each Little Chief Cover also comes with its own built-in pocket, for clean and compact storage when your cover isn’t in use, and for keeping handy all the things a new mom needs when you are using it. Thoughtfully designed and made with love in Canada, Little Chief Covers is focused on the one versatile baby product that we’re passionate about making the most invaluable item in every new mom’s diaper bag.
The inspiration for Little Chief Covers were the needs of my little chief love, for whom I couldn’t find the perfect product – so I made it! Then, because I’m “Type A” and want everything in its place, I added a compact storage pocket so I could fold the cover in on itself into the pocket to keep it clean and to take up less space in my diaper bag.
I had my daughter during a cold Canadian winter, and the bulky and heavy car seat covers on the market just didn’t cut it in our windy climate. They also took up way too much space in an already-crowded diaper bag. In the spring and summer, I wanted to be able to spend time outdoors without worrying whether my infant was getting too much sun, too much wind, or bug bites on our long riverside walks. And I wanted to be able to peek in on her when she was napping in the car seat without lifting a giant blanket and waking her up with the change in lighting.
Though I didn’t always use a nursing cover while breastfeeding, I didn’t like the top and side exposure of the traditional apron style nursing cover, and my baby didn’t like being under the stiff fabric. My solution was to go to my local fabric store and design a stretchy, lightweight cover that could solve all of these problems, all in one product.
When she was a little older, my little soccer star kicked off her stroller blanket every chance she got, so I needed a light blanket that I could wrap around the stroller seat. I especially loved it for stretching over germy shopping carts, grimy restaurant high chairs and park swings! As my Little Chief gets older, I am finding it has so many more uses than I originally thought, which is definitely a bonus considering the short shelf life of so many other baby essentials. Eventually, enough people asked me about her cover, and I decided to go for it and start a boutique business!
What is your proudest moment with your business?
We’ve had a lot of great moments so far, because I love to hear about all the ways in which our customers love to use their Little Chief Covers (and I especially love to see photos of their little chiefs using them)! That said, I’d have to say the proudest moment has been launching. I still work full time in a very demanding career. I have no formal experience in building websites, sourcing fabric, designing and retooling products, or sales. To love the product so much, and to want to show my daughter over time that hard work and dedication are worth the investment, to decide to take that leap of faith and launch this new business, has been my proudest moment with Little Chief Covers.
How do you stay motivated and inspired?
I launched Little Chief Covers because I’m passionate about the thoughtful design and versatility of the product, and I want to share the product with other new mamas. Even more than that, I want to show my daughter the value of hard work and creativity I couldn’t show her unless we were on this family venture adventure! It’s the namesake of the business that keeps us motivated in all aspects of the business, and our family life.
How do you maintain a work-life balance?
Ha! I’m the wrong person to ask that question, because it’s tough to juggle the demands of the business with my day job, my family, and stuff like eating/sleeping/exercising/watching a movie with friends! To make it all work, I try to emphasize being present in each element of my jam-packed life. Let’s just say sometimes my day looks like a circus, and I just try to be the best juggler that I can be!
What is your proudest mom moment?
That’s a tough one! My Little Chief is a toddler now, so she’s in this wonderful stage of exploring and learning at a rapid pace and every day it’s awe-inspiring to watch her discover new words, new skills, new joys, and new dynamics within her world. I’m proud to watch her grow every day, as cliché as that sounds.
What is your best parenting advice?
I have one little kiddo, who despite being super active hasn’t really injured herself yet (knock on wood). Besides that small achievement, I don’t think I’m qualified to give parenting advice! I had read all the books (and I confess to Youtubing childcare basics like how to bathe a baby!), but really quickly I learned to trust my gut. So if I have any advice to give, it’s that you spend the most time with your child, and your gut (or mom spidey sense or whatever you want to call it) knows what’s right for your child really early on.
Where can you be reached?
Website: www.littlechiefcovers.com
Email: info@littlechiefcovers.com
Facebook: /LittleChiefCovers
Instagram: @littlechiefcovers
