Today we’d like to introduce you to Francesca Balestrazzi.
Francesca, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
For over 15 years, I have helped companies of all sizes – from multinational organizations to solopreneurs and everything in between – create brands people know, trust and love. Becoming a mom gave me new challenges, a different perspective, and a new identity. Inspired by motherhood, I wanted to find a bond between my family and my work. I wanted to create a brand that let me use my skills, leverage my passions and make me feel personally connected to my audience.
The idea of Polkadots discovery box came to me after I registered my son for a book club for three years old kids. For a year, he received a book every month, delivered to our home. As a mom, I loved watching his excitement for the surprise in the mailbox. Who doesn’t enjoy receiving happy mail and opening up a present? It was a lightbulb moment. I wanted to give the same excitement I saw in my son’s eyes to all the mom bosses out there, who are loving, giving, and nurturing to their families and businesses, and who can’t find the time or energy to be like that with themselves too.
Up to a few months ago, I was the editor and publisher of a local digital publication targeting families in Miami. In this role, I discovered wonderful local businesses offering fantastic products and services. Connecting with like-minded moms in businesses ignited my passion for supporting them. With Polkadots Box, I am able to support mom bosses, as customers and as business owners. It’s like all the pieces come together, and all makes sense.
When I was elaborating Polkadots Box concept, I knew from the start that I wanted to be the first customer of my own box, meaning I want to test every product and ask myself “Would I use this product myself?” If the answer is yes, then it’s a good fit. I knew that I didn’t want to throw in the box just any product. I’m committed to bring value to other mom bosses with the quality of the products and the positive emotions the whole experience can provide.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think there’s any smooth road. I do think that the trials and rough times that come our way are necessary and define who we are today. They are like breadcrumbs showing us the way.
Getting a new company off the ground can be an uphill battle by itself. On top of that, when I launched my company, I had just moved from Miami to Dallas Fort Worth area, I was homeschooling my kids and settling down in a new State. All this during the pandemic. At the same time, the pandemic reinforced my vision and showed me new needs and opportunities. Many small businesses are trying to move online as much as possible. Polkadots Box offers them an extra resource to connect with and serve their customers.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Polkadots Box – what should we know?
Polkadots Box is the first and only monthly subscription box and supportive community for mom bosses, from mom bosses. It provides a unique platform for mom bosses to discover other mom-owned businesses, get a well-deserved break, and balance motherhood and entrepreneurship.
At a time when parents are hunting for resources for balancing work, child-care and self-care, and businesses are looking at new ways to reach their clients, Polkadots Box’s purpose is to connect the dots between moms in business. On one side, Polkadots Box helps moms thrive on their mom’s boss journey by making them feel inspired, motivated and pampered. On the other side, it helps promote products developed, created or sold buy other moms. I’m proud to say that July’s Polkadots Box (the first box delivered) contained eight products in total – all from mom bosses! In this box, I was able to support two local mom-owned businesses, Witt’s and Design and Tesoro Jewelry, whilst in the August box, another local mom-owned business has been featured, Stoka Nutrition.
Curated to inspire, motivate, and pamper any woman who is growing their business while parenting too, each Polkadots Box is delivered right at subscribers’ doorstep with a mix of five to seven, full-size, and thoughtful goods, mostly from mom-owned businesses. Each product – from stationery and books to beauty products and snacks – is hand-picked and tested by a mompreneur to ensure that every box comes only with the must-haves a mom boss actually uses, and none of the extras she will never need. Alongside the products, there are useful content, training and information for thriving on the mom’s boss journey. In addition to the box, subscribers will soon have 24/7 access to an exclusive online community that supports, encourages and empowers mom bosses.
What am I most proud of as a company? Receiving real customers’ feedback like this one: “The best part of Polkadots Box is the encouragement I felt when I received it, as a mom in business supporting other mom businesses! There is nothing like this out there so it’s awesome”. I think it says it all.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
When I first came up with the idea of a subscription box, I signed up for SCORE’s mentoring program. I had weekly calls with my mentor that truly helped me figure out the first steps and how to move on. This is a service I highly recommend to anyone, at any stage of their entrepreneurship. And it’s totally free!
My kids are my inspiration and motivation, my husband and the rest of my family, my biggest supporters. Without their words of encouragement, it would have been very difficult. My husband and my brother are also the ones who challenge me the most and show me how things can be done differently. Exploring and understanding different perspectives on things help me learn, improve and move on to the next step.
I also have a few friends that help me with the other tasks. One of my former co-workers taught me how to develop my own website. Another friend and mom boss became my accountability buddy and helped me with some of the content creation. All my subscribers have been very supportive. They shared Polkadots Box with their friends and sent me very positive feedback. A mom boss I met on a Facebook group when I was still validating the subscription box idea loved the concept so much. We kept in touch and when I finally launched, she became Polkadots Box’s first-ever subscriber.
Last but not least, some of the mom-owned businesses I have worked with so far have been amazing. They offered me their best tips, reduced their minimum quantity order requirements to meet my needs, and shared Polkadots Box with their audience. Meeting other like-minded mom bosses is definitely one of the things I enjoy most about running my own business.
Pricing:
- Mom Boss Essentials Monthly Subscription $39.99 – The must-haves a mom boss actually uses and none of the extras she’ll never need. Each box comes with up to seven full-size, unique, useful and thoughtful goods from stationary and books to beauty products and snacks — and a retail value of up to $120. Each month the box has a different theme and features items from selected mom-owned businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.polkadotsbox.com
- Email: connect@polkadotsbox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypolkadotsbox/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mypolkadotsbox
Image Credit:
Francesca Balestrazzi
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