As the founder, inventor, and owner of the Baby Bottle Brush Bib Company, Bessie Lee-Cappell was determined to be a game-changer for the baby product industry. Not only does she want to help other frustrated parents, but she also wants to partner with like-minded entrepreneurs. Having Bessie Lee-Cappell and her products on your team, means having a winner who readily accepts beating the odds as her mission.
All of the designs reflect neutral colors to appeal to both moms and dads. They are durable, easy to use and clean, and small enough to hide away when not in use. Of course, parental supervision is recommended for all baby products for children under the age of 5. The Brush Bib is a protective silicone barrier that goes around the Bottle Brushes to prevent the dreaded “splash back.”
The Pacifier Teether Clip is FDA-approved, BPA-free, and eco-friendly. It grows with baby to toddlerhood on four levels, doubles as a teether, and is made of 100% silicone to reduce bacteria and thrush. It also has the unique option of allowing the suspender clips to be changed.
The Elephant Suspender Clips are also FDA-approved, BPA-free, and double as teethers, That means having a welcome end to unsightly, chipped, and bite-marked teething accessories. The goal of Bessie Lee-Cappell’s products is to make parenting easier.
What is The Baby Bottle Brush Bib Co all about?
I currently have two baby product companies. Both companies focus on providing unique baby products. The first company I developed is called “Baby Bottle Brush Bib” and my second company is “Bessie’s Love & Care.” The Baby Bottle Brush Bib Co, owns the one and only Brush Bib which is a protective barrier that goes around bottle brushes to prevent splashback. This company also sells the one and only All in One Pacifier Teether clip which is BPA free, FDA approved, grows with baby, and doubles as a teether. Bessie’s Love and Care also sell the Pacifier Teether Clips as well as has a merchandise line called “Mommying, Daddying and Babying.” The merchandise line offers comical definitions regarding Mommyinh, Daddying and Babying.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I grew up in Philadelphia PA, raised by my maternal aunt and grandparents. I am one out of seven children. I was raised in a different home than my siblings. Growing up without my siblings was difficult for me, and witnessing some of the pain they had to endure sparked my desire to become a Social Worker. Now I am a Licensed Social Worker. Helping children and their families achieve safety, well-being, and permanency is what truly makes me happy. Being solution-focused in my practice is a drive I have each day. This desire, this drive is what also sparked my creativity for creating solutions for myself as a parent. I was tired of being splashed on when removing the bottle brush from the baby bottle; not finding a solution for this issue on the market, I decided to create my own solution which is what birthed the “brush bib.” After I realized that I could create, develop, and produce a problem-solving product successfully, I kept going.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
The top three skills I believe are necessary to becoming a successful entrepreneur are Creativity, Flexibility, and Discipline.
- Creativity is needed because an individual needs to be able to see the vision of their entrepreneur journey in order to fulfill the journey. It takes sense of creativeness to see the vision and execute the vision.
- Flexibility because an entrepreneur needs to be able to adjust, bend and/or conform to suggested changes and not be completely rigid is very important.
- Discipline is the most important to me because, without it, you can fall behind quickly. Being able to remain disciplined in your practice, budget, professionalism, work ethics, beliefs, values, and many more is what is needed for success in life.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
I plan on becoming global in the baby product industry. I plan on doing this by continuing to bring awareness to my brands and my products. I will continue to market my products and focus on the need for my products. Successful marketing is key to bringing awareness.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I separate myself in many ways, but specifically, I am a black female-owned baby product company, which offers unique baby products invented by the black female owner. The baby product industry has always been dominated by Caucasian males, and nowadays you will find more female-owned baby product companies. However, there is a lack of inclusion for black female-owned baby product companies. I am more than the owner, I am the inventor as well.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
The top 3 mistakes I made starting my business are, one-telling people what I was doing before I did it, two paying companies who promised to advance my business and later finding out they were scammers, and three-purchasing massive amounts of inventory before marketing my product. I learned to be less impulsive, keep my plans to myself while attempting to execute, and conduct more research into companies.
How do you go about marketing your business, and what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
I market my business through social media, word of mouth, vending events as well as attending Expos as an exhibitor. The most successful form of marketing at this time has been social media. Being able to reach thousands daily is a great way to bring awareness. Because of COVID, I have not been able to do many vending events nor any Expos. As a result, social media has been my “go-to” for marketing.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge is being taken “seriously” in the baby product industry. I want individuals to see and understand that this is not a “side hustle” for me. This is a serious business for me, and I too will be the next big baby brand. I continue to overcome this challenge every day by continuing to work towards my goal of success in this industry. I work with my marketing team daily, I fulfill daily orders, I also continue to make sure my websites are running properly daily.
What is your favorite quote?
My favorite quote is “Nothing beats a Failure but a Try”
This means so much to me because it simply means that if you do not try, then you already failed. This quote was told to me as a child by my maternal aunt. It encouraged me to get up, get out and try. And if I fail, start over and try and try again.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
My best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs are two main actions Never give up and Do your research! Research what is needed to begin your business, watch videos, read books, and find inspiring success stories of other entrepreneurs.
Who should we interview next and why?
Anna Nyakana is a mom entrepreneur, best-selling author, and motivational speaker.
How can we get in touch with you?
You can get a hold of me by email babybottlebrushbib@gmail.com or contact me on Instagram bess_the_inventor.
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