M.O.Mpreneurs ~ Be Inspired By Christine Lavin

With the growing industry of stylish everyday maternity wear, who says being active while pregnant can’t be stylish too? 

Fit2Bmom apparel is inspired by the way a woman feels during pregnancy: delicate yet powerful. This inspiration can be seen in our bold colors, feminine silhouettes, and athletic-inspired details, creating a harmonious balance of softness and strength that has come to define Fit2Bmom style.

Christine Lavin conceived the idea for Fit2Bmom in the Fall of 2005 while pregnant with her first son and instructing clients in the fitness industry. Understanding the proven benefits of exercise during pregnancy, she wanted to create athletic wear that would not only motivate a woman to be active and fit throughout her pregnancy, but also to feel positive about her body and herself. She combined her passion for fitness with her MBA education and corporate sales and marketing experience to launch the Fit2Bmom innovative collection of maternity active wear.

Lavin believes that being fit is not a trend or whim, but rather a lifestyle. As the mother of two active boys, she understands the importance of fitness now more than ever.

Meet Christine Lavin  

Thank you so much for sharing the M.O.M behind Fit2Bmom.  It is a pleasure to highlight another successful Mompreneur to our growing community and become more inspired.

M.O.M Katie ~  Congrats on where Fit2Bmom is today!  Is the company where you dreamed it to be?  What was the first year like when you started?

CL –Thanks so much Katie.  I always describe my first year after launching as if I was taking a very large and excited dog for a walk.  When the dog decides it wants to run, you grip the leash with all your strength, try to gain some sort of control, and then just run with it.  That’s truly how I felt…wild but exciting.  When I launched in September 2008, I didn’t even have actual samples…just storyboards and sketches.  With that, a showroom picked up my line on the spot and sold it into 15 stores.   Two years later we’re in stores across the US and in twelve countries around the world, so I’m thrilled at where we’ve come.

M.O.M Katie ~  Have you mastered the balance between home and running your own business? How do you manage your days/weeks especially being pregnant today (congrat’s by the way)?

CL – Does anyone “master” this?  If so, I want to meet her!  We put too much pressure on ourselves to define work/life balance in terms of hours or time. To say that every day should have x number of hours for work and x number of hours for family sets us up for failure.   I think the only thing to master is truly accepting that every day will throw us a different set of challenges,  both in business and personal life.  I try to start off every day with a plan as to what I want to accomplish and how, whether it be hiring a new sales rep, finalizing colors for our spring collection,  or making something new for dinner with the kids.  More often than not, something will happen throughout the course of the day to throw off my intended plan.  How well I can adapt to these sudden changes or uncontrolled events is how I’d like to define balance.    

M.O.M Katie ~ Do you think you had to ‘give up’ anything to making Fit2Bmom the success that it is? Would you change anything?

CL ~ Hard work and entrepreneurship are certainly not without their sacrifices.   What I’ve had to give up the most since launching Fit2bmom has been time for myself.   For the first year, I worked late every night and on the weekends, which, as you can imagine took a toll on my family and my overall well-being.  I had to step back to see that without feeling strong, rested, and energized, I’d eventually burn out.  I’ve had to figure out how best to use what limited time I have, and make the right choices for me and my family. 

M.O.M Katie ~ What is the one thing you couldn’t do without as a M.O.Mpreneur/business owner?

CL ~ I’m going to cheat and say that it’s two things:  exercise and my husband.  Exercise keeps me focused, energized, and feeling positive.  I’ve learned that it can be something as simple as a 20 minute walk or some full body exercises outside the fresh air.    My husband, however, supports me like nothing else.  He is truly my partner and works with me in so many ways to help me achieve anything I can as a mother, wife, and business owner.

Thank you again Christine.  I know you and Fit2Bmom will inspire more M.O.Ms and help to make their dreams a reality.

Please follow Fit2Bmom’s journey of success on twitter: @fit2bmom, on Facebook/fit2bmom and ofcourse on their website: www.fit2bmom.com