If you read my Top Picks from ENK Children’s Club then you know that Fasten swimsuits stopped me in my tracks. I was in awe with the aha moment the ladies behind the business had and brought into existence. I knew I had to know more. I knew that I would become a customer because I mean, how could I not? And even more I desired to get to know the ladies behind the brand. Now I’m giving you the opportunity to do the same.
Alexis and Jill are what this Mompreneur series is all about. They are mothers that saw a need and found a way to supply it. They do not play around either. They started Fasten in 2014, launched their website in October 2015 and were already in retail stores by December of 2015. I’m telling you when a mother is motivated there is NO stopping her and forget about two moms united on the same mission!
Sadly, I got called into work on the day I was supposed to pop in on Alexis and Jill at their recent Pop Up Shop in Brooklyn so I missed my chance to get a selfie with them. I am however also a motivated mama so I plan on making it to one of their next events and get that selfie. Keep an eye out for it and them on my Instagram.
Just like the other mom’s featured in past #MompreneurMonday I sent these ladies over some questions and they sent them back. Find out more about their business, their advice and of course their favorite knock-knock joke below.
And FYI you will be reading more about Fasten next month. JustaBXgirl is very excited to be taking her first Fasten swimsuit with us to Orlando in October.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Jill: I always pictured myself as a full-time mom. When I was in high school I felt that nurturing part of me would translate well to caring for patients, so I decided to pursue a career in nursing. When I had my my kids I got the best of both worlds!
Jill: I always pictured myself as a full-time mom. When I was in high school I felt that nurturing part of me would translate well to caring for patients, so I decided to pursue a career in nursing. When I had my my kids I got the best of both worlds!
Alexis: When I was younger I wavered between wanting to be a fashion designer (which my mom was at the time) or a writer. I also knew I wanted to have a family!
What were you doing before you came up with the idea for your business?
I (Alexis) was a freelance writer and owned a local event planning company with my mom; Jill was a nurse practitioner caring for stroke patients at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn. Now we are swimsuit designers!
How did you come up with the name of your business?
We wanted people to think of something coming together or “fastening” when they thought of our brand, so at first we came up with the name FASTENating. But then, as my husband pointed out, every time we told people our name, we would have to spell it out (otherwise people would think it was “Fascinating”). So, we shortened it to FASTEN (but our legal name is FASTENating LLC).
Where do you see the business being in five years? In fifteen?
In five years we see our business as a recognized brand that parents everywhere know of and are searching for. We also see our technology applied to other markets including women, maternity, and dancewear. In fifteen years, we hope to have revolutionized the one-piece swimsuit everywhere, so that all swimwear manufacturers will be making one-pieces theFASTEN way.
In five years we see our business as a recognized brand that parents everywhere know of and are searching for. We also see our technology applied to other markets including women, maternity, and dancewear. In fifteen years, we hope to have revolutionized the one-piece swimsuit everywhere, so that all swimwear manufacturers will be making one-pieces theFASTEN way.
Why should we shop your brand?
There is nothing on the market like FASTEN! We are moms, so we want parenting to be as easy as possible! That was the whole reason we invented our swimsuits. With FASTEN, we provide a faster, easier, and much cleaner option to traditional swimsuits, so kids spend less time in the bathroom and more time having fun! For parents changing diapers, it’s a real gamechanger! You never have to struggle to get a squirming baby’s swimsuit off to change her diaper anymore!
Three things you’ve learned since starting the business.
1. Try not to let yourself get too high or too low, because there are definitely good days and bad days in business (as in life!).
2. Mistakes are going to happen, but learning from them is often the best way to grow.
3. As much as the business feels like it’s your whole life at times, you need to stop and check in with everything else going on and never lose sight of what’s most important.
Who is your biggest supporter?
Alexis: My mom and Jill’s close family friend have been there for us every step of the way, offering guidance, support, and encouragement.
Alexis: My mom and Jill’s close family friend have been there for us every step of the way, offering guidance, support, and encouragement.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Joy Mangano’s story is so inspiring. Her journey helps remind us that starting a business is never easy, but that if you truly believe in what you are doing, you never give up. It also shows us that if you want to make something happen, you can be told “No” a million times, but if you continue to work at it and do whatever you can, you can make remarkable things happen.
Joy Mangano’s story is so inspiring. Her journey helps remind us that starting a business is never easy, but that if you truly believe in what you are doing, you never give up. It also shows us that if you want to make something happen, you can be told “No” a million times, but if you continue to work at it and do whatever you can, you can make remarkable things happen.
Three brands other than yours that you support.
Skemo
Skemo
Frenchie Mini Couture
Peloton
Parenting advice you would like to share.
Put down the phone, the iPad, the laptop, both of you! Just be together.
Put down the phone, the iPad, the laptop, both of you! Just be together.
Your take on #Momguilt
Don’t even get us started! We have these pangs of #momguilt all the time, but we want our kids to know that it’s OK for a mom to work, and it’s actually good for them to see that. So when we get those pangs, we just remind ourselves that we are doing the best we can do, and that our children are seeing us find joy in other places as well as at home. We also know that everything we do is ultimately for them.
Don’t even get us started! We have these pangs of #momguilt all the time, but we want our kids to know that it’s OK for a mom to work, and it’s actually good for them to see that. So when we get those pangs, we just remind ourselves that we are doing the best we can do, and that our children are seeing us find joy in other places as well as at home. We also know that everything we do is ultimately for them.
Favorite knock knock joke
Knock Knock!
Who’s There?
Knock Knock! Because my name is Knock Knock!
