I connected with Ericka Perry and loved her story. Taking an idea and flourishing it into a business is one of the biggest joys to witness. She is sharing her start, her challenges and inspiring women to go after their dreams.

What was the inspiration for “The Stork Bag”?  The Stork Bag was created out of a personal need.  When searching for a convenient solution to gift my pregnant friend, I was shocked when I noticed there was nothing on the market to streamline prenatal shopping, other than gifts for the unborn child and maternity clothes.  Then and now, my inspiration behind The Stork Bag is the millions of selfish women who hold the title, "Mother".

Did you have any challenges along the way of launching your business? If so,, what were they and how did you overcome?  When I was starting my business, I wish I'd known how important strategic planning was.  Like many other entrepreneurs, my passion for my business trumped strategic planning.  My excitement to launch, to sell and to create overshadowed many really important steps that could've been taken that probably would've saved me from a lot of the challenges I faced.  I would encourage other female entrepreneurs to have a plan in place.  If strategic planning isn't your strong suit, my advice is to invest in hiring someone who can help you identify strategies to increase your changes of success.  Think about it like this, not having a plan is very similar to going on a trip to a foreign land without a roadmap - you just don't do it!

What advice would you give to women that are looking to launch a product and feeling a bit stuck? I would advise them to first write their goals down on paper, then separate them into short term and long term goals. Believe it or not, writing down your goals provide a sense of clarity. After writing your goals, you can then begin to write down your objectives that will lead to accomplishing those goals. 

What do you do to find balance? I prioritize. When I’m “off from work”, I’m off from work. I have a husband and 3 young sons and family time is very important to me so, I try my best to unplug and prioritize what needs to be done right away and what can wait. During busy work times it becomes tricky because being the leader of my organization, it is virtually impossible for me to “turn off” sometimes but, that is where prioritizing and efficient delegating come into play. I also place a lot of emphasis on self-care so I always make time for myself, rather it be a bubble bath at home or a spa day, self-care is key. 

Any additional wisdom you would like to share with the FEMS in our community?  Have concrete goals.  Not having a clear picture of what you want to accomplish as an entrepreneur could result in many challenges as you grow and scale your business.  Having concrete goals will allow you to create more defined objectives that will, in turn, make it easier to execute your goals and make your entrepreneurial journey a little clearer.

What’s next for you? We have a new 10-Free Nail Polish line that we just launched called, Stork Nail Polish. Stork Nail Polish is free of the 10 main toxins found in traditional polishes, so we’re really excited about that. We are also working on a new Stork Bag and a little rebranding is right around the corner too.

ABOUT ERICKA PERRY : Ericka is a successful businesswoman, dedicated mother and wife and founder of The Stork Bag®,  the first and only pregnancy subscription bag to receive OBGYN certification. Since the launch in 2014, The Stork Bag has garnered the love and attention of celebrities like Kate Upton, Khloe Kardashian, Heather Altman and more with customers from all over the world.  

Now an award-winning entrepreneur, recently named 40 under 40 by the Business Observer, Ericka's mission is to inspire and encourage women to reach for the stars even when others in their arena may look different. She advises women to be fearless, stand out, be great and make moves to “become a quadruple threat!”