Sparkles and Shoes

A Fashion, Travel, and Lifestyle Blog

Sparkle Session: Grip Baby

| Fashion and Style, Sparkle Sessions

Close up of Grip Baby The Onesie in Stormy
Welcome to the latest  Sparkle Session! Foe those new to the blog this is my interview with female entrepreneurs from all industries and walks of life.  Similar to my features on Maria Lousia, Lindsay, and Dana today’s feature is on an amazing woman I know in real life.  I love that we first connected in the corporate world and today things come full circle as we connect our passion projects, my blog and her new company.
Without further ado let me introduce you to Ally Weiss and Grip Baby.  Ally left her job in corporate America to start this company after becoming a mom of two and finding that ever illusive white space in baby / kid’s  fashion.  If you are not yet familiar with her brand, read on!
_________________

What are five words you would use to describe yourself?
Thoughtful, creative, funny, organized, leader.

How do those personal characteristics relate to your brand?

Grip Baby is an incredible product for babies embarking on their crawling adventure. But, parenting can be anxiety inducing and scary. I hope to bring a fun, lightheartedness to the brand through my blog and the overall vibe of the brand.

Sparkles and Shoes Sparkle Session - Female Entrepreneur Interview - Grip Baby Founder Ally Weiss

What inspired you to start Grip Baby? 

When my littles were learning to crawl they were slipping and sliding all over our floors. I came up short when trying to find a solution. That’s why I created The Grip Baby Onesie, the first-of-its-kind crawling support onesie.

How do those personal characteristics relate to your brand?

Grip Baby is an incredible product for babies embarking on their crawling adventure. But, parenting can be anxiety inducing and scary. I hope to bring a fun, lightheartedness to the brand through my blog and the overall vibe of the brand.

Baby Crawling wearing The Onesie in Milky

How are you spreading the word about your new company?

For launch we partnered with Liz Webber, a favorite influencer of mine who really embodied the Grip Baby brand. Since launch we have had a lot of organic influencer outreach so I am gifting a ton to those with a following who love the brand and have babies who could benefit from the onesie. I am live on TikTok, Meta, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Ads and am running media off and on. Right now I am low on inventory in some sizes but will ramp media back up when inventory is in.

I am also doing on the ground marketing, passing out glossy cards with discount codes to parents I see on the street. It’s so fun meeting parents in real life and seeing their reaction to Grip Baby. So far it’s been nothing but positive vibes.

Was it difficult to leave your position in corporate America to start your own company? 

My gut reaction is to say no because I had been working on Grip Baby for a year and a half before launching, but the truth is, Pinterest and Google were part of my identity. In April of 2023 I lost my mom the night of my wedding, suddenly and tragically. It changed my entire outlook on life and parenting. I knew that building a brand from the group up and being in control of my schedule so I could see my babies on my terms, was the next move. Please know that I see the privilege in being able to start a business. It’s not cheap and it takes up a lot of time but with big risks come big rewards. I see a super bright future for Grip Baby.

Close up of Grib Baby grips
What is one lesson you have had to learn the hard way?
The phrase “Move fast and break things” from the tech world, does not apply to the world of manufacturing. You want to get it right the first time. Take your time developing your product. I did, but I felt many frustrations along the way of how slow the process is. When you are developing a product from the ground up, one that is first to market at that, it’s not fast. The Grip Baby onesies are not plucked off a stock rack with a logo slap. They are custom, patented designs.
You launched the brand with The Onesie (in the shades Milky and Stormy), what is next?

I will be expanding the color pallet for the onesies, and will release a line of baby & toddler socks that actually stay on and have amazing grip. This will be for when babies grow out of the onesies and move on from “little movers” to “little walkers.”
Grip Baby - The Onesie in Milky and The Onesie in Stormy
What makes Grip Baby different from other baby clothes? 
There truly is nothing else on the market like it. Grip Baby is made of bamboo & spandex (this is similar to over beloved brands) but has patented extra sticky grip on the front of the legs to support babies in their crawling adventure.
It’s a simple product that does what it promises. Nothing more, nothing less.
Is there a particular entrepreneur or celebrity you would love to work or collaborate with? 
 
Sophia Richie is the embodiment of Grip Baby from her aesthetic to her way of parenting. At Grip Baby we have made a commitment to protect children’s privacy by finding creative ways to showcase the brand without showing children faces. We respect children from birth. Sophia has kept her baby’s identity private and I respect that so much.
Beyond that, she’s a stunning representation of the modern mother. She seems to heave a heart of gold and lives her life in an authentic way.
Where do you see Grip Baby in five years?
 
I hope Grip Baby has expanded its product offerings and has employees. The most important thing to me is to bring the public quality products that actually work.

Babies Wearing Grip Baby - The Onesie in Milky and The Onesie in Stormy

What is your favorite quote? 

“Behind every great woman… is another great woman.” ― Kate Hodges
If you had to give advice to other female entrepreneurs, what would you tell them?

Take all advice with a grain of salt. Just because someone says they couldn’t do it doesn’t mean you can’t. Everything is possible.

Lastly, is there anything you would want to tell my readers?

Visit www.gripbaby.com and snag a onesie, or two 🙂
______________
Thank you, Ally, for sharing your story with Sparkles and Shoes readers today! In addition to checking out her website make sure you are following on Instagram as well, @gripbabyofficial.
Signature

Subscribe

Related Posts

Comments

  1. zoritoler imol says

    Hi there, simply changed into alert to your weblog through Google, and located that it’s really informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future. Many people can be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  2. Dara says

    Perfect gift for the mom who has everything. I have so many friends having their second child and they seem to have everything that they need but probably not something like this.

    How clever and will be my go to gift, you are a lifesaver. Wish my mom had something like this when I was little, I am sure it would have made crawling, creeping and walking a lot safer and less frustrating.

  3. Mona says

    When my daughter had a baby, I got introduced to the benefits of bamboo made clothing. That wasn’t an option when I had children and it is so soft that I wish they made more adult clothing in it. A great choice of fabric.

    I wish her well in her endeavors.

  4. Diane says

    I wish I had thought of that idea. Sometimes people are so clever. Good for her taking such a risk leaving a great job and following her heart.

    I always admire people who have so much courage to do something like this, and taking such a big leap. I wish her all the success and going to be ordering a few for Baby gifts in the future. Great idea. Do let us know how she fares.

  5. Alice says

    What a fabulous idea and perfect. I remember my kiddos slipping all around as they were trying to crawl and how frustrating for them to not be able to gain any traction.

    Wonderful story and I think you both are giving lots of aspiring entrepreneur’s the little push that they might need to start their own products that come from raising children.

    Keep them coming Kelly.

Get the latest

Receive Sparkles and Shoes right to your inbox!

Connect with me