 Welcome to Adventures in Small Business, a collaborative effort by the U.S. Small Business Administration Hawaii District Office, the Hawaii Small Business Development Center, the Mink Center for Business and Leadership, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Pacific to showcase the stories of local entrepreneurs and small businesses. I'm Colleen McAluni from the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership, and today we have Amber Tebow from Coco Moon, Hawaii. Welcome Amber. Thank you for having me. So happy to have you here today. Happy to be here. Yeah. So let's get started and have you tell us a little bit about your background and where you're from. Sure. So I was born and raised on the island of Maui. My family and I moved over here about five years ago. I've got two little boys, they're five and eight years old, and so they, my second one was born right around the time that Coco Moon was born, so that's been kind of a fun adventure to have together. Most definitely. Yeah. Having a young family and starting a business, very challenging. Yeah. I call Coco Moon my third baby, I'm sure. Okay. So tell us about how Coco Moon got started then. Sure. So as I mentioned, Coco Moon got started shortly after I had my second child, and leading up to that, I had really been super career driven and involved in different businesses, and I just found that I really loved that energy, and after starting my family, I did have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, which I loved being able to take that time with my family, but I also found myself really missing that kind of other world and really that other piece of myself, you know, getting me able to use my brain, talking to adults and not just babies all day. So that was a big motivation for me, and then as I was exploring that part of myself and my goals, I discovered this other passion for creating high quality products for local families, and that was kind of the genesis behind it. I remember really vividly nursing my son in the middle of the night one night, and instead of reaching for a baby blanket, as I always did, I reached for a hot pink pudeo that I often used, and it just got me wondering, you know, why was I always choosing that over the baby blankets? What was it that was missing, and why couldn't there be baby blankets that everybody in the family loved, and that were also island inspired? So that's kind of the background that Coco Moon started. Oh, fantastic. And so when, what year was that? That was, I first got the idea in 2014, and then Coco Moon came to life in reality in 2015. Oh, fantastic. So just a year to get up and running with your ideas and everything like that. Yeah, it was kind of a crazy year because I did have a newborn at home, so often times I would stay up after the family went to sleep, and then when he would wake up to nurse at about two or three in the morning, that's when I would go back to bed. In the meantime, I was researching and googling and learning all that I could and researching all that I could. So it was kind of an exhausting time, filled with some new mom delirium for sure, but it was just really fun for me as well. Oh, congratulations. That's fantastic. Thank you. And so tell us about a day in your life as a mom of young ones and running your own business. Sure. So my typical day, if I'm really on my game, I'll wake up around five in the morning to get some exercise in, which I find is really crucial for my overall sanity. Then the kids are up. It's the preschool rush. And then once they're in school, I try to put my head down and focus and get as much done as possible before school pick up, then I'm in mom mode until bedtime, and then I usually work again for a few more hours in the evening. And I actually find that I'm most creative at night, and I don't know if that's because of those early days where I was forced to work from 10 to 2 in AM. But for better or for worse, that's a pattern I've settled into. Right. So you kind of get that second wind. Exactly. After you fall asleep telling bedtime stories, and then you get the second wind. Exactly. That's fantastic. Okay, great. So tell us about some of the challenges that you've faced in starting your own small business. And just to be clear, your business is based on Oahu? It is, yes. Oh, okay. Great. And so what are some of the challenges that you've faced? I think the biggest challenge has been twofold, really, I guess, versus mindset and kind of just having the confidence to pursue, even when things get challenging and not necessarily knock myself down for mistakes or not being able to overcome a challenge fast enough in my mind. And then operationally, I think the biggest challenge for us has been managing our inventory and our fulfillment process. It's just at the core of our business, and it's kind of surprised me how challenging that is to manage both in terms of planning our inventory so we're not running out of stock, which has been a challenge for us since we are a growing business. So it's kind of, quote-unquote, a good problem to have, but a frustrating one nonetheless. And then when our products are available, making sure that we're getting them out to our customers in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. So each of those has their own kind of speed bumps and challenges that we're kind of constantly sorting through. Right, right. Well, congratulations in having that challenge. Thank you. Which is, that's an amazing feat, that's wonderful. And so are you, where your designs are concerned, can you tell us a little bit about how they're created or are they your inspiration? So most of them are my inspiration. So for example, when my boys were little, they are still little, but little-er, they were absolutely obsessed with sharks. So that was one of the first prints that I knew we had to do. And then beyond those, we really work with local artists on collaborative prints, which is a process that I absolutely love. So we've collaborated several times with Jana Lam, who's so amazingly talented. And it's so fun to see her prints on baby products. Also Lauren Roth. And we recently also collaborated with Kimiye Minor and Haku Collective to celebrate their Hawaiian lullaby album. So oftentimes we'll see kind of a print or an artist or an idea that we find inspiration in, and then we find the right people to help us bring it to life on the right products. And it's just a really fun process. Right. And collaborating with other women's small business owners is very fun to think of the word. It's just, it's heartwarming. It really is, it's nice and it feeds you, you feed each other. Absolutely. Yeah. With our ideas and being able to help support each other. It's really become my favorite part of the business. And it was kind of an unexpected favorite part. I didn't really realize how many women's small business owners I'd be able to connect with along this path. And it was actually great. I just went to a local market last weekend and I knew so many of the shop owners. And it was just really great to see them again and support them and kind of cheer them on, to see them grow and succeed has been really special. Right. Oh, how nice. That's fantastic. And so why don't you tell us a little bit about any, are there any specific challenges or issues that you've overcome in the last probably two years, I would say, in other than maybe your production or how about finding help or employees to help your growing business? Has that been a challenge for you? Yes and no. I feel like I've gotten really lucky in that respect. But because I am such a small business, I work out of my home. So finding support can be kind of tricky because essentially you're inviting someone into your home or you're trusting them to work remotely, which brings its own challenges. But I have a right-hand woman, really, she's become who actually lives in Illinois. She lived here originally. Her husband was in the military. And when he chose not to re-enlist, they moved back home to Illinois. But we've just stayed connected and she has just been a wonderful resource. She just is kind of the epitome of what I feel like all small business owners are looking for. Just a really easygoing, highly motivated, independent worker. And I just feel really lucky that I found her. And it's been a really great way for me to kind of develop company culture and operational procedures and systems on a one-on-one basis. So now when we're ready to hire the next person, we kind of have a good foundation. Oh, that's fantastic. That's wonderful. So let's talk a little bit about what makes Coco Moon Hawaii unique in the baby clothing and accessories market. Sure. So one of the things we hear over and over again from our customers is how incredibly soft our products are. One of the artists that we collaborated with actually is a master Hawaiian quilter, Patricia Leigh Murray. And when our product came to life, the first thing she did is she squeezed it and she brought it to her chest and she said, oh my gosh, it feels like an oolu hug. And it was just such a sweet moment and it really just kind of captured one of the things that customers are always telling us. And I got to witness it firsthand, which is really awesome. And then apart from the softness, we also hear feedback about how much our customers love our designs. You know, they're really unique and they have a really modern kind of island touch to them, which is kind of multi-generational. We have families that are buying it for their newborns, buying it for their toddlers, and even mamas and grandmas that are buying them for themselves because they just love the prints and the softness so much. Oh, how sweet. Oh, that's wonderful. So we actually didn't open with talking about what the products you carry. I know we're going to see some in a little bit, but tell us about your product line. Sure. So we make a range of buttery soft baby essentials. We make various types of blankets made out of a muslin fabric and also clothing and hooded towels. And our clothing ranges from newborn sizes all the way up to about 4T in most cases. And then we've recently started making some mommy and me matching items, including women's robes and throw blankets as well. Fantastic. That's wonderful. And then accessories. I know I was looking at your website and the thing that touched me the most was the Levy. That's so wonderful. So like a security blanket. Exactly. So once that little one kind of graduates out of the crib and starts walking around and they want to carry their favorite blanket with them everywhere, and sometimes a full-size swaddle blanket's a little cumbersome. So now it's really easy for them to always have their favorite blanket with them. Yes. Oh, that's so sweet. I just love that. That's great. And so I know that you have a giving back program at Cocoa Moon. So why don't you share that with us? Sure. We started our giving back program in 2017, and it has always been a goal of mine to weave a giving program into the fabric of the company. So I was so excited to be able to bring that to life. It's the 1% for Hawaii program, and it was loosely modeled after Patagonia's 1% for the planet program. So we were passionate about keeping our support within the Hawaii communities. So we donate 1% of our sales to local nonprofits. We've supported organizations geared toward the environment, specifically the ocean in most cases, since that's a personal passion of mine. And then we've also given to organizations that support families and mothers and children. And our most recent organization that we're donating to in quarter four is Capiliani Medical Center's Emergency Transport Program. Oh, how nice. Oh, that's so heartwarming, again, and just the fact that you have woven that into your business model is just amazing. That's fantastic. And it's changed a little bit. You're slowly morphing it. We're going to talk a little bit about the future of the program a little later, but so it's changed from a monthly giving to a quarterly giving? Exactly. So you have more impact. Exactly. I mean, I was really loved giving to so many different charities, but at the end of each month, I felt like I wanted to give more. So by switching it to a quarterly basis, it kind of allows us to deepen our impact with more specific groups. And I think the impact has been really positive. And the feedback from the organizations has been really positive as well. So I think we'll continue that trend. Oh, fantastic. So are you choosing the nonprofits or are they coming to you? Or have you got a system set up for that yet? Not quite yet. So basically, it's just been us choosing. And because of the network of mothers that we've been able to connect with, we often hear a lot of feedback about organizations that have supported them or that they have heard of, that they would like us to support as well. So it's been kind of a really open process. Yeah. And it's one that we look forward to kind of continuing to develop and home down a little bit more as well. Right. Right. Oh, that's fantastic. Well, we're going to take a break and we'll come back and we will see some Kokomun Hawaii products in person and some photos. And I'm very excited to continue the conversation with Amber. Hello. Hello. I'm Mufi Hanuman. I want to tell you about a great show that appears on Think Tech Hawaii. It's all about tourism. In fact, we call it Tourism 101, where we talk about the issues and challenges that faces our number one industry throughout the state. We'll have some interesting guests, very informative dialogue and allow you an opportunity to maybe learn a little bit more by why this industry is so important for our state. It's been great for us in the past. We need it today and especially going forward. That's Tourism 101 on Think Tech Hawaii. Mahalo. Hi, I am Yukari Kunisue, host of Konnichiwa Hawaii. Think Tech Hawaii is a Japanese program broadcasting every Monday from 2 p.m. I usually invite a guest in the Japanese language community. It does interesting things and I'd like to share stories with you guys. Please tune in and listen to Konnichiwa Hawaii. Welcome back to Adventures in Small Business. Today we have Amber Tebow from Kokomun, Hawaii with us. And we're going to take a look at some photos that she has of her products and some actual products that she's going to hold up and show us too. So maybe why don't we take a look at the quilt first. Okay, sure. So this, as you're seeing on the screen and also here in person, this is our first ever limited edition holiday release. And it is our second collaboration with Master Hawaiian quilter Patricia Lay Murray. And she modeled it after Christmas wreath. So you can see here in the middle, she actually physically wove a lay together with poinsettia and flowers that she gathered in her yard. And from that, she kind of included a red square around it to kind of really drive home that feeling of love during the Christmas season. And it just continues that soft. Yes. Oh my gosh, it's so soft. It's in our signature buttery soft fabric. And you know, it really just makes such a wonderful keepsake, whether it's for baby's first Christmas or just to remember a special time of year with your family. It's just a great piece for that. Oh, it is lovely. Thank you. So soft. You just have got to try to touch that. It is amazing. It is amazing. OK, let's see. Let's let's go ahead and go to slide two then if we can. Sure. So this is our mommy and me collection or pieces from it. You can see our mama robe, as well as a newborn lay-at-gown and headband and then a dress as well. And it's just such a fun way to remember those early days as a family. You can only match with your little ones for so long before they'll soon reject that idea. That's right. And we've gotten great feedback from our customers and how much they love it. I love seeing everyone's photos of them matching as well. Oh, wonderful. So how many prints do you have in the matching? Is it two rows? So right now we just have two robes, the plumeria, what you saw, and then a hibiscus as well. Oh, wonderful. And we'll be adding more prints next year as well as some more prints geared towards the boy moms as well. Oh, OK. OK. And then let's see. Can we see slide three? Oh, there we go. There's the boys. Yeah. So as a mother of two boys, I vividly remember being pregnant with my first son, finding out I was having a boy. And of course, I wanted to shop for him. So I went to my favorite local boutique, and I was just so disappointed because the girl's section was huge and super cute, and the boy's section was tiny and not so cute. So I'm just really trying to put a lot of love into specifically the boy's collection just because I know what a gap there is there and how disappointing it was for me. So that was our first little boy's aloha shirt. And it's made in our signature buttery soft fabric, which is actually a blend of bamboo and spandex. Oh, OK. Yeah. So it's different than the blanket fabric. It is. OK. It is. It still has our signature softness, but it's a slightly different composition, which is a little bit better for clothes, a little bit more durable. Oh, OK. But you know, thinking about little boys, I don't know about anyone else's little boys, but mine never wanted to wear clothes when they were that age, let alone a collared shirt. Especially here. Exactly. Exactly. So when I was making aloha shirt, I really wanted it to have that softness and that stretch. So it was still really easy to play in, really comfortable, but still cute as well. Oh, that's so nice. And then let's see. Did we have one more slide? Oh, there we go. So this includes, this picture includes two of our items. The first is a shark footy, which is great for pajamas or just wearing around outside when, now that it's getting a little bit chillier or if you're traveling to the mainland. And then he's sitting atop our Nalu quilt. And this is a watercolor design inspired by the ocean, which surrounds us, which as I mentioned, I just love. And it's just, again, that's our signature fabric, but instead of the two layers of our swaddle blankets, it's actually eight layers. So it's super plush, really luxurious, and gives you that extra bit of warmth when you need it on a chilly night, but it's also still really breathable as well. Oh, OK. So that one is a little thicker than, say, the regular blanket. Exactly. Oh, OK. Oh, how nice. Yeah. Oh, that's wonderful. So let's talk a little about the assistance that you felt like you got when you were starting your own business from either the community or other women-owned small businesses. So when I first got the idea, we were still on Maui. And I feel really fortunate that actually one of my neighbors was a female small business owner. And I just ran the idea by her casually. And she just was so kind and supportive in letting me bounce ideas off of her. She invited me into her home, shared some of her experiences with me, and it was just really an open book. And I just appreciated that so much. And then as I got further down the road, the owner of Halle Zen, Lisa Payne, was really supportive as well in letting me bounce the idea off of her and then later becoming my first account and actually cheering me on as those first purchases were made in her store. So that's wonderful to have that kind of support from other women business owners. It was amazing. And I think it really laid this foundation for how to conduct yourself as a female business owner. They were just so warm and supportive. And I really try to carry that forward as much as possible as well, so it was great. Definitely. It's so nice to see current women lifting other women who have ideas and who would like to start a business and helping in supporting that. That's fantastic. It is. And I think that the Hawai'i community is just so special in that way. I really haven't run into anybody on the flip side of that. The women business owners that I've come into contact with have all been really wonderful. Oh, wonderful. So I know that you're a recent Mauna Up graduate or alumni. And as we know, Mauna Up is a small business accelerator. And can you share just a little bit about that and what you feel like you've gained from that? Sure. So I think prior to Mauna Up, Cocomoon had been growing really steadily. But Mauna Up stayed true to its purpose and really did help us to accelerate. And they just provided such an amazing group of resources, not only from the business side, but just also being able to connect with other business owners and having that network of support and being able to kind of commiserate on the valleys and celebrate the highs has been really awesome as well. Oh, I'm so glad. Congratulations on that, too, by the way. Fantastic. So tell us a little bit about your vision of the future of Cocomoon. I would love the future of Cocomoon to include families all over the world, whether they have an affinity for Hawaii or live in Hawaii now, to have Cocomoon be a part of their memories. We do make baby products, baby blankets, and clothes. But really, we're in the memory business and helping families create beautiful memories. So I think that I would love to see families continuing to make memories with us and also to be able to further develop our giving program. I think we've been able to make a great impact so far, but there's still so much to be done, so much that we can give. And I really want to kind of build that out and really, even potentially incorporate other businesses into that vision as well so that we can tighten our support of the community. Oh, that's a terrific vision. So the more you grow, the more you can give. Exactly. Exactly. That's a wonderful business model, definitely. And I understand that you don't realize it when you're in the thick of it, but you have hindsight in having three grown children that that is such a finite period of time in your child's life when they are young and that you have all those wonderful, little, warmy, lovely things to share with them. So I agree that's fantastic to have that as your vision for the future. That's wonderful. So let's see. Is there anything more specific about where you see yourself or your company in the next five or 10 years? Well, it's really crazy to think about how quickly time goes. In 10 years, I'll be the mother of a legal adult, which is crazy to think about. So I think at that point, I hope Kokomon is still a thriving business. I hope it's a global brand that has become a household name for people raising their families with Hawaii as an inspiration. We do have a great presence in Japan right now, and I'd love to continue to expand that and also expand to other countries around the world as well. And I would love to have more of a presence online as well. Our website, kokomoonhawaii.com, has been steadily growing, and I hope that that continues on that path as well. Oh, that's fantastic that you're already exporting. And so how long have you been exporting your product? Probably about two years now, or actually, this is our third year, excuse me, third year. Oh, amazing. That's great. And so are there any other countries that you specifically would like to target for your business or that orders already maybe a personal clients order from other countries? Well, I'd love to get into Australia and New Zealand. Those are kind of my big goals there. Oh, wonderful. Oh, terrific. That's a great vision for the future. And then maybe I can take a business trip there. Of course. Definitely. OK, and then are there any new products that you have that you want to mention that you're thinking of or that will be coming out next year or in the next couple of years that are different or new from your current product line? We have two new collaborations releasing early next year. We'll have our second collaboration with Kimi A. Minor and Haku Collective in celebration of their Hawaiian Lullaby album. So I'm really excited about that. And then we'll also be releasing a new collection of pieces with Jana Lam as well. And those pieces will include some of the mommy and me items, which will be really fun. Oh, that's something to look forward to, for sure. Are they new prints? And then the styles will remain basically the same, or do you have new styles coming up as well? We hopefully will have new styles, but it'll definitely be new prints. Oh, that's exciting. Very exciting for all of your loyal followers, for sure. Definitely. OK, so tell us one more time where we can find Coco Moon Hawaii. Sure, so you can find us on our website, cocomoonhawaii.com. And we're also in a handful of retailers across the state, which I just love because it makes it really easy to run out and grab that last-minute gift. So here on Island, some of our retailers include the Growing Kakey in Haleiva, Sand Kids in Kailua, and Owens & Company in Chinatown. But if you go to our website on our retailers page, you can find the entire list there. Oh, fantastic. That's great. And so now I wanted to talk a little bit about Shop Small Hawaii and to let everybody know that we actually have the Kailua Sippin Shop this evening at downtown Kailua. It's at a number of different locations. There's a stamp card where you can go and visit multiple retailers to get a stamp and then enter a Instagram giveaway. And Sand Kids is one of the participating retailers, so you can find some Coco Moon Hawaii products there. And then also to remember to remind everybody to support Shop Small Hawaii, we also do have a $1,000 Instagram giveaway if you take a photo of yourself in front of a small business and then post it to Shop Small Hawaii. And we would really love your support for that. So I'd like to thank Amber from Coco Moon Hawaii for being with us here today and wish you all the best of luck. Thank you. I really appreciate that. Thank you.