Nappy Valley! - Louise's Booming Baby Business

The once-shy mum has reinvented herself and her family’s fortunes

- Fleur Guthrie

Within minutes of meeting Louise Stainthorpe, it’s clear the co-founder of nappy company Rascal and Friends and single mother of four young boys is a multitasking “mumpreneur” .

With business emails and social media messages streaming in (she woke to 270 notifications this morning), a make-up artist applying lipstick and her littlest son Louie deciding to showcase his talents on a recorder, you could forgive the 36-year-old for being distracted as our interview begins.

But while chatting about everything from “poonamis” to retailing trips in China, the Waikato woman isn’t fazed. However, the quiet confidence she exudes now hasn’t always been there and for the last decade, Louise struggled with low self-worth as a stay-at-home mum.

She finally got her groove back after teaming up with her brother Grant Taylor, when the siblings thought of a savvy business idea to develop chemical-free nappies. Rascal and Friends is now one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing companies, distributing to eight of the world’s largest supermarket retailers – all in a little over 24 months since launching.

Life-changer

“Starting the business has given me the freedom to become myself again,” tells Louise. “Being at home with kids can make you feel like you’re in this bubble and your view of yourself sort of implodes.

“I was also in an unhappy marriage, so that sucked out my self-confidence too,” admits Louise, who separated from her husband a year ago. “My biggest struggle coming back into the workforce has been not believing in my abilities and feeling like I’m not offering enough.