Brit + Co and Office Depot OfficeMax are so excited to share our new series, “Ask A Founder,” where we tap into the great minds of female entrepreneurs making their big idea a reality. For the past two years, thousands of women have experienced our Selfmade virtual business coaching program, led by Brit + Co founder, Brit Morin, and sponsored by our friends at Office Depot OfficeMax. Here, we ask Selfmade alum and mom of two Robin Oloyede about her life as a founder of Colorfull Plates, a diverse line of dinnerware for kids, the most powerful thing she does in her day, and the hilarious way she “clocks out” at home.
1. How would you describe your brand in five words? Colorful. Fun. Transformative. Trailblazing. Essential.
2. What mood do you want your brand to evoke? I want Colorfull Plates to evoke the feelings of acceptance in diversity, positive nostalgia surrounding mealtimes, hope in dreaming and honestly, openness surrounding conversations that could easily be overlooked by caretakers simply because of fatigue. How many caretakers just want to get food on the table after a long day? A lot. Do they want to have the conversations about what astronauts eat or where do mermaids cook their food? Yes, and our brand helps make that a little easier.
3. What was your aha moment before starting this business? When my son told me he wanted to be an astronaut and after not finding a product that represented him in the marketplace and realizing that he was not the only child that needed to see themselves like they do in their dreams and imagination.
4. How do you get in the right headspace to start your day? I have to get my day started out with music of some form. I also like to spend a few minutes reminding myself through affirmations that today is going to be a great day and even if there is an obstacle, I have been through hard things before and survived, so today will be a piece of cake.
5. How do you usually prioritize your to-do list? My to-do list gets prioritized by what I can knock out at home first (put the chicken in the crockpot at 10 AM, check!). I like to use my brain space in the mornings to tackle hard projects.
6. How do you balance the practical with the creative parts of your business? I allow myself to have 5 minutes or so to daydream. I love that I allow myself to have that space because I know that I have given the creative ideas an opportunity to flesh out just enough for me to feel comfortable with shelving it until it’s the right time to come back to ponder on it.
7. How do you stay focused/productive? I try to break up larger tasks into TINY pieces so each step doesn’t feel like having to climb Mt. Everest. Oh, and I give myself TIME and GRACE in deadlines so that I can focus at my own pace as much as I can.
8. What do you do on your breaks? I actively force myself to breathe because I find myself holding my breath when I start digging into my work. I also light a stick of palo Santo and my favorite candles when I am feeling scatterbrained and it helps me get back to work fairly quickly.
9. What do you do to officially *end* your workday? Slamming my computer shut like a wrestler! I kid, but I’m sure you just had a really good visual, right? Officially, I unintentionally yell, “Shop’s closed!” only to realize that I am, indeed, the only one in my “shop.”
10. What is the biggest risk you’ve taken? I am more of an introvert at heart and I don’t like failure. Putting my face out there and speaking up is really hard for me, so I consider being the face for my brand as a risk every day that I am learning to be more comfortable with.
11. What has receiving the Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to Selfmade done to help you grow your business? Before Selfmade, I'd already launched my business, but I needed more clarity around my market and how I could grow my business. Receiving the Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to Selfmade was an immediate opportunity that allowed me to focus on sorting through the muddy areas that I had been put off and getting the confidence to really lay into my business. It was the push that I needed to jump into a community and be vulnerable with other entrepreneurs.
12. What is the most powerful thing you do in your day? Lift up my kids by helping them remember their affirmations and also leaving a positive comment on another small business’s post. A rising tide lifts all boats.
13. Fill in the blank: The idea of creating scholarships for kids to go to space camps, math camps… any type of camp that helps them fulfill their dreams gives me all the feels.
14. How have Office Depot OfficeMax services/products helped you accomplish more in your business? I have had to run into an Office Depot or OfficeMax store so many times to grab shipping supplies that the staff knows me, and they have always helped me in a crunch. Even at my first trade show in NYC this past February, I was in an OfficeMax the night before preparing and buying last-minute supplies. I always feel like I’m covered, and that is reassuring. As a winner of the Selfmade Office Depot OfficeMax pitch competition, not only can I invest in a better set up for my shipping station, but I now have even more loyalty to the store that has always been there for me.
15. What does the word “selfmade” mean to you? The word self-made means that you just can’t see my team behind me, but they are there and appreciated. There is no “I” in selfmade.
Thanks Robyn! Juggling a business while raising kids can feel empowering but also overwhelming at times. Office Depot OfficeMax can support you with a full suite of business services and solutions. From print & copy services to help you get more done to marketing materials to help bring your brand vision to life. Office Depot OfficeMax is designed to help you accomplish more so you can focus on more important things, like starting & growing your big idea.