Meet Heather Ledeboer, President of Mom4Life
Six years ago, Heather Ledeboer’s world changed when she became a mom. Though she thoroughly enjoyed teaching California school children, she really wanted to be able to stay home with her baby. Growing up in a log cabin in the woods of Washington, complete with CB radio, outhouse, and generator, Heather knew a bit about being resourceful and creative.
Combining her new love for technology and conveniences, Heather began with a simple plan: e-baying two baby products with the goal of earning $200 a month to help her family. The plan worked, and Heather was finding more and more unique products that she wanted to help moms get. Her plan transitioned over time to creating an online store. Mom 4 Life was born. No longer was she just helping her family, but she was helping scores of others by providing a marketplace for the products of creative mom inventors.
Mom4Life, currently retailing over 900 mom invented products geared towards maternity, nursing, babies, and toddlers, is now located in North Idaho, with a warehouse to hold their inventory. Top-notch customer service, free shipping, price-matching, and a free gift with purchase, are some of the things Heather attributes to building a solid base of loyal customers, employees, and vendors.
Heather utilizes some traditional forms of advertising, such as magazine ads, and some more modern forms, such as the increasingly popular product reviews by mom bloggers and responding to Peter Shankman’s HARO queries. However, she still believes that the best advertising is the referral of a happy customer. In that end, customer service is top priority at Mom 4Life. Angela Gifford, Mom 4 Life Customer Service Assistant, says that one of the best things about working with Heather is that she empowers her to do what it takes to make customers happy. She says, “We have turned some very unhappy customers into some of our most loyal customers by going above and beyond to resolve their problems. It is some of the best ‘advertising’ dollars ever spent.”
As an online retailer, Heather realizes the magnitude of her “community” and the unlimited possibilities of helping other moms. Partnering with No Mother Left Behind, to provide gently used baby slings to moms who can’t afford them and creating special discounts and promotions just for military families, are just a couple of ways she has decided to help. 10% of Mom 4 Life’s profits are donated to Open Arms Pregnancy Crisis Center (local to Heather) and Real Choices Clinic to help moms in crisis. Nancy Tefft, director of Open Arms, says, “Although I’ve only known Heather a few years, in every encounter I have been impressed by her concern for moms and families. She has assisted Open Arms Pregnancy Center in a variety of ways, from donating supplies and finances to serving as a keynote speaker at an event for moms and dads. Heather is a marvelous professional, a great mom, and a woman of great strength.”
In 2008, that strength was tested when tragedy hit the Ledeboer family in the most ironic form. Heather’s son, Sawyer (her third child), was stillborn at 37 weeks of pregnancy. It would have been hard enough for anyone, but imagine being completely surrounded by baby gear and customers with new babies. In the midst of heartbreak that would have crumbled the strongest of women, Heather turned to her faith. The Mom 4 Life blog expanded from a place to advertise products and share expert advice to a place where she could share her heart, her pain, and her healing. Customers and readers became cheerleaders and prayer partners. Heather’s loss became a platform to help moms experiencing losses of their own, and an online baby boutique became a place where moms like to “virtually” hang out with Heather.
Heather’s gentle spirit is felt by all who interact with her. Mom 4 Life employee, Sarah DeBusk, remembers that at the time Sawyer died, she too was going through some really tough things. “So many people,” says Sarah, “Would not have been willing to deal with someone else’s problems when going through her kind of pain. But Heather would just sit and listen, offering help and support.”
Whether it is training employees, suggesting revisions to products moms are designing, or negotiating pricing with a vendor, Heather’s end goal is always to do what is best for everyone involved.
“When I started my business four years ago,” says Jamie Bird of MiniMe BabyGear, “I lacked focus and struggled to find my niche. I e-mailed Heather in frustration. I felt dejected and insecure of the business I was trying to build. Heather said four words that have carried me through since that time. She said, ‘I believe in you.’ I revised what I was doing and started focusing on one product, the Wet Happened? wet bag, now marketed across the US in boutiques and ‘big box’ stores.
“I adore working with Heather and Mom4Life,” says Melissa Radcliffe of TogetherBe, makers of the Peekaru and FreeHand Baby Carriers. “I feel that she thinks of me as a partner in her success, not just a vendor on her website. I always feel as though I’m the only vendor or customer she has because she is so attentive.”
Having welcomed baby number four into her arms, Heather also holds some other impressive titles. Mom4Life has won Pregnancy & Newborn’s Reader’s Choice Awards for the best online baby store, two years running. It was the 2009 Mom’s Choice Award’s Business of the Year and StartUp Nation’s 2009 winner for Leading Moms in Business.
Heather believes in always keeping the long term in mind. In her faith, that gives her the strength to get through loss and hardship. In her business, it has caused her to make wise decisions that have kept her company even keel in troubling economic times. When the average lifespan of an e-tailer is closer to two and a half years, her six year, steady climb is definitely worth celebrating!.
To connect with Mom4Life visit: www.Mom4Life.com
