I’ll never forget.
I was getting ready to leave the hospital after just having my son when my doctor said, “see you in six weeks!”.
Six weeks?! I had done so much preparation for the pregnancy that I felt panicked…I felt like there was so much around those first six weeks at home I wasn’t prepared for. Those six weeks felt like eternity and to be honest, I really struggled with breastfeeding. It was painful and I could not supply the amount of milk I was supposed to. Other moms made it look so easy on social media, so I wondered, did no one talk about these struggles or was I the only one struggling?
What is Majka?
Launched in 2018 with my friend and business partner Majo Mansur, Majka provides nutritional lactation supplement products. At Majka, our promise is to create clean, healthy, and effective products that have new moms in mind. We want moms to prioritize their health so they can better take care of the people they love.
Right now we have two main products, our Lactation Protein Powder and Lactation Bites. Both are non-gmo, vegan, soy free, gluten free, and only uses whole food ingredients. They are fortified with key ingredients and vitamins for lactation support such as prebiotic + probiotics, digestive enzymes, fruits and veggies, chelates, methylfolate and more.
Not becomes I’m slightly biased, but this is my favorite protein powder not only for the taste but because I get so much more than just protein in my smoothies. The bites are perfect for those especially on-the-go days and it’s the first lactation cookie that is refrigerated because of our high quality and natural ingredients.
Why We Started Majka
I felt like there was a void in the market for new moms, everyone was so focused on the prenatal stage but I felt like no one was really focusing on the after which is just as physically and mentally demanding, if not more, than pregnancy. Going back to work soon after having Diego was taxing on my body and by not paying attention to my nutrition I quickly saw a decline in my energy and my health.
Walking the aisles at healthy grocery stores I noticed that there was not a single nourishing lactation meal replacement option that would satisfy the nourishment and lactation support needs of a new mom. So, I approached my friend and now business partner, Majo, and we came up with the idea of a nourishing lactation powder and bites. That’s how it began! I know it sounds crazy but sometimes the best products and ideas come from your own needs.
Our Vision For Majka
We plan to continue to develop our product line covering the whole first year postpartum , and gaining the ability to hold our own research. There is so much research needed to be done in order to understand the health of a mother during the 4th trimester. More understanding of a mother’s body and needs after having a baby will help us develop solutions to support new moms to be at their best.
The Challenges We Faced
No business comes without challenges. This was also my first time in a product based industry and this was alone a huge learning curve for me. We had to find a manufacturer, nutritionists, ingredient source, figure out all the logistics and so so much more. The beginning testing phases were exciting but tough. When we first started talking about the idea we thought we could get the product to market in 3 months, now I laugh, of course it took us over two years.
The most common thing we heard from friends and family was…
“That industry is so saturated, how is a small business going to stand out”
“Is lactation support actually important?”
“Aren’t there already lactation cookies?”
We had to stand our ground that we WERE different. There was a need in the market for this and we were creating something no one else has. We also treated our business like a million dollar business from the beginning. Bloguettes of course has been a huge help in the development of Majka, with my brading experience I knew we needed to create something that was of the highest quality but that also looked and felt amazing in our customers hands.
So How Do You Turn Your Idea Into A Reality?
I get so many messages and emails from women telling me about their passions but some are scared to act on those ideas. Just do it! Don’t wait for other people to give you validation if you believe in what you are doing GO FOR IT!
- Make sure you are truly passionate about it, it’s the idea that keeps you awake at night.
- Create goals and objectives for even the small things. Small things lead to big achievements. So maybe if it’s the first week your goal is to find a name, then the next find a branding company, etc. and before you know it your business will be up and going.
- Surround yourself with people that have different strengths than you do, whose strengths compliment your weaknesses.
- Stay with it! New businesses have ups and downs but you can’t give up before it gets good.
I hope this post was helpful and I hope all new moms feel supported and nourished with Majka!
