Female Disruptors: Heather Roberts of Mom Bomb On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
Lipstick on a pig is still a pig. I love this one because it really applies to everything and reminds us to keep focused on the important aspects of the mission. For instance, with so much spin and so many charlatans around the world, if we simply strip away the cosmetics, sometimes we find the substance is rancid.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Heather Roberts.
A student of life, Heather Roberts’ mission is to create systems that take out the transactional nature of human behavior and replace them with ecosystems that allow the best traits of humanity to work together to meet everyone’s needs.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”?
In 2017 I was struck down out of the blue with an undiagnosed illness that left me with unbearable facial pain and inability to leave bed for months. Eventually I was diagnosed with a condition called Trigeminal Neuralgia, a condition known in the medical community as the suicide disease because people often opt to kill themselves than deal with the pain of the disorder.
I was determined to find natural solutions to my pain and ended up working with essential oils and CBD formulas in bath products. I started making different products and giving them away. People wanted to buy them but starting a new business for purely capitalistic reasons no longer aligned with who I was.
Up until that time I had been a successful entrepreneur, but found myself unable to work and having attached my identity to my career for so long had a crisis of conscious. It was then I had the idea to create Mom Bomb, a disruptive brand in the best way.
Mom Bomb sells all natural, vegan, made in the USA bath and shower products for men, women and children and donates 100% of the profits to families in crisis. We exist to help families relax, whether that be everyday by using our calming, soothing products or during a crisis where our sister non-profit can step in and provide services for families in crisis.
What led you to this particular career path?
Frankly, I was sick of living a transactional lifestyle and wanted to create something that embodied my new outlook on life. I’ve always believed that if you do the right things, the right things happen, so Mom Bomb is my way of testing that theory. At the intersection of commerce and philanthropy lies opportunity. Consumers have the power to choose which brands get their hard earned money. Making sure your values are aligned is more important than ever. Brands of the future know that consumers are smart and they don’t fall for old marketing gimmicks. Transparency and authenticity dominate these days and brands who don’t adapt will become extinct. As a consumer facing brand — we have the ability to impact lives beyond the benefits of our products. When we truly serve our customers beyond today by putting mechanisms in place to take care of them throughout life, everyone’s world changes for the better. Mom Bomb — A legacy brand for today’s consumer. We’re giving our profits to charity while increasing stakeholder value. A win for everyone!
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
There are very few organizations that use philanthropy in its purest sense which is doing something for others without the expectation of return. Mom Bomb allows everyone involved to participate in reducing stress for parents. Whether you’re a successful parent who doesn’t have time to volunteer but wants to give back, you can support others simply by buying and enjoying our products. For our consumers, our products will allow you to take the time out you so desperately need to recuperate and relax so you have the bandwidth to face the challenges ahead. When you close the bathroom door and slip away to Mom Bomb land, you’ve created an oasis amidst the chaos that fortifies your parenting skills until the next meltdown (yours or theirs!).
The premise is simple; give what you can, take when you need, but Mom Bomb will be there to support you throughout your parenting journey whether it be through our products or the grants we give to help parents in crisis.
This mission isn’t about money; it’s about energy, doing what’s right, transparency and truly caring for our customer — beyond selling them a product.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Yes, I was bringing products to a meeting that I had to fly to attend. My Bag set off the alarm in security and they asked me what the items were. I started to say, bath bomb and stopped myself and said — Bath Fizzie. It never occurred to me I may have to say the word Bomb at an airport.
The lesson I learned was to never forget your audience, even in transit!
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
None of this would be possible without the support of my husband. First, in showing me unconditional love when he had to care for me, our children and everything else during the time I was sick. Then, in stretching himself to do uncomfortable things to help us grow this mission. He’s learned entire supply chain logistics to make sure we can provide the quality and service required to meet our ambitious goals — which are to help 1 Million Family Members in Crisis by 2030.He is s true angel that provides me strength to help others. Additionally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my own mother and the support and baseline she provided to me throughout the years. Mom Bomb is truly an homage to her.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
The interpretation of whether something is disruptive in a positive or negative way can only be determined by the observers of the initiative and whether it aligns with their desired outcome. I think a lot of times institutions and organizations start out as one thing and either become influenced or co-opted over time. Our goal is to remain pure in our mission, as a beacon to other entrepreneurs, illuminating that capitalism and social good can benefit every stake holder within our organization. The ultimate goal would be to become a model for other organizations to follow.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
My mother taught me that morality comes before comfort and that has allowed me the fortitude to do what’s right even when it was hard.
Another friend of mine once told me, “You can never have a good deal with a bad person” and my experience has told me that there are no truer words.
Lipstick on a pig is still a pig. I love this one because it really applies to everything and reminds us to keep focused on the important aspects of the mission. For instance, with so much spin and so many charlatans around the world, if we simply strip away the cosmetics, sometimes we find the substance is rancid.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Oh we are just getting started. We ‘ve just signed a deal with Whole Foods to distribute our products and have formed a board of directors for the non-profit with grand plans ahead. We aren’t stopping until everyone knows our name and what we stand for.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I don’t really keep score in that way 😊
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
Yes, it’s a book by Lee Smolin called Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution. I read it about 5 years ago and it explained quantum physics in a way that was inspiring because after I finished it, I understood the unlimited potential in the world. And I was going to test his theory.
How can our readers follow you online?
They can follow us on Tik Tok @MomBombCharity and visit our website www.BuyBombsHelpMoms.com
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
