Renske Gosselink-Tibosch: “[As a working Mom] you have to trust your own gut to find your way and your balance” (Episode 23/S3 Ep5)
Our guest today is Renske Gosselink-Tibosch who is the co-founder of Noobie Box, a company that sends free one-time gift boxes to pregnant women. The idea finds its roots in a European custom of giving baby boxes to Moms-to-be to make them feel loved during this new phase of their lives.
Prior to moving to Brooklyn, New York, Renske had a thriving career as a healthcare lawyer in the Netherlands, working for a company that advised the Minister of Health in ways to keep healthcare affordable and cost efficient. Since her expertise in Dutch law wasn’t easily transferable to the United States, Renske decided to use this opportunity to start something of her own and in a completely new field. She and her co-founders came together to brainstorm an idea for a business and Noobie Box was born.
Right from the beginning of the company, Renske and her co-founders wanted to make space for each other’s needs. So when time came for Renske to be a Mom, they had talked through and outlined how to make it so that she could take maternity leave without impacting the business. As a result, Renske had a relatively stress-free bonding period with her newborn. This is a shining example of how small businesses can support #MomsWhoWork and it was revealing to hear how a little preparation can make this work seamlessly for all involved. Keep listening to learn more!
Audio
Video
Guest Profile
Age: 33 years
Bio:
Renske Gosselink-Tibosch lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter Kiki (6 months). She moved from Amsterdam to New York with her husband 3 years ago. Together with two co-founders, she decided to bring something beautiful from her home country to expecting women here: Noobie Box. Noobie Box is a free gift box for moms-to-be, filled with great products, coupons and trusted information to support women through the first days, weeks and months of motherhood. Noobie Box was launched end of 2015.
Fun fact:
I created a city guide about NYC for the Dutch market. Off The Grid NYC — about the lesser-known parts of the city!
What childcare option did you go with for your child(ren)? Why?
I am sharing a nanny with a family in the neighborhood. The baby’s were born 3 weeks apart, so that works perfect. I decided for this setup together with a female entrepreneur I met via SheWorx, a female entrepreneur network. I think it’s a great setup, because we can share in the costs, and the baby’s can socialize at the same time.
How do you continue to work on your professional growth with motherhood in the balance?
I think I’m still finding that balance. Having your own business and being a mother means there is always a lot of work left at the end of the day. Without having the flexibility to work late. Planning my time carefully becomes more important. So I think I have to work on that in the next phase to find a good balance, without having to do-lists that are only growing… ;)
How do you proactively network given the constraints of motherhood?
There are great initiatives coming up with these constraints in mind. Recently I met the founder of Mindr. They do a great job in organizing events with interesting topics, where you can bring your little ones. I will try to join these kind of events as much as possible.
In what ways does your spouse/family/friends support you and how much does that factor into your success?
My husband supports me in everything I do, which is very important to me — especially with starting and building a company. His optimistic and relaxed personality always helps me making the right decisions in life.
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