Let's be honest. Life is stressful, its work, its relationships, and the state of the world. But there's a way to bring that stress level down. Calm. It's the number one app for mental wellness with tons of content to manage anxiety, promote concentration, and help you unwind. There's music, meditation, a more Calm makes it easy to de stress. You can literally do a one minute breathing exercise. Personally, I love the soundscapes. Nothing like a little rain on leaves to help soothe my nervous system. I've actually been working with Calm for a couple of years now, and I'd love for you to check out my series on reducing overwhelm eight short practices Quick Relief. Right now, listeners of On Purpose get forty percent off a subscription to Calm Premium at Calm dot com. Forward slash j that's c LM dot com Forward slash jay for forty percent off. Calm your Mind, Change your Life.

Let's be honest. Life is stressful, its work, its relationships, and the state of the world. But there's a way to bring that stress level down. Calm. It's the number one app for mental wellness with tons of content to manage anxiety, promote concentration, and help you unwind. There's music, meditation, a more Calm makes it easy to de stress. You can literally do a one minute breathing exercise. Personally, I love the soundscapes. Nothing like a little rain on leaves to help soothe my nervous system. I've actually been working with Calm for a couple of years now, and I'd love for you to check out my series on reducing overwhelm eight short practices Quick Relief. Right now, listeners of On Purpose get forty percent off a subscription to Calm Premium at Calm dot com. Forward slash j that's c LM dot com Forward slash jay for forty percent off. Calm your Mind, Change your Life.

We talk about diapers perpetuating the cycle of poverty. So if you don't have six to eight diapers to drop your child off at daycare, you can't go to work, and you can't go to a job interview. So they're stopping. It's really like a block for women and parents being able to go to work. So it's really this symbol of poverty. That's how we look at diapers.

We talk about diapers perpetuating the cycle of poverty. So if you don't have six to eight diapers to drop your child off at daycare, you can't go to work, and you can't go to a job interview. So they're stopping. It's really like a block for women and parents being able to go to work. So it's really this symbol of poverty. That's how we look at diapers.

Hey everyone, I've got some huge news to share with you. In the last ninety days, seventy nine point four percent of our audience came from viewers and listeners that are not subscribed to this channel. There's research that shows that if you want to create a habit, make it easy to access. By hitting the subscribe button, you're creating a habit of learning how to be happier, healthier, and more healed. This would also mean the absolute world to me and help us make better, bigger, brighter content for you and the world. Subscribe right now. The number one health and wellness podcast, Say Sety Jay Setty seely say Shaty. Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every one of you that come back every week to listen, learn and grow. Now, you know, one of the things I'm fascinated about is people who find a passion and are able to turn it into a purpose. People who have a cause that they care about and they're able to get organized around it to make a change and impact in the world, and today's guests have done exactly that. Nora Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patrick Hof are the co CEOs of Baby to Baby. Baby to Baby is a national nonprofit organization that serves more than one million children living in poverty every year. Serving children across all fifty states, Baby to Baby distributes diapers, formula, clothing, and basic necessities that every child deserves. The organization has distributed over four hundred and fifty million essential idea items to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care hospitals, underserved schools, and families who have lost everything in the wake of disasters. Since last year, Baby de Baby has delivered more than one point five million emergency supplies to children affected by the Maui wildfires. Please welcome to the show, Nora and Kelly. Thank you both for.

Hey everyone, I've got some huge news to share with you. In the last ninety days, seventy nine point four percent of our audience came from viewers and listeners that are not subscribed to this channel. There's research that shows that if you want to create a habit, make it easy to access. By hitting the subscribe button, you're creating a habit of learning how to be happier, healthier, and more healed. This would also mean the absolute world to me and help us make better, bigger, brighter content for you and the world. Subscribe right now. The number one health and wellness podcast, Say Sety Jay Setty seely say Shaty. Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every one of you that come back every week to listen, learn and grow. Now, you know, one of the things I'm fascinated about is people who find a passion and are able to turn it into a purpose. People who have a cause that they care about and they're able to get organized around it to make a change and impact in the world, and today's guests have done exactly that. Nora Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patrick Hof are the co CEOs of Baby to Baby. Baby to Baby is a national nonprofit organization that serves more than one million children living in poverty every year. Serving children across all fifty states, Baby to Baby distributes diapers, formula, clothing, and basic necessities that every child deserves. The organization has distributed over four hundred and fifty million essential idea items to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care hospitals, underserved schools, and families who have lost everything in the wake of disasters. Since last year, Baby de Baby has delivered more than one point five million emergency supplies to children affected by the Maui wildfires. Please welcome to the show, Nora and Kelly. Thank you both for.

Being here, Thanks for having us, and I'm so grateful.

Being here, Thanks for having us, and I'm so grateful.

To have you both here. And honestly, when my team and I met you both last year, we got to come and join your volunteer program, which was a service day for our team. We'd made a commitment at the company that we wanted to find programs that meant some importance in the team, causes that people were passionate about on the team, and yours was right up there, and the team wanted to get right behind it. And getting to be there that day and learn about the incredible work you were doing, I was totally blown away, very much in admiration of both of you and your stories journeys. And then of course I got to attend your garla, which was phenomenal and spectacular, and I can't even remember how much you raised. Was it twelve million in that gala that you raised? I remember this, yeah, twelve point six to me. I love that, Kelly good be exactly. It was just it was incredible to see just two people who are so passionate about a cause, active on it every day and creating amazing value from it. So congratulations first of all, and thank you for this opportunity.

To have you both here. And honestly, when my team and I met you both last year, we got to come and join your volunteer program, which was a service day for our team. We'd made a commitment at the company that we wanted to find programs that meant some importance in the team, causes that people were passionate about on the team, and yours was right up there, and the team wanted to get right behind it. And getting to be there that day and learn about the incredible work you were doing, I was totally blown away, very much in admiration of both of you and your stories journeys. And then of course I got to attend your garla, which was phenomenal and spectacular, and I can't even remember how much you raised. Was it twelve million in that gala that you raised? I remember this, yeah, twelve point six to me. I love that, Kelly good be exactly. It was just it was incredible to see just two people who are so passionate about a cause, active on it every day and creating amazing value from it. So congratulations first of all, and thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, well, let's dive straight in, Nora, Kelly. I want to talk to you both individually and collectively about your respective journeys. This is not what you've done forever. I believe it's twelve years now that you've been building baby to baby. We just hit thirteen, Just hit thirteen, amazing, congratulations. So let's talk about your individual journeys, and I want to find out when you were in your previous lives. Was this a passion of yours? Was this something you were aware of, or were you lost in a completely different world? Whoever wants to go first?

All right, well, let's dive straight in, Nora, Kelly. I want to talk to you both individually and collectively about your respective journeys. This is not what you've done forever. I believe it's twelve years now that you've been building baby to baby. We just hit thirteen, Just hit thirteen, amazing, congratulations. So let's talk about your individual journeys, and I want to find out when you were in your previous lives. Was this a passion of yours? Was this something you were aware of, or were you lost in a completely different world? Whoever wants to go first?

Looking back, I think this makes so much sense that this is where I've ended up. As a kid, I was giving back. I think it's really important when parents instill that and their children. I went to Hebrew school and giving back was a core part of what we learned. We had something called Sedaka, which was bringing change every week to school and whatever you could collect in your house, and that money was going to go toward helping others. We also had a food pantry that was attached to our temple and we would go on the weekends and my parents would bring me and we would give food to people who were less fortunate. Fast forward, I became a lawyer and in my law firm, Scatin Arps, which I love dearly. It's a big corporate law firm doing giant securities cases. But there's an option to do pro bono work. Propone of work is obviously helping people who are less fortunate without charging them, and that's what I gravitated to immediately because.

Looking back, I think this makes so much sense that this is where I've ended up. As a kid, I was giving back. I think it's really important when parents instill that and their children. I went to Hebrew school and giving back was a core part of what we learned. We had something called Sedaka, which was bringing change every week to school and whatever you could collect in your house, and that money was going to go toward helping others. We also had a food pantry that was attached to our temple and we would go on the weekends and my parents would bring me and we would give food to people who were less fortunate. Fast forward, I became a lawyer and in my law firm, Scatin Arps, which I love dearly. It's a big corporate law firm doing giant securities cases. But there's an option to do pro bono work. Propone of work is obviously helping people who are less fortunate without charging them, and that's what I gravitated to immediately because.

It was just to me that was so obvious.

It was just to me that was so obvious.

Why would you want to work on a big automotive or oil case when you got to help a low income woman get housing. So it was a no brainer to me. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to do that from the law firm, and that's.

Why would you want to work on a big automotive or oil case when you got to help a low income woman get housing. So it was a no brainer to me. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to do that from the law firm, and that's.

Just all I wanted to do.

Just all I wanted to do.

So looking back, I was going toward this direction of giving back, and baby to Baby is certainly a huge extension of that. But I do think it was always there, and I do think it's important to teach your children about giving back from a young age. I think a lot of the people we meet on this journey that care they started caring as a child.

So looking back, I was going toward this direction of giving back, and baby to Baby is certainly a huge extension of that. But I do think it was always there, and I do think it's important to teach your children about giving back from a young age. I think a lot of the people we meet on this journey that care they started caring as a child.

I love that. Thank you so much, Kelly. It was the same question.

I love that. Thank you so much, Kelly. It was the same question.

Well, I was a model, so you know, you wouldn't think of that probably as a giving back career, but it was a career that took me all over the world. But also when I was home in my home base of New York, I would volunteer at a head start center in Harlem that I knew people who worked there, and so I would work with kids in my free time. I always loved being with kids. I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, and so I was in the classroom with these children and they had no shoes that fit, clothes that were, you know, too small. They would wear the same clothes to school every day. They wouldn't come to school because they didn't have these basic things. And so that sort of instilled in me this, you know, need to help children with basic essentials, Like I saw what could happen if they didn't have them. They couldn't get an education, they wouldn't show up to school. So that was something that was part of my free time. But I loved it so much. I was really passionate about it. And when I moved to la and Norah and I met my father and that happened to introduce us because he knew I had a passion for giving back to children and need and Nora did as well, So he set us up on a blind date and that was how we met, and so it all sort of happened from there.

Well, I was a model, so you know, you wouldn't think of that probably as a giving back career, but it was a career that took me all over the world. But also when I was home in my home base of New York, I would volunteer at a head start center in Harlem that I knew people who worked there, and so I would work with kids in my free time. I always loved being with kids. I wanted to be a teacher when I was younger, and so I was in the classroom with these children and they had no shoes that fit, clothes that were, you know, too small. They would wear the same clothes to school every day. They wouldn't come to school because they didn't have these basic things. And so that sort of instilled in me this, you know, need to help children with basic essentials, Like I saw what could happen if they didn't have them. They couldn't get an education, they wouldn't show up to school. So that was something that was part of my free time. But I loved it so much. I was really passionate about it. And when I moved to la and Norah and I met my father and that happened to introduce us because he knew I had a passion for giving back to children and need and Nora did as well, So he set us up on a blind date and that was how we met, and so it all sort of happened from there.

That's genius. Yeah, well, I'm sure he's taking all the credit now.

That's genius. Yeah, well, I'm sure he's taking all the credit now.

He definitely yes, trust me, that's amazing.

He definitely yes, trust me, that's amazing.

No. What I love about both of those stories independently, And I love what you're saying, Nora, this idea of how giving back has been a part of your culture ever since you were young, and I can definitely identify that and recognize that. I remember my parents didn't have a lot growing up, but giving back was always part of their life. And I think even when I was growing up, there were times in my mind where I thought, when I have more, I'll give more. But I found that that was the wrong mindset, it was the wrong mentality. What I found is whatever I have, whatever I can give, is a great place to start, whether it's time or energy or money or whatever else it may be. And I guess, did you feel like in your career in Noura when you were going down that and you were choosing pro bono work, did that positively or negatively affect your career? And how did that impact you, know, being a lawyer and navigating that world.

No. What I love about both of those stories independently, And I love what you're saying, Nora, this idea of how giving back has been a part of your culture ever since you were young, and I can definitely identify that and recognize that. I remember my parents didn't have a lot growing up, but giving back was always part of their life. And I think even when I was growing up, there were times in my mind where I thought, when I have more, I'll give more. But I found that that was the wrong mindset, it was the wrong mentality. What I found is whatever I have, whatever I can give, is a great place to start, whether it's time or energy or money or whatever else it may be. And I guess, did you feel like in your career in Noura when you were going down that and you were choosing pro bono work, did that positively or negatively affect your career? And how did that impact you, know, being a lawyer and navigating that world.

It was positive in every way because again I had the big firms do take on this pro bono commitment, and they owe the hours, and so they need some of their associates and partners to be people who love it, and so that was lucky. And then you get so much legal experience because at a big firm, big complex cases, as a junior lawyer, you're having a very minor role in a big complex case, and pro bono cases you work directly with individuals, and so you advance that much more quickly.

It was positive in every way because again I had the big firms do take on this pro bono commitment, and they owe the hours, and so they need some of their associates and partners to be people who love it, and so that was lucky. And then you get so much legal experience because at a big firm, big complex cases, as a junior lawyer, you're having a very minor role in a big complex case, and pro bono cases you work directly with individuals, and so you advance that much more quickly.

You're you're in court, you're in front of judges, you're with a.

You're you're in court, you're in front of judges, you're with a.

Client, and so I actually think it's a win win for the law firms because you're you're gaining experience and also giving back.

Client, and so I actually think it's a win win for the law firms because you're you're gaining experience and also giving back.

Yeah, the reason I ask because I feel like people always feel and I wonder whether you come across this, but I feel a lot of people always feel like if I give back, I'm going to slip behind, I'm going to fall behind, or if I focus on that, And I remember I was at a consulting firm Accenture, and giving back was a big part of their culture as well, and we had service days in the company and we had something called ADP which was Accentia's area of doing pro bono work, and it was encouraged. But I find that that's newer and growing now. Whereas you know, I imagine like ten twenty years ago, that wasn't the norm. So, Kelly, how have you felt about that in terms of like this identity of giving back. Do you feel like it's kind of seen positively or is it always something that people think, oh yeah, think about that later, or how do people approach that.

Yeah, the reason I ask because I feel like people always feel and I wonder whether you come across this, but I feel a lot of people always feel like if I give back, I'm going to slip behind, I'm going to fall behind, or if I focus on that, And I remember I was at a consulting firm Accenture, and giving back was a big part of their culture as well, and we had service days in the company and we had something called ADP which was Accentia's area of doing pro bono work, and it was encouraged. But I find that that's newer and growing now. Whereas you know, I imagine like ten twenty years ago, that wasn't the norm. So, Kelly, how have you felt about that in terms of like this identity of giving back. Do you feel like it's kind of seen positively or is it always something that people think, oh yeah, think about that later, or how do people approach that.

I think what we do at Baby to Baby is we try and make giving back fun and interesting, and we try and make it for whether you're an individual, a company, you want to come with your whole class from your school, and you're a teacher. Sure, so we try and make it, you know, fun and trendy, and we've tried to, like, you know, bring some excitement into giving back, and as you saw when you came for your team building day, I think it's really working. And I think we get so many great different organizations from you know, your team or the Girl Scouts come in, or we'll have classrooms full of kids, but we also have big studios come in and different companies come in for their give back day. And we've been able to really make that part of Baby to Baby from day one.

I think what we do at Baby to Baby is we try and make giving back fun and interesting, and we try and make it for whether you're an individual, a company, you want to come with your whole class from your school, and you're a teacher. Sure, so we try and make it, you know, fun and trendy, and we've tried to, like, you know, bring some excitement into giving back, and as you saw when you came for your team building day, I think it's really working. And I think we get so many great different organizations from you know, your team or the Girl Scouts come in, or we'll have classrooms full of kids, but we also have big studios come in and different companies come in for their give back day. And we've been able to really make that part of Baby to Baby from day one.

People love it.

People love it.

People I agree that it's changed, but I think and I think for reasons for all kinds of reasons. I think a lot of individuals are just love it and love giving back. I think children organically like to give back. I think companies have to give back, and so there are companies that have it in their culture because it's organic and the leaders want it. And there are companies that just have to have it because I think employees demand it. So what we're finding is that when we you know, we're obviously a national organization, but even in our headquarters, our volunteer sessions, where we have the most, they fill up in seconds after we put up, and we have two of them. We have sessions twice a day, and the minute they open up about a month ahead of time, and they are they fill up immediately, and people are calling to get you know, can they come later at night, Can they come on the weekends.

People I agree that it's changed, but I think and I think for reasons for all kinds of reasons. I think a lot of individuals are just love it and love giving back. I think children organically like to give back. I think companies have to give back, and so there are companies that have it in their culture because it's organic and the leaders want it. And there are companies that just have to have it because I think employees demand it. So what we're finding is that when we you know, we're obviously a national organization, but even in our headquarters, our volunteer sessions, where we have the most, they fill up in seconds after we put up, and we have two of them. We have sessions twice a day, and the minute they open up about a month ahead of time, and they are they fill up immediately, and people are calling to get you know, can they come later at night, Can they come on the weekends.

People want to teach them.

People want to teach them.

The people I think are desperate to teach their kids to give back. And I think actually the more they have, a lot of times people wrecke, you know, people are they recognize how much they have, and I think they really think it's a responsibility, especially if they didn't grow up that way. I think we talked to a lot of people who didn't grow up with as much now find themselves in situations where they have so much and they don't know how to teach their kids the way that they were taught, And how could someone in a pre situation teach their kids that that is not how the world lives. And so I think people are just dying for dying for I think people are really craving opportunities to give back, and I don't think there are that many. So we have found that it's often expensive to have people volunteer, or there's nonprofits that are on a smaller scale where I'm sure they would want help, but they can't always afford to have people come in. It's messy, it's time consuming, and so there aren't as many programs as there actually used to be. And so I think when people identify a place that can really use them in a way where they know that they're being used in a purposeful manner and not just doing busy work, and when they're at Baby Baby, they're seeing they are folding outfits for children and putting together We try to make it very specific so that people understand how they're giving back. And even though we talk a lot about big numbers, and four hundred and fifty million items we're giving out and a million kids. People want to focus on individuals when they're folding an outfit and choosing what outfit to give a two year old who's in foster care, who they know is coming in such a horrific circumstance, and they're going to get to choose the outfit that goes to this child who's in such need. People feel a lot of pride and want those opportunities.

The people I think are desperate to teach their kids to give back. And I think actually the more they have, a lot of times people wrecke, you know, people are they recognize how much they have, and I think they really think it's a responsibility, especially if they didn't grow up that way. I think we talked to a lot of people who didn't grow up with as much now find themselves in situations where they have so much and they don't know how to teach their kids the way that they were taught, And how could someone in a pre situation teach their kids that that is not how the world lives. And so I think people are just dying for dying for I think people are really craving opportunities to give back, and I don't think there are that many. So we have found that it's often expensive to have people volunteer, or there's nonprofits that are on a smaller scale where I'm sure they would want help, but they can't always afford to have people come in. It's messy, it's time consuming, and so there aren't as many programs as there actually used to be. And so I think when people identify a place that can really use them in a way where they know that they're being used in a purposeful manner and not just doing busy work, and when they're at Baby Baby, they're seeing they are folding outfits for children and putting together We try to make it very specific so that people understand how they're giving back. And even though we talk a lot about big numbers, and four hundred and fifty million items we're giving out and a million kids. People want to focus on individuals when they're folding an outfit and choosing what outfit to give a two year old who's in foster care, who they know is coming in such a horrific circumstance, and they're going to get to choose the outfit that goes to this child who's in such need. People feel a lot of pride and want those opportunities.

Absolutely. Yeah. I remember when we were there that day. I felt your team did a phenomenal job. Obviously we met, but I thought you and your team did a great job of educating us in what we were actually doing, yeah, and where it was going and how it works. And I found that to be You're so right, Like as a volunteer, you felt so much more closely connected to the work that was going on. So when you both meet, was it love at first sight? Was it like I love this person, We're in sync, like we should do something together? Like what was that energy like? Because obviously this was a warm intro. I guess it was from someone you trust and respect, But what was what came out of that initial meeting?

Absolutely. Yeah. I remember when we were there that day. I felt your team did a phenomenal job. Obviously we met, but I thought you and your team did a great job of educating us in what we were actually doing, yeah, and where it was going and how it works. And I found that to be You're so right, Like as a volunteer, you felt so much more closely connected to the work that was going on. So when you both meet, was it love at first sight? Was it like I love this person, We're in sync, like we should do something together? Like what was that energy like? Because obviously this was a warm intro. I guess it was from someone you trust and respect, But what was what came out of that initial meeting?

So we had dinner with our husbands just down the street, and we were you know, probably ten minutes of the conversation was about I was giving back, you know, I was modeling living in New York, just moved here and giving back at the head Start center. Or had told me about her pro bona work with women and children. So we sort of connected on that and then sort of went on a merry way and that was kind of it. And then I think we reached out to each other later on, but it wasn't that. It wasn't like the next day. It was a little while later and we had coffee and we were talking about like, how could we start something, what could we do to help, you know, women and children? That was both of our passion, and what we decided to do was go and meet with different nonprofits in Los Angeles at the time and see what was missing. So we went to homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, head start centers, schools, and we asked what was missing, where what was the need? And across the board, no matter who we talked to, it was, oh, we're doing the programming, but what's missing is families are struggling to afford diapers, food, these basic essentials and sort of a light bulb back to the head Start center where I saw the children who couldn't come to school because their shoes were three sizes too small, or they hadn't eaten breakfast, or all of these basic things that their needs weren't being met. And it all came together and what happened was we talked about what we wanted to do. Diaper need was one of the things that every single person said. And at the time, you know, there was this statistic that one in three families were struggling to afford diapers. Obviously, now later thirteen years later, unfortunately that statistic is that one in two families now struggle to afford diapers. So we kept hearing this theme of like diaper need, diaper need, and what could we do about it? And so it was a problem that we kept seeing that we wanted to solve. And so day one that was sort of like, Okay, how could we make this work? What could we do together to fix this? So that was sort of like the light bulb moment for both of us.

So we had dinner with our husbands just down the street, and we were you know, probably ten minutes of the conversation was about I was giving back, you know, I was modeling living in New York, just moved here and giving back at the head Start center. Or had told me about her pro bona work with women and children. So we sort of connected on that and then sort of went on a merry way and that was kind of it. And then I think we reached out to each other later on, but it wasn't that. It wasn't like the next day. It was a little while later and we had coffee and we were talking about like, how could we start something, what could we do to help, you know, women and children? That was both of our passion, and what we decided to do was go and meet with different nonprofits in Los Angeles at the time and see what was missing. So we went to homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, head start centers, schools, and we asked what was missing, where what was the need? And across the board, no matter who we talked to, it was, oh, we're doing the programming, but what's missing is families are struggling to afford diapers, food, these basic essentials and sort of a light bulb back to the head Start center where I saw the children who couldn't come to school because their shoes were three sizes too small, or they hadn't eaten breakfast, or all of these basic things that their needs weren't being met. And it all came together and what happened was we talked about what we wanted to do. Diaper need was one of the things that every single person said. And at the time, you know, there was this statistic that one in three families were struggling to afford diapers. Obviously, now later thirteen years later, unfortunately that statistic is that one in two families now struggle to afford diapers. So we kept hearing this theme of like diaper need, diaper need, and what could we do about it? And so it was a problem that we kept seeing that we wanted to solve. And so day one that was sort of like, Okay, how could we make this work? What could we do together to fix this? So that was sort of like the light bulb moment for both of us.

I love that process and I want our audience to take note of that because I think one of the biggest things I hear from my community is Jay, I care about so many things, how do I choose what to focus on? Like, there are so many challenges in the world, and I don't know how I fit in. And I think often those questions are very sincere and genuine, but they stop us from making change and having an impact because we kind of get lost in decision making and choosing. And I love that approach that you both had of let's actually go and research, let's go and learn, and let's listen to say where's the gap, what's missing? How can we solve that? And sorry, God Nor.

I love that process and I want our audience to take note of that because I think one of the biggest things I hear from my community is Jay, I care about so many things, how do I choose what to focus on? Like, there are so many challenges in the world, and I don't know how I fit in. And I think often those questions are very sincere and genuine, but they stop us from making change and having an impact because we kind of get lost in decision making and choosing. And I love that approach that you both had of let's actually go and research, let's go and learn, and let's listen to say where's the gap, what's missing? How can we solve that? And sorry, God Nor.

Yeah, I can see you so because it is all of that, but it's asking the people who need the help. And I think that was like the key that we discovered, which was that we and this has helped us for thirteen years, is that we can't assume what someone needs. You have to go to the community and ask. And that helped us on day one when we were asking what is the basic need so that you'd understand because I don't think it's what we were expecting. We weren't expecting that they were going to say the whole need is diaper need. But then it made sense when we listened, well, no one's going to come to our parenting class, no one's going to come for a well visit.

Yeah, I can see you so because it is all of that, but it's asking the people who need the help. And I think that was like the key that we discovered, which was that we and this has helped us for thirteen years, is that we can't assume what someone needs. You have to go to the community and ask. And that helped us on day one when we were asking what is the basic need so that you'd understand because I don't think it's what we were expecting. We weren't expecting that they were going to say the whole need is diaper need. But then it made sense when we listened, well, no one's going to come to our parenting class, no one's going to come for a well visit.

No one's going to file their insurance claim.

No one's going to file their insurance claim.

We can't get to these people, specifically moms if they have a baby in a dirty diaper.

We can't get to these people, specifically moms if they have a baby in a dirty diaper.

It just logically doesn't make sense.

It just logically doesn't make sense.

But then.

But then.

Today when we're dealing with our disaster relief program and we talked to we're talking to our team is talking to families or the social service agency that serves the families in a disaster. Again, you're saying, don't assume what someone needs in this particular hurricane. Ask them because maybe they'll say, well, in this case, the water has been contaminated and we need water before we need anything else.

Today when we're dealing with our disaster relief program and we talked to we're talking to our team is talking to families or the social service agency that serves the families in a disaster. Again, you're saying, don't assume what someone needs in this particular hurricane. Ask them because maybe they'll say, well, in this case, the water has been contaminated and we need water before we need anything else.

To make formula.

To make formula.

Early on, when we knew people needed gear like cribs and strollers, we thought we worked with companies that had big, fancy strollers and we thought, let's get let's try to get those donated. And then we went to the community and they said, no, we don't want a big fancy stroller. We want a fold up, twenty dollars stroller. We're getting on the bus, we have multiple children, we're walking to school and work, and so again our assumption would have been, let's get the highest tech stroller out there. The reality was, no, we actually need a practical stroller. So I feel like we learned that lesson over and over in everything we do. Listen, listen to the community you're serving, and let them tell you what they need.

Early on, when we knew people needed gear like cribs and strollers, we thought we worked with companies that had big, fancy strollers and we thought, let's get let's try to get those donated. And then we went to the community and they said, no, we don't want a big fancy stroller. We want a fold up, twenty dollars stroller. We're getting on the bus, we have multiple children, we're walking to school and work, and so again our assumption would have been, let's get the highest tech stroller out there. The reality was, no, we actually need a practical stroller. So I feel like we learned that lesson over and over in everything we do. Listen, listen to the community you're serving, and let them tell you what they need.

Yeah, that's such a great insight. I feel like it's such a privileged position to think you can predict what someone needs and what someone wants. And I think even when I came and you're doing my diet, because I was like, really, I couldn't believe it, Like I was. I was somewhat like mind blown by the fact that that was the missing link. And then when you start learning about it and how much more it affects as opposed to do you think it's just the diaper, and I know we can go into just you know, the extent of impact that has and all the other supplies that you both focused on providing, you almost think, wow, I would never have known that, Like I wouldn't have come to that off my own accord. And I think sometimes a lot of us are trying to figure out what people need in a silo isolated from the problem, from the situation, from people, and we're rarely going to get to the right answer. What did it feel like? You know, you're both having successful careers, you're happy doing service work on top of that, like you're doing the pro bono work, you're going to head start Like in one sense, it's almost like, well, this is great, I serve, I work, I have a good career. What makes you both go okay, no, we need to do this full time, like this needs to be our primary focus because that feels like a genuinely big leap and commitment and taking away from too great career parts to actually say no, no, no, this is enough of a priority. Was it something you were building while you were working or did you both go no, we're going to stop working and start building. Which way round did it go?

Yeah, that's such a great insight. I feel like it's such a privileged position to think you can predict what someone needs and what someone wants. And I think even when I came and you're doing my diet, because I was like, really, I couldn't believe it, Like I was. I was somewhat like mind blown by the fact that that was the missing link. And then when you start learning about it and how much more it affects as opposed to do you think it's just the diaper, and I know we can go into just you know, the extent of impact that has and all the other supplies that you both focused on providing, you almost think, wow, I would never have known that, Like I wouldn't have come to that off my own accord. And I think sometimes a lot of us are trying to figure out what people need in a silo isolated from the problem, from the situation, from people, and we're rarely going to get to the right answer. What did it feel like? You know, you're both having successful careers, you're happy doing service work on top of that, like you're doing the pro bono work, you're going to head start Like in one sense, it's almost like, well, this is great, I serve, I work, I have a good career. What makes you both go okay, no, we need to do this full time, like this needs to be our primary focus because that feels like a genuinely big leap and commitment and taking away from too great career parts to actually say no, no, no, this is enough of a priority. Was it something you were building while you were working or did you both go no, we're going to stop working and start building. Which way round did it go?

It all happened very fast, so I think we were slowing down on our other careers and projects. But once we started it was it took off very quickly, so there was immediately no room to do anything else. We actually had a event very early on where we wanted to kind of announce this that we had taken over baby to baby and that we wanted to make a really big impact, and we wanted to work quickly. We both there, I think, have very big ideas and dreams, and so we put together a small event to just make this announcement. And we didn't want to spend any money, so we went to friends and had a publicist help get a photographer there and a friend who had a hotel space to donate and some alcohol so in case we.

It all happened very fast, so I think we were slowing down on our other careers and projects. But once we started it was it took off very quickly, so there was immediately no room to do anything else. We actually had a event very early on where we wanted to kind of announce this that we had taken over baby to baby and that we wanted to make a really big impact, and we wanted to work quickly. We both there, I think, have very big ideas and dreams, and so we put together a small event to just make this announcement. And we didn't want to spend any money, so we went to friends and had a publicist help get a photographer there and a friend who had a hotel space to donate and some alcohol so in case we.

Were asking for money, we want to make sure people were in good moods.

Were asking for money, we want to make sure people were in good moods.

And is that what?

And is that what?

Yes, yes, it's one of our big secret got it as you probably saw.

Yes, yes, it's one of our big secret got it as you probably saw.

At the gallon.

At the gallon.

Yes, yeah, we.

Yes, yeah, we.

Had this event, talked a little bit about the mission of Baby Baby and where we wanted to go with it, and two of our Day one board members, Jessica Alba Nicole Richie both came to the event and had their picture taken by the pro bono photographer and the picture showed up a few days later in US magazine. Kelly and I at the time had one intern and we had a very small six hundred square foot storefront space, and we got a phone call a few days later from a big publicity company that represented Kimberly Clark, who owned Huggy's diapers and they said we answered the phone and they said they had seen the picture and they wanted to know if they could donate one hundred thousand dollars and one hundred thousand diapers. Again, this is week two on the job.

Had this event, talked a little bit about the mission of Baby Baby and where we wanted to go with it, and two of our Day one board members, Jessica Alba Nicole Richie both came to the event and had their picture taken by the pro bono photographer and the picture showed up a few days later in US magazine. Kelly and I at the time had one intern and we had a very small six hundred square foot storefront space, and we got a phone call a few days later from a big publicity company that represented Kimberly Clark, who owned Huggy's diapers and they said we answered the phone and they said they had seen the picture and they wanted to know if they could donate one hundred thousand dollars and one hundred thousand diapers. Again, this is week two on the job.

We have like four boxes of diapers sitting next to us, and we were like, yeah, we'll take one hundred thousand diapers, thank you, please send them over right now. And then they said, well, do you guys accept palelettes? And we're googling, like what is a palette.

We have like four boxes of diapers sitting next to us, and we were like, yeah, we'll take one hundred thousand diapers, thank you, please send them over right now. And then they said, well, do you guys accept palelettes? And we're googling, like what is a palette.

We're like, yes, we take a dollar and a model, not a lot of palettes.

We're like, yes, we take a dollar and a model, not a lot of palettes.

And then they're like, do you guys have forklifts. I'm like, of course, we have forklifts. Yes, And I'm like where do you rent a forklift? And we're trying to figure it out and we're like sure, no problem, no problem. And then the truck shows up.

And then they're like, do you guys have forklifts. I'm like, of course, we have forklifts. Yes, And I'm like where do you rent a forklift? And we're trying to figure it out and we're like sure, no problem, no problem. And then the truck shows up.

The biggest truck we've ever seen.

The biggest truck we've ever seen.

We were wearing these shoes with your heels.

We were wearing these shoes with your heels.

In case they're listening, and we got on the truck and our intern popped onto and a very nice driver and we learned what it meant that they were on palettes, which made them difficult.

In case they're listening, and we got on the truck and our intern popped onto and a very nice driver and we learned what it meant that they were on palettes, which made them difficult.

We were there with the exact donas, getting the plastic golf and the crates open and trying to unload them ourselves with the truck driver in the end turn the four of us.

We were there with the exact donas, getting the plastic golf and the crates open and trying to unload them ourselves with the truck driver in the end turn the four of us.

But we did it.

But we did it.

Yeah, and we filled our small storefront space and spilled out a little bit. And the moral of the story is, well, there are two morals of the story. But we gave them out in one day. So we called this is one hundred thousand diapers. It's a lot of diapers, and we called contacts at home, the shelters, some schools, some local hospitals and said, we have diapers for free to give out.

Yeah, and we filled our small storefront space and spilled out a little bit. And the moral of the story is, well, there are two morals of the story. But we gave them out in one day. So we called this is one hundred thousand diapers. It's a lot of diapers, and we called contacts at home, the shelters, some schools, some local hospitals and said, we have diapers for free to give out.

Would you like to come get them?

Would you like to come get them?

And it was astonishing to see they were truly we say, they were truly like gold that people were picking up, and how.

And it was astonishing to see they were truly we say, they were truly like gold that people were picking up, and how.

What it meant to people and the relief that it was showing.

What it meant to people and the relief that it was showing.

Again this was not you know, we don't serve individuals directly because it's in general because it has been more efficient for us to scale to give to other organizations that can give them out to their clients and fill the whole shelter or school or know who's in the most need, which is important to us, but they went out the door in one day. Now we can talk later that that was one hundred thousand diapers. Now to date we've given out two hundred million, but at that time it was so many, and I think it taught us probably our two most important lessons. One diaper need was enormous and not going anywhere. And two the power of these celebrity endorsements and sponsorships. So just from two women getting behind us, a company wanted to give us that, and we have created that into a playbook where with dozens and dozens and dozens of amazing women actresses, celebrities, entrepreneurs, CEOs, we've been able to take advantage of their platforms and that is what has catapulted us to be able to give away hundreds of millions of items.

Again this was not you know, we don't serve individuals directly because it's in general because it has been more efficient for us to scale to give to other organizations that can give them out to their clients and fill the whole shelter or school or know who's in the most need, which is important to us, but they went out the door in one day. Now we can talk later that that was one hundred thousand diapers. Now to date we've given out two hundred million, but at that time it was so many, and I think it taught us probably our two most important lessons. One diaper need was enormous and not going anywhere. And two the power of these celebrity endorsements and sponsorships. So just from two women getting behind us, a company wanted to give us that, and we have created that into a playbook where with dozens and dozens and dozens of amazing women actresses, celebrities, entrepreneurs, CEOs, we've been able to take advantage of their platforms and that is what has catapulted us to be able to give away hundreds of millions of items.

Yeah. Absolutely, what a first week at the job. Yeah, that's pretty interesting and I could totally resonate with. I remember I was sixteen years old and I used to work at a grocery store and I remember I remember unloading my first ever truck of palettes of water and I had one of those manual.

Yeah. Absolutely, what a first week at the job. Yeah, that's pretty interesting and I could totally resonate with. I remember I was sixteen years old and I used to work at a grocery store and I remember I remember unloading my first ever truck of palettes of water and I had one of those manual.

Forklifts, like not even like to checkout girls, right.

Forklifts, like not even like to checkout girls, right.

Yeah, Yeah, they wouldn't let me do that, and so they were like, you're you're sixteen. And literally I remember putting this manual forklift in, putting it in a palette, and like them pulling it out, and it was one of the heaviest, most arduous tasks ever. And now that I've been to your warehouse and seeing just how many not only diapers you have, but supplies you have, and just the scale at which you're dealing with this, I wanted to read out. You know, I was looking at some of these statistics because I just want people to understand the problem statement or the level of challenge. This just blew my mind and I want to share it because is yeah, it's super important. Listen to this everyone. So Kelly already said this one. One in two families struggle in the US to have four diapers for their children. I would never think of that diapers cost eighty dollars to one hundred dollars per month per baby, and the average low income family pays nearly one thousand dollars a year for diapers. This part, I think was just yeah, please for three years.

Yeah, Yeah, they wouldn't let me do that, and so they were like, you're you're sixteen. And literally I remember putting this manual forklift in, putting it in a palette, and like them pulling it out, and it was one of the heaviest, most arduous tasks ever. And now that I've been to your warehouse and seeing just how many not only diapers you have, but supplies you have, and just the scale at which you're dealing with this, I wanted to read out. You know, I was looking at some of these statistics because I just want people to understand the problem statement or the level of challenge. This just blew my mind and I want to share it because is yeah, it's super important. Listen to this everyone. So Kelly already said this one. One in two families struggle in the US to have four diapers for their children. I would never think of that diapers cost eighty dollars to one hundred dollars per month per baby, and the average low income family pays nearly one thousand dollars a year for diapers. This part, I think was just yeah, please for three years.

Are all true, but getting worse.

Are all true, but getting worse.

So with inflation, we're finding that our the families we serve are saying the prices are thirty percent up from that in the last few years, so the is getting worse.

So with inflation, we're finding that our the families we serve are saying the prices are thirty percent up from that in the last few years, so the is getting worse.

And then this one, diapers are the fourth highest household expense after rent, food and utilities for families with diaper need. Childcare centers often require six to eight diapers per day for children to enroll and attend daily.

And then this one, diapers are the fourth highest household expense after rent, food and utilities for families with diaper need. Childcare centers often require six to eight diapers per day for children to enroll and attend daily.

That's the one we want people to know about.

That's the one we want people to know about.

Yeah, we talk about diapers perpetuating the cycle of poverty. So if you don't have six to eight diapers to drop your child off at daycare, you can't go to work, and you can't go to a job interview, so they're stopping. It's really like a block for women and parents being able to go to work. So if you don't have the money to afford diapers and you can't drop your child off at daycare, how can you go to work? So it's really this symbol of poverty. That's how we look at diapers.

Yeah, we talk about diapers perpetuating the cycle of poverty. So if you don't have six to eight diapers to drop your child off at daycare, you can't go to work, and you can't go to a job interview, so they're stopping. It's really like a block for women and parents being able to go to work. So if you don't have the money to afford diapers and you can't drop your child off at daycare, how can you go to work? So it's really this symbol of poverty. That's how we look at diapers.

Yeah, let's talk about that a little bit more, because that's what I meant earlier when I was talking about how like diapers is almost like that the central point of all these other issues that the work actually affects right, So poverty is one of them, that's a cool one. What are the others that you feel a massively affected?

Yeah, let's talk about that a little bit more, because that's what I meant earlier when I was talking about how like diapers is almost like that the central point of all these other issues that the work actually affects right, So poverty is one of them, that's a cool one. What are the others that you feel a massively affected?

Well, we know that when we give families diapers that they're paying their rent, putting food on the table, and keeping their lights on. And as you already said by reading off all our favorite stats, that that is something that a diaper is stopping people, you know, from doing anything. It's really you can't leave your house if you don't have diapers. Families are using newspapers or towels substitutes. So if you don't have a diaper, how can you go and take your baby to the grocery store to even buy food for your other children. It's just diapers are this symbol of poverty to us. That that's why every day diaper need is the number one thing we're focused on.

Well, we know that when we give families diapers that they're paying their rent, putting food on the table, and keeping their lights on. And as you already said by reading off all our favorite stats, that that is something that a diaper is stopping people, you know, from doing anything. It's really you can't leave your house if you don't have diapers. Families are using newspapers or towels substitutes. So if you don't have a diaper, how can you go and take your baby to the grocery store to even buy food for your other children. It's just diapers are this symbol of poverty to us. That that's why every day diaper need is the number one thing we're focused on.

Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I'm going to go on because these to me, these were just these were huge. These were some amazing stats about the incredible work you've done around it. So in twenty twenty one, Baby to Baby developed your own diaper manufacturing system, producing diapers at eighty percent less than the retail cost, in order to help me meet the exponentially increasing demand walk me through that direction, because now that's like you're going from having one hundred thousand dia percent to you right then figuring out that it's too expensive.

Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I'm going to go on because these to me, these were just these were huge. These were some amazing stats about the incredible work you've done around it. So in twenty twenty one, Baby to Baby developed your own diaper manufacturing system, producing diapers at eighty percent less than the retail cost, in order to help me meet the exponentially increasing demand walk me through that direction, because now that's like you're going from having one hundred thousand dia percent to you right then figuring out that it's too expensive.

Well, we've been getting diapers donated from companies like Huggies, for example with the Jessica and Nicole event and the story nor I just told. But also, you know, corporate partners have been a huge part of Baby to Baby's growth, using Jessica's example with Honest Company, they donated ten million items to us, a lot of those being diapers. But diapers are just the number one thing we're you know, trying to get and we're doing it in every which way. So we're trying to get corporate sponsors to donate to us. Then we've gone to Sacramento to testify to have the sales tax removed from diapers. That was something we were able to do. Then we did a Goop campaign with Gwyneth Paltrow where we launched a fake luxury diaper that was intended to make people angry, and it was a spoof, and Gwyneth was like, I'll take the heat for this, and she launched a diaper and it had you know, diamonds and fur and it was made of like I'll pack a fur and it was one hundred and twenty dollars for a pack of ten, but it was meant to show that one hundred and twenty dollars is what you need to diaper your baby for a month. And once she did the grand reveal, it was like, Yeah, this is meant to piss you off because diapers are tax like a luxury item. How insane is that? And what can we do about it? So then you were able to go onto Goop and Baby to Babies shared platform and reach out to your state senator and say like, this is ridiculous. How can we still tax diapers like a luxury item? And since we did that, seven states followed suit. There are still twenty six states left the tax diapers, but we're still working on that. That's, you know, more to come on that. But manufacturing the diapers was something we started because we were able to buy diapers for cost from our manufacturer, so they were giving us low cost diapers. But at some point the manufacturer who we were working with understood our mission, knew what we did, and we talked to them about like, okay, what if we stripped off the cartoons and made these diapers plain and white and we just use one color for the packaging. How low would you make them for us? How you know what could we get the cost down to? So eighty percent less than retail is how much we're making them for now their baby to baby diapers. They're plain white, but they worked just as well as any and we've been able to distribute two hundred million diapers because of this relationship and because of manufacturing. So it was something innovative we came up with during COVID because the need was so great, But it's really been able to stretch our donor dollar so much further and been able to diaper a lot more babies.

Well, we've been getting diapers donated from companies like Huggies, for example with the Jessica and Nicole event and the story nor I just told. But also, you know, corporate partners have been a huge part of Baby to Baby's growth, using Jessica's example with Honest Company, they donated ten million items to us, a lot of those being diapers. But diapers are just the number one thing we're you know, trying to get and we're doing it in every which way. So we're trying to get corporate sponsors to donate to us. Then we've gone to Sacramento to testify to have the sales tax removed from diapers. That was something we were able to do. Then we did a Goop campaign with Gwyneth Paltrow where we launched a fake luxury diaper that was intended to make people angry, and it was a spoof, and Gwyneth was like, I'll take the heat for this, and she launched a diaper and it had you know, diamonds and fur and it was made of like I'll pack a fur and it was one hundred and twenty dollars for a pack of ten, but it was meant to show that one hundred and twenty dollars is what you need to diaper your baby for a month. And once she did the grand reveal, it was like, Yeah, this is meant to piss you off because diapers are tax like a luxury item. How insane is that? And what can we do about it? So then you were able to go onto Goop and Baby to Babies shared platform and reach out to your state senator and say like, this is ridiculous. How can we still tax diapers like a luxury item? And since we did that, seven states followed suit. There are still twenty six states left the tax diapers, but we're still working on that. That's, you know, more to come on that. But manufacturing the diapers was something we started because we were able to buy diapers for cost from our manufacturer, so they were giving us low cost diapers. But at some point the manufacturer who we were working with understood our mission, knew what we did, and we talked to them about like, okay, what if we stripped off the cartoons and made these diapers plain and white and we just use one color for the packaging. How low would you make them for us? How you know what could we get the cost down to? So eighty percent less than retail is how much we're making them for now their baby to baby diapers. They're plain white, but they worked just as well as any and we've been able to distribute two hundred million diapers because of this relationship and because of manufacturing. So it was something innovative we came up with during COVID because the need was so great, But it's really been able to stretch our donor dollar so much further and been able to diaper a lot more babies.

I think we had really kind of hit rock bottom with the desperation for diapers during COVID, so it was already I mean, we're saying it's one out of two families in the United States. It's just an impossible statistic to digest. But it was seeing and hearing one by one the alternatives that the families were taking, like using a newspaper to diaper their child, like using a towel, like taking a diaper off a baby, cleaning it, hanging it to dry and putting it back on their baby. And there was a point during COVID where the diapers were also off the shelves. If you can remember, most people were talking about the toilet paper shortage, but diapers were right there with them, and.

I think we had really kind of hit rock bottom with the desperation for diapers during COVID, so it was already I mean, we're saying it's one out of two families in the United States. It's just an impossible statistic to digest. But it was seeing and hearing one by one the alternatives that the families were taking, like using a newspaper to diaper their child, like using a towel, like taking a diaper off a baby, cleaning it, hanging it to dry and putting it back on their baby. And there was a point during COVID where the diapers were also off the shelves. If you can remember, most people were talking about the toilet paper shortage, but diapers were right there with them, and.

It was just so.

It was just so.

Upsetting to everyone at Baby to Baby that our team really made this, really had this idea to say we have to do something about this. That our need had gone up five hundred percent just at Baby to Baby alone in the weeks when COVID started, and so that was when we kind of in desperation went to these manufacturing partners and said, we know we're doing a lot, it's not enough, and we talked about scratching surfaces earlier. You know, we're even now. We're proud that we've given out two hundred million diapers. It's more than any organization like ours in the country, but it's not enough. We have this year alone, just from the families we serve, we have request for one point five billion diapers.

Upsetting to everyone at Baby to Baby that our team really made this, really had this idea to say we have to do something about this. That our need had gone up five hundred percent just at Baby to Baby alone in the weeks when COVID started, and so that was when we kind of in desperation went to these manufacturing partners and said, we know we're doing a lot, it's not enough, and we talked about scratching surfaces earlier. You know, we're even now. We're proud that we've given out two hundred million diapers. It's more than any organization like ours in the country, but it's not enough. We have this year alone, just from the families we serve, we have request for one point five billion diapers.

So we just had to do more.

So we just had to do more.

And it was manufacturing and the manufacturing system that allowed us to really take the leap, because now when we get donations, we know they can go so much further.

And it was manufacturing and the manufacturing system that allowed us to really take the leap, because now when we get donations, we know they can go so much further.

So we're making packs.

So we're making packs.

Families in our programer buying packs for an average of twenty dollars, we're making packs for three point fifty and of course not charging them and donating them. And it's it's something that manufacturing is allowing us to move the needle.

Families in our programer buying packs for an average of twenty dollars, we're making packs for three point fifty and of course not charging them and donating them. And it's it's something that manufacturing is allowing us to move the needle.

Still scratch the surface, but move the needle.

Still scratch the surface, but move the needle.

Absolutely, no, definitely moving the needle. And I mean I'm blown away because it's like it's incredible marketing mixed with incredible systems, incredible management, like you know, the campaign that you were just mentioning with gwynethan Goop like that is like something out of like a movie. Like to be able to pull something like that off and to actually think about it in that innovative way and to then build a system that's manufacturing your own diapers because you see the value of cost. I mean, you're operating like an incredible the innovative, fast forward, fast forward thinking company and you're applying it all to doing good in the world. Like has that always has this strategic marketing brain always been between you two, Like how have you you know, how have you been able to think about changing the world in this way? Because I think that. Like you said, I think change can often feel boring, It can feel like slow, it can feel like it has to be done in a certain way. But you are willing to like push boundaries and maybe some people get upset in the beginning. To get them to make a point like that's a really original, unique way of thinking about change.

Absolutely, no, definitely moving the needle. And I mean I'm blown away because it's like it's incredible marketing mixed with incredible systems, incredible management, like you know, the campaign that you were just mentioning with gwynethan Goop like that is like something out of like a movie. Like to be able to pull something like that off and to actually think about it in that innovative way and to then build a system that's manufacturing your own diapers because you see the value of cost. I mean, you're operating like an incredible the innovative, fast forward, fast forward thinking company and you're applying it all to doing good in the world. Like has that always has this strategic marketing brain always been between you two, Like how have you you know, how have you been able to think about changing the world in this way? Because I think that. Like you said, I think change can often feel boring, It can feel like slow, it can feel like it has to be done in a certain way. But you are willing to like push boundaries and maybe some people get upset in the beginning. To get them to make a point like that's a really original, unique way of thinking about change.

I think we're not scared to push boundaries. And I think both of us, you know, people say to us all the time like, oh, did you ever think baby to baby would be this big? And we say, yes, we did. We did because we saw the need, we saw, you know, what we needed to do, and we went for it. And we do that every day. And so being innovative and coming up with fun, you know, exciting marketing things or whatever we're doing. I think bringing the commune unity together and collaborating with whether it's celebrity or corporate partners, is something that we love doing and that we will continue to do. And we've done it in so many ways like this year, you know, we talk about all the time. We partnered with the White House and HHS and twenty twenty three last year and we launched a pilot program that was creating maternal newborn supply kits, and we did it for the three states with the highest maternal mortality rates and the highest child poverty rates. And so it was a pilot program for these three states, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. And we're in partnership with the White House and HHS, and the Vice President came to Baby to Baby to launch it with us. This year, we're now able to go to ten states with Huggies. Back to Huggies. Huggies came back in and their partnership with a multimillion dollar pledge, we're now going to take it to ten states. So that pilot program, you know, it's public private partnerships, it's corporate partners it's using you know, celebrity like we did from day one. We just had Olivia Wilde, Kelly Roland and Sierra came to help spread the word that we're you know, now in ten states and we're bringing this pilot program to ten states this year. And just being able to do things like that, I think definitely keeps our days exciting and you know, makes it interesting and innovative, and I think nonprofit can be. So I think we're trying to like make that part of nonprofit. It doesn't have to be boring, it doesn't have to be status quo, you know.

I think we're not scared to push boundaries. And I think both of us, you know, people say to us all the time like, oh, did you ever think baby to baby would be this big? And we say, yes, we did. We did because we saw the need, we saw, you know, what we needed to do, and we went for it. And we do that every day. And so being innovative and coming up with fun, you know, exciting marketing things or whatever we're doing. I think bringing the commune unity together and collaborating with whether it's celebrity or corporate partners, is something that we love doing and that we will continue to do. And we've done it in so many ways like this year, you know, we talk about all the time. We partnered with the White House and HHS and twenty twenty three last year and we launched a pilot program that was creating maternal newborn supply kits, and we did it for the three states with the highest maternal mortality rates and the highest child poverty rates. And so it was a pilot program for these three states, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. And we're in partnership with the White House and HHS, and the Vice President came to Baby to Baby to launch it with us. This year, we're now able to go to ten states with Huggies. Back to Huggies. Huggies came back in and their partnership with a multimillion dollar pledge, we're now going to take it to ten states. So that pilot program, you know, it's public private partnerships, it's corporate partners it's using you know, celebrity like we did from day one. We just had Olivia Wilde, Kelly Roland and Sierra came to help spread the word that we're you know, now in ten states and we're bringing this pilot program to ten states this year. And just being able to do things like that, I think definitely keeps our days exciting and you know, makes it interesting and innovative, and I think nonprofit can be. So I think we're trying to like make that part of nonprofit. It doesn't have to be boring, it doesn't have to be status quo, you know.

And I think everyone won in that example that Kelly just gave about our maternal mortality initiative, in that the celebrity ambassadors who are so amazing, the three women that came to get attention for the program, they care deeply about eternal mortality. Obviously, your audience is familiar with how in the United States the maternal mortality rates are worse than they were twenty years ago, and that black women are dying at three times or four times, up to four times the rate of other women. And I think everyone wants to come up with a solution, I hope. And so in that example, it really was a real public private partnership with Again, we had the White House and Department of Health and Human Services on that end needing to give it legitimacy and the platform that they bring to the table. Huggi's was such an important partner on the corporate end because these programs need money and they need supplies, and so they had the diapers, they had the breastfeeding supplies, and they were able to donate those women like Olivia Wilde and Sierra and Kelly Roland. They cared deeply about maternal mortality and wanted to use their platforms, use their enormous social media numbers, and bring attention to a problem and.

And I think everyone won in that example that Kelly just gave about our maternal mortality initiative, in that the celebrity ambassadors who are so amazing, the three women that came to get attention for the program, they care deeply about eternal mortality. Obviously, your audience is familiar with how in the United States the maternal mortality rates are worse than they were twenty years ago, and that black women are dying at three times or four times, up to four times the rate of other women. And I think everyone wants to come up with a solution, I hope. And so in that example, it really was a real public private partnership with Again, we had the White House and Department of Health and Human Services on that end needing to give it legitimacy and the platform that they bring to the table. Huggi's was such an important partner on the corporate end because these programs need money and they need supplies, and so they had the diapers, they had the breastfeeding supplies, and they were able to donate those women like Olivia Wilde and Sierra and Kelly Roland. They cared deeply about maternal mortality and wanted to use their platforms, use their enormous social media numbers, and bring attention to a problem and.

Show that they were coming up with a solution.

Show that they were coming up with a solution.

Baby Baby has this incredible team that is there to have worked for thirteen years to identify which states and which organizations in which states have the most vulnerable mothers who could get to the right hospitals these items that they so desperately need. So I think it's really attacking. I think one of the things that Kelly and I really love about it is attacking these problems from multiple angles. And so yes, we bring in the like we understand and can explain to people why we need the help of the corporation, what the government can do to help, what part the celebrity or ambassador can play, And I think they all appreciate that, and again it's led to this great program.

Baby Baby has this incredible team that is there to have worked for thirteen years to identify which states and which organizations in which states have the most vulnerable mothers who could get to the right hospitals these items that they so desperately need. So I think it's really attacking. I think one of the things that Kelly and I really love about it is attacking these problems from multiple angles. And so yes, we bring in the like we understand and can explain to people why we need the help of the corporation, what the government can do to help, what part the celebrity or ambassador can play, And I think they all appreciate that, and again it's led to this great program.

Yeah, what I'm hearing is like a very deep understanding of the problem is what's allowing you to engage with all these stakeholders, Like the reason you're able to get the government involved, or get corporations involved, or get celebrities involved is because you deeply understand the intricacies of the challenge. And I think often and we want to do good in the world, or when we're trying to do good in the world, we're hoping that that good intention is enough, or we're hoping that that passion is enough, and actually deeply understanding the challenge and the stresses that people are experiencing, the problems people go through on a daily basis is at the heart of that. And one of my favorite thoughts is from Martin Luther King where he said that people who love peace need to learn to organize themselves as well as those who love war. And I love that statement because I often feel that those of us who want peace in the world or goodness in the world can be kind of a bit woo woo about it, or we can be a bit like, you know, peace and love, and it can be kind of like this really nice idea or nice ideal, but it doesn't have systems, organization strategy. And it seems like you've both been able to take your passion and intention and bring that in so wonderfully, which is such an incredible example for so many not for profits.