Kido Chicago is a Chicago based clothing line for babies and toddlers. The brand features a number of colorful, positive images and messages on onesies, t-shirts and more.
We spoke to husband and wife founders, Keewa Nurullah and Doug Freitag to find out how they balance business and family.
How did you both meet?
Keewa: A mutual friend invited me to a barbecue Doug was hosting at his house.
What inspired you to start Kido Chicago?
Keewa: When my son was about 7 months old, I simply got tired of all the trucks, dinosaurs, and lil’ slugger styles for boys.
I had a few ideas for some onesies, and Doug encouraged me to develop them and see about getting them printed.
I really wanted to see children of color reflected on apparel the way we’ve started to see change in children’s books.
What decision was made or action taken that was a “game changer” for your business?
Doug: Hosting events for families. It’s one thing to sell a product on the internet, but if you can connect your product to a lifestyle and create a community, that’s success.
Keewa: Getting our storefront. We’ve met so many new families just strolling into the shop that may have never found us in the vast online marketplace.
It lets us connect to our customers in a personal way, and it keeps them invested in our success.
Describe your individual personalities and how you fuse them to make the business work?
Doug: I’m a visual artist, so I focus on the design and creation of the garments. Keewa is very connected to the families and what they are into.
We have to listen to each other and prioritize one or the other, depending on the design.
What advice do you have for other couples who are in business together or thinking about it?
Doug: Give each other the space to make mistakes. Every person has a different process, so let your mate have room to succeed or fail in individual decisions before you insert your advice sometimes.
Keewa: Go for it! Do all the research and preparation you can. Then, ask the experts in your life for even more advice and help.
Also, be sure that you have a viable business model before you put the strain and stress onto your relationship.
If you’re working together towards something great, it can breathe new life into your relationship!
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