But enough about me, tell me about your diapers
My name is Julie and I’m non-traditional, pretty much in every way. First marriage at 35, first child at 36 and opened a storefront selling cloth diapers shortly thereafter. Even in Missoula, people thought it was a strange idea. I’m dedicated to making the earth a healthy place for generations of kids so if that means discussing at length why cloth diapers are an environmentally sound choice, you’ll hear me having that conversation anytime, anywhere.
I wanted to start a business to serve as attachment parenting bedrock, advocating natural ways to nurture and keep babies close; I love talking with people about the joy and challenge of doing just that. In addition to running Nature Boy, we own the local diaper service and I work 30 hours/week in the Environmental Studies program at UM. I couldn’t do any of it without the support of my family, my friends and my community.
The homebirth of Nature Boy
My son Mani was almost two years old when I saw the ‘for rent’ sign in a secondhand clothing shop on the then not-so-Hip Strip. I had been a Mother of Eden (maker of Fuzzi Bunz diapers) consultant for a few months and had held a Cloth Diapering 101 class at the public library. Response was light but enthusiastic, so I attended a small business workshop at Montana Community Development Corporation to learn more. Because we rented our home, we had no collateral to borrow against to start the store. With a loan from my brother plus a decent amount of credit, we jumped into the fire. We bought our paint from Home Resource, our fixtures from yard sales – an old ironing board was the first counter – and arranged our small inventory in the front room, using the area in back for gatherings that needed a home. When our friend Erika told us she had an idea for a natural toy store that needed a home, we thought it was a perfect compliment to our vision. Walking Stick Toys opened in our shared space in November of 2005. As the saying goes, it’s a marriage made in heaven.
Nature Boy circa now
In our fifth year of business, I feel very fortunate to be here and be known as a resource for families. We’ve empathized with sleep-deprived new parents and watched them become confident in themselves, diapering their second child in the same diapers they bought for their first. Mamas stop in frequently just to talk, nurse and let their kids play. This September, we took another leap and bought the diaper service. We provide cloth diapers to over 30 families throughout Missoula, so we now convince folks on two fronts that they can be busy and retain their commitment to the reduce/reuse/recycle ideal. Nature Boy has added numerous product lines since 2005 (several of them Montana-made), sponsored and presented at family friendly events, and provided support to birthing, breastfeeding and community advocates. We love what we do.
Mission: Vision
Our mission is to keep on keepin’ on, while the world moves toward enlightenment in their manner of consumption. We don’t need a larger space or more advertising to succeed at this – we’d really just like to learn how to better manage what we have. Our immediate goals are:
1) Revise the sizing for the diaper service and purchase a dedicated delivery vehicle; 2) Make sure our inventory encompasses the best new products and obtain a point-of-sale system for tracking it; and 3) Work with MCDC to obtain a small business loan to achieve #’s1 and 2. I’m idealistic but also pragmatic in that I’ve never imagined my business acumen allowing me money to burn, so I’ve chosen to provide a product and service behind which I can put my whole heart while moving toward self-sufficiency. It’s bound to happen.
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Julie and her business rock!
Thanks, Julie for providing a place for myself and my girls to hang out in those first really isolating years. Your carriers help many o’ mama’s back, your nursing bras made nursing so much easier and the advice around your watering hole was priceless.
Most lovable shopkeeper I know. Beautiful store and all you need for a happy baby. Julie is super knowledgable and beautiful inside and out. She is a winner!
How did we survive the first infant without Nature Boy? Babe number 2 is happily diapered, packed around and easily fed thanks to Julie’s guiding hand and super products.
Best, and only, choice for cloth diapering your babe. Julie has so many choices that make cloth diapering affordable and realistic for your family, and her other products are high quality, and support other enterpreneuer mamas. We love you, Nature Boy!
I wouldn’t be where I am today without Julie and Nature Boy. Julie has given me much encouragement diapering, as a parent, and as a local business owner. If you haven’t been in to feel the comfort of the store yet, you ought to make a special trip. We’ll sit down and talk to you about diapers for way too long, you can nurse in the play area and your kiddos can play while you try carriers or try on bras. We’ll even hold your baby for you while you try things out (our favorite part).
The biggest bonus (for me) is I get to share a business location with one of my best friends, pretty lucky.She’s one smart cookie so you should definitely vote for her!
Downtown Missoula is positively impacted by Nature Boy and Walking Stick Toys, and parents throughout Missoula have been served well by these innovative and community-minded women. Thank you for making our community better for all parents and ‘wanna-be’ parents.
Hi Julie,
I’m Toys1668, an indulgent grandma & internet marketeer, hailing all the way from the other side of the planet. My home is a tiny, sunny island called “Singapore”.
Congratulations to you & all the others who made it to the list of finalists. It is very, v e r y , difficult for me to decide who to vote for, as all of you are simply GREAT. I finally decided on you as what you are doing, resonates with my support for natural ways to nuture babies & keep them close.
I also strongly share Nicole’s wish for kids to have parents home with them. How I wish that we, in Singapore, have vast expanses of land like you do. Living on a farm, having your kids with you while you work, is awesome.
All th best to you super moms & business women out there & a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Christina
We love Nature Boy! And we love the fact that Julie runs a business with the same principles that she parents with- she doesn’t know this… but my family has quietly observed her family and from them we have gathered the strength, endurance and commitment to truly co-parent our child, cloth diaper and practice the principles of attachment parenting. She represents not just a store with incredible products, but a philosophy. Way to go Julie, Way to go Nature Boy!