Leah Davis is the brain behind RyRy Compact, a brand created by parents for parents. We spent some time with her to find out more about the company ethos, life outside the business and her plans for the future…
Tell us about the journey that lead you to launching RyRy Compact?
One word, clutter! When we had our first daughter, Ryleigh (aka RyRy) we couldn’t believe how much kit we had to buy. The house just began to fill up with all manner of baby equipment. Much of it seemed to be unnecessarily cumbersome and impossible to store. We were amazed that there seemed to be very few brands focusing on portability and compactness. By the time we had our third child, our biggest bug-bear were the toddler’s car seats which were often sitting in the hallway ready to be tripped over. They seemed to be getting bigger and bigger so its no coincidence that our first product is a compact, yet premium car seat – the RyRy Scallop. At last, a compact car seat that doesn’t compromise on safety!
Creating a sustainable brand is at the forefront of what you do. Why was this important to you?
With what we now know about the effect that we are having on the environment, we were determined to create a brand that was both excellent in every way but also one that could authentically stand up to our sustainability agenda. It’s incumbent on us all to do what we can and protect the planet for the next generation.As a new product there’s really no excuse not to be sustainable.
Looking back since launching the business, is there anything you would do differently?
If we had realized the legislative hurdles associated with developing a car seat I’m not sure we would have started with this product, but you live and learn and we can now stand by a product and a process that has both aged us and enhanced us!
Who’s involved in the business and what are their roles?
We’re a start up, so we can’t afford an elaborate infrastructure.It’s mainly myself with a little help from the better half but we are supported by third party partners who manage our production, PR & marketing and fulfilment. Plus any support we can pull in from a great network of friends and colleagues that we have worked with over the years.
How do you juggle being a mum and running the company?
With difficulty! Being a Mum of 3 under the age of 6 if a full-time role in itself. Fortunately, I have a husband who is a very hands on Dad and we have a full-time Nanny who we couldn’t operate without.
Do you have plans to expand in to other products in the future?
Absolutely – there is a full pipeline of products we have outlined to become part of the RyRy Compact range.
Talk us through an average day in your life…
The natural alarm clock of one of our children usually wakes us up earlier than I would like. Then the usual morning madness begins – breakfast, school prep and out the door on our bikes for the short trip to school. Exercise has always been a big part of my life so I will come home and try to squeeze in a workout at home or head to a reformer pilates class before settling down at the laptop for the working day. My day varies from orgnaising photoshoots, liasing with our PR agency and influencers, monitoring our social channel (which I love, there’s nothing better than getting lovely feedback from our online RyRy family) to liasing with the media about campaigns and PR coverage. Thankfully my husband fancies himself as a bit of a Gordon Ramsey so dinner is usually up to him! Then try to get to bed early, but the evenings are spent working over the last few weeks – there’s not enough hours in the day for a start up business!
What do you do when you are lacking motivation?
Exercise – then start again. I’ve also really got into podcasts recently and love some of the business related ones which ussully give me the necessary motivation to get going again!
How much has social media played a role in the success of your brand?
A huge amount, to date at least. As a mum of three kids and a marketeer for 20 years, I’m very aware of the pitfalls of social media, but I’m also a big supporter of it when utilised and engaged with in the right way. Instagram has been a brilliant platform for us to launch to a community that we have found to be incredibly supportive and welcoming. I also love how creative the platform is, whilst also serving as a shopable marketplace.
What is your go-to quote when lacking motivation?
Great things never came from comfort zones.
Our readers love to travel, what destination is on your must visit list?
We love to travel too so the list is long! Next summer, we would like to try Tuscany which would be a first for us. A close second on our list would be a trip to Lapland just before Christmas with the kids, which has been on my list for a while now.
What does self care mean to you?
It means carving out some time in the day for me to exercise or see friends and to try to be really present with the kids. I’m very aware that a better version of me means a better version of me for everyone else too.
Where do you see the brand in the next 5 years?
I would hope we will have launched a range of products and we are the ‘go to’ for anybody who wants quality, sustainable and compact products. We would hopefully be well established in the UK & Ireland with expansion into global markets well underway.
Where can people find out more?
Come join us on Instagram @ryrycompact or visit our website www.ryrycompact.com.
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