In this exclusive interview, we delve into the inspiring journey of Mary Hart, the visionary founder behind Love Kiddo, a brand that embodies the essence of heartfelt creativity and personalised treasures for children.

Mary shares the story that sparked the creation of Love Kiddo, revealing the passion and determination that led her to establish this unique venture in 2021. With a deep maternal instinct and a love for designing children’s treasures, Mary embarked on a mission to fill a gap in the market, bringing warmth and individuality to children’s decor.

Join us as we explore the heartwarming tales of creating custom pieces that hold profound meaning for customers, and learn about Mary’s vision for the future of Love Kiddo.

With a blend of creativity, compassion, and resilience, Mary Hart has turned her passion into a purposeful brand, leaving an indelible mark on the world of personalized children’s decor.

Can you share the story behind Love Kiddo and what inspired you to start this venture in 2021?

I have always been a very maternal person and loved designing and illustrating for children. Since my school days, I dreamt of creating my own brand.

As a child, I would make my own greeting cards with a little logo on the back, pretending I had my own business! It was only after I left university that I knew I wanted to take it seriously and create my very own brand.

I specialized in baby and children’s textile design at university and discovered a gap in the market for personalized children’s decor. Everything I saw in stores was mass-produced with no real individuality or personal touch.

I wanted to create the things I felt were missing – items that made a room feel special.

I also fell very ill after graduation, and having something to focus on that brought me joy gave me a sense of purpose and direction. Building the business massively helped grow my confidence, allowed me to set goals, and create connections with people during an extremely difficult time.

I’m so proud of what I’m achieving!

Personalisation is a core value of Love Kiddo. How do you believe personalised gifts enhance the emotional value for customers, and why is it important to your brand?

I believe that personalised gifts show you care. I love that I can make each product to order and know that each one is made with time and attention specifically for an individual customer or family.

I enjoy personalising products to suit my customers’ homes and changing the colors, text, illustrations, and layout to create a unique product just for them.

So many products nowadays are made quickly with little thought and time put in. There’s nothing more special than receiving a gift that has been made especially for you!

Personalization is a core value at Love Kiddo, and I absolutely love working on custom products with customers to create something unique.

Attention to detail is evident in your products. Could you elaborate on the meticulous process your team follows from design to dispatch to maintain such high-quality standards?

All collections and designs are carefully planned out with intention. From drawing the designs by hand to uploading them and developing them on the computer, I ensure everything is done with the closest attention to detail! The high-quality materials are all tested, and all orders are packaged in our signature style with a handwritten note. Every step of the process is thoroughly checked before dispatch. Obviously, there are times where mistakes happen, as it is a human running the business after all! Luckily, I have the most amazing customers in the world and always ensure they are fully taken care of, and all issues are resolved if they do occur.

Your brand is about creating connections, not just selling products. How has building a community around Love Kiddo influenced your business approach, and what impact has it had on your customers’ experiences?

Having a group of brand representatives has definitely helped create a community within Love Kiddo and allowed me to gain firsthand feedback for product designs, ideas, and development.

The LK brand rep group was first formed with a handful of mamas who use Instagram to connect with other parents and share their experiences of motherhood. It’s now growing more than ever with lots of parents joining every few months.

They help promote my business and also have a place to chat, ask advice, and share their stories. I love the group we’re forming, and I think it really shows that the Love Kiddo brand is more than just a shop with products; it’s a community. My blog, Parenthood, has also definitely helped contribute to the community feel as well.

Love Kiddo’s products are designed to be timeless. In a world that often follows fleeting trends, why do you believe in creating products that can be cherished for years, and how do you ensure their enduring appeal?

I design products with the purpose of being treasured for years to come, either as decor or as part of a special memory box. In a throwaway, upgrade culture, I want my products to be cherished and loved.

I, therefore, take a very minimalistic, classic, intentional approach to the designs and illustrations chosen to feature on my products and create decor that can be reused for years throughout different bedroom makeovers! The simple designs and carefully chosen color palettes definitely help ensure their timeless appeal.

Could you share a particularly touching or memorable customer story that reaffirmed the impact Love Kiddo has had on someone’s life?

A particular story really resonates with me and is one I will always remember. One of the products I offer is a pregnancy announcement disc that customers use to share the news that a new baby is on the way. A customer placed an order for one and reached out to me a couple of days later to let me know that unfortunately, she had suffered a miscarriage.

She asked if it would be okay for me to change the disc to celebrate the baby instead of announcing the pregnancy. I changed her order straight away, and we created a custom disc together. The conversation we had and the feedback I received really reminded me of why I offer the service I do; I was so honoured I could create something so special for her.

Building a brand involves challenges. What obstacles have you faced in establishing Love Kiddo, and how did you overcome them?

I’ve faced a lot of challenges along the way of establishing Love Kiddo, such as illness, juggling all of life’s demands, product launch failures, design flaws, and material testing – just like every business owner!

But I think building a business that stands out and competes with huge companies such as Amazon has been one of the most difficult challenges I’ve faced. The constant comparison was very difficult in the beginning stages of building the business and was something I wasn’t really prepared for.

Over time I learned that it wasn’t about competing; it was about creating something different. I realized it was simple; I just needed to focus on myself and the progress I was making. I needed to focus all of my attention on creating an experience and offering a service that was personal to my customers and special to me.

Parenthood, your blog, is a unique addition to your brand. How do you believe it contributes to the overall Love Kiddo experience, and what kind of stories or information do you aim to share through the blog?

Parenthood is a blog created by parents, for parents. It has been created as a space to share stories, raw feelings, and experiences. I wanted to create a place where parents could go to read about real unspoken topics, feel less alone, and also gain inspiration. I share various topics within the blog such as very raw stories of miscarriage, experiences of birth, pregnancy, infertility, and IVF.

As well as lighter topics such as decorating for children’s interiors, nursery styling guides, and baby name lists. Having a blog allows customers to not only shop but read stories, relate, and feel a part of the community.

All of my blog posts have a comment section where readers can talk in and leave their thoughts to which is also great! Lots of blog posts are currently being worked on, and I can’t wait to share them, such amazing stories of strength and healing.

In the realm of personalisation, there’s always room for innovation. Are there any new and exciting developments or features in the pipeline for Love Kiddo that you can give us a sneak peek into?

I’m currently looking at how I can introduce new personalized products such as blankets, clothing, journals, and seasonal items to my store. I’m also working on a range of party supplies and would love to expand my colouring and activity products. I would love to create some more gifts that allow you to add a message to the product and possibly some mama and me items too. Exciting!

Love Kiddo’s products are geared towards children but are often bought by parents or loved ones. How do you approach the delicate balance of designing for children’s tastes while also catering to the preferences of adults who make the purchase decisions?

I use Instagram a lot of the time to gain inspiration for my designs. I follow a lot of influencers and home accounts that share their interiors and design products with those in mind. I think it’s also about designing products that are timeless, classic, and elegant. Simple designs and neutral colour palettes with child-friendly illustrations are always a winners!

As a founder, your vision often shapes the future of the brand. What is your long-term vision for Love Kiddo, and how do you see it evolving in the next few years?

I would absolutely love to expand my product range and be able to stock other small business’ products that align with the Love Kiddo values in my store. I’ve met so many lovely brands and business owners through social media and would love to create a space that allows customers to shop with all of their favorites in one place.

I’ve also always loved the idea of having physical stores in which customers could personalize products and gifts while in-store. I’d love to create an experience that helps parents-to-be and loved ones get excited for the new arrival by creating something special together. So making this a reality would be an amazing milestone to reach and goal to achieve!

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

I would love to visit everywhere in America, especially Hawaii, California, and LA. I’ve been to New York and Florida and they were definitely the best holidays I’ve been on!

When lacking motivation, what is your go-to quote?

“The universe is working for me, not against me.” I can often lose motivation when doors close, I experience failures, or things don’t work out the way I expected. But I believe every opportunity that comes along, every experience, every failure, and every person you meet in life happens for a reason. I believe the universe is working for me, and having trust in that allows me to keep moving forward and keep that motivation going.

Where can people follow you and find out more?

You can follow Love Kiddo at @lovekiddo_uk on Instagram, visit lovekiddo.co.uk to shop online and follow @lovekiddouk on Facebook for news, updates & special offers.