Founder and President of Hotslings, Kristen DeRocha has been running this business since March 2003. Her sleek and stylish slings have been keeping babywearers and their babies comfortable and happy. Whether you’re looking for a luxury, designer, or everyday look, there’s a Hotsling (or two) just right for you among the selection of beautiful fabrics.
Mom to 5 year old Zoie and 2 year old Quinn, Kristen is a fashion junkie and music fan. She lives in Dallas, Texas.
How did you become a babywearer?
My daughter was a high-need attached baby. I originally saw a sling in action on an old friend and said NO WAY. It was a big, bulky padded thing. I wouldn’t be caught dead in it. I bought a Baby Bjorn and it killed my back. Then I bought a Maya Wrap. I remember typing my order in online and choosing black as my first and second choices. My second sling was an Over the Shoulder Baby Holder. I was never happy with adjustable slings. When I saw a fitted sling in action at La Leche League I knew I had found the one. I sewed one up when I got home with my new sewing machine. Then I created a hybrid of the bulky, padded sling (our original leg padding) and the sleek, fitted sling. This Hotsling took off. I couldn’t make ‘em fast enough.
There are many different types of baby carriers. What are some of the benefits of your type of carrier – a pouch?
Pouches are fast, hip, sleek, and fold down to nothing. They are available in the hippest prints and take you in comfort from newborn to late toddlerhood.
What can we expect from your Hostlings line in 2007?
We have 6 new prints coming out! We are expanding our everyday and designer lines to include some gorgeous and trendy new stuff. Lots of pinks and creams, neutrals and graphics with a pop of color. Our colors/patterns are forecast right out of the fashion industry for 2007.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered in running your own business?
Becoming a businesswoman. Setting up systems. There is so much to running a business, and with a teaching background, I had nothing to go on except instinct. There have been times when that has been just fine and other times where I have had to call in consultants and experts. Now as we’re growing, we’re having to learn how to be savvy about our revenue so we can maximize our investment potential while drawing a salary for a family of four.
Aside from Hotslings, what are your 3 favorite baby/parenting-related products?
I was an avid cloth diaper mom and highly recommend Fuzzi Bunz diapers. We also couldn’t live without our Miracle Blankets during the early baby days. And I should also send a shout-out to my favorite nursing bra – the Bravado.
List 5 things you love about being a mother.
1. the challenge of a true purpose in life
2. having two little people to cuddle
3. the smell of your baby’s head when it’s under your chin while baby’s in the sling
4. motherhood has revolutionized my diet. My concern for their nutrition has bolstered mine
5. being turned on to so many great things in life, home birth, breastfeeding, etc.
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