Earlier this year I was lucky enough to work on a photoshoot for new online kids store Wander And Wonder.
Jodi has just launched her site and has given this very frank interview. I admit that the sales girl in me wanted to put a spin on parts of it – but then I loved it for being real and honest and there’s no sugar coating.
Enjoy… x
What sparked you to launch Wander And Wonder?
I was looking for things for my sons’ nursery and didn’t find much I liked, particularly in regard to sheets, blankets etc. that were of good quality and didn’t cost the earth.
The name is very evocative of children’s imaginations… is that the thinking behind it?
Yes, exactly! My mum always pushed us to figure things out on our own, to just get out there and go. Somewhere. Anywhere.
I have very fond memories of her saying “I wonder if….” or “Let’s go wandering!” And I now have this constant thirst for knowledge and to explore everywhere. I think it’s a wonderful quality/hobby/pastime that is important to children’s confidence and imaginations and I hope to pass to my son.
What are your key Wander And Wonder products?
At the moment it’s bassinet and cot sheets, bunting and wooden toy cars but I have a number of other products currently in the pipeline that will compliment these.
What is your point of difference?
I’d say monotone colours, sophisticated prints, high quality fabrics. I’ve seen so many baby sheets that pill and feel so scratchy against the skin after one wash. The wood used in our toy cars is all reclaimed/repurposed and made by hand so every car is unique.
I have a bit of a thing for your handmade wooden cars, and it’s your Dad who makes them?
Yes, it is. My Dad has clinical depression. Apparently hereditary in his family, he wasn’t diagnosed until well after I’d left home and we’ve never had much of a relationship.
To cut a very long story short, he’s been on meds, off meds. He goes up, he goes down but he’s found something in woodturning that appears to calm and centre him. Now that he has a grandchild he can make toys for it seems to have given him a real boost.
We don’t talk about it (of course, that generation just doesn’t) but by about the 5th car for Harvey, I thought we might be on to something! And now I’ve drawn him up a product list of cars and a few soon-to-be-released other items and he’s away!
(We get along a bit better now too)
How do you juggle business launch with motherhood?
Not well. For someone whose career has been in production and operation management, I get very frustrated at my lack of productivity and poor time management with parenting. Motherhood has blindsided me somewhat. I thought I’d take 3 – 6 months off then just slot right back in to normal life, just with a baby now… I need to get much better at delegating (quickly) stop making so many lists and just breathe. The struggle is real (but so awesome)
Any crazy moments so far that you’d like to share or has it all been smooth sailing?
Haha – too many to mention. The biggest so far I’d say is having my order arrive and not measuring to spec or approved sample so it completely didn’t fit! But that’s all good now and it has all been a huge, wonderful learning curve.
What’s your vision for the future of Wander And Wonder?
My vision is to grow W&W into a curated lifestyle brand for little people around the world and have the freedom to create functional, timeless products that stand the test of time and can be passed down through families.
Wander And Wonder will also become an avenue to assist other communities and groups, especially with children, that are less fortunate than ours.
Thank you to Boori for their stunning Omni Transformer™, from Urbane by Boori, which converts from cot to single bed.
Wander And Wonder’s current chosen charity is The Men’s Shed Association with 10% of all sales on wooden toys going their way. That’s a lot of love 🙂
Interview with Jodi Korpar, Wander And Wonder
Photography: Shannon Elise Photography
Styling: Catherine, TUBU / TUBU Kids