Meet Elan Mcmonigal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elan Mcmonigal.

Elan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Minnesota and grew up in the Phoenix metropolitan area during my formative years. I graduated from Arizona State University with the intention of putting my dental hygiene degree to use in the dental field. I intended to help train new dental hygienists. Instead, I ended up as a public school substitute teacher, this career choice was much better aligned with the schedule of my kids during their years in elementary, middle and high school and allowed me to spend quality time with my children, attend all of their sporting activities, dance, gymnastics, etc.

After my daughter had her daughter and was beginning to face the challenges of nursing in public, I used my sewing skills and love of inventing creative and pragmatic solutions to problems to come up with a series of nursing covers that were both functional and fashionable. This was the beginning of bb garden breastfeeding hats. Initially, I did not expect this to turn into a business but often while using the breastfeeding hats in public, my daughter and I would be approached by people asking where we found the hat and where they might get one.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been several ups and downs. Most notably my self-doubt has been a challenge but thankfully I was able to turn to friends and family for support and encouragement. Seeing people inquire about the hat in public and a large amount of interest and feedback from the online marketing campaigns has been uplifting, In 2018, I attended an open call audition for Shark Tank and was selected for proceeding to the 2nd round of auditions which included making a videotape audition. Although not selected, this experience was rewarding in the sense of being acknowledged as a viable business.

Please tell us about your business.
bb garden breastfeeding hats currently specialize in fashionable and functional nursing covers which are a unique solution that is unlike any of the traditional options for nursing in public. This is what I am most proud of.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory was the many hours of swimming in my backyard pool during the hot Phoenix summers. Our family had the only pool in the cul-de-sac and our pool became a mecca for all of the neighborhood children during the summers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/bbgardenhats
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbgardenhats/
• Facebook: @bbgardenhats

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