Hana-Lia Krawchuk is the Founder and Director of Love To Dream™ – a Sydney based wholesaler and exporter of award-winning baby and toddler sleep solutions.
As a new mother and former fashion designer, with a First-Class Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion & Textile Design, Hana designed the unique and multi-award-winning SWADDLE UP™.
SWADDLE UP™ was born out of necessity when Hana and her husband faced significant challenges in getting their newborn son to sleep. In its first 18 months, SWADDLE UP™ became a category leader helping the company to achieve exponential growth.
Fast-forward 10 years and Love To Dream™ has swaddled millions of babies around the world and created a ‘Newborn To Toddler 3 STAGE SLEEP SYSTEM™’ offering a range of sleep solutions from birth to 4 years. The success of Love To Dream™ isn’t limited to Australia; they currently export to 45 countries across the globe.
This success culminated in many achievements for Love To Dream™ and recognition for Hana. In 2017, Hana was awarded The Telstra Women’s Award national title for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ and the New South Wales Premier’s Award for ‘Women in Export’.
Hana and Love To Dream™ are proud of their achievements and are waving the Australian flag all around the world. They have plans to turn the Love To Dream™ brand into a global powerhouse and this is just the start of their journey.
Was there a significant turning point when you decided to become an entrepreneur?
Yes, the turning point was very clear for me. It was after I walked into my baby boy’s room in the middle of the night and saw the wrap he was swaddled in had unraveled and was dangerously up over his face posing a significant health risk. It was then that I decided there had to be a safer way to swaddle babies the world over.
Was your entrepreneurial journey linked to your personal one?
Yes absolutely – I was so worried about my son’s safety during sleep time that I just had to come up with a solution.
Initially, what difficulties did you face?
Starting my business was challenging because I did not have any contacts in the industry. I found that because I did not have an established business, suppliers were just not interested in following up my enquiries or providing basic services to me. I was amazed that I had to chase and chase companies to spend money with them!
Who or what was integral to you overcoming these hurdles?
My tenacity was crucial, I just kept calling and calling until finally someone would pay attention to my requests.
Love to Dream is now an established business, was there a moment when you thought it might not make it?
NEVER. There is always a way through a challenge, no matter how large. I approach all difficulties with a solution focus. This has always got me through any bumps in the road.
What do you think was the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in business?
A smile and good manners always prevail over aggressive and domineering behaviors.
Looking back is there a piece of advice you wish to pass onto someone starting out their entrepreneurial journey?From day one of your business journey create procedure manuals on all the important processes in your business, how to invoice a customer, what happens when they receive a delivery, what terms and conditions do they need to sell, etc etc. This way when it is time to hire staff your onboarding process is a lot less overwhelming for them and less time consuming for you and minimizes errors.
What do you think your key to success has been?
The amazing culture in our organization. We are a group of mums trying to make lives on new parents easier each day. This truly drives and inspires us each day.
How have you personally measured your success?
We have solved a universal problem. We get incredible reviews and testimonials from consumers all over the world telling us what an amazing impact we have had on their lives and that now their baby sleeps and so do they. There is nothing more rewarding than that.
How have your kids impacted the way you structure your day?
I work with urgency so I can be there to pick my kids up from school most days of the week. I also priorities my tasks so that I do the vital ones first thing in the morning and the non-urgent later – I want to always make sure I have been productive so I can go home to my kids and put work out of my mind for the afternoon while I am with them.
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