Bugaboo - The Future Belongs to Adaptable Brands

Ramon Vela (00:01.912)
Welcome back. This is Ramon. We've got an amazing brand that we're going to feature on today's show and I can't wait to dive in. I don't think I've ever had a brand like this on the show. And if I have, it's been a long time.

So I can't wait until to dive in and learn more not only about the product, but about the person that we're interviewing. So please welcome Janelle Teyves who is chief commercial officer at Bugaboo. Welcome to the show.

Jeanelle Teves (00:47.68)
Thank you so much for having me Ramon.

Ramon Vela (00:50.414)
Well, I appreciate you making time for me. I know we had a little bit of a rocky start, so I appreciate your flexibility. I know you're busy. You got a lot of stuff going on. But I really feel like your product is something that our audience will definitely find valuable. And the funny thing is, I think I might have mentioned this to you before, that I had never heard of the product. I mean, it's been a while since I've had kids or anything like that. But I had never heard of your product before. But all of a sudden,

knowing that I was going to interview you, I just started noticing all your products all over the place. I was walking down a little main street that we have near our home and I saw someone walking their baby with a stroller and I thought, that's a really interesting design. And then I looked closely and it was was bugaboo. And I was like, that's, that's really interesting. I'd never noticed.

Jeanelle Teves (01:38.53)
I love that. Yeah, I think that's a confirmation bias. Now your brain is trying to notice these things and you're going to see it every now you can't unsee it because bugaboos everywhere all across North America now. So I love that.

Ramon Vela (01:50.414)
Yeah, and it's such an interesting design. let's, I want to start off, but I have a sort of an opening question that I ask everyone. And this is my way of kind of not only just understanding who you are as a person, but really I want the listener to know that there's real people behind these brands that we feature. It's not just some faceless corporation, but it's a person that there's people behind the brand that care deeply about the product, about the consumers, about the community.

And one way of kind of humanizing the brand and humanizing this entire process is really just knowing who Janelle is. And so if you don't mind, can you share a moment or a memory when someone did something for you that made you feel grateful because it meant that they believed in you, your vision, or your potential?

Jeanelle Teves (02:37.634)
That's such a beautiful question. So I start every day with this practice. It's a journaling practice. I've shared a little bit about it before, but it's a 3-3-3 practice. And it just starts my day off with structure and I love it and I would invite any of your listeners to borrow this if it resonates with them. But the 3-3-3 practice that I do is I sleep with a journal next to my bed. And the first thing that I do is I open it up and I start writing three wins from the day before.

that just already starts to train your brain waves on what is going right in your life and sends you into the day with a little bit of momentum. The second three is three things that I'm grateful for, which I'll come back to. And then the third three is three big tasks that I want to get done for the day. And at the end of the day, that is what I hope to orientate my energy, my time, my brain space on. So I went back through my journal and

I knew you were going to ask this question. So I went through and I found the last three things when it came to people in my life who made me feel grateful. So first and foremost, I had a moment of connection, a great conversation with my husband. He's my partner, my co-parent, and I couldn't do this job that I'm so passionate about if it weren't for his steadiness at home. So my husband. The second one is my team.

We're going through a very intense time right now as a business, as many brands are. And so I'm so grateful for these different experts and equally passionate leaders that I have surrounding me, helping me make decisions and helping just get through these challenges. So I noted specific people on my team who are just get in the room and let's find a solution people. And then the third person that I had noted was my mentor.

This mentor was the very first boss that I had. And even back then, so many years ago, she still continues to be a voice of reason in my mind. And anytime that I encounter a particular challenge, I know that she's a safe space that I can call on without any judgment, a little bit of expertise and advice, and she'll always steer me the right way. So I couldn't pick just one. Those were the last three people who had made their way into my...

Jeanelle Teves (04:59.682)
333 morning practice. So that's who I would start this conversation off with.

Ramon Vela (05:04.78)
Wow. I appreciate it. And I love how you've built this structure and it's so easy for you every day to kind of like fill those buckets in there. And I would actually just add that something that I find helpful too is in the mornings when I have a meditation practice and what I like to do is I like to identify those things that I'm grateful for.

And I love your idea about the winds of the previous day. And then, course, I focus on the person or the things that I'm grateful for. And then I also look at the things that I want to achieve that day or I want to achieve long-term. And I actually sort of meditate on those a little bit. And what I do is I act as if those things already happen. in my mind, I'm just grateful for those things.

Jeanelle Teves (05:59.522)
Hmm.

Jeanelle Teves (06:03.234)
Hmm.

Ramon Vela (06:03.278)
And I'm grateful for those things as if they've already happened. And it kind of just, you know, embeds in your mind a little bit, kind of programs your mind that, you know what, you're going to achieve these things and it's going to feel good. And I even go through how it's going to feel when I do this. Like, am I going to hit a number? Am I going to, you know, do X, Y, Z or whatever? And so it's really helpful. But either way, mean, gratitude is just such a powerful tool. Thank you for sharing, showing your process today.

Jeanelle Teves (06:28.77)
Yeah, I agree. Yeah, no, I love that. that's part two of my morning routine after I do the journaling is certainly meditation. And I have this particular song that I like to meditate to. And I just found, I find that sort of visualization also incredibly powerful, this I am, I already am. And that helps me.

get through whatever I may be facing in the middle of my day. So I agree the combination of journaling and meditation is incredibly powerful and part of my daily practice. So I really resonate with that.

Ramon Vela (07:06.572)
Yeah. And you know, that's a good segue because I actually, I have conversations with founders and with business owners and C and executives like yourself pretty much every day. And I had a really interesting one this morning and we were talking a little bit about the challenges that they faced, in building their business. And, know, you mentioned a second ago that you guys are, there's a, you know, an intense time right now that you're, you and your team are going through.

What she said and what I agree with is really, can, there's moments of doubt, there's always moments of, you is this gonna work? Are we gonna be able to achieve these goals or whatever that might be? But I also find that if you have a clear why, if you have a clear sort of north star, those things tend to help you.

push you through those moments, those intense moments that inevitably come to everyone. so that's a good segue. What would you consider, and this could be a personal why as well, but I'd also love to know about the bugaboo why. What is the why? How would you describe it?

Jeanelle Teves (08:23.81)
Such a powerful question. This is what I tell my team in our staff meetings is that we are not in the business of selling strollers. So Bugaboo is a Dutch design company best known for our award-winning and innovative strollers. But that is the product that we happen to sell, but we are not in the business of strollers. We're actually in the business of helping new parents feel confident in this new chapter of their life. And I personally,

When I started at the brand over four years ago, my first day was my first day back from maternity leave and having my son in 2020. And it was such an unknown time. I was transitioning into this new identity that I had. felt very unsure. I was sleep deprived, but I felt a little bit more like myself and I felt a little bit healthier. I felt a little bit more confident when I would go on a walk with him.

And I can distinctly remember taking these walks and I can tell you the way that the sun was shining and the way that the stroller was bouncing on the cobblestone streets. I live in New York, so the streets are uneven. And the benefits that I felt that after those walks, I felt like it was good for me. I felt like it was good for him. He got some fresh air. I was able to move my body. I was healing my physical health, my mental health.

so many benefits from those walks, just getting out of the apartment. And I grasp onto that memory whenever I get caught up in the numbers or the challenge or the marketing plan or the campaign. And I always go back to that. And I never want to forget those first few days and weeks of being a new parent and the confidence that taking those strolls gave me. so...

I tell the story because I get to wake up every day with the privilege and the honor of helping other parents all around North America who are about to experience those memories themselves. And so that's what I hold on to. That's our mission. That's my personal mission. That's what I try and remember every day when I come to the office.

Ramon Vela (10:39.374)
I love that. And you know, for those who are either having kids or about to have kids and so forth, it really can't be emphasized enough these, I don't know what you want to call them, these tools, these vehicles, these things that you use when you're raising your kids. And you may not even think about it so much, but when you have them,

and when, you use them and a stroller for instance is something that a parent is going to use all the time. mean, you know, typically like I know from my experience, I have three kids, but that stroller for each of those kids, I mean, really went through the wringer. Like, by the time you're done that, that stroller looks like it's been, it's been through a lot because you use it a lot and it's so essential. you, and

Jeanelle Teves (11:24.46)
Right.

Ramon Vela (11:34.766)
When you have one that isn't designed well, if you have one that doesn't help with the baby because the baby needs to feel relaxed and needs to feel comforted and needs to feel secure. And if it's bouncing all around the place and doing everything else, it's really difficult to have a calm baby. And of course, as parents, let's just face it, taking your kid for a walk is one of those moments where you try to calm the baby down. You try to...

Jeanelle Teves (11:41.474)
Mm-hmm.

Jeanelle Teves (11:45.45)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Jeanelle Teves (11:52.46)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (12:02.542)
Obviously you want to explore the world and feel and be outside, but it's one of those things where it could be very common for the child. It can be an exploration for the child. just, I mean, maybe I'm making too much of it, but I just feel like these things that you have as you raise your child and your baby, these things, and in this case, the stroller is just, it's like an essential tool to any parent.

Jeanelle Teves (12:03.136)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (12:26.018)
Mm-hmm, right, right. And we know that from our research. We know that there's really two critical items that every new parent, when they find out that they're pregnant, okay, I need to choose the stroller. What stroller am I going to get? And then the second one, just because you can't leave the hospital without it if you deliver at the hospital is a car seat. And we offer both, but our stroller is really...

As we develop them and we go through such a rigorous innovation and design development process, we run these surveys and we also ask parents, what is most important to you? And one of the top three features outside of safety, of course, is quality. For an American parent, they want a high quality stroller and they want to know that they're okay spending $1,000 plus on a stroller, but they want to make sure that there's a value for the money.

And so that, for me, I interpret that as longevity. They want to make sure that it's going to several years and even longer if they decide to have multiple children. Is there the ability to push two kids in this stroller? And so that was one of the things that we really developed and we worked on. And we knew that we needed to have, it was a missing puzzle piece in our product lineup, which was a tandem stroller, a stroller that you bought as a single stroller, but then however many years out.

you decide you want to add to your family, add a second child, then you could add a second seat. It had a modular design, so you could add a second seat in the front and then push two babies. so listening to the consumer and saying, okay, as we develop these products, we're not doing it in a vacuum, but we're actually solving real life problems. And then of course, me being here in New York and having two stroller-aged children myself, every time...

I'm going through one of these product reviews. I'm just thinking like, would this fit into my lifestyle? Would my mom friends use this? Could I get this up and down the subway? Would this fold enough easily and fit in my apartment? And all of those insights fuel and influence the decisions that I take at work every day. And it's real fun, I would have to say.

Ramon Vela (14:39.308)
Yeah. And you know, I have had a, I have, I, I normally have people who build brands and start brands and things like that. I did have one instance where I interviewed a designer, an industrial designer, and he actually doesn't do, you know, what you do, but he designed, beats by Dre, you know, the, the headphones.

Jeanelle Teves (15:06.312)
awesome, yeah of course, love them.

Ramon Vela (15:08.654)
Yeah, he designed those and on behalf of the company. And it's just, I had never realized how important the design of the things that we use every day is just so important. mean, everything from like your toothbrush, I mean, it's designed a certain way for you to use it a certain way, know, handles on appliances or pots or pans or things like that.

Jeanelle Teves (15:22.454)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (15:29.644)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (15:36.566)
All of these things have a unique design and the designer actually has this power really to create a product that can be intuitive and how people use it and all of that. So there's so much that goes into industrial design. And I'm just imagining for your folks who do the design, it's really just an awesome privilege, but also an immense job that they have.

And, know, for a stroller standpoint, mean, let's just like every day for a parent, you are not only just using it, but you have to store it. You have to travel with it. You have to do all sorts of stuff. And you never really think about like the person designing this, like are they design? mean, we know when, we know when a product design does not work, right? Cause we're like, you know what, like why can't this fit in my car? Why can't this do this? But when it works, it's like seamless and it feels just right. And.

Jeanelle Teves (16:16.993)
Right.

Jeanelle Teves (16:22.934)
Right.

Jeanelle Teves (16:27.606)
Right.

Ramon Vela (16:36.268)
You know, I'm impressed by your, by Bugaboo's design. Cause I kind of feel like, you know, from what I remember buying to what I see now on your website, but also, you know, on the streets, just has such a unique design to it.

Jeanelle Teves (16:42.178)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (16:52.226)
Yeah, well, our roots are design. So the founder, Max, in 1999 was a Dutch design student. And the very first Bugaboo prototype was his design project in university. And so you really see that design DNA from the very beginning of... Bugaboo is the category creator of the premium innovation stroller. And so...

You see that carried through every iteration, every model, every update, every evolution released in the last 25 plus years in the brand's development, all the way up until our latest launch, which is the Fox 5 Renew. And I would say Bugaboo has really been synonymous with two things up until now. So award-winning design and innovation. And then the second one is the incredible aesthetic. So really seamless, minimalistic aesthetic.

the combination of those two things. And then I'll say now the third that Bugaboo is becoming really known for is our efforts in sustainability. So we are the first stroller brand to make a net zero commitment by 2035. And we've done all of these transitions and all of these investments into our product to make sure that we're using bio-based materials that the mattress that the baby lays on is

free of any chemicals or harmful dyes, that our fabrics are PFAS free, that there are no forever chemicals there. And doing all of that without compromising what we've been known for already, which is high quality innovation, beautiful aesthetic. And so I'm certainly really proud of that. And we have a brilliant product innovation team that's set at the hub in Amsterdam. Our headquarters are

Ramon Vela (18:33.496)
Mm-hmm.

Jeanelle Teves (18:44.574)
in the Netherlands and that's where our product and innovation team sit together with a couple of our other core functions and then the North America team and my team, we sit here in the US and Canada.

Ramon Vela (18:57.388)
Yeah. Well, as a side note, those Nordic people really know how to design products because they, it's so, so beautiful. A lot of, so many of their products that I know that are developed in in, in, that part of the world. Yeah. It's just, they, they just know how to, it's so simple yet elegant and beautiful designs that they create. So, just amazing. in terms of, getting the word out there because

Jeanelle Teves (19:02.955)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (19:10.4)
In the Netherlands, yeah.

Ramon Vela (19:26.058)
Obviously, there's a lot of choices for consumers. You've mentioned a few things that I think are really helpful in terms of differentiating the brand from others. But how are you guys going out there and really conveying this message to people? Because I believe that, especially if you're going to have a growing family, like I think, you we had three kids and I'm pretty sure we use our, ours for at least two of the kids.

It didn't last, I think, past like maybe one and a half because it just wasn't designed well. you know, but now looking back, I think, ooh, you know, it would be worth the investment to buy something that you know is going to last, is durable, that's designed well, that looks good. Because if you already know that you're going to have one or two kids, even if they're spaced apart a little bit, because ours was spaced a little bit apart.

Jeanelle Teves (20:03.189)
Yeah.

Ramon Vela (20:24.406)
You know, it's, going to be a great investment, but how do you convey that? Like, what are you guys doing to convey that message out there? it social media? Is it tick tock? it, you know, you know, other, other ways of doing it.

Jeanelle Teves (20:35.564)
Yeah. Yeah, I think first I would recommend looking at the data and looking at what is the consumer journey and what you know to be true of where your consumer is. So double clicking into the new parent, we look, okay, how are they, what is their brand discovery process? And you hit it on the head. One of the biggest channels, if not the biggest channel is social media. And this is where consumers start to go to research, to find out.

who in their inner circle or even outer circle, what are they using, what are they pushing? And then usually they'll do their own research online. Maybe they'll go into a store to test drive a stroller, but they could entirely just check out online and not have even tested it out and tried it out. So to answer your question, we have doubled down in our community and specifically how we show up on social media. Our following everything from

the consistency, the cadence in which we post, the type of content, the formats that we use. We have an amazing marketing team and we work very hard to make sure that we're not only sharing with the community what is coming up next in terms of product innovation, because these parents really want to know what's the latest and what should I be getting and what is the best, but also provide what we call value-based content. So even in between the different product introductions,

Okay, here are some tips, here's how you can use your stroller, here's some relatable content, maybe feature a pediatrician or a feeding expert, whoever it may be, and host an Instagram live or host a Q &A, and make sure that we're also just still offering and providing value to this new parent who is looking to consume as much advice as possible as they enter in this new chapter.

In a nutshell, it will be social media. And we don't see this in other countries, for example. Other countries, maybe throughout Western Europe, the in-store experience still matters a lot, or our friends and family skews higher. But here, especially in the US, we find that social media is a big part of the discovery and consideration and ultimately checkout phase.

Ramon Vela (22:43.34)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (22:55.106)
Yeah, you know, you're absolutely right. I mean, I think, you for us and this is just anecdotal, but I know that, for instance,

if I'm going to buy a product, the first thing I do is I start Googling it. I want to go where, like Google the device or the product. And then I start going down the list of YouTube videos or TikTok videos or Instagram videos. And I just want to see what it's all about. And you brought up a really good point in, correct me if I'm wrong.

Jeanelle Teves (23:07.639)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (23:26.754)
But when I look at the brand and I see how people have used it and I told you I've seen it out in the wild, I've seen people using it, it feels to me that Bugaboo has this sort of like, what's the word I'm looking for? It engenders almost like a, it almost engenders like this, like I'm in a special group.

you know, as a owner, you know, I'm in a special group and I'm wondering, you know, I was going to use the Tesla example, but maybe that's not the best example right now. But, um, you know, at one point, you know, Tesla owners would hang out with each other or they would go online and talk to each other and so forth. And because it was special, like you, felt like you belonged to the special group of people that own this particular product. I'm wondering, has that organically been built around

Jeanelle Teves (23:53.41)
Mmm.

Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (24:08.864)
Yeah.

Ramon Vela (24:20.718)
Bugaboo by its consumers because I don't know, the design is special, it's cool, it's innovative looking and I'm wondering are parents kind of congregating in some place whether it's social media or maybe a purpose-built type of community?

Jeanelle Teves (24:22.54)
Yeah. Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (24:28.524)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (24:35.168)
Yeah.

Yeah, so I'll tell you a little anecdote. This is one of the cool parts of my job. If I'm at a dinner party and I tell someone that I work at Bugaboo and the person will exclaim, my gosh, I'm a Bugaboo mom. I had a Bugaboo for all three of my kids. And then I gave that product, I gave my stroller to my sister, friend, neighbor, whatever. But now her children are the children of this mother.

are 18, 15, and 13. So she's so far long gone out of her stroller days, but she still calls herself a bugaboo mom. And I don't hear that with other brands per se. And I believe the reason is because one, it's such an incredible product that parents remember and they become ambassadors to the stroller because they remember that it lasted them

Ramon Vela (25:18.947)
Mm-hmm.

Jeanelle Teves (25:37.612)
for three children, and then they were able to sell it for almost retail value. We've been doing sustainability long before the circular model was the right thing to do and the current thing to do. And then that stroller lasted that family for three children and onwards. So they have this longevity and this quality. And then of course, Bagaboo has been in the middle of the cultural zeitgeist with...

Ramon Vela (25:49.838)
Thank

Jeanelle Teves (26:06.346)
really high profile parents choosing Bugaboo again because of this beautiful aesthetic, this high quality. And so I think the combination of those two things, first and foremost, you have to have the innovation that solves the problem of your consumer. And for us, we're always talking about the new parent. So it checks that box. And then secondly, of course, the fact that the brand was featured in the early 2000s on Sex and the City, that was a cultural moment and milestone that definitely

skyrocketed the brand and still is what today one of the brand highlights, especially here in the US. So I think that first and foremost, you have to solve the problem of your consumer. then secondly, you have to be relevant to be a community that your consumer wants to be a part of. And I think we've really built that over the last 25 plus years.

Ramon Vela (26:59.214)
And you know, these type of products are very much, they're very much like, know, once you get into the hands of parents, an interesting happens, especially with new parents. And even, you know, ones who have had children.

you are part of a group, right? Like you start meeting other parents who have kids and you start hanging out because of your babies, end up hanging out with other parents and so forth. And it really becomes this like almost ambassador type of program, you know, where...

Jeanelle Teves (27:25.41)
Sure.

Jeanelle Teves (27:31.33)
Yeah.

Ramon Vela (27:32.982)
When you find one good product, you want to share it with everyone else. You want to tell their parents like, you know, we've invested in this or someone bought it for us. And, know, this is like the best product ever. And you really need to try it. know, so there is like a organic marketing that's happening for you guys as well.

Jeanelle Teves (27:36.802)
Yeah. Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (27:43.139)
yeah. yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (27:49.4)
yeah, the mom groups are the community groups, the parent groups in the different pockets throughout New York, which is my frame of reference, are the biggest wealth of information. There is no greater, like, eager to share consumer than that of a new parent. Hey, this has worked for me. This has gotten my baby to calm down. This has gotten my baby to sleep. Here's what I am doing to feed, to walk, to...

to get some fresh air. So yes, you're right. I just from, again, from personal experience, I moved to New York seven years ago. I didn't know anybody and not a soul in the city. And now today my best friends are the parents of my kids' preschool classmates. These are, they were just sort of like, we're magnets to each other and we have, okay, we have the same interests. We have the same lifestyle. We have the same vibe. And now even my kids are beyond preschool now.

Ramon Vela (28:31.456)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (28:46.358)
And these are still the people that I go to for advice. So I really resonate with that from my own personal experience as congregation of parents and this word of mouth power that takes place within these communities. And yes, we see that. It's also part of our product teams. Sort of social listening is going into the groups and seeing what the feedback is around the product and constantly looking for ways to improve the product.

That is data at your fingertips now, social media, how people are talking about your brand. So we pay attention to all of it.

Ramon Vela (29:22.734)
Yeah, and I love that. And by the way, for those new parents, those people, not all of them, but there's going to be people that you meet in like the preschool or the grammar school and things like that as your kids get older. Some of those relationships will last a lifetime because I still have parents that we met because their kid was in preschool or a

Jeanelle Teves (29:39.5)
Yeah. Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (29:45.601)
Hmm.

Ramon Vela (29:45.708)
Jimbery or whatever it is and we still know them like they become lifelong sort of friends. So that's pretty cool let's talk a little bit about the design because I'm probably I mean this in the best possible way, but everyone looks at a design or it looks at a product kind of differently and you know, there has been a big trend I think in the last 10 to 15 years or so maybe maybe a little bit longer, you know

When I was a kid, my dad, you know, loved him. He was a great dad, but he wasn't really involved so much in the day-to-day, the children, right? Like he doesn't, you know, at that time you were able to have one job and the mother can stay home. And obviously that has changed, but more and more dads want to be involved. More and more dads are staying at home. More and more dads are actively taking care of their kids. And I don't know, as a guy who likes mechanical stuff,

I look at your product and I think, wow, that's a cool design. Like I feel good. I would feel good about using that in public and so forth, but it's cool because you can talk about it. can, you you can, you know, you can have your own ad group where you're sharing like things about how cool this is. One of the things that I found to be really exciting about it from a mechanical standpoint, but obviously from a parent standpoint too, is the modular nature of some of your products.

Jeanelle Teves (30:49.879)
Yeah.

Ramon Vela (31:13.58)
This is something I don't ever, well, a couple things. I don't even remember the brand that we used when we had ours. So I don't even remember it. Second, I've never seen a product that has such a, has a modular design already kind of built in the way that you guys do. I think I've seen some, but yours just seemed flawless, almost as if.

whatever attachment you add has always been there. Does that make sense? mean, it just feels flawed. I can just be there.

Jeanelle Teves (31:46.326)
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah, thank you for saying that. So there's a couple of things in there. Number one, I love the call out around fathers because we are definitely seeing dads more and more involved in the stroller purchase and also the involvement in parenting. And so it's definitely, we talk about the parents at Bugaboo, not only the mom, because it's definitely changing in terms of modern parenthood.

And then when it comes to Bugaboo's award-winning design, indeed that modular seamless design is what we've become synonymous with. Even this stroller here just behind me, this is the Bugaboo Kangaroo. This is the first stroller that was built specifically for the new parent in mind. And that insight came from this desire to have one stroller purchased, to have it accommodate multiple children. So this stroller,

which we launched last year, can push up to three children. If you are a superhero and you have three children that are all stroller age, you could have, first you buy it for the baby in the bassinet, and then you could very easily extend the front so that you can have what we call the second seat, the rumble seat in the front. And then you can also add the Bugaboo Wheelboard, which looks like a little skateboard that...

Ramon Vela (33:02.947)
Mm-hmm.

Ramon Vela (33:07.822)
you

Jeanelle Teves (33:07.872)
you can just attach onto the front and then you could be pushing three children. And all of that is done with the modular design. It's built off of the Fox 5 signature chassis that we've become. It's one of our bestselling strollers. So already a design that the consumer is very familiar with and we were able to extend it. In this way, you also really minimize waste that the bassinet that you have, which is what the baby lays down in.

Once the baby gets to be six months old, that bassinet then becomes the seat. So you don't have all of this excess product and waste and you don't know what to do with it. Do I recycle it? Do I put it on the street? Do I have to put it in the trash? So we really look to minimize as much as we can so that, yeah, we're doing the right thing. We're doing the sustainable thing and all of our products are built with that in mind.

Ramon Vela (34:05.612)
Yeah, and one of the things that I was very impressed about, not just from a sustainability, well, not from a design standpoint, is I love how your designers are, and before I say this, let me just say that I don't see this very often. I've run into some products, like I have a backpack that I used that I had on the show, they sent me a sample, and what I loved about their design is that

they were designing their product with sustainability in mind. Like everything down from the zippers to this to that, they would explain like, we're designing this because this will break down easier, know, 20 years down the line or whatever. They're taking all these. And that was really impressive because I was just thinking, they're thinking 20 years in advance of how people are going to use what's going to happen to their product.

And I, and it's so impressive when designers build something for whether it's sustainability, you know, like thinking like, okay, where is this going to end up in 30 years? Like, how can we make it easier for it to be sustainable? But also how do we make it so that this becomes their only purchase, their last purchase for, for a stroller and then potentially then passing it on to someone else, you know, it, it,

Jeanelle Teves (35:25.514)
Right.

Right, right.

Ramon Vela (35:29.934)
That's a very, very careful design and that's so impressive in my estimation because everyone is so fast. let's just build a product, just, you know, create it and then sell it or whatever. You know, no shade on people like that. But at the same time though, this is one of those things that I kind of feel like has Bugaboo stand apart from others.

Jeanelle Teves (35:51.104)
Yeah, I think one of the other stand apart things that we're very proud of is becoming B Corp certified. So in addition to all of this longevity and high quality, becoming B Corp certified has meant that we're taking the right path where we think so, but then also we were able to receive the certification, which really means that we're making a positive impact for not only the parents today, but future parents.

when my children, if they decide to have children and their children. So this is everything from how we take care of our employees to launching circular services, using the sustainable materials, which we talked about, making conscious choices, including having a modular design has always been part of our DNA. And this is just another step forward, becoming B Corp certified to push ourselves, push our team.

push our designs to be even better. And we are the first stroller brand to make these commitments to be net zero by 2035. And there's definitely still work to do beyond that, but it's something that we're very proud of. our design team, everyone is extremely proud to have gotten that. Because it was not easy. It was a multi-year process to get there, but we got there.

Ramon Vela (37:13.378)
Yeah, and just for the audience to know, this is impressive on several different levels because for those in the audience, a B-Core certification isn't something that's mandated by a government, it's not a regulation that you have to do. It is actually something above and beyond what is required.

And the process, and I've covered brands who are pre-certified and I hear it all the time. It's just such a difficult thing to do. Some people wish it was easier, but obviously it's hard because it really means that you are committed to doing this. And it is above and beyond. And what it does for me, at least as a consumer, is whatever product I buy for my child,

I have to trust it. It has to gain my trust because I want this product to be the best possible product for my child because my child's gonna be in it and et cetera and so forth. It's gotta be safe, it's gotta be sustainable and all of that. But that B-Corp certification, I just feel like that adds an additional layer of trust, not just about the products of course, but also about the company because it means that...

You are going to treat your community a certain way. You're going to treat the environment a certain way. Like you are basically in writing saying community employees, know, consumers, every now all of the above that we are going to treat people a certain way or, treat the environment, et cetera. It's so for me, like that, that immediately builds an additional trust in the bugaboo brand.

Jeanelle Teves (38:31.682)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (38:50.838)
Yeah. Yeah, there was an there is there's a deep assessment that takes place. So for anyone listening who's not aware of really what that entails, there is a big assessment that's done across different impact areas that basically show that we are meeting high standards when it comes to social and environmental performance. So everything from employee engagement to our factory conditions to

how, what we use within our materials, the sources of all of our materials. And yeah, we continue to reach for these really high standards. It's something that you have to constantly show that you're continuously improving and we're going to continue to improve. But that's really one of the highest priorities is to at Bugaboo, we say we are here to empower parents and future generations of parents. So that means

the rest of the world and future parents to come.

Ramon Vela (39:52.45)
Yeah, well, again, it's another level of trust that you build with the consumer. also, just so the consumer knows and people listening out there know, this is not something that, it's not just a difficult process to go, but it's an additional cost. So that, that unto itself is also really impressive because...

Jeanelle Teves (39:59.052)
Thank you.

Jeanelle Teves (40:10.677)
Right.

Ramon Vela (40:16.536)
You you want a product, you want to do business, when it comes to your kids, you want to do business with a company and with a product company that has your best interests in mind.

Jeanelle Teves (40:28.492)
Right. I think that for me, that was one of the biggest mindset shifts is this hyper awareness when you become a parent around, it's just not about you anymore. And there's a quote that like we are we're borrowing. We are borrowing the earth for our children. Is that the quote from our children? And that ultimately you're right. It is an additional cost, but it's the right thing to do. And that is what our CEO believes in. it's it's been it's been

Definitely a huge source of pride for anyone working at Bugaboo that we've made these commitments. Becoming B Corp certified just goes beyond, like you said, just one aspect. There's several impact areas that we had to prove that we have the highest standards and we continue to reach for even higher standards. So it's something we're very proud of.

Ramon Vela (41:20.482)
Yeah, well, like I said, very impressive. The website for everyone out there, if you want to take a look at what we've been talking about, you can go to bugaboo.com and that's B-U-G-A-B-O-O.com, bugaboo.com. And I want to go to the website really quick and just, if you don't mind, have you tell us where, if someone's listening to this and really...

likes what they're hearing, everything from the sustainable aspect, the design aspect, listening aspect, listening to consumer aspect, or even now the B Corp certification aspect. Where do you suggest that they start with their journey with Bugaboo?

Jeanelle Teves (42:08.93)
So I would say it starts with the consumer. It starts with the parent. What kind of family are you? And then we have a stroller to help fit your needs. So if you live in an apartment and you live in a small city, I would recommend that you start with the Bugaboo Dragonfly, for example, which has the most innovative fold. And it has a really large underseat basket. But the great thing about this is that it can fold up.

and help accommodate really tight quarters. If you are a family that's always on the go and you do a lot of traveling and you're in and out of the car or maybe you have family on the other coast, you're in the airplane a lot, I would recommend the Bagobu Butterfly. It's our award-winning travel stroller. It's the one that I travel with. It has a one-handed push and a one-handed fold. If you are starting out and you're a first-time parent and you're looking for a newborn stroller,

Our Fox 5 Renew is our signature newborn stroller. It drives beautifully. also push my children in the Fox 5. And if you have twins or you have two children in stroller age who are stroller ages, I would recommend our Bugaboo Kangaroo, which is our single to double award winning tandem stroller or our Bugaboo.

Donkey, which is our side by side, which is really great for sibling bonding. I love that. And people always ask, it fit through a doorway? Because it looks really wide. Yes, it could fit through a standard doorway. that's also, if you have twins, that's the one for you. So we have something for every type of family. It really just depends on what your needs are. But we have an amazing customer service team who can help guide you through your stroller decision journey.

Ramon Vela (43:38.51)
Thank

Jeanelle Teves (43:56.864)
Social media, of course, is another great way. We have a ton of content there about all of the different products in our portfolio. We're best known for our award-winning strollers, but we also have play pens, we have a car seat, and also the Bugaboo giraffe, which is our high chair. So there's definitely something for every new parent, and whatever you may need, we have it.

Ramon Vela (44:20.098)
Wow, that's amazing. And again, it's Bugaboo.com, Bugaboo.com. And when you go to the website, you'll see the strollers, they have bundles, they've got accessories, they've got car seats, high chairs, play yards, rockers, and all sorts of other things in there. And then they do have extended four-year warranties. They've got a buy and try for 100 days. They've got a buy now, pay later.

Jeanelle Teves (44:24.642)
correct.

Ramon Vela (44:45.038)
They've got free delivery and returns and so forth. So there's a lot of really great stuff on there. They do have Navigation buttons that will help you compare strollers and also of course talk about some of the things that we talked about which is their award-winning designs and engineering and how they test it and so forth and And just so much more in there, you know as we're looking at all this by the way that rocker

That is those come in so handy. So those rockers. Yeah. Yeah. I remember as a new parent, those were like a godsend. So those, so as you're looking at this in let's call it a summerization. We've talked about a lot of stuff, the engineering, the B Corp stuff, everything. What would you say, and I know I'm putting you a little bit on the spot here, but

Jeanelle Teves (45:14.934)
Right, yes, I also use them.

Ramon Vela (45:41.282)
You know, is there something that you want us to know that may not be readily apparent on the website, but it's something that you feel like it's just really important that you see that you do internally, but that maybe a consumer would really find interesting. Is there anything like that that you would want to share? And it could be something we've already talked about.

Jeanelle Teves (46:03.862)
Yeah, I mean, we've talked a lot about the innovation team, the design team, and the award-winning designs. And something that I wish that we would talk about even louder is how deeply involved real parents are in the product development process. So from the first day of concept, we're making it a point to co-create with the consumers, with the individuals who are actually using our products in real life.

and we're not designing in a vacuum. So that could mean inviting parents early into the testing process. It could mean the parents on the team, like myself or some of the product managers and headquarters testing their own children and the product and gathering feedback in real time and iterating based on what our feedback is and what the needs are, not assumptions on what they need.

And so my message to any founder or any business leader, anyone who's sitting in a design seat, it can take longer by doing this because then you have these extended testing periods. But ultimately, it pays off because you're solving real problems and creating real solutions for your actual consumers.

Ramon Vela (47:17.134)
Yeah, and then that of course can pay off so much in terms of the client experience, customer experience and whatnot. This has been amazing. I want to be respectful of your time and we've covered so much in just this conversation. And I know I'm like constantly asking you questions and so I appreciate you being so kind.

Jeanelle Teves (47:32.834)
Yeah.

Jeanelle Teves (47:39.136)
No, I love this. And I think that my favorite question will be this gratitude question that you opened with. I think that's such a great way to begin the conversation and maybe even a great way to close. I'm, thank you, grateful for the opportunity to come onto this podcast and also to share with your audience, anyone looking to build a brand and take a little bit of insights on how can I apply this to my own brand, to my business, to...

this idea that I may have. And if you are a new parent out there and you have, you're in the middle of a stroller consideration journey, I would invite you to come to learn more about Bugaboo. You can go to bugaboo.com like Ramon said, or follow us at Bugaboo USA. And know this has been a real treat and such thought provoking questions. Thank you so much, Ramon.

Ramon Vela (48:31.554)
Yeah, thank you. And by the way, a lot of what we talked about really is in some ways like a little mini masterclass on how to build a brand if you desire to build a brand that emphasizes customer listening, building trust, and then building a great product. I think what you describe right now.

you know, someone just needs to listen to this and just take note. what, you know, how are you guys doing this? Because to me, it's like very impressive. And one last question. So where to buy, you just mentioned the website. Is there any other place for them to go to? Is there any retailers or any partners that you guys deal with here in the North America?

Jeanelle Teves (49:16.79)
Yeah, we're available in many of your national department stores. So you can go to Nordstrom, Target, for example, we're on Amazon, but also we work with a lot of independent and local boutiques. And that's also, they have such a wealth of information. If you want to go and take a test drive, I would say go to your local baby shop. We're probably there. And if not, you can call up our customer service team and they can help locate a store in your neighborhood.

Ramon Vela (49:45.078)
Well, thank you for that. I just always want to make sure because to me, there's so much richness in this story that we just covered around Bugaboo.

Um, you know, I wish I, I can go back in time and, and buy a bugaboo for when I had kids, because I'm telling you, like what I've seen out in the, in the wild, people using it, uh, it looks amazing. And I could just tell just from reading some of the reviews and looking at that, that you have some, you've created a product that really, you know, is a class unto itself. And in really in gender is what I was trying to tell you earlier, which is like when you buy.

Jeanelle Teves (50:06.306)
Mm.

Jeanelle Teves (50:12.322)
Thank you.

Ramon Vela (50:24.56)
you feel like you're in a special group because you made this cold decision to buy this product. So thank you for all of that. And I appreciate your time. And I love learning about Bugaboo. You've shared so much that I didn't know and I appreciate it. And the audience, I'm sure, appreciates it too. So thank you so much for that.

Jeanelle Teves (50:32.258)
Thank you.

Jeanelle Teves (50:42.508)
Thank you.

Ramon Vela (50:43.306)
everyone out there, have just had Janelle Tevez, who is chief commercial officer at Bugaboo. We've given out the website, bugaboo.com is the website. We're going to have that link as well as a social media link on our podcast description, which you can find at Apple, Spotify, pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts, simply type in the story of a brand show and you should be able to find it.

As I always say everyone stay sane stay safe stay healthy and while this is not necessarily in the healthy stage If you are a new parent or you know a new parent this product is a godsend For that new parent so highly recommend you sharing this episode with someone and or telling them about the brand because you have to go to the website see it and And you more than likely you've already seen it out in the wild and seeing people using it such an interesting design At least from my perspective

nothing like what I saw when I was raising my kids. But this is fantastic. And then beyond that, everyone, one last thing. We talked about gratitude. We talked about, you people being anxious and there's a lot of stuff going on in the world. There's a lot of, you know, uncertainty, there's tariff stuff that's going on, the geopolitical war, the politics, the economy, whatever. Let's just do ourselves a favor and just remember that everyone is going through something and let's just try to be kinder to each other. It's not that hard.

Jeanelle Teves (51:53.666)
Mm. Mm. Mm.

Ramon Vela (52:06.7)
And I know if we can, we can make this human experience a better one. Beyond that, thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening to another episode of the story of a brand.