What happens when you study art and business, love to cook and give gifts, and know a lot of babies? You create one of a kind sushi themed baby gifts! That is how Rachel Teichman’s company Baby Bento came to be. Eating take-out Sushi Rolls and Kappa-Maki and a love of plays on words was the original inspiration for the Sushi StyleT line. It has now turned into a literal melding of the world of food and baby fashion. Shebrew asked Rachel to share the secrets of starting her own businesses and making it big in the competitive world of PR

Tell us a little bit about your two projects: Sparkle PR and Pink Confection.

Sparkle PR is a boutique public relations firm that I founded. I first founded an own online gift site called Pink Confection, and am now sharing my PR expertise with other companies. I have an MBA in entrepreneurship and marketing with experience in public relations, promotions, market research and product management. I have a lot of experience in writing and submitting press releases and in placing products with high-profile media outlets. I continually uses creative and innovative strategies to get products noticed. My clients include baby and women’s gifts lines, and design companies.

When and how did you decide to start your businesses?

In November, 2002, I started Pink Confection, a pregnancy gift line, with a pregnant friend. Since getting an MBA I had always wanted to start my own business. Eventually I took over the whole business and added the baby gifts. Innovative packaging and PR were what helped the company grow.

What challenges did you face in the beginning?

There were three main interconnected challenges: deciding how much to spend on what, Getting into retail shops and determingin pricing

What are the most rewarding parts of running your own business?

-The reaction to/sales of the products.
-The press reaction
-Positive consumer feedback.

What advice do you have to give young women hoping to start their own ventures?

-Don’t feel like you have to invent a new product or a totally new service - find something you really like and make it better.
-Do some market research first, on whatever size scale makes sense for you.
-Grow your product line, slowly, but not too slow.
-You can’t depend on selling only one thing, or on making money though advertising.
-Really decide if you’d rather be in a product or service business.
-Decide if you want consumers or retailers, or both, to be your
customers.
-Don’t ever be scared to try something, ask something, promote something
- If you don’t try you can’t get what you want, and if you didn’t get
what you want, you’re no worse off and you may have learned something.
-Don’t be intimidated.

Tell us a little bit about you–the woman behind the success.

I grew up in Northern California, and moved to San Diego to attend college and graduate school. I studied Visual Arts in college, and go my MBA in graduate school. I worked in art management and product development before starting my own business. I recently got married, and my husband and I now live in Austin, TX where is getting his MBA. We have two cats!

What’s the best thing about being a modern jewish girl?

The best thing about being a modern Jewish girl is having modern Jewish girl friends! There’s something about making new Jewish friends that just puts you in that summer camp mode and you have an immediate connection because of all the things you know you must have in common. With who else can you go from discussing how you’re going to raise your kids, to what to wear to the High Holidays to what your favorite kind of kugel is, just like that?! The quote “friends are the family we choose for ourselves” really sums it up.

And if you happen to meet your husband because you were both hanging out watching “Friends” with your mutual Jewish friends, well that’s the icing on the cake as they say!