Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Frank.
Hi Jamie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello! I’m Jamie Frank – I’m the Founder and CEO of Cloth Cuties – a cloth diapering brand and education platform that helps moms simplify cloth diapering!
I’m a mom of two fabulous kids, Nathaniel and Noelle, and I’ve been married for almost 8 years! My journey to founding Cloth Cuties began when I became a mom. While carrying my son in 2016, my mother asked me to consider cloth diapering. With a hard side-eye, I begrudgingly took her up on the request. Researching cloth diapers was daunting – there were so many options and YouTube was my best resource.
I began Cloth Cuties in the stillness of the pandemic. I thought about the level of support I needed when I began cloth diapering my baby 6 years ago. I was the only one of my friends who attempted this method, and at the time, there were very few moms that looked like me talking about cloth diapering on YouTube. It felt lonely, yet my mom was my best support system even when family members thought I was out of my mind for trying cloth diapering.
Almost two years later after starting Cloth Cuties, we’re doing our part to make more moms aware of cloth diapering and we’re working toward launching our own cloth diaper product line in the near future.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely been challenging along the way. For starters, I started a whole business during the pandemic! Plus, I don’t sew. I’ve had to rely on the talents I do have – a background in marketing, journalism, and an MBA in finance. In that vein, I’ve focused on sharing my story. My experience with cloth diapers is my superpower. I am clear on what I enjoyed in a diaper, what I loathed, and what I desired. In the past two years, I’ve spent a lot of time chatting with other moms; their input integrated with my experience has contributed to building a better diaper! I’m so excited and proud of what Cloth Cuties is creating.
Another large challenge is getting moms to switch to cloth diapers! I empathize with moms, especially moms of color, who feel too overwhelmed to even consider cloth. Although many moms have heard of cloth diapering now, they still lack the know-how. Moms immediately think about how they would handle poop. With the focus squarely on that, they overlook the other steep costs of using disposables – they are expensive and harmful to our babies and the earth.
Cloth diapering can save moms $2000 over the diapering years. Moms spend about $100 a month on disposable diapers. An entire cloth diaper stash, of 20-30 diapers, can range in price but doesn’t have to exceed $500. If you consider that we diaper children to about the age of 3… that’s a significant amount of money back in a family’s savings account. One in three moms cut back on basic essentials to afford diapers. Cloth is one way to decrease the expense of diapering.
Similarly, the earth is getting warmer – we’re literally watching climate change occur before our eyes. Cloth diapers can literally help our situation. 92% of disposable diapers end up in landfills, sitting there waiting 500ish years to decompose. Disposables are the third-largest consumer item in landfills. Further, landfills produce 20% of the man-made methane that is expelled along with other harmful toxins and gases. These landfills disproportionately affect families of color’s health and well-being because we are more likely to live in close proximity to them – taking in the harmful ramifications. The same chemicals that end up in landfills impact our babies’ skin – causing diaper rashes. Doctors’ visits are another reason for moms to take off work, losing and spending money. Cloth diapers significantly decrease the chance of diaper rash. My son never had rashes. Although they can occur – my daughter is an unfortunate witness!
The cost to our children, planet, and pocketbooks is much too steep.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work centers on sharing the benefits of cloth diapering with moms. I have a working hypothesis: if more moms knew the impact that disposable diapers have on their babies and the environment, they would at least try cloth.
Trying is half the battle – moms out there just might fall in love. We are educating families about cloth diapering via our YouTube channel, website, and social media! We’re making it easy for moms of color to try cloth diapering.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters is our children’s future. All parents want to make the best choices for their children from the moment they lay their eyes on them.
Choosing cloth diapers is an excellent choice from the very beginning! I’m so excited to share all the knowledge I’ve garnered over the years with other moms. It brings me so much joy to simplify cloth diapering for Houston moms.
Other than that, what matters is building a successful business with my two little children watching and cheering me on. My husband and children push me to thrive – ensuring Cloth Cuties’ success!
Contact Info:
- Email: jamie@clothcuties.com
- Website: https://www.clothcuties.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clothcutiesdiapers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clothcutiesdiapers
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClothCuties
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/clothcutiesdiapers
Image Credits
Gracie Gonzalez (Pretty Little Prints)
