In the baby products industry, serial entrepreneur Elina Furman has really made a name for herself. As the creator of the Kahlmi baby massage wand, Furman is deeply passionate about spreading awareness about the importance of infant/child massage. She first earned her infant massage certification after talking to many parents who were confused about how to perform baby massage, then launched Kahlmi in June 2022. Kahlmi now sells out restock after restock, and Furman is the go-to expert on all things baby massage.
Home Business Magazine had the opportunity to chat with Furman and learn all about her business journey. She was happy to chat about the inspiration for her product, helpful tips for other business owners, and more.
HBM: What inspired you to launch Kahlmi?
EF: “As a new mom, I wished I had known about the role that touch and massage plays in establishing the connection between mom and baby. My son suffers from anxiety and had colic as a baby and I wish I had been taught about the importance of baby massage. Our first year was one of the hardest of my life and I know had I learned baby massage, it would have made it much easier.
As a seasoned baby industry veteran and consultant, I have helped and scaled many baby brands and created new categories in the juvenile products space. I have 15 years of experience as a consultant, marketer, and expert in the baby/child industry, during which time I launched and scaled baby companies from $0-35 mm and have been widely documented in industry publications.
After a two-year sabbatical, I decided I wanted to develop a mission-based company around baby massage, mindfulness, and wellness and became a certified infant massage instructor. I designed the first patented baby massager that fosters interactivity and connection while allowing parents to quickly and easily begin the massage journey.”
HBM: Do you have any business management tips to share?
EF: “My top tips are:
1. Delegate smaller tasks and find inexpensive contractors through sites like Upwork.
2. Start: Do small things every day to move your company forward, and eventually, you will see progress.
3. Be Patient: If you have a big vision, limited resources, and many demands on your time (family and children), expect that it will take longer, and try to be ok with that even if you want to move faster.”
HBM: Do you have any tips for entrepreneurs who want to amplify their daily productivity?
EF: “Do the hardest, most annoying thing you have on your to-do list first every day. And then the rest of the day will go much easier.”
Also, I have experienced burnout many times in my entrepreneurial journey. It usually stems from overwork, which can lead to feeling less passionate about your business. Finding new things that you love about your business is the #1 tip I would offer. If you’re doing the same things in the same ways every single day, you will inevitably feel less excited about the work you’re doing. One way to recapture the early excitement is to engage your customers directly. I find that talking to parents who have used my product and seeing how it’s helped them always inspires me anew and keeps me motivated on my business journey.”
HBM: Is there anything you would do differently if you were restarting your business journey?
EF: I wouldn’t do anything differently. I have taken a slow-to-grow approach since I’m not gunning for a quick scale or exit, which so many entrepreneurs do. I want the company to be mission based and to do a lot philanthropically to help the neonatal community and to build awareness through education, and that takes time. I am happy with the pace at which I am growing.”
