I don’t know if there’s anything cuter than baby moccasins. And the moccs at Freshly Picked are not only super cute, the high-quality leather lasts for years — even with little ones grown big enough to toddle all over the house.
Today, the brand announced the launch of Freshly Picked’s Marketplace, an online community featuring a collection of small businesses hand-picked and recommended by the founder and CO of Freshly Picked, Susan Petersen.
Petersen first tried her hand at sewing moccasins at her kitchen table, with her second child, Gus, as the official “mocc-tester.” Today, just seven years later, the company is internationally known and recommended as a place to find “must-have” products for new parents.
And now, Petersen wants to help out small baby product businesses that are starting out the same way she did.
“As new baby product innovators have emerged and try to gain exposure for their awesome products, I’ve thought, ‘I’ve been there before’,” said Petersen. “As I found myself wishing I had a megaphone to share each of their stories and products in a way that didn’t distract from our focus at Freshly Picked, my team and I came up with the idea for Marketplace.”
We love that Petersen wants to help small businesses just starting out by giving them a place to sell products under the already famous Freshly Picked name. Two moms (and HUGE fans of Freshly Picked moccs) love Petersen’s idea to give back, too.
“I met Susan when she was just starting Freshly Picked and she was always so supportive of other moms and what they were doing,” Lauren Jimeson tells Babble. “Despite the huge success of Freshly Picked, she still remains true to that. She believes that women should support one another, and I love that about her.”
Yes. We are all about women supporting women — and this Marketplace is perfect for that.
“I love the idea of a small business marketplace and how Susan is giving back to businesses that have started out much like hers,” Lauren Hartmann tells Babble. “I’ve loved following Susan and Freshly Picked’s journey to becoming the success that it is today. I was so excited watching her on Shark Tank — it felt like cheering on a good friend!”
So far there are six businesses featured in the Marketplace:
- Koko’s Nest: sells contemporary knit baby blankets that have modern designs with heirloom quality.
- The Posh Society: sells adorable leather baby bows in subdued pastel metallic designs.
- Hazel Village: sells soft, plush woodland-themed stuffed animals — inspired by childhood stories like Brambley Hedge, Uncle Wiggly, and The Little House.
- Bannor Toys: sells beautiful organic wooden toys, including ABC blocks, cars, and rattles.
- Madeline’s Box: sells durable, soft suede pacifier clips.
- Sproutling Co.: sells gorgeous baby mobiles made of arched wood and wool beads.
I’m definitely sensing a few Christmas presents here!