Suzan Hernandez started MamaP to create affordable, eco-friendly alternatives to everyday products in beauty, health, and home while supporting environmental and social justice groups with every purchase.
Her journey started in 2017 after moving to New York City and following the advice Marie Kondo shares in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, about cleansing, decluttering, and releasing what no longer serves us. Suzan became extra intentional with what she brought into her home and decided she wanted to surround herself with things that aligned with her values and beliefs of helping the planet while giving back.
Suzan decided to create some essential items for herself starting with bamboo toothbrushes. Bamboo toothbrushes that were in the marketplace at that time were not beautifully designed and often came packaged in plastic. The market was ready for reinvention.
Today MamaP has been featured in the The Wall Street Journal and on Good Morning America and they have even signed up with Kroger and other national distributors. MamaP is trending to be in over one thousand stores by the end of 2022.
Read below to learn more about Suzan!
What is your best tip for a productive day?
Starting the day with time to yourself and focusing on mental health is very important. I start the day with yoga, walking, and meditation. It allows me to approach the day from a grounded and balanced approach.
When did you decide you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Moving to New York City and following the advice Marie Kondo shares in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up—cleansing, decluttering, and releasing what no longer serves us—I became extra intentional with what I brought into my home. I wanted to surround myself with things that aligned with my values and beliefs of helping the planet while giving back. I also wanted the products to be beautiful because I was making my home beautiful. The challenge was finding things that met my criteria, so I decided to create products that had purpose and supported the environment and community.
How do you remain productive while managing your professional responsibilities?
Early on I had my team join Slack and Asana, and these digital tools allow for communication, collaboration, and project management. By instituting digital productivity tools, it helped keep the team productive while still collaborating. Having a happy and productive team makes my role as a business owner easier as well.
What is your favorite place to visit in the community?
I love visiting Van Vorst Park, it’s a community park located in Jersey City. They have a beautiful garden, dog park, playground, and a Saturday Farmer’s Market. It’s a local park that brings together people from the neighborhood and I just love that.
Do you have a favorite quote?
André De Shields’s 3 rules:
1 – Surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming.
2 – Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be.
3 – The top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing.”
To learn more about Suzan and MamaP, click here.
