Father Knows Business

Tag : bean boot

That question prompted Bishop, 57, to begin conducting boot campworkshops at a local hospital. Six years later, he transformed hishobby into a nationwide organization, now known asBoot Camp for NewDads.
The goal of boot camp is to help new dads become comfortable caringfor their babies, supporting their spouses and making thetransition into fatherhood. So far, Boot Camp for New Dads, basedin Irvine, California, has expanded into 43 states and England andAustralia, graduating some 200,000 fathers in about 18 years.
To support this program, Bishop founded the nonprofit New FathersFoundation and a for-profit company,Dads Adventure Inc., in 1995.Through Dads Adventure, Bishop, a father of four, writes andpublishes books and a magazine for dads-to-be. He also maintains awebsite offering new dads advice and resources. Bishop and hiswife, Alison, who works for Dads Adventure full-time, have investedabout $1.5 million in Boot Camp for New Dads.
The Daddy Movement
The fatherhood market is slowly picking up momentum as home baseddads become more common. The U.S. Census Bureau reported anestimated 159,000 stay-at-home dads in 2007, up from 143,000 in2006.
"I think what you're seeing is a fatherhood movement that's mostlybased in guys' hearts, who want to be closer to their kids thantheir own father was with them," Bishop says.
Diaper Dudefounder Chris Pegula, 36, is part of that movement.
"The role is changing dramatically," Pegula says.
Los Angeles-based Diaper Dude was founded on Father's Day 2003. Atthe time, Pegula, an actor and stay-at-home dad, knew he wanted toshare the experience of raising his children with his wife. But hequickly realized that plan didn't include carrying anultra-feminine diaper bag.
"My wife came home with a dozen diaper bags. I thought, 'No way I'mwearing these. They're way too feminine!' " Pegula says.
Originally, Pegula set out to create a bag for himself. But once hereceived positive responses from other dads, Pegula knew he wasonto something.
The company has evolved from specializing in one messenger-stylediaper bag into a lifestyle brand that exceeded the $1 million markin 2007. From camouflage bottle holders to funky stroller straps tostylish blankets, Pegula has introduced other functional productsdesigned with daddy in mind.
"My goal is to help dads transition into fatherhood with confidenceand style," Pegula says.
The Diaper Dude himself adds his voice to the website with his "Askthe Dude" section and has plans to create a community forum dadscan access for advice and support.
Pegula thanks his three children for his new full-time job.
"They're the inspiration behind what I do," he says.
Like Pegula, Bishop says his daddy-focused organizations were neverpart of his master plan.
"I was a stay-at-home dad for seven years as my second throughfourth babies arrived," he says. "So I was very fortunate to bethere a lot, and I attribute that to why I did this."
Daddy Moonlighting
These days, it's not just stay-at-home dads who are reinventing therole of fatherhood. More and more working dads are also becomingengaged in the parenting process.
"A lot of the guys I know and hang out with are participatory dads.They're all really involved in the burping process and changingdiapers," Mike Barclay, 36, says.
By day, Barclay is a full-time dean of students at a private schoolin Providence, Rhode Island. By night, he's a husband, father oftwo and co-founder ofBurp Armor, a twist on the traditional burpcloth. Unlike regular burp cloths, Burp Armor has a kidney beanshape and shoulder flap design that protects a parent's shoulderand upper arm from baby's many messes.
Barclay first came up with the idea for the comfortable and durabledesign of the cloth two years ago after a spit-up-filled night withhis son, Greer. The next morning, figuring he wasn't the onlyparent to have dealt with multiple clothing changes after messyfeedings, Barclay began sketching designs on his children's largedrawing pad.
After selecting a design, Barclay got the stamp of approval fromhis wife and Burp Armor co-founder, Kristin, also 36, and began theprocess of creating a sample. After tweaking aspects of the design,the Barclays finally settled on what they say is the perfectcombination of materials: two layers of certified organic cottonand hemp fleece, along with a third layer of organic cotton andhemp corduroy. The additional layers make the Burp Armor threetimes more absorbent than the average burp cloth.
By January 2008, Barclay and his wife, a website director by day,launched their website and began selling their product. So far,Burp Armor isn't profitable, but Barclay says the company is wellon its way.
"It's a Barclay venture," he explains. "It's a huge risk. We took aportion of our family savings to start this. But it's worth it."
Mike and Kristin's ultimate goals are to become profitable withinthe next year and to turn Burp Armor into both of their full-timejobs.
So far, dads constitute a majority of Burp Armor's customers.
"There's a cool factor to it since it was inspired by a dad,"Barclay says.
But aside from the cool factor, Barclay points out the hurdles he'sfaced in getting attention for his product.
"There aren't as many places to go for dads who design products,"he says. "You're kind of on your own."
The Boys' Club
Though the daddy market is still relatively underserved, Bishop,Pegula and Barclay are making a noticeable dent. They're giving avoice to dads across the globe and proving that fathers should bejust as celebrated as their female counterparts.
"We want to provide support and inspiration to dads and encouragethem to jump in 100 percent," Pegula says.
This Father's Day, all three entrepreneurs plan on celebrating withthe people who made their ambitions possible--their children. ForPegula and Barclay, it's all about enjoying a day with the family,minus business distractions. For Bishop, the day will be spent intrue dad fashion.
"I plan on sitting in my brand new hammock, and my kids will bringme breakfast. It'll be a wonderful day," Bishop says.