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This story comes from a chat with Lauren Levy, cofounder of Magnetic Me. It’s edited for clarity.

A New Kind of Baby Clothing

So, picture this: It’s 2008, and I’m with my tiny nephew. I’m trying to get a bib on him without snagging his red hair. Then there we are, in the middle of a chilly day, me trying to dress him and him screaming in protest. Frankly, I was getting it from all sides. And then it dawned on me: why not make baby clothes magnetic? Dress them with a snap!

Believe it or not, innovation in baby clothing hadn’t budged since they slapped a zipper on those things ages ago. Zippers weren’t even the norm—snaps were all the rage. I wasn’t a mom yet, but hey, I knew stressed-out parents would love something simple and easy.

A Leap From Wall Street

At that time, I was in investment banking, dreaming of running my own show. My mom started a bakery when I was little, so the entrepreneurship bug bit early. Enter Lawrence, my college pal, a lawyer then and keen on ditching the corporate grind too. His folks were shop owners, so he got the hustle gene too.

Two Years of Research Madness

Lawrence and I spent the next two years swimming in research. Sure, neither of us was a parent, but we knew the entrepreneurial ropes. Long nights, busy weekends, slogging it out after those day jobs. We clicked into our co-founding rhythm: me on design (since Lawrence is color blind), him on the legal nitty-gritty. By 2010, Magnetic Me launched, and now we’ve got a whopping 46 employees.

Our Office: A Dynamic Duo’s Haven

Our digs? It’s a full floor in New York City, but Lawrence and I choose to share an office. Seriously, even with more space, we’d still sit side by side. It’s all about bouncing ideas continuously. Officially, we’re both cofounders, though he technically reports to me. It keeps the lines clear, but really, we’re just two brains constantly collaborating.

Family Comes First

Three years in, I had three kids—twins included—all within 15 months. Using our clothes on my own kids? Pure validation. Today, they’re 12 and 10, and I rope them into the business whenever possible—packing orders, tidying displays. I’ve got sky-high expectations. They need to grasp the grit I learned from my mom. Sure, they have it easier, but they should understand the value of hard work.

We’re a tight-knit bunch. Lawrence is practically family, so it’s never weird working this closely with a guy. Our families are close, too. The kids? They’re growing up like siblings. Life’s busy, but it’s a shared ride I wouldn’t trade.

A Summary Table of Our Journey:

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