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Q&A: Investment Banker Marisa Moss, The Genius Who Created A Maternity Apparel Renting Service

Pregnancy can be the greatest experience in the world, but there are plenty of downsides to the nine-month process. There’s of course weight gain, morning sickness, and irritability, but what about having to splurge on a new wardrobe for clothes that only fit a short period of time? That’s not easy on a woman’s bank account, especially with all the other baby-related purchases she must make, but entrepreneur Marisa Moss has solved the problem by creating Mine for Nine, a maternity apparel renting service that provides clothing for all occasions.

The investment banker, who started the business a couple years ago, sells everything from lounge wear to suits, giving those who are expecting plenty of options to choose from. With her background in corporate work, she understands the importance and necessity of dressing well on the job, so her products make life as a pregnant employee easier. Here’s what she said to us about Mine for Nine.

1. What does a typical day look like for you?
I currently work full-time at an investment bank, so in the evenings is when I spend most of my time working on Mine for Nine. This includes responding to any customer service emails that were not answered during the day, reviewing the upcoming clothing line purchases, responding to press requests, and brainstorming with Mine for Nine’s advisory Board about tangential opportunities for the business.

2. Do you offer professional attire for pregnant women?
Our website caters to both professional pregnant women as well as stay at home moms looking for a new outfit for date night, dinner with friends or a wedding. We carry, business suits, work dresses, tops and pants that are perfect for the office environment. We also carry well known designers such as Seraphine, Maternal America, Olian and Ripe Maternity to name a few.

3. What is the most popular type of clothing you offer?
The most popular piece of clothing is a dress. Both special occassion, work dresses and babymoon dresses are popular items. While you’re pregnant, many women feel most comfortable in dresses since there is no pressure or elastic pushing against the belly. This is what drives the popularity of dresses.

4. How has your company changed since you founded it several years ago?
We continue to expand our selection of items that can be purchased and/or rented. For example, we have added jeans as a rental/purchase option. In addition, we now sell bathing suits (not a rental option). From a professional standpoint, we have also added pantyhose as a purchase option. And in 2013, we plan to continue to expand into additional maternity clothing segments.

5. What sort of feedback have you gotten from customers?
The feedback from customers has been amazing. Our testimonials say it all. Here is a sample of what our customers have said, but there are many more on our testimonials page:

“I absolutely LOVE the Mine for Nine service and have told everyone I know about it! Everyone comments that it is such a good idea, why didn’t someone else think of it sooner, etc. Thanks for putting a great idea into action!”

“I’m sure you hear this alot, but thank you so much for what you do. I’m pregnant with twins and have gotten so big so fast. I have an upcoming conference that involves me giving a presentation and attending a gala. Trying the suit jacket and dress on today made me feel so confident and now I’m actually looking forward to these events. Making pregnant women feel beautiful and confident is no small feat, and I definitely thank you and really, really appreciate it.”

“Your service has been a life-saver during my pregnancy! Without it, I would be wearing the same three outfits every single day.”

6. Is there an especially “busy season” for you or does it stay pretty busy year-round?
Overall, we stay pretty busy year-round. We do see more special occassion dresses rented during the summer months in conjunction with wedding season. But also, statistically, more babies are born during July-September than any other time of year, so if there was a “busy season” that would probably be it as well.

7. Do you plan on expanding your business at all or making any big changes in the near future?
We have some very exciting plans for Mine for Nine over the next 6 months, but unfortunately, it is confidential. Having said that, we are pleased to announce the launch of our sister site: www.LaLaLounger.com, which sells a patented baby/toddler cushion. We think it will be a huge success and are accepted about the synergies between LaLaLounger and Mine for Nine.

TAGS: marisa moss | mine for nine

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