A couple of years ago, The Maternity Project was just an idea—born out of my own search for a platform that truly supported my maternity journey. I wanted a space that would help me source timeless, high-quality luxury clothing that reflected my personal style while also empowering me with the right information to navigate motherhood with awareness and confidence.

Now, as I reflect on the beautiful yet challenging journey of building a business in a niche market—one that connects a community of mothers, experts, and brands—I realize how much we’ve learned in just one year of being live. From the early days of shaping our vision to the lessons we continue to uncover, here are five key takeaways from our first year in business:

Build your ideas around what your customers tell you.

As first-time entrepreneurs, it’s easy to fall in love with an idea and assume it will succeed simply because we believe in it. But one of the most important things we did early on was to stay mindful of perception bias—the risk of investing in something that customers may not actually want. To avoid this, we consistently engaged with mothers, ran focus groups, and openly discussed our ideas to gather real feedback. This approach has helped us shape The Maternity Project in a way that truly resonates with our community.

Mothers thrive when they have the opportunity to connect and share.

Through various activations and community-building efforts, we witnessed firsthand the power of bringing mothers together. Whether through intimate gatherings or larger events, the energy that comes from shared experiences is undeniable. Motherhood can feel isolating at times, but the strength of community reminds us that we’re never alone in this journey.

Embrace breaking norms in your industry if it makes sense for your customers.

Nothing about the way we operate at TMP follows traditional fashion industry norms—and that’s intentional. From the beginning, we committed to sourcing timeless, high-quality pieces rather than adhering to fast fashion cycles. If something didn’t align with our values or benefit our customers, we didn’t hesitate to do things differently. Challenging industry standards isn’t always easy, but when it serves a greater purpose, it’s worth it.

Build business resilience

Every entrepreneur is told they need resilience, but truly developing it comes from experience. Over the past year, we’ve learned how to take risks, test ideas, and—just as importantly—know when to walk away from something that isn’t working. Being decisive in cutting losses is just as crucial as knowing when to push forward, and learning to navigate that balance has been essential for our growth.

Timing is everything.

When you start a business, the temptation to do everything at once is strong. But the reality is that resources, bandwidth, and the right market conditions don’t always align perfectly. One of the hardest but most valuable lessons we’ve learned is to trust in timing. Not everything needs to happen all at once, and sometimes waiting for the right moment leads to far better results than rushing into something prematurely.

As we step into our second year, these lessons continue to guide us in shaping The Maternity Project’s future. This journey has been humbling, eye-opening, and deeply rewarding—and we know there’s still so much more to learn. To everyone who has been part of our story—our incredible customers, brand partners, and community of mothers—thank you for your trust and support. We can’t wait to continue growing with you.