I got an opportunity to talk with Natalia Faryna and asked a couple of questions to share today with my readers. Her story is so inspiring for all moms who want to do something great in their lives apart from their daily routine and work. Natalia Faryna created an application for kids without having technical knowledge. Encouraging right? So let’s get to know how she has done it.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what made you start your business?
My story starts with the birth of my daughter Delilah, the inspiration behind this app. The plan was set in motion when my husband and I saw the spark in Delilah’s eyes when she watched nursery rhymes for the first time. It was then that we thought how thrilling it would be if she could see herself as the STAR of a nursery rhyme and be at the center of this imaginary world? This personalized experience would keep her engaged, hone her language skills, and boost her imagination and self-esteem. After conducting our research, we could not find an app like this on the market.
As a new mom, a person with no IT background and a full-time worker, I thought this would be too big of a project for me to undertake in my spare time. Nevertheless, as my story proves, if you are passionate about something, you will find the power to create it.
Can you share the biggest challenges that you had to overcome since you started this Application?
My professional background is in finance and taking on this new venture without having an IT background was a challenge that I had to face. Everyone that knows me could state that IT was not my strength until now. Even during my wedding reception, my Matron of Honor in her congratulations speech jokingly mentioned that in a beautiful future that lays ahead of my husband and me, she hopes for my husband to continue to set up the TV for me for movie nights for years to come. What I have learned on my journey was that mompreneurship is about learning and adjusting. The drive to fulfill my vision of the MypicturE Nursery Rhymes app came from a passion that I have for this product.
MypicturE Nursery Rhymes app was not just another venture for me, it was a creation I am extremely passionate about since it was inspired by my daughter.
Another obstacle that I had to struggle with was finding the time for this project. Once my husband and I discussed the idea of MypicturE Nursery Rhymes app creation, I knew he would not be very present in the implementation of our app idea due to his demanding work hours. I also have a very demanding career, but I knew if I did not find the strength to proceed with this project it would not see a day of light. Undertaking this endeavor, while juggling a demanding finance career and being a new mom was both challenging and rewarding at the same time. Those nights when I slept only four hours so that I could take the time to devote it to MypicturE Nursery Rhymes app, it was my Delilah’s smile in the morning that motivated and inspired me to keep going.
What advice would you have for other mom entrepreneurs?
I live by the quote, “A goal without a plan is just a wish” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Being a mompreneur may give you the luxury to do both of the things that you are passionate about, but doing both especially when children are very young may lead to a lack of time and feeling overwhelmed. Thus, for motherhood and entrepreneurship to go hand in hand, mompreneurs need to plan effectively to stay organized. At the beginning of most mompreneurship journeys, a mom performs various roles of a business owner from being an IT director to being a marketer. Having all of those responsibilities on top of being a mom can be overwhelming at first. What had worked for me was planning my week ahead. On the weekends, I would create my daily to-do list for the week with small achievable goals that I would prioritize. Having that daily breakdown made those goals so much more achievable than looking at the large picture of things to be done.
How do you think that MypicturE Nursery Rhymes app will make a huge difference in people’s lives?
The cap letters in MypicturE, stand for “ME”, because the child using the app is the STAR of the show. The app provides a unique personalized photo content that not only serves an entertaining purpose, but an educational purpose as well.
The uniqueness of this app is rooted in the personalization of nursery rhyme collections with a child’s face as the STAR of the song. Being the center of the nursery rhyme hones children’s familiarity, boosts their confidence and their belonging to the world of nursery rhymes. For this reason, we have also chosen children’s group vocals for the nursery rhymes, so children using the app feel immersed with the group of children singing these songs.
At large, MypicturE Nursery Rhymes can promote children’s engagement. When children see themselves on the screen, they will pay more attention to the nursery rhyme, and thus they could learn from it to a greater extent than from generic nursery rhymes.
As a new mom, I realize how much limited time parents have when caring for their children. For that reason, the app consists of seven songs totaling approximately fifteen minutes. This gives a parent time to prepare breakfast and do a small errand, while at the same time it helps to maintain the screen time balance.
Can you share with us a personal story of an emotional struggle?
I faced an emotional struggle once my maternity leave was coming to an end. Since I remember, I always wanted to have children and a family. Thus, once I found out that I was expecting my daughter I was ecstatic, and I could not wait to meet her and introduce her to the world. When she was born, as days were passing by, I would sit and stare at her for hours trying to sink in every moment with her. But as my maternity leave was ending, I had to face a difficult choice, do I stay home with my daughter or go back and continue my career? On one hand, I wanted to stay with my daughter so that I could be extremely involved in her daily activities and experience every milestone with her, but then on the other hand as a woman who spent most of my life studying to obtain my two Master’s Degrees, I did not want to give up my career.
Finding a balance between my career and home was another trigger that motivated me to develop MypicturE Nursery Rhymes app so that I can do the two things that I love and I am passionate about.
What are your future plans?
We are currently working on another MypicturE volume that we will be launching within the next few months as well as other Delilah inspired creations.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
We are active on social media including Instagram, Facebook and our Website
Thank you for letting me interview you today. This was very encouraging!