Meet Ashley Greenwood | Baby and Toddler Clothing Designer and Stay at Home Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Greenwood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I find the questions that ask me to pick just one thing are both the best and the worst questions. They can be the hardest to answer yet the most thought provoking ones as well. So, in an effort to answer “what is the most important factor behind the success of my brand” I will choose community. Community beats out all my other answers that came to mind like “wanting it” or “working hard.”

My community of customers, family, friends, and my small business network is what drives this business day in and day out. Without the relationships I have built with my customers over the last few years this brand would not be where it is today. These are the people who are not only making purchases with me time and time again – these are the people sharing my brand, telling their mom friends about Hello Dahl Baby, and cheering me on in both the highs and the lows of running a small business with two kiddos at home. If I had to be completely honest I have had moments of wondering whether or not I have made the right decision in starting this business and I have had days where showing up is the last thing I want to do – but I still show up with so much joy and gratitude because the foundation of my business has been built upon the most amazing community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Hello Dahl Baby started back in 2020 after having her first child (and the store’s namesake), Dahlia Mae. The founder and owner of Hello Dahl Baby, Ashley Greenwood, has worked in childcare for over 10 years. After Dahlia’s first birthday she became a stay at home mom who is still passionate about child development. Her experience in childcare combined with motherhood has led her to develop a deep understanding of what children need from their clothes. She believes that comfort and durability are priority, particularly in the phase of life where young children lack the ability to communicate their discomfort with words. Children should be able to explore, play, and interact with their surroundings as comfortably as possible. These clothes should be able to withstand frequent washing and crawling as well as spills and stains.

Starting a business from home with kids had been no easy task but it is something that gives me joy and an identity outside of motherhood. I have always been creative and it hasn’t been until adulthood that I really made space for that side of myself. I love designing things and dressing my kids is something that is always fun so I really enjoy coming up with pieces that are adorable, timeless, and comfortable. It is the best of both worlds for the kids and I. One challenge with designing clothing and being a one mama shop is once the design has been made, approved, and sent to the manufacturer it quickly becomes all business. I get to design the concept for the photoshoot and marketing materials but a lot of it is showing up for markets, running the numbers, tracking inventory, taxes (UGH), and a lot of logistics that can be hard to look forward to doing. But once the inventory gets moving I get to start the design process again. This cycle allows me to stay excited about what I am doing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If we were looking for something to do in Tacoma for the week during the winter I would make sure we visited the Tacoma Art Museum, took a long walk at Ruston Way, and grabbed some drinks at a cozy bar. We have been really enjoying wine tasting at Browne and trying fun new wines at Tacoma Wine Merchants. I would also spend a day in Seattle to hang out at University Village and maybe catch a play at the 5th Ave Theater. We would also need to take a day trip out to the mountain to hike or go snowboarding/skiing depending how much snow is on the ground. We love this area because there is always so much to do and see no matter what season you are in. We love the mountains and the access to the ocean here, it feels like such a unique combination that really is so special to my family and I.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Erica, Catie, and The Pod –

Back in 2021 Kayla with The Pod reached out to me to do some part time work with their organization. I had just moved to Tacoma so this was the right opportunity for me to jump into the community and meet some other like minded working parents, many with small businesses of their own. Fast forward into 2022 and I meet Erica and Catie – two amazing women, mothers, wives, and small business owners. Catie organizes small business markets in the community and Erica owns another baby and toddler brand, Nighty Nites Co. These women have been the absolute definition of community over competition. We have tagged team brand collaborations and we bring each others stuff to markets so we can have our inventory in more places on a given weekend. Instead of being each others direct competition we decided that ultimately we are Better Together – the tag line for The Pod where we met. It has been such a dream working together and I cannot wait to continue making moves in our community with these women and The Pod.

Website: www.hellodahlbaby.com

Instagram: hellodahlbaby

Linkedin: Ashley Greenwood

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hellodahlbaby

Image Credits
All pictures are by Jillian Keefe Photography