Today we have Tara Henning and Miriam Williams on The Mag. Tara & Miriam are the founders of Superkin and supermoms. Learn more about Tara & Miriam, what inspired them to start Superkin together, how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women & BIPOC communities and much more!

We're so happy to talk with you! Can you start by telling us a little about yourselves and how you started Superkin?

Thank you for having us! Superkin is actually the THIRD company we’ve worked at together! We met working in the corporate office at Louis Vuitton in 2008. From there, each of us worked for big brands (Coach, Walmart, Gymboree, L’Occitane…) and then met back up again in San Francisco at Narvar, a (they help more than 600 retailers globally with post purchase experiences like tracking packages and processing returns). We’ve been friends through weddings, job changes, kids, cross country moves… and always retail and brand obsessed.

When we were pregnant at the same time in 2017 we were comparing notes about the frustrating experiences we’d had with maternity clothes. That conversation turned into a maternity fashion survey and in 36 hours, we had nearly 700 responses from moms like us who just couldn’t find elevated, stylish and reasonably priced maternity clothes to wear to work and out with girlfriends. We envisioned a brand that empowered women in their pregnancy, acknowledging the identity shift affirming that they’re so much more than just “pregnant”. And here we are!

How many kids do you have? What ages?

Miriam has a son, David, who is 3.5. Tara has two girls: Alexandra (5- just started Kindergarten!) and Taylor 3.

You both worked for larger companies before starting Superkin. What have been the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of working for yourselves?

Miriam: I definitely don’t miss the side-eye from a peer or manager when I race home to pick my kid up at daycare. The flexibility is really empowering: my time is my own. But I *do* miss the corporate paycheck!

Tara: It’s really been really rewarding to take our extensive experiences from retail and start up life to jump off and build something we are totally passionate about. However, the downfall is there is no off button. If you’re not working, the business isn’t moving forward. That has definitely added to the chaos of 2020.

What are some of your best tips for opening a business with a friend?

We’re so incredibly lucky to have a relationship that spans the personal and professional. That means that on any given day, a check in conversation will lead from sales and marketing to Bravo to the state of motherhood to what crazy thing our kids did. Being honest and direct about boundaries, needs and fears is important. We’re able to be vulnerable and say “I’m unsure about X or Y” and the other person will step in and be the hype woman. It’s pretty awesome.

Your slogan is "not a maternity brand." What does that mean to you?

In our own experience and research, we saw that maternity brands present pregnancy with outdated narratives of motherhood that don’t reflect the reality of modern motherhood. She doesn’t want to lose her identity to pregnant, so why portray her a as a bon-bon eating, everything rainbows and sunshine or earth-mother type? In many cases, especially today, she’s thinking about her career - she’s thinking about how her own identity will shift and evolve. We tend to be bold and outspoken, so we landed on “Not A Maternity Brand” for our tagline.

What are your three favorite parent-related businesses?

Emily Oster- an economist + author (Expecting Better is the pregnancy go-to book). Her Covid reporting has been incredible.
MiLOWE (duh)
NY Times parenting section!

Miriam, I read that you're a big Bravo fan (as am I). Rate your top three Bravo shows!

I am a big Real Housewives Fan (NYC,OC and BH are my faves). One thing I do wish for the show is to increase the diversity of the cast members.

I love Million Dollar Listing - especially Frederick and Tracy.

Real Housewives of New York is my absolute favorite. This past season was soome of the best TV EVER.

Tara, you're a fellow Badger if I understand that correctly (for those out there that don't know, that's the University of Wisconsin, Madison). What was your favorite part of being a Badger?

I loved my time in Madison. The best part is the camaraderie that continues well after college. I don’t know what it is but when you meet someone who went there, this is an unspoken understanding of one another. A lot of doors have opened and conversations started because of my Badger ties.

Anything else you’d like to add?

2020 has been a Y.E.A.R! From layoffs to lack of childcare, the pandemic has amplified the cracks in our system with women & BIPOC communities disproportionately impacted. Superkin believes Motherhood* is a superpower. We felt 2020 was the perfect time to launch our campaign: *Add to Resume: Grew A Human. We designed an exclusive campaign tee available for purchase on our website to champion motherhood and highlight the barriers women face in securing economic power. Thirty-percent of the proceeds generated from the sale of the *Add to Resume campaign tee will be donated to Black Mamas Matter Alliance to address the Black maternal health crisis in our country. We encourage the Milowe community to join in, buy a tee (and one for your bff- they make perfect gifts!) and channel the strength of motherhood into action alongside Superkin.

And finally, where can we find you?