(February 21, 2008) PCM's Kristyn chatted with the president and founder of Green Frog Art, Kelly Neal. Her company has been very successful with designing baby accessories and furniture.

Kristyn: How are you doing today?

Kelly Neal: Not bad

K: Where are you located?

KN: In Florida, what about you?

K: In Delaware. Its freezing and its about to snow!

KN: Woah! No Kidding.

K: So, can you tell our readers a little something about yourself?

KN: My name is Kelly Neal Mariotti and I am the founder and president and chief designer for Green Frog Art. It is a company that designs and markets baby furniture and baby accessories.

K: I was looking around on your site and some of those cribs were extraordinary, especially the Versailles Collection.

KN: Thank you so much. We try to have a really up scale and very designer look, but still something that people are going to want to live with. Our pieces are all functional and practical and meet all safety standards.

K: What is the most recent project you have been working on?

KN: The one you mentioned, The Versailles Collection, is our brand new project. We had done the Versailles cradle a number of years ago and it met with such success that we decided to spin it out into the crib and also the changing table. Those products will be shipping in the next couple of months.

K: That collection is gorgeous.

KN: There has also been a move towards a more contemporary design, so I also recently designed the Allegro Collection, which will be launching with the cradle and a bookcase that turns out to serve as a changing table. They have very slick lines and a rich espresso finish.

K: Are you going for the Mod look?

KN: Yes, exactly!

K: How did you first become a designer and begin building your company?

KN: It really is very funny. I am a true entrepreneur. In my former life I was a security, mergers, and acquisitions lawyer, but I also wanted my own business. This was twelve years ago. I thought about a lot of industries and nothing really struck me as something that would have long term business potential. Then I was shopping with my girlfriend, who was decorating for her first child and she was having a lot of trouble finding items that coordinated with her home décor. There was a lot out that that is pink, blue, very theme oriented and that was definitely not what she was looking to purchase for her home. I did some research on my own and find that she was really right. Sophisticated style and design had not yet reached the nursery, but here you are dealing with older parents that have fewer children and already owned a home with their first child. They really wanted something that the marketplace at the time wasn't offering. So, I took the plunge and , well, here I am!

K: You definitely seem to be on your way up. I saw that you were featured in an article that focused primarily on women in the industry. What challenges have you faced as a company head?

KN: What is really interesting is that in the baby products industry there are a lot of women. My biggest challenge is that when I launched the company I did not have a child. Most of the bias and stereotyping that came about was not that I was a women, but was more about my creditability relating to parents needs, without having experienced parenthood until the previous year.

K: I see that your designs have been awarded the Pinnacle Award for Furniture Design. What is that like? It must be a huge sales booster.

KN: It is really exciting because I am really inspired by the adult market place and it is rare for serious furniture design competition to acknowledge juvenile furnishings as a legitimate category. Hats off to that competition, because they actually do have a children's furniture competition category. Being a small niche player in the industry we have been up against really big companies that are designing whole room concepts that are very "matchy matchy". It is really flattering when they pick our products. We have been finalists three times with three different products. It is great that children's products can be stand alone pieces that can be acknowledged.

K: Congratulations! Have you ever thought about branching out into other design areas like general home furnishings?

KN: I have certainly thought about it. General home furnishings is really a big step. The next step for our company would be children's type products. Most of our inventory is for the baby and we have a few things for the toddler. I can see really branching into twin beds. The other thing that is interesting is that a lot of our pieces like our tables and chairs and toy chests are designed to go in other areas of the home, so in that sense they really are adult furnishings. The toy chest I have designed can be put in the living room, family room or even in the kitchen. They are in need of toy storage or a place a child can get in and out, but they don't want a bright red toy chest in their home.

K: A lot of celebrities are getting freebies for their babies. Do you give out to the celebrities?

KN: There is a real interest in babies in general and especially celebrity parenthood, so these companies want the celebrities to endorse these products. A lot of them are negotiated deals just like the gems and gowns for the Oscars, between the celebrity, the publicist, and the store. Many times the celebrity hasn't picked the product, but has agreed to use it and be photographed with it for PR purposes.

K: Are there any celebrity nurseries that feature your designs exclusively?

KN: We are working with one celebrity that is doing her whole nursery with our products. We are really excited about that! Nancy O'Dell has both our baby changer and crib in her nursery and she was really great to work with. Kimora Lee Simmons has some of our products, Diddy has some of our products, Rod Stewart, Denise Richards and lots of sports celebrities as well. It is always exciting to know a celebrity has your product!

K: On average how many celebrities try and auction off their baby products?

KN: Well, its funny. I would say that most high profile celebrities do end up getting discounts on their furnishings. The true A-lister you really don't see as much, because they really don't need the publicity and they tend to be a little more private about what their baby room looks like. Every once in a while a high end celebrity will go to different companies and say they will give them their name and allow photos to be taken and find out who will give them the most free stuff. Lots of time you bite your tongue and deal and lots of times you just don't get involved in that. They are willing to work with that celebrity, but they aren't going to compete to do it.

K: Have you personally been approached by any celebrities requesting any donations?

KN: Yes. Its really fun when you get a phone call directly. That happened to us with Rod Stewart's last baby. He called us directly and said that they would like to purchase our cradle. They didn't even ask for a discount, which was really nice.

K: Is there any way you can find out if products have been donated?

KN: I think the biggest thing people need to do is really look at that copy of the celebrities nursery. If you really want to copy the nursery you really need to look at lists that say "What J-LO needs". There was an article in Life and Style Weekly that showed pictures of J-LO and showed some products and it told what she needs. Those are things that she either has or knows about. Also, a lot of times at baby-showers they will have pictures that say what so and so may have gotten at their baby shower. Those are things that should make you wary.

K: It's the same thing with the fashion page when they show celebrity clothing. If you want to match this, this shirts looks exactly like that one and is less expensive.

KN: Especially with things like cribs and changers that your baby is going to use.

K: I also read that you know ways for the public to get free and discounted baby supplies. Please do share!

KN: My first advice is just ask. It is amazing how many companies will give you a discount, especially if you are having twins or triplets. Many companies have standard system in place that if you are having multiples will automatically give you a discounts. Finally, you can get creative. The reason celebrities get free things is because of publicity. You can get really creative and it may not be national publicity, but you can invite the local press to your baby shower and be willing to have pictures taken of your baby shower and get discounts or free items. Its an opportunity for companies to get press and give a public demonstration.

K: That's is definitely something that could work. What other challenges have you faced with the secret deals and publicity overall?

KN: It can be frustrating, especially when we work with lots of middlemen and their request reads "We are calling on behalf of a celebrity and we would like to use your products, but we can't tell you who it is are you willing to give us some products free or at a discounts" and in those cases you really have to make a determination based on who the middle people are, if you have dealt with them before, if they are reputable. You don't just want to give away products to everybody. We are in business to sell our products. We are happy to accommodate celebrities, but its nice to know who they are up front before you make a commitment.

K: Exactly! You could get a call from Joe Schmoe on the street and you can not always tell.

KN: The risk is if the celebrity is someone you want to work with and you say no your competition ends up doing the nursery.

K: I have been cruising your website and I am glad to see that baby safety is first and foremost and you are also concerned with nurturing to the soul. How do you incorporate those values into your designs?

KN: I have always been interested in safety. I think that merging beautiful designs with safe and functional products is the most important thing you can do when you are designing for babies. I serve as chairmen of the juvenile product manufacturing association. That is the group that sets the safety standards. They are constantly reviewing the different products and how to make them safer and better. Incorporating their views into my products is really important. For instance, both of my cribs are JPA certified and the certification says that in a independent testing lab has verified that they meet all the safety standards. When you start getting into design oriented products a lot of people cut that corner and it is really unfortunate. You can have the most beautiful room in the world, but the babies got to be safe.

K: Nobody would want that kind of bad press. Taking that extra step is definitely important.

KN: That is another thing that is important when consumers are looking at celebrities rooms. We were looking this week in People Magazine at Christina Aguilera's nursery. Beautiful nursery, but it doesn't seem very practical. I'm sure there is some storage that didn't make the magazine, but there was a piece of fabric on the crib that you shouldn't have because you shouldn't have loose materials on or near the crib. People need to remember that these photos are made to be really beautiful, but that is not how you would use the product in real life.

K: Yeah. It was probably up just for the shoot and taken down once it was done. So, how did you come up with the name for your company?

KN: It is pretty funny. I was pretty far along in the concept when I decided I really needed to name this business. I wanted a name that wasn't too kiddy and I wanted a name that was pretty gender neutral. I definitely didn't want anything that screamed boy or girl. So, I invited some girlfriends over and we bought a six pack of beer and started brainstorming. When we got to "Green Frog" it really struck, because green is gender neutral and is a positive color across the entire world and in almost all cultures. I felt the name had world-wide appeal and thought that it was something that both parents and kids would be able to relate.

K: I feel that the baby industry can be just as cutthroat as the bridal industry. How would you recommend your company over the competition?

KN: I think that the important thing in both of these industries is that the customer changes very quickly and you don't pay a lot attention until you are a customers. You don't get interested in baby products until your pregnant, just like you don't get interested in bridal products until your going to get married. I think that one thing that is really important is longevity. It is nice to work with companies that have worked in the industry a long time and are not fly by nights. It is important to deal with a company that has a range of products, because that shows that they have expertise and a breadth of knowledge. I believe that our affiliations with the industry really allow us to be in touch with current safety standards and regulations as well as trend. There are a lot of people that think they could create an awesome baby product, but it really may not be the smartest or safest choice.

K: It is great to hear that you take the next extra step with the independent testing.

KN: Time and great design.

K: What would you say is the next big step for your company?

KN: I am going to be on the cover of Working Mother Magazine and that is really meaningful to me, because for the first ten years I was working, but not a mom. Now that I am a working mother I really understand a lot of the challenges my customers go through and I really appreciate my business and that what I am doing can help moms. Helping moms doesn't have to be practical. When I walk into my nursery I love the way it looks and the way it feels and my husband and my two dogs hang out in the nursery. It is one of our favorite rooms in the house. I think that having my own child is going to help my designs expand and grow and create different and new products. I think that the changing trend to contemporary there is a lot of opportunities to do some great things and create the best products we ever had before.

K: How old is your daughter?

KN: She is fifteen months tomorrow.

K: We wish her a happy birthday!

KN: Thanks! She is a little grown-up and is very cute.

K: It is fantastic that you can pull from your own experience as your company continues to grow. It must have been hard before hand to try and get into the mind of a pregnant woman. Where did you pull your design ideas from before your child?

KN: In the past, I pulled from the adult market and I had a lot of friends that had children and I spent a lot of time trying to get pregnant. During that time I thought a lot about how I would design my furnishings for myself. I said for a long time, back in the turn of the century, that children grew up in the nursery and did not really venture out into the rest of the home. Now its completely changed and your child lives in your entire home for eighteen years. You need to have elements in all of your rooms that make them kid friendly without making them too childish. When I had my own daughter I placed the cradle in my master bedroom, which is where I advocate moms to put them. This way you can sleep by the baby when they are really young with out incurring the dangers of co-sleeping. Also, I have two toy chests in my family room, which my husband loves.

K: What was your first project?

KN: Artwork. I had a print that was given to me when I was born of three dolls having a tea party. The artwork is very sophisticated. It lived in my room all through my childhood and disappeared when I became a teenager, when I started hanging up poster, and as an adult it hung up in a guest bedroom. But it has always come back. Its nature allows it to blend in with the rest of the house even though it looks a little childish. That print is now hanging in my daughters room. That is really the type of thing I want to offer. Things that have heirloom quality and can past down through generations and can live through a number of years. Things that they can really love. My first collection was a collection of artwork!

K: That is very important! Kelly, it was great talking with you and your designs are very beautiful. I wish you success.

KN: Thank you so much.

Please be sure to visit Green Frog Art to purchase any of these beautiful pieces.

Also check out Kelly Neal's Blog