Daniel Price - QA with the Co-Founder of My 1st Years

Daniel Price - QA with the Co-Founder of My 1st Years Daniel Price QA with the Co-Founder of My 1st Years Image Source: Daniel Price, My 1st YearsIt’s very fitting that a company named My 1st Years should be co-founded by two guys who’ve been best mates since the age of three years. Johnny Sitton and Daniel Price always had the hand of entrepreneurial inspiration on their shoulders. Even in school, they were trying to figure out how to turn a profit by selling sweets to their friends.“If you believe in it, work hard, and GO FOR IT!!”Given this enterprising  and pragmatic streak, it makes sense that their successful baby gifts brand startup, My 1st  Years, was born out of the difficulties Daniel Price and Jonny  experienced in trying to find a special gift for a close friend’s newborn baby daughter.Perhaps they were being a little ambitious  with gift-shopping tick-boxes that included  timelessness, originality, and affordability. But in any event, they were unable to source a gift they would have been happy to give the little newborn. Undeterred, Daniel Price and Jonny decided to make a gift themselves.Typically, they didn’t do so half-heartedly. There was notable toiling, countless hours of research, and numerous trials before they completed their first pair of personalised baby shoes. Even at this point, their simple wish was that baby Lola would like them.Not only did Lola like them, so did her parents, and so did their parents’ friends, and so did their relatives and friends overseas, and pretty soon, Jonny Sitton and Daniel Price were  inundated with requests for the baby shoes from all over the world.The pair soon realised that they were not the only people who discerning in purchasing gifts for babiesâ€"that other people wanted  timelessness, originality, and affordability as well. So they decided to expand on this initial gift idea and create a much wider offering. And that is how My 1st Years came to be.Video Source: YouTubeAmazingly, it has taken the pair  just six  short years to go from sorting out their own baby-gift purchasing dilemma to answering the prayers of thousands of customers, with a full My 1st Years gift range that includes teddies and toys, blankets, clothing, bed, bath and home accessories, and the firm’s signature luxury gift box in which the items are packaged, is a particular hit with customers. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 11 Questions for Daniel Price, My 1st YearsSpeaking to AGENT recently, Daniel Price was quietly confident that My 1st Years was on track to realise the two co-founders’ dream of becoming the world’s top personalised baby gift brand. Poised on the cusp of a  US breakthrough  (their pair have just raised £5m in finance to help fund this expansion), Daniel reflected on their pair’s lifelong friendship  and their business story, as he spoke about their goals, challenges and inspirations, their enthusiasm for everything from Gmail to  Instagram, and their novel take on successful work-life balance (“we get up early and go to bed late!”). (adsbygoog le = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 1. Briefly tell us how you first got into the business, and describe your business goals.I’ve been friends with my co-founder, Jonny Sitton, since we were three-years-old. We went to nursery, school and university with each other. At university, we used to buy and sell things for a profit.  We knew we were good at it and made a great team, so it made sense for us.Six years ago,  we spotted a gap in the market for unique, personalised childrens gifts. Personalisation was already popular but we didnt see many people personalising childrens and baby gifts to a great standard, so we decided we could.Our goals are to continue growing our company in the way it has been, and to become a recognised destination for personalised children’s gifts.2. What age were you when you realised you wanted to run your own business?We’ve always been entrepreneurial. Even at school, we used to buy sweets and sell them to our friends in the playground for a pro fit! So, I guess, we’ve always known we wanted our own business. But  it wasn’t until after we were at university that we decided what we wanted it to be. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 3. Who are your business icons and inspirations?We aspire to lots of people. Neither of us were handed this on a plate. We started from nothing. Hard work, determination and passion has got us to where we are now.4. What has been your biggest challenge in business, and how did you surmount it?To grow the business, we needed investment and that was always going to be our biggest challenge. However, we have just raised £5m finance which will aid our growth into the US market. This was a long process but we’re  delighted with the result and cant wait for what 2020 has in store for the brand. This was achieved by our belief in the brand.  We always receive amazing feedback from suppliers and customers and knew that with the right investment we could turn this into something sp ecial. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 5. Work-Life balance: is it possible? How do you achieve it?This is extremely important to us. It is possible, but we are the first to admit it is very tough. We both love to travel, keep fit, eat well and keep up with whats current. We always make time for these passions as well as spending time with our friends and family. Maybe its because we get up early and go to bed late!?6. What is the first thing you do every day?Check our phones! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 7. What is the screen saver picture currently on your phone?My fiancee. Jonnys screen-saver is his wife.8. What is the most important app on your mobile phone, and why?I always use Gmail for my emails, because you never know what opportunities await! And we both use Instagram, always keeping  our eyes peeled for any customer and celebrity babies and kids wearing our products. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 9. What is t he last thing you Googled?My honeymoon destination.10. What item do you never leave the house without, and why?My phone I cant be without it! From getting the news to knowing my schedule, its essential to me. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 11. What advice would you give to your younger self-starting out in business?If you believe in it, work hard and GO FOR IT!Image Source: My 1st Years