From colourful animal cloth diapers to adorable mommy-and-me outfits, Chubby Phat Kisses offers a wide range of eco-friendly baby products to choose from.
Founder Jo San Ong’s love for her daughter, Giselle was the inspiration behind the homegrown brand.
Originally an architect, she did not expect her career to take a turn from designing homes to creating sustainable baby products.
When Giselle was nine months old, she had a high fever and seizure that lasted for five minutes.
During her stay at the hospital, the 33-year-old found out that her daughter had a febrile seizure and a urinary tract infection (UTI), a common cause of fever in children.
A nurse then recommended the first-time parent switched to “lampin” (cloth diapers). This solution to change from disposable diapers to cloth diapering has helped with her daughter’s health.
From this experience, Jo saw a gap in credible information for parents after she initially thought her daughter was experiencing a regular fever or teething based on her family and friends’ feedback.
She began thinking about how to make healthcare professionals’ and experts’ knowledge accessible to other parents. Before she knew it, Chubby Phat Kisses was born.
Founded in 2021, the idea behind the homegrown business started out with an online platform that offers freemium content from healthcare professionals and experts.
“The business initially started off as an online platform for parents to learn more about raising a child, what we should know (that we don’t get to learn about in “What to expect when you’re expecting” and other parenting 101 books alike),” Jo shared.
However, the freemium service for Chubby Phat Kisses could not go forward due to the lack of resources available, she shared.
“Currently, I mostly focus on building products that would help alleviate the main issues that babies and children suffer from in Brunei and they are eczema and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI),” she added.
Today, Chubby Phat Kisses not only features an eco-conscious clothing line for the little ones but also matching options for the parents as well.
One baby step at a time
Jo’s desire to seek out high-quality, organic materials for her daughter led her to a light-bulb moment in creating her own line of fitted and organic cloth diapers.
In early January 2021, Chubby Phat Kisses launched Brunei’s first adjustable cloth diapers, Chubby Bums.
According to Jo, she spent three months developing Chubby Bums. The 33-year-old took the better part of the pandemic years testing out designs, and materials and finding the right manufacturer to produce her first eco-friendly line of cloth diapers.
As opposed to normal disposable diapers which contain a mixture of harmful chemicals, Chubby Bums fabrics are all OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certified and chemical-free.
The line-up also came in an array of cute animal designs, from the Proboscis Monkey to the Sun Bear, all inspired by the exotic wildlife in Brunei.
With the successful launch of her first line of cloth diapers, Chubby Phat Kisses gained an instant connection with parents, leading Jo to expand Chubby Phat Kiss offerings to a wide range of sustainable baby products.
“All the research and development (R&D) went on with Giselle. We had 23 prototypes before we actually launched what we have today. It was only in June 2021, when I started seeking for focus groups to expand the product range,” she shared.
Part of Chubby Phat Kisses success also comes from Jo’s experience in the business world and efforts to improve the quality of Chubby Phat Kisses products.
Jo graduated with a degree in Architecture in 2006 and Architectural Visualisation in 2014 at the University of Kent and over the last few years, she has been working at various architectural firms.
The 33-year-old did not necessarily imagine becoming an entrepreneur but was only inspired to start a business after experiencing the challenges of parenthood.
Today, the homegrown business has many other range offerings – from organic cotton rompers to other sustainable products such as laundry detergent pods, silicon pouches and many more.
In late August this year, together, with her sister, Jo Lin, the pair introduced the company’s first collaborative collection: The Chubby Phat Kisses x Jolillyboo Collection.
The collection features the blue-pink whimsical characters of Kranky Kitty and Kat Pink which are both based on the two sisters contrasting personalities
From head to toe, the capsule collection is thoughtfully designed using only the softest, GOTS-certified organic cotton.
“I wanted to create quality products that are kind to our little ones as well as our environment. All our products have always started from home – inspired by Giselle and we intend to keep it this way as our promise to bring you products that I am happy to use on my daughter,” she said.
Started by a mother on a mission to amplify sustainability, the family-run business is also committed to creating products that are ethically made and sustainably produced.
“To further strengthen our product line, we also make sure that we work with fair trade manufacturers and the materials used are as kind to our planet and children as possible,” she added.
Having a business and its creative process intertwine with motherhood, the journey has not gone without challenges, and Jo learned the hard way that it would take more than just passion to build a successful business
According to Jo, juggling entrepreneurship and motherhood is not easy. She shared that the biggest challenge she faced was finding the balance between managing her business and family.
“It is overwhelming to be a parent as it is and starting up a business was like taking care of two infants that required 100 per cent of your time, patience and energy. For the first six months, I did just that. Give all of my 100 per cent to Giselle and CPK. It wasn’t sustainable,” she shared.
“I was so overwhelmed that eight months into CPK, I had to take three months away from the business to focus on Giselle, my marriage and myself. Happiness is a choice and I don’t regret tapping that wonderful pause,” she said.
“For me, Giselle is my priority so I need to be firm and happy with the fact that I will be giving 70 per cent of myself to Giselle, 20 per cent to CPK and 10 per cent just to me. I don’t believe these numbers are truly accurate but this is the gist,” she further added.
When asked about future plans for Chubby Phat Kisses, Jo shared that they are eyeing to expand their product collection and the company’s presence both regionally and internationally.
“As a realist, Cubby Phat Kisses can’t solely sustain with Brunei only. Regional expansion is necessary and hopefully, someday, international expansion,” she concluded.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
