What It Takes

Chapter 1: Trust In Your Idea

I was sitting on the floor of my friend s nursery in Los Angeles when the idea came to me.

Claudia, we need to go into the muslin wrap business! I said. And we should call it Aden and Anais, after the babies!

It was May 2004, and I was holding my infant daughter Anais, who was swaddled in a sheet of gauzy muslin. A second muslin blanket was stretched out on the floor; it was tummy time for my friend Claudia s newborn son, Aden.

Claudia was one of my closest friends. When my husband, Markos, and I moved to New York in 1997, we knew no one. Actually, Markos knew one person: the ex-­girlfriend of his best friend. Awkward. But Claudia and I hit it off the moment we met and became good friends; she even lived with us for a time. When she met her husband she settled in California and we remained close despite the distance. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding and, should the worst happen, a legal guardian to her children. Because we were Australian, we both knew about swaddling, but had struggled to find swaddling blankets for our babies stateside.

Muslin swaddling blankets ­ wraps, as we called them back home ­had been a parenting staple in Australia for as long as I could remember. In fact, for Aussie mums-­to-­be they re as essential as nappies (that s diapers if you re American). We used them as burp cloths and nursing covers and stroller shades, as changing pad covers and security blankets, and, obviously, to swaddle our babies. One of the great things about muslin ­which is really just a gauzy, open weave cloth, a fabric that s been around since biblical times ­is that it s lightweight and breathable. When used for swaddling, it keeps babies warm while reducing the risk of overheating. It also gets softer with time, rather than falling apart after a few dozen washings.

So I was pretty much blown away when I started shopping for baby gear during my first pregnancy, and I couldn t find a single muslin blanket

Raegan Moya-Jones is the founder and CEO of Saint Luna, a boutique moonshine company, and the founder and former CEO of aden + anais, an award-winning lifestyle brand for babies and children. She is the winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award and a board member of Hopeland, a charity dedicated to making sure all children have a family. Her previous book is Swaddle Love , a short history of the ancient practice of swaddling. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their four daughters.

You might think Raegan Moya-Jones is special: after all, she did found aden + anais (the $100 million baby blanket company) from her kitchen table as a mother of 4 with no previous entrepreneurial experience. You d be right. But what makes her special is not just her surprise success story. It is her ability to help her readers seize on the thing(s) that might make us special, too. Take the advice of this outspoken, no-filter, hilarious entrepreneur and she will empower you to see that her secret sauce - no fear, no expectations, grit, and vision - is available to all of us. Drink up!" --Daphne Oz, Author and Television Host
 
In What It Takes, Raegan Moya-Jones shares an inspiring story for anyone who wants to change their career, play by their own rules, and build a successful business in the process. --Rebecca Minkoff, Founder & Creative Director
 
"From the kitchen table to a global stage Add a little determination, sass, Aussie grit, self-belief and a sense of humour and dreams come true. Congratulations on achieving enormous success, giving back, sharing the journey and inspiring others to do the same . And most importantly enjoying the ride." --Deborra-lee Furness, Actress & Founder Hopeland
 
Raegan Moya-Jones is an outspoken, no-filter, hilarious entrepreneur who will empower you to finally make that leap you ve wanted to in your life. --Beverly Turner, Television and Radio Presenter
 
"Moya-Jones will inspire you to greatness with a kick in the ass, laugh out loud saga of overcoming adversity, and instilling in you a renewed belief in yourself that only someone with her energy and vision is capable of. Pour a glass of wine, read this book, and go out and conquer the world." - Geralyn Breig, Anytown, Founder & CEO
 
"Forget what you think you know about women in