Beth Benike

All right, it's recording.

All right, it's recording.

Oh, not good. Not good at all.

Oh, not good. Not good at all.

Yeah, well, I just talked to my best friend from the Army we met when we were serving together. And so I filled her in and she's feeling hopeless and helpless with me now.

Yeah, well, I just talked to my best friend from the Army we met when we were serving together. And so I filled her in and she's feeling hopeless and helpless with me now.

So my name is Beth Beneke and I am the CEO and founder of Busy Baby. I grew up in Southern Minnesota, the daughter of an entrepreneur. My dad has a small business. He's a welder. So I grew up in his business and I grew up wanting to have my own business as well.

So my name is Beth Beneke and I am the CEO and founder of Busy Baby. I grew up in Southern Minnesota, the daughter of an entrepreneur. My dad has a small business. He's a welder. So I grew up in his business and I grew up wanting to have my own business as well.

It was the freedom. It was the being able to leave work and come to my softball games and choose the work he wants to do and turn away the work he doesn't want to do. Being in control of your own destiny.

It was the freedom. It was the being able to leave work and come to my softball games and choose the work he wants to do and turn away the work he doesn't want to do. Being in control of your own destiny.

But what he always told me is, you know, you really got to be passionate about what you're doing because when hard times hit, and they absolutely will, if you're not passionate about what you're doing, you're not going to make it. So when I finished, graduated high school, I wasn't passionate about anything other than not going to college. I tried it and wasn't a big fan.

But what he always told me is, you know, you really got to be passionate about what you're doing because when hard times hit, and they absolutely will, if you're not passionate about what you're doing, you're not going to make it. So when I finished, graduated high school, I wasn't passionate about anything other than not going to college. I tried it and wasn't a big fan.

And a recruiter called me out of the blue and I ended up joining the military. So I joined the army. I convinced my brother to join the military. So we served together in Europe. We deployed to the war in Iraq and we started in Kuwait before the war started.

And a recruiter called me out of the blue and I ended up joining the military. So I joined the army. I convinced my brother to join the military. So we served together in Europe. We deployed to the war in Iraq and we started in Kuwait before the war started.

and so like to bring that around now now my brother runs busy baby with me oh wow um and we always joke about 20 what's it been like almost 22 23 years ago when we were sitting in the desert you know throwing little rocks at a bigger rock waiting for something to happen um did we ever imagine we'd be schlepping baby products out the back of our cars at the state fair like just if you would have told us that in iraq we would have just laughed

and so like to bring that around now now my brother runs busy baby with me oh wow um and we always joke about 20 what's it been like almost 22 23 years ago when we were sitting in the desert you know throwing little rocks at a bigger rock waiting for something to happen um did we ever imagine we'd be schlepping baby products out the back of our cars at the state fair like just if you would have told us that in iraq we would have just laughed

Yeah, so after the Army, it took me a few years to readjust to civilian life. So I settled back in in Minnesota. I found a great corporate job, and I met my now husband, and we started a family. So I had taken the full three months of maternity leave that my company offered and went back to work. And when I went back to work, two of my stay-at-home mom friends took me out for lunch.

Yeah, so after the Army, it took me a few years to readjust to civilian life. So I settled back in in Minnesota. I found a great corporate job, and I met my now husband, and we started a family. So I had taken the full three months of maternity leave that my company offered and went back to work. And when I went back to work, two of my stay-at-home mom friends took me out for lunch.

Their girls were adorable, but a complete distraction the entire meal. Just doing what babies do. You know, they reach for everything on the table. They drop things on the ground. We couldn't finish a conversation, you know?

Their girls were adorable, but a complete distraction the entire meal. Just doing what babies do. You know, they reach for everything on the table. They drop things on the ground. We couldn't finish a conversation, you know?