HER STORY: From Thread to Heart
“I felt completely unqualified when I began. No design background, no roadmap, no guarantees. Just fabric, thread, and a belief that childhood deserved beautiful things made with heart. ”
Huggabeau: From Thread to Heart
By Bo San Karantjas, Founder of Huggabeau
I never planned to become an entrepreneur.
When maternity leave was coming to an end, I found myself standing between two very different futures. One led back to the banking career I had built before becoming a mother. The other was uncertain, built on creativity, instinct, and a sewing machine tucked beneath the stairs in our basement.
It started with a lovey I made for my anxious toddler. Soon I was making them for babies in our circle of friends. Sewing became an anchor during the early years of motherhood, bringing shape to days filled with diapers, laundry, and very little sleep.
Then something unexpected happened. A children's fashion brand discovered my dolls through Facebook Marketplace and asked me to design a collection. What had been a hobby suddenly felt like the beginning of something larger.
At the time, I felt completely unqualified. I had no design background, no entrepreneurial experience, and no roadmap. Just fabric, thread, and a belief that childhood deserved beautiful things made with thought and heart.
One evening, after putting the children to bed, my husband and I sat at the kitchen table and mapped out two futures. One felt safe and familiar. The other depended on risk and the possibility that I could build something of my own while raising three young children.
I chose the second path.
That decision became Huggabeau.
Five years later, I know Huggabeau was never only about dolls. It became a way to honour motherhood and the values that mattered most to me: empathy, imagination, affection, and connection. In a culture that moves quickly, I wanted to create pieces meant to stay.
The most rewarding moments are often the smallest ones. Seeing a child carry a lovey through an airport, bring it to a cottage, or place it carefully at a tea party. Knowing something I made has become part of their everyday story is a privilege I never take for granted.
Building the business came with challenges. Learning how to grow responsibly, manufacture in Canada, and navigate the realities of entrepreneurship often pushed me outside my comfort zone. One of the biggest lessons was realizing that being visible is not about seeking attention. It is about allowing people to find the work.
Today, I still balance motherhood, creativity, and business ownership. Some days feel beautifully imperfect. What grounds me is protecting family time. Those boundaries allow everything else to flourish.
To any woman building something in the margins, start before you feel qualified. Begin before you have everything figured out. Trust that growth happens while you are moving. The version of yourself waiting on the other side may already be closer than you think.
My favourite moments are watching my children run freely, arms swinging and full of energy. They remind me that growth is rarely graceful. It is movement. It is momentum. And sometimes, it begins with a single step forward.
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Huggabeau creates Canadian-made linen dolls designed to nurture empathy, imagination, and connection. Founded by a mother of three, the brand blends thoughtful design with a philosophy that honours both childhood and the women raising it. Rooted in mindful design, each piece celebrates softness, simplicity, and the emotional architecture of childhood.
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