Topics: How to Build a Purpose Driven Business , Business with Impact, Mompreneur, Dealing with Grief
How to Build a Purpose Driven Business
When loss shakes the ground beneath you, how do you rebuild?
If you’ve ever wanted to build something meaningful, this episode is your inspiration.
Nicola Robinson shares how to create a purpose driven business that is about healing. Nicola is the founder of Blue Bear and Co. She’s also a heart-led mompreneur —who shares how she transformed unimaginable loss into a mission to help others.
This conversation is for anyone dealing with grief or longing to build something that truly matters. Nicola’s story reminds us that purpose doesn’t erase pain but it can give it direction.
What you’ll learn:
- Turning Pain into Purpose: Learn how Nicola channelled her grief into creative energy and healing work.
- Building a Business with Impact: Discover what it really means to grow something rooted in heart and social purpose.
- Redefining Success as a Mompreneur: How motherhood and loss reshaped Nicola’s definition of success, strength, and community.
This episode is about small steps, honest healing, and building from the heart.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Building a Purpose-Driven Business
05:59 Turning Pain into Purpose: The Birth of Blue Bear & Co
10:35 Business with Impact: Giving Back Through Every Bear
14:55 Dealing with Grief While Growing a Community
18:01 Being a Mompreneur and How to Build a Business with Impact and Heart
LISTEN TO NEXT: Why She Spent Years Creating What No One Else Would
RESOURCES
Instagram:@chardetryel
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MORE ABOUT THIS FEMALE FOUNDERS PODCAST EPISODE
“I didn’t set out to start a business — I set out to heal. The business just became the way I could reach others who were hurting too.” – Nicola Robinson, founder of Blue Bear and Co
Connect with Nicola Robinson, founder of Blue Bear and Co
Website: https://www.bluebearandco.co.uk/
Instagram: @bluebear_and_co
- A Business with Impact born from love
- Dealing with Grief while building something that matters
- Redefining success as a Mompreneur
If you’ve ever faced loss, you know it changes the air you breathe. It shifts your sense of time, purpose, and possibility. It asks: what now?
For many women, especially mothers balancing ambition and heart, this question becomes the beginning of something deeper. Something not just about survival — but about creation.
That’s where this week’s episode of Her First 3 Years begins.
It’s the story of a woman who turned pain into purpose and loss into love in motion.
A mompreneur who built a Business with Impact, not from strategy or spreadsheets, but from the deepest truth of her own story.
Her name is Nicola Robinson, founder of Blue Bear & Co, and her journey is one that reminds us — healing and building can coexist.
How to Create a Purpose Driven Business
Nicola didn’t plan to start a business.She planned to heal.
“I didn’t set out to start a business — I set out to heal. The business just became the way I could reach others who were hurting too.”
That’s the heart of a Business with Impact — it’s born from something real. From a lived experience that moves beyond profit and into purpose.
For Nicola, creativity became medicine. Every design, every product, every decision carried meaning. It was never just about what she made — it was about why. If you’ve ever used work as a way to process, to breathe again, to find rhythm in the chaos — you’ll see yourself in her story.
Grief doesn’t leave you the same. But as Nicola says:
“Grief changes you, but it also gives you a kind of clarity. I knew if I was going to build something, it had to mean something.”
The Power of a Business with Impact
There’s a difference between a business that sells and a Business with Impact. One chases numbers. The other changes lives — starting with your own.
Nicola’s brand, Blue Bear & Co, is built on empathy, on the idea that what we create can hold space for others. It’s a powerful reminder that when business starts with purpose, it naturally finds its people.
As she put it:
“A business with impact isn’t about scale or sales; it’s about how many hearts you touch with what you create.”
That line stops you, doesn’t it? Because it redefines success in the most human way possible.We live in a world where business advice often sounds like: “grow faster,” “sell more,” “do better.”
But what if growth looked more like connection?
What if doing better meant feeling better about what you bring into the world?
If you’ve been craving that kind of meaning — if you’ve been wondering how to align your work with who you truly are — this episode will meet you where you are.
Dealing with Grief While Building Something New
Here’s what’s rarely talked about: you can build something beautiful while still dealing with grief.
You can dream, even when you’re still mending.
Nicola didn’t wait until she was “healed” to begin. She let her business evolve with her healing.
And maybe that’s the most powerful takeaway. You don’t have to wait until the pain is gone to start.
You just have to start gently — with honesty, with grace, with what’s in front of you.
She says it best herself:
“Blue Bear & Co started from loss, but it’s grown into connection. That’s what dealing with grief taught me — the power of creating from compassion.”
For women navigating change, motherhood, or the quiet ache of something lost — this story isn’t just inspiring, it’s permission.
Permission to start.
Redefining Success as a Mompreneur
Let’s talk about the word mompreneur.
It’s often thrown around like a badge of multitasking — as if being a mother and an entrepreneur means doing twice as much on half the sleep.
But in this episode, Nicola redefines it.
“Being a mompreneur isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about building from love, even when you’re still piecing yourself back together.”
That’s the kind of honesty women need more of.
Because the truth is, you don’t have to hustle your way to worthiness. You don’t need a flawless business plan to build something meaningful.
You just need intention. And a willingness to keep showing up — imperfectly, but wholeheartedly.
Nicola’s story reminds us that being a mompreneur isn’t a performance. It’s a practice in patience, boundaries, and belief. It’s about designing work that supports your life, not consumes it.
So if you’re a mother, creator, or business owner juggling both the dream and the daily grind — you’ll find both comfort and courage here.
When Heart Leads the Way
The best businesses don’t start with an idea. They start with a feeling.
An ache. A curiosity. A calling you can’t quite name but can’t ignore.
That’s what this conversation is about — letting that feeling lead.
Nicola’s journey captures the essence of what it means to build from within. Her story isn’t just about dealing with grief or becoming a mompreneur — it’s about remembering that your most personal experiences can become your most powerful contributions.
Every time you choose honesty over perfection, you create resonance. Every time you choose purpose over performance, you build trust.
And every time you choose to share what’s real, you make space for someone else to do the same.
That’s the kind of leadership that changes not just your business — but your life.
Healing in Motion
Healing isn’t linear. Neither is business.
Both require patience, resilience, and a deep trust in your own timing.
What Nicola shows us is that you don’t have to choose between healing and building. You can do both. You can build a Business with Impact while still dealing with grief. You can step into your role as a mompreneur without having every answer.
That’s the truth behind purpose-driven entrepreneurship — it’s not about being unshakable. It’s about staying rooted when everything else moves.
As this episode unfolds, you’ll hear about the power of turning pain into connection, the meaning of leading with empathy, and the quiet strength that comes from creating something beautiful out of heartbreak.
If you’re standing at your own crossroads — somewhere between loss and creation, between exhaustion and renewal — this is the reminder you’ve been waiting for:
Your story still has chapters left to write.
Take This With You
You don’t have to chase impact — you create it by showing up honestly.
You don’t have to have it all together — you just need to begin.
And you don’t have to silence your pain — you can turn it into purpose.
Because the truth is, every woman has the capacity to build a Business with Impact.
Every mother has the strength to redefine what it means to be a mompreneur.
And every loss, however deep, carries the possibility of transformation if we allow it to move through us.
TRANSCRIPT WITH NICOLA ROBINSON, FOUNDER OF BLUE BEAR AND CO
Chardét (00:00)
There’s nothing more powerful than a business which is drawn from the heart and has direct impact on people’s lives that helps them grow and helps them heal. And that’s why I am so honored for this episode today. It’s one that might give you a little bit of tears, but also kind of a warm feeling of how much impact we can have in this world when we really go forward and create our vision.
I’m speaking to Nicola Robinson, who is the founder of Blue Bear and Co. She created it in memory of her son, Charlie, who passed away after battling a brain tumor. And this product she has created is incredible. It’s helped so many people to deal with loss, to deal with connection, healing, and she continues to think about ways that she can have an impact.
and get ready for so much inspiration and find her afterwards, Blue Bear and co. I’ll see you inside.
Nicola (01:08)
So for me, this isn’t something that I’ve ever done before. This has completely come out of nowhere. I’ve gone through life saying that I’m not creative at all. But for those of you who don’t know, I lost a son. So in his memory, I’ve created something that is completely unique. It’s bespoke. And it was to provide me and his siblings with comfort and connection. But in creating this,
completely unique bespoke bear. It’s kind of ⁓ taken on another entity because I’ve found that actually I’ve introduced more teddies into our collection and each one has its very own unique story. My background is I’m a counselor working with children and young people. So I want my teddies to
each have purpose and meaning.
Chardét (02:07)
What is so interesting is how each teddy has a deeper purpose and a connection for the person. And I will ask you about that, but I think first really to explain more the story of the connection between your son and the teddy, how that came about, where that, the dream to do that started.
Nicola (02:28)
lost my son four years ago and I looked everywhere and couldn’t find exactly what it was that I wanted. And what makes it so different is that it’s got a device that’s been specifically made for this bear which has a heartbeat and a voice recording. And inside it also has a very small little plushy heart which you can put any scent or fragrance on. It might be someone’s perfume or someone’s aftershave. So obviously it has deeper meaning. It is a sensory experience.
So then also what makes it different is that you can access the back of the bear, which means you can replace the batteries, you can replenish the scent, and you can also redo the voice message at any time. So it’s never going to fade. It’s never going to, you know, the scent’s never going to vanish, the heartbeat’s not going to just stop, and the voice recording isn’t going to fade because that is actually quite…
devastating when that happens. You for me, it’s my son’s voice inside my bed, but imagine that you have a parent’s voice in there or a grandparent’s voice in there or a sibling’s voice in there.
Chardét (03:37)
I feel like the fact that you’ve taken something which is a product but you’ve put so much emotional connection to it, really amazing and also for the healing because I know I’m sure a lot of people listening have had this happen. did where someone dies and you listen again and again, I guess less more so now, but to like, you know, for adults, the recording, their voicemail. And I remember doing that again and again and then it’s just heartbreaking when that disconnects.
and you’ve lost their voice and you’re like smelling the piece of clothing or the jewelry and then the scent fades. It feels like you’ve lost them twice in some ways.
Nicola (04:20)
It’s having something tangible, something that you can hold on to. And like I say, it provides a sensory experience. I’ve recently just, I’ve just got back from a big show. We were exhibiting the bears and people were coming past and they were kind of looking at the bears and they were interested because there was a lot of kind of excitement going on around us. And they’d kind of stop and well, what does it do?
So I’d say, well, there you go. Smell its chest. So they smell its chest. They’d hold it and they’d go, so you got a heartbeat. And then, know, the heartbeat would stop. And then they’d go, it’s got a voice recording. You know, even men who traditionally, you know, kind of, there’s a lot of stigma, isn’t there, around men and emotions and plushy toys. They were holding onto the bear.
as though it was a child or as though it was a baby. And to see their experience just kind of reaffirmed actually just how powerful it is to have that kind of tactile sensory experience actually to be able to hold on to it.
Chardét (05:37)
How did you come up with the idea from the beginning? I know that you said, wanted to be able to keep my son in our lives, but where did it come the idea of this is the form it’s going to take? And also, when did you make the decision to be like, I’m going to make it? Because being an entrepreneur and a founder is not an easy decision.
Nicola (05:59)
No, I think all I can say is that my son was called Charlie. And all I can really say is that he is with me 100 % on this journey and he’s pushing me in this direction and I don’t know where we’re going and I don’t know where it’s gonna end, but I’m excited for it. What actually happened was there is a very well-known store and I purchased one of their bears and absolutely adored it. However,
batteries faded, the scent faded and the heartbeat stopped and I was unable to replace them, to replenish it or to redo it. This just seemed like such a natural thing to do and I think because anybody who’s gone through grief, you want to turn that pain into purpose because sometimes you can feel lost.
and you can feel like you’ve lost your motivation, you’ve lost your purpose and your direction. And all of a sudden, it literally seemed like the most natural thing to do. And I think my husband thought there and then I was having a breakdown because I went to a local shop that sells all different textiles and materials, picked up loads of samples, I caught up a teddy bear, ⁓ I drew a sample ⁓ pattern and I literally never having sewn in my life.
I created a teddy bear and my husband was just sat there like, are you okay? But at the end of it, what it did do was it gave me this absolute drive and this purpose and it just was the start of it all. And then I started researching. So I started researching suppliers, manufacturers, and because I had such a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve, there wasn’t many people.
who had the skills or the expertise to be able to create it. So it really did take some time to find the right people to support me on this journey. Then having found them, it all just started to kind of gain momentum. The name is Blue Bear and Co because my son had a blue bear from birth and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was two and he had three years of treatment.
in and out of hospital and his bear was with him throughout. He had it with him every single day, slept with it when he went in for treatment, when he came out for treatment the bear was there and he named it Blue Bear. So Blue Bear and Co was the obvious choice, there was no other, you know, we didn’t have to think about what we’re going to call it, it just always was Blue Bear and Co. So yeah, and then it kind of continued to grow from there because obviously then I needed a Blue Bear in the country.
collection. Hence we have the dark blue bear and we have the light blue bear which is based on Charlie’s bear.
Chardét (09:03)
It makes so much more sense of how the symbol of having the bear and like, it’s a natural thing when he passed that you thought, like, how can I maintain a connection? Okay, they have these bears, these are great. will allow me to continue to hear his voice and feel connected to him. But then having it break or run out, I mean, can’t even imagine what that feels like as a mom, especially.
and to be like, no, I’m gonna make it. I’m gonna make this happen. I guess at that point you were probably just thinking, I’m gonna make this for me. And then you started saying, let me do this for other people.
Nicola (09:38)
Going back to your original question, that was the mission because I just thought if this is something that’s going to comfort me and his siblings, there must be so many mothers or daughters or sons or siblings out there who have experienced grief or loss and are equally wanting to find something that they can hold onto, something that is going to give them lasting.
comfort and connection.
Chardét (10:10)
I just, yeah, I’m already like, I’m a little bit not tearing up, but feeling it a bit because there’s people’s voices that passed a long time ago. So I can’t do that. You know, like I can’t bring that in, but just for people listening to know that they can now, I think it’s amazing that you’ve created that possibility for them. For each of the bears, you said they have a different significance. What is the different roles they have?
Nicola (10:35)
So this one is the light blue bear. So this is one that’s based on Charlie’s and my husband and I run a charity called Thumbs Up Charlie. So we provide respite to families that are going through treatment of childhood brain tumours or bereaved as a consequence of paediatric brain tumours. A percentage of all the profits of this one goes directly to our charity.
So yeah, so that’s what makes this one so special and unique because it’s still contributing to the charity that is very, very close to our heart as well. And then we have the dark blue bear. So I’ve written a children’s story ⁓ called Finding You. This story has, again, having never thought that I was creative or very good at English or anything like that, I wrote this story. ⁓
and it just kind of flowed. So the story is called Finding You and it’s about a bear that embarks on a journey. So he’s lost and on this journey, he has to overcome a number of challenges, hurdles. In doing so, he finds inner strength, hope, courage and resilience. And at the end of the story, he finds his forever home and his forever person. And whoever’s holding the bear, whether that be a child or even
a young adult or an adult, the bear has found them. So they are their forever person. So instantly that reader is going to have and feel a connection with this bear because let’s face it, in life, we all go through periods of feeling lost or feeling as though we don’t quite fit in or we aren’t accepted or we have times where we may have disconnected from people that we love.
the story. It’s all about resilience, hope and courage.
Chardét (12:26)
What has been the response to these? Because I’m sure you get people telling you what these have meant to them.
Nicola (12:32)
What we actually did was as part of our charity, we did a retreat and we offered the opportunity for bereaved mums to go on this retreat. Incredible experience. You know, obviously emotions were high and it was emotional, but at the same time it was about being part of a community that I suppose really nobody wants to be a part of to connect with people who understand what you’re going through.
to be able to talk openly about your child, about your grief. Part of that, I decided I wanted to give each mum a brown bear. Reaction was just unbelievable. It was instant. And it really reaffirmed to me that actually what I’m doing is helping people and will help people. Yeah, so it’s just very special. So some of the feedback has been from maybe parents who are separated.
and maybe the child lives half the week with one parent, half the week with the other, so they can have the voice or children that maybe have attachment anxiety. So there’s just so many different layers, but it’s also just a beautiful gift to give to somebody that you love.
Chardét (13:45)
has so much connection and healing impact beyond what you originally even thought. Like the idea of a child being split between two parents and being able to feel connected to them. I wouldn’t have even thought about how the bear could be helpful that way, but it makes complete sense that that has happened. And I imagine there’s many, many more uses and ways that people have been able to use, you know, form that connection with that.
Nicola (14:11)
Yeah, I mean, I was actually approached not long ago by somebody who’s affiliated to the Alzheimer’s Society and they actually said this could be something that would be so helpful because obviously, you know, connections to those memories, if it can provide support and meaning and purpose, that is what we’re all about.
Chardét (14:35)
That would be incredible because you think about how people remember scent in particular and what that can stir up for them. Where do you see the business when you think about in the future the brand? How do you see it growing or changing? This is one way of course, a different area of people to help, but what else are your thoughts about it?
Nicola (14:55)
So having been at this recent, it was like a trade show, I suppose, where you go and you exhibit your brand and you talk to people. Even just a few years ago, the thought of talking in front of an audience or even somebody like yourself would have crippled me with anxiety. But I think what I’ve learned from this is that I feel so passionate about it.
And I’ve noticed that actually sometimes people kind of feel inspired by what I’ve created and what I’ve done. And so I really want to empower people and I really want to be able to support people and all of our products within the collection. Going forward, any additional items that we add, like bears or books, I want them each to continue with that unique story.
where they are about empowering people, where they’re about breaking down barriers, where it’s about actual deeper meaning. So really supporting people and wellbeing overall.
Chardét (16:03)
It’s things like this when you see what you’ve created that lets you see how much impact you can have when you really are pouring your thoughts and your heart into something.
Nicola (16:14)
The other thing that I’ve really taken from this is my husband said it to me one day, he said, what you’re going through is grief growth. And it kind of stopped me in my tracks and I really took me a while to think about what it was that he was saying and what it actually meant. And you have a choice. You know, I could quite easily bury my head and shut the door and not bother getting up some days.
But actually, I have other children, so I do, you know, I function for them. But also, I want to show people that there is still life, there’s still reason to get up and still a reason to carry on. Even when it feels really, really hard and don’t get me wrong, I have had my bad days. And I have had days where I haven’t got up and I’ve, you know, and I have shut the door. But thankfully, I’ve come through them.
And I believe I am a stronger person because of what I’ve gone through. I believe Charlie’s made me a stronger person. And I don’t have the same fear that I once had. Because I think when you’ve been through something like what I’ve been through, you’ve been through the worst thing you can go through and nothing else can hurt you in that way again. So I have nothing to lose.
Chardét (17:38)
almost magnetic strength that you have from what you’ve gone through and also still the connection that you maintain too, because you’re not forgetting. You’re not pushing aside, like you’re honoring his memory and you are having impact on other people so that their lives are better in some way because you’ve chosen to do this and show up the days that you can and that you do.
Nicola (18:01)
And I’ve taken inspiration from your podcast as well because, you know, in the past I have absolutely suffered with imposter syndrome, feel like I’m not good enough, like I don’t fit in, like everyone else is sort of better than me and comparing myself. And I feel like I’ve really stripped away all of that. And I just literally turn up and I am just me. And hopefully people like that, but I also appreciate that not everybody will and that’s okay.
And I think it’s almost like learning to accept, you know what? Not everybody is going to see what I see. Not everybody is always going to like me. And that’s actually okay. Do you know what? I can just be me, try my best, and at least then I know that I will have always been true to myself.
Chardét (18:49)
Because there will always be someone that will find something off with what you’re doing, matter how incredible the impact is or your intention behind it. always be someone, right? But there’s so many that don’t feel that way, that actually really support you.
Nicola (19:06)
Yeah, I just gonna keep on going and I’m very lucky as well to be surrounded by other really strong women in my life and other friends who are embarking on their own journey in becoming an entrepreneur. And so we’re all kind of really supporting each other and pushing each other and that’s always really nice and I’m fortunate to have that.
Chardét (19:29)
The community part is just so important because what you’re doing is something most people won’t. People listening are doing it, but most people in the world are not. And it requires a lot of strength and a lot of resilience and a lot of facing some stuff deep down emotionally that maybe might never have come up otherwise.
Nicola (19:54)
my actual day job. I’m a therapist working with children, young people, and I’ve always absolutely loved my job and taken a great deal of job satisfaction. But what I’m trying to do now is, suppose, incorporate some of that into my brand and really trying to, I suppose, empower people through either the teddies or the stories.
And I think this is kind of the direction that I’m going in. It’s a brand that’s centered around comfort, connection, purpose, meaning and wellbeing.
Chardét (20:34)
in a very different way, which I love that. I think it’s so interesting how you’re using those values and those ways to help people with the product that you’re creating. Last question, one or two last questions before we wrap up. What has been the most surprising thing about this journey for you?
Nicola (20:56)
think it has been the response. I was blown away of the last week because I was in a big trade show, never having done one before. I was a little bit anxious on the run up thinking, right, I want to get this right. People wanted to hear about the story. People wanted to come and see the bears. It felt amazing that people could see the vision, that they understood the why.
Chardét (21:25)
The feeling when you create something from your heart and other people understand it is… Yeah, it just feels like magic. It’s amazing. One last question kind of piggybacks on this one in terms of some sort of words of inspiration or strength.
Nicola (21:42)
not being afraid. If there’s something that you believe in just trust your gut instinct and go with it because actually deep down I think as women especially we do know but sometimes we don’t always trust it. I now trust my gut instinct and I let it direct me.
Chardét (22:04)
This is pretty much the biggest message we love here. So I really appreciate that you shared that one because I think everything else can learn and be figured it out. But listening to your gut and managing through the fear is the most essential piece. How do people find your products? How do people learn about it? I’m very curious about that in particular because it is a niche thing. It’s something that can be used in many different ways, but it is still niche.
Nicola (22:33)
We have our website, so www.bluebearingco.co.uk. So all of our products are on there. And so we also have the social media. So we put lots of content on there about how the bears kind of work.
Chardét (22:49)
make sure that we include links to everything of course because I think it would be amazing also to see some of the stories and even for people listening that maybe don’t directly aren’t experiencing what we’ve been talking about they probably know someone who is. Colleagues, friends, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your story for creating what you’ve created and the community which I know you’re gonna continue to build. Thank you.
And thank you so much for listening. This is a very deeply emotional, connective episode. If it has made you feel anything, I really hope that you sit with it. It passes, you find your way. And if there’s people in your life that you feel might need to hear this, be they founders that maybe want to create something of impact or even just people you love that are struggling with loss or with connection in some way.
Please share this episode. It’s one that really straddles both areas of business and heartfelt impact. I will see you in the next one. If you laughed, learned, or felt a little less alone, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify and subscribe. Come back for more. We’re building a community of women and grow in real authentic ways together.
