Chic and elevated are probably not the first two words that pop into your head when you think of maternity clothing, but for Ariane Goldman, the founder of HATCH, that is exactly what she has created. After the birth of her first daughter, she realized there was a void in the maternity clothing market. She launched HATCH in 2011 and it has grown to become the trusted resource for women who want to feel beautiful, confident and stylish during one of life’s most rewarding (and challenging) periods.

Now, as a mother of two, Goldman has expanded HATCH to include chic maternity clothing and “mama safe” clean beauty products that address the issues women face during pregnancy and postpartum. With everyone from the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle to Amy Schumer as fans, it’s safe to say she’s the queen of chic maternity. We caught up with the founder and CEO to talk about her career and what it’s like being a mom and running a business.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY? WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE HATCH?

I started my career climbing up the corporate ladder at AMEX, having about four to five different jobs over the years. It was a great experience, but I wasn’t using my creative juices and realized that it wasn’t my calling.

I got engaged while I was still at AMEX and when I was shopping for bridesmaids dresses, I discovered there wasn’t a brand providing dresses that your girlfriends could feel beautiful wearing without spending a ton of money (and ultimately resenting you for it). I found fabric and got the dresses made for my four maids who had completely different body types. The reaction was amazing, so the light bulb went off and I quit my job to start my first company, twobirds, from my apartment in the West Village.

Twobirds was an amazing entrée into entrepreneurship. I had a great product, the cash was coming in, and it was a beautiful business model. When I became pregnant I had a similar “aha moment” and decided to try to solve another void in the market - but differently.

TALK TO US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HATCH. WHAT MADE YOU START A MATERNITY BRAND?

I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2010 and was incredibly frustrated by the lack of fashionable clothing options within the maternity market. I couldn’t seem to find anything that allowed me to celebrate my changing body instead of hiding behind it. Maternity clothes felt frumpy and had no longevity. Following the birth of my daughter Charlie, I launched HATCH to provide women with stylish, timeless maternity solutions to empower and enable them to feel confident and beautiful during this challenging yet rewarding time.

As magical as pregnancy is, it can also be a lonely and isolating experience. My goal with HATCH was not only to provide wardrobe and beauty solutions through our mama-safe beauty collection HATCH Mama, but I wanted HATCH to be a trusted resource that women could turn to for advice, information and even friendship. Today, we host regular community events in both of our New York and Los Angeles stores, where we invite women to attend everything from doula seminars to birth coaching, to mommy and me classes – nothing is off limits.

WALK US THROUGH WHAT IT’S LIKE BEING A MOM AND RUNNING A BUSINESS...

Motherhood and entrepreneurship have been dancing together ever since I had my daughter Charlie, which was ultimately the birth of HATCH too. I can’t really do one without the other. Some days are tedious and exhausting but in the midst of chaos is a tremendous amount of joy and pride in the fact that I turned an idea into a successful business. It’s so rewarding to now have 30+ women under one roof working toward building something beautiful. While levels of guilt about my daughters may fluctuate from time to time, I’m confident now that the hard work I’m doing is shining in their eyes. I’ve also gotten a lot better about carving out some me time a few days a week, whether that’s picking up my girls from school or even meeting a friend for dinner.

WHAT ARE YOUR MOMMY MUST HAVES WHEN YOU’RE ON THE GO:

I always have wipes, constantly, either wet wipes or baby wipes. Also, our Nipple + Lip Rescue Balm, and my Metro Card or Citi Bike so I can go make school pick-up and balance family + work at the same time.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU RESET?

A dirty martini and a hot bath after a long day. I also love to spend weekends with my family at our beach house.

WELLNESS PHILOSOPHY:

Be inspired everyday. Be comfortable in your clothes and beauty will hang out with you. Also, I eat everything. I really do, just in moderation.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Stay inspired and do what you love. It’s the only way to offset the guilt!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER SOMEONE LOOKING TO TURN THEIR PASSION INTO A BUSINESS?

Just go for it! Talk about your business as much as you can to keep it top of mind and do one thing every day to keep the momentum going - even if that’s as small as getting business cards or creating a logo. The momentum will continue and you will have no choice but to keep moving forward.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR HATCH, WHAT CAN OUR READERS EXPECT FROM THE BRAND IN 2019?

My ultimate vision is to make sure HATCH reaches as many women as possible, whether online or through our physical retail locations. We recently announced our partnership with Pop-In@Nordstrom through May 19th and are continuing to grow our retail presence in select cities across the country. That combination of community and great product is an important, 360-degree moment for us. We’re also continuing to grow our collection of beauty essentials and I’m super excited to help HATCH MAMA create its own identity within the marketplace.