
mothers go through after giving birth. In 2018, Bock won the prestigious Nova award at the Women’s Entrepreneur Awards. The Nova category recognises female entrepreneurs who have been in the same business for five years and who have demonstrated outstanding entrepreneurial qualities in developing and growing the business. With the Covid-19 “circuit breaker” measures in place, Options interviews Bock via email about starting Hegen and how her family has kept her grounded. Your journey began with a need for baby care products for expressing, storing and feeding breast milk. Then you applied your experience at Fitson to start Hegen. Were there other factors that contributed to your business growth?
Does the word Hegen mean anything? Hegen’s name comes from part of a German idiom “hegen und pflegen”, which means “what you hunt, you must farm; what you eat, you must grow”. Essentially, it is a reminder to cherish what we have and take only what we need from Mother Nature. Do you think mothers need more education on breastfeeding? Absolutely. Successful breastfeeding is a combination of technique, physical condition and psychology. Mothers, especially first-timers, need to understand the psychological and physiological changes that happen during their transition to motherhood. I believe the most common problem many new mothers face is self-doubt or anxiety, and this can be alleviated with proper knowledge and skill sets. My aim is to serve more mothers in a personal capacity, I am currently taking the Child Birth International course which provides up-to-date knowledge of lactation skills and a systematic approach to helping mothers on their breastfeeding journey. From a business standpoint, Hegen has developed a series of Cherish Nature’s Gift seminars. These workshops focus on pre- and post-natal topics spanning across childbirth, how to kickstart breastfeeding and caring for your newborn.
What was the best business advice they offered you? 1. Never underestimate the importance of continual learning.
2. Stay hungry but humble. 3. Always remember to give back — pay it forward.
What do awards and accolades mean to you? Awards and accolades are both an affirmation and motivation for us to push forward even further. Not only will the award give us an extra boost of credibility, it is also an invaluable calling card in our search for like-minded partners to work with, internationally. They say that it is not the destination but the journey that counts. Awards and accolades will be remembered as the milestones in my entrepreneurial journey.
Where do you want to take Hegen to? Over the next five years, Hegen has identified new business models and directions that would continue to change the way we interact and deliver our promise to our customers. As part of our expansion strategy, we’ve identified 35 international markets to enter by 2022. Even though the current Covid-19 situation has certainly slowed our progress, we continue to remain true to our promise: To serve mothers all over the world.