Written by Elyse Lowe
If someone had told me five years ago that I’d be building a children’s toilet paper company, I probably would have laughed.
My career was in healthcare. I spent years helping specialist medical practices grow, working alongside clinicians whose focus was improving people’s lives through better care. During that time, I also became increasingly interested in the products we use every day and the impact they can have on our health.
That curiosity eventually led me to ask one simple question.
If toilet paper is one of the few products that touches our skin every single day, why aren’t more people asking what’s in it?
That question became HapeeBum.
Not simply another toilet paper brand, but a business built around safer materials, sustainability and making everyday routines a little more meaningful through educational wrapper designs that encourage learning and conversation.
But HapeeBum isn’t my first business.
It’s my second.
My first startup didn’t succeed. Like many businesses, it was heavily impacted by COVID. Walking away from something I’d invested years into was incredibly difficult, but it also taught me lessons I couldn’t have learned any other way.
Failure has a way of changing your perspective.
It forces you to become more resilient, more resourceful and far more willing to adapt.
Starting again wasn’t easy.
In many ways, it was harder than starting the first time because I knew exactly how difficult building a business could be.
People often see the finished product.
They don’t see the years of research, the supplier negotiations, packaging redesigns, freight delays, tariff calculations, customs paperwork, website development, marketing, SEO, social media, or the countless decisions that happen before a customer ever places an order.
They certainly don’t see you unloading your own shipping container because, at that stage, you’re wearing every hat in the business.
Entrepreneurship has also been one of the loneliest experiences of my career.
When you’re building something new, very few people see the vision the way you do.
Some people encourage you.
Some quietly doubt you.
Most simply wait to see whether you’ll succeed.
I’ve learned not to take that personally.
People usually don’t believe in a business until they can see proof that it works.
As founders, we have to believe long before anyone else does.
That’s one of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship.
It’s also one of the most important.
I’ve also learned that building a successful business isn’t just about creating a great product.
It’s about building trust.
Building a community.
Showing up consistently.
Doing the work that nobody applauds.
Because there is no shortcut.
You roll up your sleeves.
You solve one problem at a time.
You keep moving forward.
HapeeBum is still at the beginning of its journey, and so am I.
I’m still learning every single day.
Every new challenge teaches me something I didn’t know the day before.
Every setback makes me a better founder.
And every small milestone reminds me why I started.
If there’s one lesson this journey has taught me, it’s this:
No one will believe in your vision as much as you do.
That’s okay.
They don’t have to.
Your job isn’t to convince everyone.
Your job is to keep building, keep learning and keep showing up, especially on the days when progress feels invisible.
Success rarely arrives overnight.
It’s built through resilience, consistency and a willingness to keep going long after the excitement has faded.
Looking back, I don’t think entrepreneurship is about having all the answers.
It’s about having the courage to take the next step, even when you’re not sure where the path leads.
For me, that’s exactly what HapeeBum represents.
Not just a business, but proof that sometimes your greatest success comes from having the courage to start again.
Author Bio:
I’m the Founder and CEO of HapeeBum, a premium children’s household brand reimagining everyday essentials through sustainability, innovation, and education.
With over 10 years of experience building businesses across healthcare, marketing, and consumer products, I’m passionate about creating products that improve everyday life. HapeeBum offers PFAS-free bamboo and recycled toilet paper featuring educational wrapper designs that encourage curiosity, healthy habits, kindness, and learning through everyday routines.
I enjoy sharing insights on entrepreneurship, product development, consumer brands, manufacturing, e-commerce, sustainability, Kickstarter campaigns, and building startups from idea to launch.
Based in Los Angeles, I’m always happy to contribute to stories covering entrepreneurship, parenting, consumer products, sustainability, women in business, and innovation.
