The Salem News - Tuesday, September 7, 2004

By Diane Nolan
Correspondent

SWAMPSCOTT — From new moms to entrepreneurs, two North Shore women turned their new role into a new business.

"We're living it ... we know what works," said Kelly Majewski of Newburyport.

Majewski and Julie Gordon of Swampscott, former owners of a high-tech public relations company, started Pampered Baby LLC in June 2003 after each gave birth to her first child, both girls. Now known as Baby Splendor, the company hopes to expand by leaps and bounds this year.

The business has 12 consultants in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire and Colorado. Gordon and Majewski plan to expand that number to 100 by the end of the year while expanding the states they cover, said Gordon.

Gordon said that the consultants, who sell Baby Splendor products in party-style settings, are what set the business apart.

"The consultants are right there, and they're able to explain everything about the products," Gordon said.

Majewski said that the company has received interest from people in California, New Jersey, New York and Florida who want to sign on as consultants.

"Moms are busy, so it's easiest to bring products to them," Gordon said.

Baby Splendor's products are manufactured by other companies, and Gordon said that many of those vendors have begun making items exclusively for the North Shore company and that she and Majewski are looking into managing their own product line as well.

Products offered by Baby Splendor include wooden toys, feeding accessories and clothes.

"High-quality baby products are hard to find ... especially in one place," Majewski said.

In addition to manufacturers, doctors from Massachusetts General Hospital and scientists from Harvard University are developing baby products for Baby Splendor. These products are made with proteins that are intended to boost a baby's immune system, said Gordon, and will be available as part of the company's new fall line.

Baby Splendor sells its products via its Web site (www.babysplendor.com) and via consultants who are invited to homes to host parties with anywhere from five to about 30 people attending, said consultant Lauren Kantor, also from Swampscott.

Kantor joined the Baby Splendor consulting team in June after attending a party at her friend's house.

"I loved the products that they offered. The parties kind of become a mom's night out type of thing," said Kantor, who added that she was drawn to the job because it wasn't the normal 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, which would be very restricting as she is raising three young children between the ages of 3 and 6.

Majewski said that Baby Splendor parties are a place where mothers are able to discuss problems and talk about solutions as well.

"My daughter had a reflux problem when she was younger," said Majewski, who found a great feeding product and was able to share her success with other mothers facing the same type of problem with their babies.

"Even if you don't have a baby, you still go to these parties because everyone buys baby gifts," Majewski said.