Folks We Love with Tracey Montford | Founder, Cake Maternity
Tracey Montford is the Founder of Cake Maternity, a beautiful maternity brand born out of her own personal frustrations during her first pregnancy back in 2007. Tracey was on the hunt for comfortable, functional and stylish maternity and nursing wear and it appeared hitting all three was the trifecta that didn’t exist. This ultimately became her driving force to craft what she couldn’t find: beautiful, functional, comfortable and sustainable pieces made to support mothers and Mother Nature. And thus, Cake Maternity was born! Specializing in maternity and nursing bras, as well as clothing, sleepwear and swimwear—each piece is designed to grow with women as they embark on this new and exciting chapter in their lives. We highly recommend checking them out!
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I am a Kiwi born chick. I grew up in a small mill town in the middle of the North Island called Tokoroa, then moved to Hamilton where I went to University and did a Visual Arts degree and teaching Diploma. At the age of 27 I left NZ and moved to London to teach Photography and Creative Arts in a Greenwich High School.
After 3 years of travel and single life, I met my husband Keith (who is Australian) and we moved to Sydney. After a short stint in Sydney and having our first child Ethan, we moved back to London for another 2 years. Ultimately the lack of sunlight and warm weather got the best of us, and we decided to move back to Sydney in 2008.
WHO IS IN YOUR FAMILY?
16 years and two beautiful boys later, my (now) husband and I finally tied-the-knot last year. Ethan is 14 and Carter is 9.
OCCUPATION?
My official title is Founder of Cake Maternity. I oversee the creatives, product design and concepts. I feel very blessed to have an amazing team of very talented (mostly women) around me, making my dream of owning a business that enriches women’s lives a reality.
HOW DID CAKE MATERNITY COME TO BE?
The brand originated from a personal need. Whilst I was pregnant with my eldest son, Ethan, I was desperately in need of some maternity bras. At this time, the maternity market was seriously under catered for. The bras I purchased, and what was available at the time, were matronly, beige and very big to say the least. Not at all what a 32 year old wanted to wear.
After much research globally, I soon realised that this was a niche market waiting to explode. I hit the ground running and 3 years later Cake Maternity was born.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS YOU GUYS PRACTICE AS A BUSINESS?
While it’s an ever-changing space, we have always been conscious of the impact our manufacturing and business has had and will have on the environment. One of the biggest impacts is through product so it’s important to us that we only work with manufacturers that adhere to our strict guidelines.
There are many eco-initiatives that we undertake as a business and we are constantly looking for ways in which we can improve. Here are a few of the practices we have in place:
- We use Oeko-Tex fabrics that are free from harmful chemicals and dyes. When designing we are conscious of the waste produced and try to minimize this as much as possible, by repurposing offcuts into inner slings and seamlessly knitting some of our styles to completely eliminate waste.
- We use a number of sustainable fabrics in our garments and are constantly looking for new innovations and concepts to improve upon this area.
- Our garments are made from superior fabrications and are designed to last. Yes, they might cost a little more, but they are much less likely to end up in landfill, unlike cheaper, mass-produced garments that just do not last.
- All products received from our manufacturers come in biodegradable bags.
- Our Sydney HQ has 90 solar panels on the roof, which power both our offices and warehouse, meaning we’re 100% powered by the Australian sun. Keith, my husband and CEO of Cake, drives a Tesla too.
- Recycling is incredibly important to us wherever we can. We reuse all boxes for postage, storage and our wholesale orders. Everything that cannot be reused, we make sure to recycle.
- We are proud to say that all our postage and packaging is 100% plastic-free. Our mailer boxes are constructed from 100% recycled materials, using water-based glues and vegetable-based ink. Our tissue paper is recyclable, acid-free, printed with soy-based inks and is made from FSC certified materials. To seal it all up, we use water activated gummed paper tape that’s both recyclable and biodegradable.
- We are constantly looking to improve our practices and our carbon footprint.
WHAT DID A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU PRE COVID? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE NOW?
I typically work during school hours, which I love. It gives me the flexibility to contribute to the business and be at home after school, to cook dinner, help with homework and drop the boys at sports training.
During lock down, I worked from home, while the boys did their home schooling. Whilst this time was tough, I really enjoyed the time with my family and cherished the isolation.
Cake remained open, and to our surprise, flourished. We were very respectful of COVID restrictions. Many of our staff worked from home and we split the warehouse team into a team A and B to limit the number of staff within the space. This way we avoided any potential infection closing down our business.
WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR STAYING HEALTHY DURING THIS PANDEMIC?
I am very much a person who loves routine. I continued with my daily exercise routine (early run followed by yoga). My boys treated the day like a normal school day and had breaks for recess and lunch like they would normally.
We went for family walks, encouraged daily exercise, sat at the dinner table together for meals and a good talk. We would also watch movies together as a family.
It was important to us that we kept the communication open and encouraged our boys to talk about their feelings and what was happening in the world.
WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES HAS COVID PRESENTED YOUR BUSINESS?
Surprisingly, COVID has benefited our business. We were already in a transitional stage of shifting our wholesale and online retail business. Previously we were very reliant on our wholesale customers globally.
COVID really forced our hand and pushed us into online retail, making the transition a little faster than anticipated. We are very blessed to have a strong and thriving business and look forward to the future and everything that it brings.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO AS A FAMILY?
We love to go for walks. I love feeling the warm sun on my skin, being surrounded by nature, and talking to my loved ones. I think we sometimes get very caught up in our daily lives running from point A to point B, that we forget the simple things are what make us most happy.
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
I am very interested in whole foods and how foods affect our body and state of mind. Currently, I’m reading “Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health” by Mark Bunn which is fascinating.
I highly recommend it and have to many people.
WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT NOW?
I am obsessed with Netflix at the moment. A favorite has been Schitt's Creek.
WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST INSPIRED?
I am a visual person, inspired by things I see. I love color and texture. I am also drawn to things that tell a story—character, and age over new and modern.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE STRESS?
I am a big believer in ‘me time’. I do yoga most days (Yin is my favorite style as meditation can be easily incorporated).
HOW IS SELF CARE PLAYING OUT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW?
I think as mothers we always invest more energy into our family. I am aware of my own needs and like most mothers, have to actively take time out in my day for me.
I am a positive person. Very rarely do I let negative thoughts creep into my head. My glass is always half full.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
Learn to say ‘no’. I think as humans we are consumed with being liked and accepted. Saying ‘no’ does not necessarily make you a bad person. Saying ‘no’ is a way of staying true to yourself and not over committing.
WHAT ARE 4 THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
My running shoes
My bed
A good moisturizer
Healthy home-cooked meals
