The cradl story starts simply enough…

In the summer of 2013 a close friend of Elizabeth’s called, “…this may sound crazy [she said], but while I was out walking during lunch I had an idea… I have a very simple, white, rubber-band like cover on my phone. I love it and a few of my friends have one and like theirs, too. I know you’ve been looking for a new business idea; come take a look at this. I have an extra cover and I have a hunch this could be something you might run with …” Curious, Elizabeth asked her teenage daughter, Erin, to use the case, because as she puts it, Erin’s phone was covered by insurance… Three months later, Elizabeth and Erin made two key observations: the cover was still very white, and the phone safe in spite of Erin’s adventurous life. Their interest piqued and Elizabeth’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in – her friend was right, this was an idea that she could definitely run with.

Bubbles aqua lightning iPhone case for About page

…and is far from ending.

There were so many questions. What would be the best materials to use? What would other people say about it? Answers came…People love it, the sleek and low profile, but wish it had more had a more distinctive “style”.  Also, there was some concern about whether it was substantial enough to really serve as protection. The next step was where it became truly exciting – Elizabeth asked Erin to come up with some designs for the back of a case. Erin, colored pencils and paper in hand, created a number of distinctive, vibrant designs including “Bubbles” and “Blocks”. These are the two key designs that cradl would launch with. Fast forward a year that included many colorful and significant learning experiences, extensive design research surrounding the creation of a highly shock-absorbent case and Elizabeth and Erin, as a mother and daughter team, launched cradl with products that combine inspired designs with exceptional functionality.

Elizabeth, according to Erin

  1. She is an amazing mom and business woman.
  2. Mother of two children. One is pretty darn awesome with a bit of sass (me) and the other is my 6-year-old brother who has a very cool personality but can be a pain in the butt sometimes.
  3. My mom is passionate about whatever she sets her mind to and whatever she believes in.
  4. She is a very caring and loving woman.
  5. She cares so much about us that she sold her company so that she could stay home and spend more time with my brother and me.
  6. She is generous.
  7. Working with my mom is a wonderful experience because our personalities work well together (most of the time). It is also very cool because we are creating something together that will always be “ours”.
  8. She loves to go on walks around the community gardens near our house and enjoys going on hikes.
  9. Even though my mom can be very serious at times, she still has a silly side which I love.
  10. She LOVES to garden­, and our yard is amazing in the summer.

Erin, according to Elizabeth

  1. Erin is a spectacular human being. I love being her mom.
  2. She’s so creative, and I love her excitement around art such as drawing, building and throwing with clay, drafting, and making gifts.
  3. She loves to bake, which her friends and her brother and I often benefit from, but sometimes she forgets to clean up afterwards…
  4. She has a fabulous sense of humor generally and enjoys April Fool’s Day a bit too much…
  5. She’s a great big sister.
  6. She sleeps more than any human being I have ever met (she just indignantly informed me that this is because she is a teenager, thank you very much, lol).
  7. Her favorite food in the universe is the tofu fried rice from Moongate (behind my chicken soup of course).
  8. She loves Nutella.
  9. Erin won a Citizenship Award when she finished Middle School. She loves to help anyone, actually (except me, doing the dishes). When I’ve had the opportunty to do volunteer work in our community she’s always available, with a smile on her face, to help with whatever needs to be done.
  10. She’s the best party decorator I’ve ever met!