49: Bath Time, Business and the Courage to Back Yourself with Christina Townsend

Christina Townsend is a mum of three, a former early years teacher and the founder of Spout - an award-winning bath play system that gives children a defined space for bath time play before converting into a calm, grown-up bath setup for worn-out parents in need of rest and restoration. The idea grew directly from her own evenings at home, navigating dinner, bath and bed on repeat when everyone is tired and the house already feels full enough. Unable to find a solution that made that moment feel easier without adding more clutter, she decided to build one herself. Christina shares the early stage journey of turning an idea into a real product and a real business and what it has taken in terms of courage, tenacity and self-belief to keep going before the world has even seen what she is building. In this conversation, we explore: ✨ The story behind Spout, how a recognisable parenting pain point became the seed of a product idea and what the early design process actually looked like ✨ How Christina's background as an early years teacher shaped both the concept and the philosophy behind Spout and why that expertise has been one of her greatest assets ✨ Navigating significant life events and personal challenges alongside the demands of launching a start up and what that has revealed about resilience and priorities ✨ The emotional rollercoaster of early stage entrepreneurship and why the start up phase, though challenging, is often where the most profound personal growth happens ✨ Overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome when you are surrounded by very few people who are modelling the entrepreneurial way of life ✨ What it means to position yourself in your own mind as an entrepreneur when that word still feels big, unfamiliar or even intimidating ✨ The role of family support in sustaining the energy and tenacity that start up life demands and who has championed Christina most along the way ✨ Learning the language of business from scratch, navigating investment conversations and taking financial risks when the stakes are deeply personal ✨ The challenges of marketing and social media as a solo founder with limited time and resource and how she is finding her way through ✨ What creating a lasting impact means to Christina and the vision she holds for Spout beyond the product itself About the Guest: Christina Townsend is the founder of Spout, an award-winning bath play system designed to make bath time easier for children and more restorative for parents. A former early years teacher and mother of three, she is navigating the start up journey whilst working full time and solo parenting, learning as she goes what it truly takes to turn an idea into a product and a product into a business. Her story is one of tenacity, courage and the quiet but powerful decision to back yourself before anyone else does. You can find Christina on Instagram or LinkedIn and learn more about Spout at the Spout Bath Toys website. About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!