A Day in The Life with Emily Ironi, Founder of The Dairy Fairy

Emily Ironi is a multi-hyphenate powerhouse who has channeled her creative energy and honed in on a way to support moms (quite literally!). Willow was so lucky to partner with her team to design and create our exclusive pumping bra—a perfect companion to your Willow pump. We had a chance to speak with Emily to hear more about her process, her daily routine and what she does to decompress at the end of a long day (spoiler alert: it includes a lot of inspirational quotes).

I am inspired by moms, who quite literally make small humans. My journey into motherhood was not conventional nor easy. I had my daughter at 41 with IVF and donor sperm and it was a long, costly and challenging journey. I entered motherhood as a naive woman and have been learning and growing ever since. I’m especially inspired by the exclusively pumping moms who, despite challenges, continue to pump milk for their babies. I had no idea, when beginning this venture of making nursing and pumping bras, that my bras would quite literally support them (and their breasts) on their mission of nourishing their little ones.

Being a mother is a 24 hour a day job. Even if your kids aren’t with you, or asleep, you are always planning, scheduling and worrying about them. And it just turns out that you have the same neverending responsibilities as an entrepreneur. I eat, sleep and breathe both family and work, and the reality is that you just can’t do both simultaneously, very well. My biggest lesson has been to accept that I will never accomplish both of them perfectly. They have to coexist and I must accept the fact that as long as I am a mother, and as long as I am at the helm of The Dairy Fairy, I will be dancing a delicate balance to make sure I don’t drop any balls.

Collaborative. Perpetual. Fulfilling.

As they say: The days are long but the years are short. My days are filled (and fulfilling) yet when I reflect on them, they feel like a blur. And then I do it all over again.

5:30 am: I often try to wake before the rest of the household. This “zero” hour is the time I spend to quickly scan my emails, calendar and news. In this quiet morning period, I create a focused game plan for tackling my neverending list and fueling my coffee tank to sustain me through the rest of the day.

7:00-8:30 am: Mommy time starts in full force. I get my youngest daughter ready for school, which includes meal prep and at least two outfit changes. She truly does take after me.

The oldest is usually out the door at this time, after working out and packing her own lunch (there’s some really great benefits to having a teenager).

9:00 am - noon: This window is usually reserved for calls, video chats, virtual meetings and connecting with our remote staff, which is located all over the globe. We have members in Brazil, UK, Dubai, Israel and a few East Coasters. Being in California, I am always the last one on the clock and always trying to catch up to the rest of the team.

Noon: I’ve burned off enough energy and need my lunch, which usually means either a salad, a smoothie or an ultra greasy cheeseburger with fries (of course), eaten at my kitchen island, which is where I’ve been working since the beginning of COVID-19.

12:30 pm - 5:30pm: Time to execute! After many calls and conversations, I try to switch from strategy time to actually checking things off the list! This includes crafting new styles, sourcing new materials, engaging with my manufacturers and reviewing our marketing plans and tasks (like crafting clever answers to these questions).

Then, it’s back to mommy mode: homework, dinner, bath time, a little family TV time and a bedtime story. Then back to emails again. Then .. finally .. a little adult time with my handsome and supportive partner. I’d like to say that we relax and philosophize, but we are usually watching Ted Lasso or some other hilarious TV show.

10:00 - Bedtime: My reunion with my Tempurpedic mattress with a Tempurpedic topper there’s nothing quite as decadent.

1. English is my second language. I was born in Israel and moved here with my family when I was 10 years old.

2. Prior to The Dairy Fairy (and becoming a mother), I owned a high end handbag line named Alexis Hudson (named after my fur baby!). Transitioning from fashion to pumping bras aligned perfectly with becoming a mother.

3. I was once told that I have a sensitivity to dairy and should cut cheese out of my diet. To that I replied that I would rather have hives all over my body, than give up that yummy goodness.

4. At 17, I decided that someday I would own a swimsuit brand. I guess I got pretty close.

5. One of the things on my bucket list is to travel across the USA in a motorhome.