Jillian Coburn is an entrepreneur, inventor, writer, outdoors-woman, and mother of three who is passionately committed to supporting and elevating women who have nowhere to turn and living under the shadows of domestic violence. As a survivor, she assists women living with abuse by empowering and teaching them how to get out, heal and build a life they’ve always
imagined.
Jillian is the Founder of Mommy GoBag, 2022’s Diaper Bag Of The Year. “Every mom has had the experience of being out with their kids, when one of them has an “accident,” be it spilling milk/ formula/juice, getting sick and vomiting or the ever popular poopy spillage from a diaper! And most have experienced not having what they need in the moment, to clean things up and get going again.” – Jillian Coburn
Mommy GoBag solves this completely! Designed by an always on-the-go military mom, she has experienced it and is prepared! Change of clothes? Got it! Wipes to clean the mess? Got it! More diapers? Got it! Medicines/bandaids etc? Got that, too!
FWM: You have been passionately committed to supporting and elevating women who have nowhere to turn and living under the shadows of domestic violence. Share your background and tell us why helping others is so important to you.
Unfortunately, I have been impacted by domestic and sexual assault and I wanted to help others who are facing the same issues that I did keep hope alive and get their lives back. I never had to turn to a shelter or hide away, but that is the reality for a lot of women who are in these situations. I wrote my book to help men and women who don’t have the ability to seek out information on how to help themselves in these situations learn from someone who has victoried through it. I have worked with several of my friends who have left abusive spouses and helped in the court systems. I am from the South, and it is very difficult to bring a domestic violence situation to court without a police report. I had to take steps to get out of my situations such as writing a journal, recording conversations, getting an order of protection, etc. and these things were all steps I outlined in my book to ensure that other people had a guideline while they were going through their own situations. The hardest and dangerous part is leaving your abuser. Abusers love the power and control. I am that middle person to give my clients the safe space to help them make an exit plan. I always tell my clients that they can’t rely on a family member or friend because oftentimes they will talk you out of leaving your abuser. Most people in these situations do not have a job or a plan and I like to be able to help them get their ducks in a row and then worry about prosecuting. I work with hundreds of women to help them get out and see their worth. In addition to leaving the abuser, seeing your worth is also the hardest thing in these situations.
FWM: You are a serial entrepreneur. Tell us about your companies.
I am the Co-Owner of NOLA Prestige Electric, a woman/minority based contracting company. I founded the apparel line, Reel Housewives of the Deep South in 2014, producing one-of-a-kind American-made designs for Southern women who love the outdoors and choose “cat-fishing over catfighting!” As a survivor, I assist women living with abuse by empowering and teaching them how to get out, heal, and build a life they’ve always imagined. I was also on a committee where my colleagues and I triumphed, passing Bill 492, allowing victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse to have their day in court against their perpetrators. I also created the concept for Mommy Go Bag which is designed for the Mommy on the Go. It has so many features including a ton of pockets for storage and has a roll u top for easy bag expansion.
FWM: What led you to launch the Mommy GoBag and what problem does it solve?
Being a military Mom, we were always on the go and I wanted something designed to help me keep things organized and large enough to fit multiple things in the bag. I also wanted it to be stylish and durable. It allows that Mom on the go to keep everything she needs with her.
FWM: Share a few of the features.
- It’s organized-there is a place for everything
- Pocket for dirty or clean shirt
- Outside pocket for wet wipes pull
- Outside pocket for mobile device or water bottle
- Diaper pad pocket on bottom of bag
- Inside pocket for our kid emergency preparedness kit
- Inside pocket for laptop so Mom can work too
- It’s military-inspired, functional, and fashionable
- It has backpack straps that tuck away when not in use
- It has a roll top for easy bag expansion.
FWM: Did you face any challenges when developing the product?
Oh yes, there were many challenges. Finding a manufacturer was the hardest one. I had never invented anything, and I got bamboozled by someone in New York who fed me some lies about purchasing a marketing plan first. I learned that you didn’t need that. Then, we ran into quality issues. The first production company did not meet my expectations. I used it on a trip, and it tore, and I knew that I could not sell a product that was not durable. I wanted this to be a bag that was able to be used consistently and that had features that most bags did not. COVID also put a delay on our project because once we were able to find a manufacturer we liked, the product was halted due to shipping delays. For a year we were on standby with the project. We ended up having to spend more money on the project but thankfully we were able to get the product to us before any other shipping delays were in place. I also realized that it is easy to come up with an idea but there were so many moving parts to it and I really struggled with trusting the right manufacturer to bring my vision to life.
FWM: Throughout your career, what are you the most proud of?
My biggest accomplishment is passing Bill 492. It has empowered me because I was able to find my voice again. In doing so, I am now able to show victims that they have a voice too and can be heard. There have been so many people silenced. I once was silenced too, and I had to trust in God and triumphed through in a state that I didn’t think was possible. Bill 492 opened the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse victims to be able to prosecute their offenders in court civilly. With the testimonies of myself and others were pivotal in being able to pass this bill in the state of Louisiana. The bill as passed on June 10th, 2021 and it gave a 3 year retro window back to be able to allow victims to come forward. People are so afraid to talk about the sexual abuse they have been affected by and there is so much pressure from society. I want to empower people to be able to come forward and ensure that this doesn’t happen to someone else. I continue to work with Child USA to attempt to push other states in the USA to pass this bill. Women have been oppressed for so many years and I want to shake up people and let them understand the system we have is not working and we have to change and shift things and protect our women and children.
FWM: What’s next for you?
I am working on pushing the bill to be introduced into other states. I want to really create a new system that works. I want to create a for profit that helps victims to heal and provides them with tools to overcome and realize they can move forward from the abuse. I want to continue to be an advocate to make change in the US system. I want to help create policies and procedures that allow the victim to be heard and protected.
