Niki’s story moves through growing up, building businesses, and facing personal loss. Motherhood changed how she saw herself and her work, pushing her to slow down and start again. In this interview, she shares how those experiences led to Ariblake and why care, safety, and intention matter for both parents and children.
Niki, can you briefly share your journey and what shaped who you are today?
I truly believe my journey really began with my first miscarriage in 2016. Before that moment, I felt as though I was simply coasting through life, I’m a first-generation Canadian, raised by immigrant parents from the Soviet Union, in a middle-class household where my father was the primary breadwinner and my mother was the caregiver for most of my childhood.
Growing up, I was taught that there was a very specific order to life: go to school, get good grades, get a good job, get married, have babies, be a good girl, and conform. But deep down, I always felt disconnected from that path. I didn’t know there was another way until I met my now-husband when I was just fourteen years old.
He was sixteen at the time, and he was the first person I had ever met who came from a similar upbringing, felt the same disconnection from the conventional path, and was actively doing something different.
He introduced me to the world of entrepreneurship before I even knew what entrepreneurship was. At sixteen, he was already building websites for clients from his computer while living at his parents’ house. The idea that you could create your own income and create your own work completely blew my mind.
That sense of liberation and independence became even more important to me after my parents separated when I was sixteen. I wanted financial freedom more than anything. I didn’t want to depend on anyone to take care of me. The only problem was that I wasn’t tech-savvy at the time, computers genuinely terrified me. Creating a digital product or service felt so far-fetched to me at the time, so I leaned into something I knew I was good at: working with my hands.
My first business started as a handmade jewelry project for school, created to raise money for different charities. That project slowly evolved into a full-fledged business run out of my mom’s basement. I began designing one-of-a-kind jewelry using precious stones and materials sourced from local suppliers. As the business grew, I launched a small website, learned how to source materials globally, and eventually even secured a partnership with Swarovski to bring my designs to life.
It was an incredible experience, even though I was doing almost everything myself. Eventually, I sold that business to start a joint venture with my then-fiancé called Fancy Hair. It was a luxury line of premium hair extensions that we sold internationally, which was born out of our tiny Toronto apartment.
That business came with more curveballs than I could have ever imagined dishonest suppliers, shipping disasters, and marketing failures. I still vividly remember receiving a large shipment of hair extensions from our first supplier after we had already launched the business, only to realize the entire order was completely botched. The boxes were sitting on the floor of our condo. My fiancé looked at them and didn’t know where to begin.
Thankfully, I knew how to sew, a skill I had learned as a little girl, making clothes out of my grandmother’s old garments and pillowcases. So I sat in our condo for an entire week, sewing every single set of hair extensions by hand until they were perfect. By the second day, my fingers were covered in cuts and blisters, but I didn’t see another way forward. I just kept going.
Moments like that show you what you’re made of. They push you far outside your comfort zone, and if you let them, they become catalysts for growth. That experience taught me that I’m a strong problem-solver, and that learning as many skills as possible is my ticket to freedom.
About ten years later, we sold Fancy Hair privately. By then, the brand no longer aligned with the woman I was becoming. But a few years before selling the business, I experienced my first miscarriage, and that was the true turning point of my life.
That loss changed everything.
It forced me to confront the fragility of life and my deep, undeniable desire to become a mother. After that first miscarriage, I experienced several more chemical pregnancies and early losses. What followed was a gruelling two-year journey of fertility treatments, surgeries, and procedures correcting a uterine deviation, removing polyps, and even undergoing a septoplasty to optimize my breathing and oxygen flow in hopes of sustaining a pregnancy.
Those two years were the most challenging of my life. I was fighting to become a mother without knowing why it wasn’t happening for me. I was struggling with depression and living in constant uncertainty, never knowing when or if it would end. After another failed IVF cycle and early pregnancy loss in November 2018, I reached my breaking point.
I made the incredibly difficult decision to stop all fertility treatments. I knew I had to let go. I had to accept that this might not be the path meant for me and find a way to start living my life again.
And then, unexpectedly, two months after our last failed IVF cycle, my husband and I conceived naturally.
I wish I could say that moment was filled with pure joy, but it wasn’t. It was filled with fear. My fertility doctor had told me that if I ever conceived naturally, I would need hormonal therapy to maintain the pregnancy, but that wasn’t an option for me. So my husband and I decided to take it day by day and leave the rest up to the universe.
Against all odds, I carried a healthy pregnancy to term and delivered my beautiful baby girl, my first rainbow baby in October 2019. That moment changed my life in every possible way. My dream of becoming a mother had finally come true.
But motherhood also transformed me in ways I didn’t expect. It felt as though the old version of me disappeared overnight. I became someone new, someone I didn’t yet recognize, living in an in-between space, trying to understand who I was becoming.
Over time, I began to feel disconnected from so many parts of my old life: my business, my clothes, my belongings, even some relationships. Eventually, I realized I needed to start shedding what no longer resonated so I could get to know myself all over again.
That process has been one of the hardest and most healing journeys of my life, and I’m still on it today. Motherhood was the catalyst. It shaped me, softened me, and ultimately led me back to my truest self.
What first inspired you to start Ariblake?
One of my favorite ways to connect with my babies and still feel productive while caring for them was through babywearing. My daughter was only five months old when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and suddenly, the entire world shut down.
As a first-time mother, it was terrifying. We didn’t know how dangerous the virus was, how long isolation would last, or how to navigate parenthood without support. Everything felt uncertain.
Babywearing became my anchor. Every morning, rain or shine, through every season, for the first year and a half of her life, I wore my daughter. It became a ritual that calmed both of our nervous systems, deepened our bond in ways I can’t fully explain, and gave me a sense of peace during an incredibly chaotic time.
Later, I learned just how beneficial babywearing is for a child’s development during the first three years of life. I wanted to wear my daughter for as long as possible. But when she was about a year and a half old, something happened that shook me to my core.
While we were on a walk, she somehow disengaged one of the shoulder strap buckles on the carrier I was using.
I felt the strap suddenly loosen, and my entire nervous system went into shock. Thankfully, I was able to catch her before anything happened, but that moment stayed with me. I stopped babywearing her after that.
When my daughter was just over two years old, I found out I was pregnant again, naturally and unexpectedly. Despite my gratitude, the pregnancy was emotionally triggering. Loss leaves a mark that never fully disappears. Thankfully, I carried that pregnancy to term and welcomed my healthy baby boy in September 2022.
When my son was born, I couldn’t wait to babywear again, but I was terrified of another safety incident.
I researched every top baby carrier brand on the market and chose one with glowing reviews. At first, everything seemed fine. Then one day, my son developed a rash across his chest and stomach after a walk in the carrier.
The next day, it happened again, this time on his cheeks. One cheek, the one pressed against the fabric, was significantly more irritated. That’s when I started digging deeper. I found other parents reporting the same issue, and after reviewing the fabric composition, I realized the synthetic materials and dyes were causing skin reactions.
Those two experiences ignited something in me. I couldn’t understand how products like this were allowed on the market or why baby brands weren’t held to the highest standards of safety and care.
As someone who has spent most of her life creating physical products, the idea of designing my own premium baby carrier consumed my thoughts. I couldn’t ignore it. So I did what I always do when I need clarity, I put pen to paper.
I began sketching what would eventually become the first version of our Superhuman baby and toddler carrier for Ariblake a premium baby brand named after my first-born rainbow baby. This brand exists because my motherhood journey and my entrepreneurial journey collided in exactly the way they were meant to. It truly feels like pure magic.
What was it like adjusting to motherhood at the beginning?
Becoming a mother for the first time was the most beautiful and life-changing experience of my life, and also the hardest and loneliest. Everything was new, and I was learning how to care for a newborn while navigating motherhood in isolation during COVID.
With my second, everything felt different. I felt more grounded, more confident, and more present. I was able to enjoy moments I didn’t get to experience with my daughter, music classes, playdates, and community.
I’ve also changed so much as a person between my first and second child. It truly feels like each of my children has experienced a different version of me, and there’s something incredibly beautiful about that.
What was the biggest challenge in starting Ariblake, and how did you stay motivated?
One of the biggest challenges was sourcing premium materials that met my personal standards for quality. Because I’ve worked with fine materials my entire life — jewelry making, sewing, product creation, I see things differently. I feel like I see things through the lens of an artist. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and luxurious quality, and my standards are incredibly high.
Another major challenge was ensuring that our baby carriers didn’t just meet, but surpassed, global safety regulations. Every country has its own standards, and because I wanted to serve families worldwide, it was essential to comply with as many as possible. It was incredibly time-consuming, but this was a non-negotiable for me.
What’s the meaning behind the name Ariblake?
Ariblake is named after my firstborn daughter, Ariella Blake. It’s a reminder of who and why I’m building this life for. My children are my greatest inspiration and motivation.
When parents use an Ariblake carrier, what do you hope they feel?
I hope they feel liberated, confident, and filled with pure joy. I hope babywearing becomes a ritual that deepens their bond and integrates seamlessly into their daily lives.
How do you support and empower women through your work and daily life?
I try to lead with vulnerability and honesty. I share my stories, struggles, and experiences so other women feel less alone. I’m also working on philanthropic initiatives that will be woven into Ariblake.
More than anything, I want to remind women of what truly matters. Life isn’t about accumulating more it’s about gratitude, alignment, and intentionally creating a life that feels beautiful to you.
How do you balance motherhood, content creation, and running a business?
I don’t. Balance is a hoax. Some days I give more to my kids, other days more to my work. Every day is a compromise, and I’ve learned to accept that. I’m ambitious, but I also want to be present. This season is fleeting. I wake up each day grateful and focused on enjoying the journey both the calm and the chaos.
What motivates you to share your personal journey so openly on YouTube?
Connection. So many people are afraid to be vulnerable, and that silence keeps us isolated. I’m naturally introverted, so sharing my miscarriage story was incredibly hard for me, but it helped me heal, and it helped others heal too. Reminding myself of the impact I can have on others is what pushes me to keep sharing.
We all have a voice. We can use it for good, for harm, or not at all. I’ve chosen to use mine in the service of others.
What advice would you give to new moms who feel overwhelmed?
You are far more capable than you realize. Trust your instincts, slow down, and savour those tiny precious moments, they pass so quickly.
And focus on your own journey. Comparison and perfectionism steal joy. We are all just doing our best, and real life is beautifully imperfect.
Finally, what’s next for you and Ariblake?
2026 will be a big year for Ariblake. Building a business as a mother has challenged and transformed me in ways I never expected. It’s the hardest and most fulfilling project I’ve ever worked on.
We’re launching a new collection that I truly believe will change how parents experience babywearing, and we’re developing a philanthropic partnership that deeply aligns with our mission of supporting children’s development within the first three years of life.
Working on Ariblake is truly my way of designing my dream life, and I’ve never felt more aligned.
