Meet Laura, the Founder of White Elm and mom to two little girls! Laura created White Elm in 2012 and has been designing bags, managing her business, and working on developing new ways to stay organized as a working mom ever since. She loves building relationships with her customers and understanding the way people use their bags to continue making improvements and releasing colors she knows people will love. As a mom and business owner, Laura wears several different hats. Therefore, she needs a lot of space and options for organization, which is how she knows you as a customer need that too. I asked Laura about bags she has at her house, and her response was, “Well, I don’t own any other bags, White Elm is all you need." She is right. With the wide variety of styles, colors, and sizes that White Elm provides, you truly can pack it all. Let’s see what Laura packs in her work bag as a working mom.

Things she packs:

Ara Convertible Crossbody Clutch

Laura packs her White Elm Black Nylon Ara inside of her Black Nylon Gemini for errands she may need to run throughout her busy days. Inside of her Ara, she packs her Dusty Rose Starla Wallet, lipstick, hair tie, pen, lotion, and ibuprofen. Essentials for things you may need while out and about.

Maia Cosmetic Bag

Every day-to-day work bag deserves a space allotted to travel cosmetic items you may reach for throughout the day, and for Laura, she uses her Black Maia Cosmetic Bag. Inside of her Maia, she packs her lip gloss, mints, anti-bacterial, feminine products, and more lotion.

Sweater

Laura always brings a sweater in her bag just in case she lands herself in a cold office meeting throughout the day. 

Keys

Everyone has a set of keys they need on hand. This is why the bags from White Elm have an attached keyring inside of the bag so your keys never get lost. Laura found with her busy lifestyle of picking up her kids, running errands, or making deadlines as a business owner, no one should waste time on losing their keys. The keyring is a lifesaver. 

Checkbook

Very important for Laura as a business owner to keep her checkbook handy!

Measuring Tape

One of the most important tools Laura keeps in her day-to-day bag is her measuring tape. This is a great tip for designers. Laura is always working on new styles and finding practical sizes for bags she wants to deliver from White Elm. 

Pen

You never know when you might need to sign a check, take a note, or give approval on your kid’s field trip form, so it is always important to keep pens handy.

Folders

Laura fills her folders with important documents like invoices and new design sketches. It is important for her to have those folders with her wherever she goes just in case she needs to reference them in a meeting.

Notebook

In addition to her folders filled with important documents, Laura must have a notebook on her at all times for meetings and quick notes. 

Sunglasses

Laura keeps her sunglasses on her at all times! It is hot in Texas and being able to grab them quickly is important.

Coffee Cup/Tumbler/Water Bottle

Laura always has either her travel coffee cup, tumbler, or water bottle on her. It is much easier to stay hydrated and caffeinated throughout the day when you have a bag that has the space to hold your cups. The Gemini can hold water bottles up to 64 oz. Check out our FAQ page for even more info on our bags!

Umbrella

You never know when a little afternoon shower may pop up! And White Elm makes it so you can always be prepared.

Phone

Grabbing for your phone should never be a hassle. Laura is able to easily grab her phone as she keeps it in the front zipper pocket of her bag. 

I hope you enjoyed getting to know what Laura packs in her day-to-day work bag as the Founder of White Elm and mom of two. We would love to hear from you about your day-to-day work bag and highlight you on our blog! If you love your White Elm bag for work and want to share your working mom story, email us at elise@shopwhiteelm.com. Enjoy your day and happy packing!