Dallas finance attorney Erin England ditches her lawyer heels and suit and changes into a Diaper Concierge polo shirt a few times a week to refill her diaper vending machines in public restrooms at Love Field, and starting this week, at DFW International Airport.
She’s created a digital vending concept that she wished was out there when her now 6-year-old daughter Alex was in diapers.
“It’s not very glamourous, but this is my passion project, my side hustle and Alex is my muse,” England said, adding that she’s not quitting her day job anytime soon as a partner in law firm Reed Smith LLP.
But she has high hopes to install Diaper Concierge at zoos, arboretums, museums, shopping malls, or any other high-traffic family-friendly venues where it makes sense. In addition to the two North Texas airports, Diaper Concierge is installed at Gerald L. Ford Stadium at Southern Methodist University.
Her ultimate goal is Disney parks, which she said now have old clunky, opaque metal machines that take quarters. (What parent in desperate need of a clean diaper walks around with correct change?)
The Diaper Concierge machine is compact, hangs on a wall, has a touch screen and takes credit cards. The selections are diapers ($3) in three sizes, a package of 10 wipes ($3) and hand sanitizer ($4). A shrink-wrapped, sanitized diaper package includes a changing table cover and bag to dispose of the dirty diaper.
Her vending machine with the highest sales so far is in the men’s restroom at Love Field near gate 10, across from the Dallas Cowboys Club restaurant bar. England admits it’s strategically located because she’s trying to get team owner Jerry Jones’ attention.
Three other machines have been operating at Love Field since February and March 2021. They’re located in women’s restrooms at gates 5, 12 and 15. At DFW Airport, her machines are in the men’s and women’s restrooms at Gate A18.
“I’m excited to get more data,” England said. “No one is getting rich hawking diapers yet.”
Diaper Concierge machines also have display space for digital ads, and a message that the company donates one diaper for every sale to the National Diaper Bank Network.
England isn’t ready to disclose sales and advertising revenue yet. Diaper Concierge is self-funding its growth.
“We’ve never had a day without a sale,” she said.
England said she’s filling the machines three times a week with generic diapers.
The Longview native and graduate of Texas A&M and SMU Law School said she’s using North Texas as her testing ground so she can easily troubleshoot any problems.
So when did the idea for Diaper Concierge come to her? She and her husband, who is also a Dallas attorney, and their new baby were having dinner with friends at Snuffer’s in Addison.
“I had one diaper in the diaper bag and it was two sizes too small for a six-month-old baby. The wipes were all dried out and she had a code brown,” England said. “I had postpartum depression and really felt like a failure in that bathroom.”
That was then.
Now, “I am a certified woman-owned small business, and have a full-time job as a partner at a law firm,” England said.
