Becoming a parent and raising kids is an incredible time in your life, but a busy one. And while there are few things more amazing than seeing your partner dive into parenthood, it can be tough seeing your relationship be put on the back burner. That’s why The Local Moms Network is thrilled to share our newest relationship secret weapon, the Cupla app.
Created by Erika and Will Palmer, an Auckland, New Zealand-based couple, it merges calendars, shares schedules, allows you to chat privately, and helps you create events and dates that easily sync. Translation: date night (and your relationship) becomes something that won’t slip through the cracks.
We asked Erika, who shares three wonderful kids with her husband Will, to tell us more about their Cupla app (which has already surpassed 100,000 downloads!) and how it’s keeping couples connected through all the craziness of parenthood.
Want to try the Cupla app? Get three months free using code LOCALMOMS.
How do you describe Cupla to anyone not yet familiar?
In a nutshell – Cupla is an app built for couples, by a couple (Will and I!). Built in collaboration with a relationship expert & backed by research – the tools on Cupla have been created to help couples manage life admin easily so they can prioritize date nights and connection. This includes a shared calendar, collaborative to-dos list, messaging feature and date planner thoughtfully integrated in one app.
Can you share a bit about what you and Will were doing prior to launching Cupla?
I was the founder and creative director of a music concept and stage show touring throughout Australasia and Will was a founder of a marketing analytics business focused on the film industry. Given the nature of both of our businesses being centered around entertainment we both found ourselves with a bit more time on our hands during the pandemic; this led to us shift our focus and create Cupla, which we had been thinking about for some time.
What was the “aha” moment that set the idea in motion?
Will and I were trying to solve our own problem; we were both busy and struggling to manage our schedules and feel like we were on top of things. Double bookings were commonplace, missed appointments, things were starting to slip through the cracks. We also loved doing date nights together, but months could fly by and it was just like we had forgotten about spending time on us as a couple… altogether!
Cupla was born out of the desire to empower ourselves, and couples everywhere, with the tools to remove the friction caused by coordinating everyday life, so that couples like us would be able to spend more quality time together.
Do you use the app religiously?
Every day!! I typically manage our social plans so any dinners or weekend plans I will always check what Will has on before committing to anything. It’s great because with Cupla I can find out straight away using the calendar feature, without having to check and wait for a response. We also use the lists feature often; groceries and chores each have their own list which we both contribute to throughout the week. I also use the to-do lists to plan our vacations or keep a secret list of things Will talks about that might be good for gifts. And of course, the date planner; we have a date night goal of once every two weeks so I use the planner to check what we have scheduled, and thankfully the app will give me a nudge when life has gotten away from us!
The widget also lives at the top of my iPhone screen so I can always see what we have coming up that day or week at a glance.
What has the feedback been like so far?
We’ve received amazing feedback from other parents who use Cupla, often giving us new ideas on ways to iterate our app or feedback on how it’s truly changed their lives. This is especially rewarding from other busy moms like me who describe it as giving them back the gift of time in their lives, both individually and with their partners!
Some feedback from parents:
Lisa, a Working Mom:
“I love Cupla’s date planner feature. My husband and I were guilty of neglecting our relationship amidst our busy lives. With Cupla’s reminders, we’ve been having regular date nights, and it’s brought back the spark in our marriage. This app is a relationship-saver!”
Jamie Scrimgeour, stepmom:
“Between work, kids, our social lives AND our relationship – it can be hard to prioritize what matters. Coordinate and share your calendars to stay in the loop (cough cough last minute schedule changes with your stepkids), schedule date nights, and use the to-do list instead of nagging at them when they enter the door.
What’s next for Cupla?
The future looks exciting for couples and family apps like ours! The developments in AI present enormous opportunities; imagine being warned days in advance that an appointment you have across town might make it difficult for you to reach your son’s soccer practice in time? Or having a virtual assistant that was able to book restaurants or other date nights on your behalf? We are really only at the start of our journey with Cupla and see so much opportunity to make an even better product for moms and families, and believe whole-heartedly that this is such a worthy mission. We always love hearing from moms, whether they are Cupla users or not, so feel free to reach out to us and tell us what problems you want us to address, we will always respond, and your request might just become a feature in Cupla!
Want to try the Cupla app? Get three months free using code LOCALMOMS.
This story contains sponsored content.