Bold Mom Rebecca Rabson of SmartSeat Chair Protectors (pb&j Discoveries, LLC) has two very energetic, adorable, and messy boys! She saw a need for “simple solutions to everyday problems that are safe, affordable and reusable” so she created a dining chair cover. It is soft-to-the-touch, yet waterproof, stain resistant, washable and toxin-free (which is always nice). I was instantly interested as my current chair cover situation was begging for improvement. I had been using one of those clear vinyl covers that ties on over the chair. But I never trusted it so I’d combine it with a dishtowel and a micro-suede chair cover. All of which were constantly coming off when Zach sat, knelt, stood, and squirmed during meals and craft time. Becky sent me a SmartSeat cover last week and I couldn’t be more pleased. Not only does it look a hundred times better than the other “protection”, but it hasn’t budged in over a week! Thank you so much for sending this, Becky!

Bold Mom Renee's dining chair before and after using the SmartSeat

Needless to say, this mom-inventor is super busy developing and promoting her products yet she still places family time as number one. I’ve asked Becky to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Rebecca of SmartSeat Chair Protectors

Mom-Inventor of the SmartSeat | Married | Mother of 2 | Newton, MA

The Big Idea

My boys are my inspiration! I came up with the idea for the SmartSeat Chair Protector when we renovated our dining room and bought our first nice dining room set. I wanted to eat meals together as a family, but didn’t want my very cute, but messy kids to ruin my new chairs. I looked but couldn’t find an attractive, waterproof protective cover. I didn’t want a sticky vinyl cover that flopped over the seat and squeaked when sat on. If you’ve got kids, then you know how much they hate sticky plastic seat covers! And, having purchased upholstery that I loved, I didn’t want a slipcover that would completely change the look of the chairs. The SmartSeat Chair Protector was my solution: a discreet, attractive, waterproof protective cover for upholstered dining room and kitchen chairs.

The Biggest Fear

I think that my biggest fear was investing our own money into the company! When we first got started, we didn’t know whether SmartSeat Chair Protectors would sell. It was very scary to put some of our savings into the company. Though we haven’t yet been able to repay ourselves, it is encouraging to see the business grow every month. I’m hopeful (and optimistic) that things will continue in this positive direction.

The Biggest Challenge

I think that the biggest challenge for any working mother is managing the balance between work and caring for family. I love being a stay-at-home mom and didn’t really intend to go back to work. It was only after friends and family started giving me positive feedback on my chair covers that my husband encouraged me to look into what it might take to have them made for sale. I’m pleased to say that, for the most part, I’m able to work while the boys are in school and then give them my full attention when they come home from school. I feel very lucky to have a flexible job and recognize what a blessing it is to be my own boss and work from home. But I also think it helps that I try to stay positive. There are definitely days when I feel like I haven’t been there fully for my kids, or that some thing for work fell through the cracks—and those days are real downers. But if you dwell on the rough days, you can’t move forward or enjoy the days when you feel like a rock star! I think that it is really important to be grateful and enjoy whatever is good in your life, particularly the little things.

The Biggest Joy

I love hearing positive feedback from customers! The best part of my day is definitely exchanging emails or calls with people who have used my product. It is so great to hear when someone has used our product in an unexpected or unusual way.

Recent Boldness

Recently, we started to increase production and began looking for other places to sell the SmartSeat Chair Protector. I’m proud to say that the SmartSeat Chair Protector is now being sold on BabyAge.com, and on several mom-owned boutique websites, including Berry Best Moms, The Busy Mom Boutique, and The InnoShop.

Thanks, Becky! If you haven’t checked out Becky’s website yet, please do. Make sure to watch the video of this ingenious mama demonstrating her product. She also has a blog that chronicles her successes, features SmartSeat reviews, and shares interesting articles about parenting. I can tell you from experience that this product is dynamite and I’m excited that it’s another example of a Mom that dared to be bold—and is benefiting from the results!

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Bold Mom Kim Roberts of Pretty Keepsakes gets to escape into a world of fairies, princesses and all things girly—and get’s paid for it! She started out crafting keepsakes (too good to be called “favors”) for her daughter’s parties and the hobby turned *poof* into a career! Her creations are sought out by birthday-planning mommies, brides who want something special for their flower girls, and any gift-giver who has a girly-girl to please. Cue the sparkles! I’ve asked Kim to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Kim of Pretty Keepsakes

Party Keepsakes Maker | Married | Mother of  2 | Anthem, AZ

The Big Idea

I’ll give you a little background on myself which will eventually lead to how the idea for my business began. I have to admit that I go overboard with my kids’ birthday parties. I don’t mean overboard on expense, I mean overboard on the little things that I know will mean so much to my kids-the special little things that only a Mom would know about her child. Coming up with the ideas that are specific to what my son or daughter is really into at the time of their birthday gives me great joy.  I feel that it shows them how well I know that and how special I think that they are.

Last year, my daughter Ava turned 4. She just loves pink, flowers, princesses and glitter just like most 4 year old girls do. I absolutely love this age group and I wanted to take advantage of it because it’s such a magical and fairytale-like time. We had the party outdoors and I wanted it to have the fairytale feel with tulle draped over the chairs and tables, flowers on the table tops, lots of ribbon, glitter and so forth. I wanted party favors to go along with this vision. I didn’t want the standard party favor junk. I wanted something that was pretty and that was great quality so that it would essentially thank them for joining us at her party,  become a keepsake from the party, and I also wanted something that the girls would really love to play with over a long period of time. All of the girls were coming dressed up as their favorite princess, so it only seemed fitting to have magical wands. I wanted a pretty wand with flowers and tulle and ribbon, so I made the first flower wand!

I ended up placing the wands across the girls’ place settings and they were exactly what I was looking for! They completed the theme of the party, they were an added decoration and the girls were playing with them well before we ever sat down to eat! The girls are still using the wands to play dress-up, for Halloween and as décor in their rooms. I love it!

The Biggest Fear

I consider myself to be pretty lucky in the fear department. I am one of those people who likes to jump right in and deal with the problems if they actually arise. This type of attitude tends to drive a lot of people crazy, but I just think that if I can prevent something “bad” from occurring, I will try to prevent it. If I can’t do anything about something but worry about it, it’s a waste of my time and I just block it out of my mind. Consequently, I haven’t had any real fear so far.

The Biggest Challenge

The beauty of this job in regard to balancing work and family is that I find it easy to involve my kids in my work.  My kids love to help me pick out new flowers, sort the flowers, pick the flowers off of their stems and they offer me invaluable feedback on my newest designs/ideas! They are my target audience! A mom can read her children’s reactions like they were printed in big print in front of you! Two nights ago, I started to play around with making halos.  I left the unfinished one out and when my daughter woke me up the next morning with it on her head, I knew that she loved it!

The hours are also really flexible with this job, as well. My favorite time to make my items is when my kids are working on something next to me, but I can also work while my children are at school, while they are in bed, and so forth.

The Biggest Joy

The biggest joy that I find from my company is that instead of tearing me away from my family, it actually keeps us closer. There really isn’t anything better than that, is there? I also really love being a part of someone else’s special day. To be a part of someone’s wedding or special party means a lot to me. It’s a great compliment and I am thrilled to offer people something that I couldn’t find elsewhere.

Recent Boldness

I was an assistant teacher and I recently relinquished myself from that commitment—I quit. Although I loved working with kids, it was not leaving enough time for me to be the Mom that I want to be or to run my company the way I want to. Once I had a more flexible schedule, I focused on planning activities for my family, volunteering in my kids’ classes, catching up around the house and I am going to build my product line and work on advertising for my company.

Thanks, Kim! If you haven’t checked out Kim’s Etsy shop yet, please do. She has bouquets, wands, hair accessories and even wand and ring-bearer pillow sets that are so, well, pretty!

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Bold Mom Amanda of Fairy Bubbles joined forces with her daughter, Liz, (and sometimes her mother and granddaughter) to make pretty, yummy, wonderful soap products that bring a sense of magic to their sometimes-less-than-magical day jobs as law enforcement professionals. They’ve been featured on many blogs and websites and this past November were featured on HGTV! Congratulations, ladies! I’ve asked Amanda to describe her experiences in being a bold mom, grandmother and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Amanda of Fairy Bubbles

Spa Products Maker | Married | Mother of 3, Grandmother of 2 | Texas City, TX

The Big Idea

I really didn’t have just one. But the initial idea wasto move to the middle of nowhere and become self sufficient. This idea, happy to say is still ongoing and doing well. A couple of years ago my daughter Liz and I spent some time learning how to make soap and slowly it has blossomed into the Fairy Bubbles you see today. I must give credit to my husband, Charles, who is yet another face behind us. “Master Go-fer”, he does lots of what-nots, postal runs, and most importantly keeps me sane.

A tidbit that many are unaware of is that Fairy Bubbles is actually a branch off of my first etsy shop Wishing Creek, which is a collective consisting of me, Liz, and my mother “Grandmother Dot”, and is originally where we started. When our soap was selling well locally but not so well online, a good friend suggested that we move the soap into a stand-alone bath and beauty shop.

The name Fairy Bubbles comes from a day I spent blowing bubbles with my granddaughter I said, “Look at all the bubbles, Mirtha, they’re magic!” and out of the blue she stated, “Yeah grandma, fairy bubbles!” and that is how our “Magical Little Soap Shop” was born.

The Biggest Fear

“If it doesn’t enhance your life, you shouldn’t be investing yourself in it” —A. Michel. This is my biggest fear with Fairy Bubbles. We currently enjoy what we do… we would love to do this full time… but can we continue grow and support ourselves without losing the magic?

The Biggest Challenge

Anyone who knows me well knows I wear many hats. My professional career in a law enforcement related field for the last 18 years has been a product of the “have to” in life. It is what I do, it is not who I am. It is not glamorous like on TV, but it has paid the bills and provided for my family. To combat my discontentment in the career, I have squeezed in the titles of screenwriter, amateur house builder, farmer, and business owner. I am a challenge junkie, and seriously do not believe in the word “can’t”. My daughter, Liz, also out of necessity, has gone into the law enforcement field. Most parents are thrilled when one of the children wants to follow in their footsteps… however I want better for her. So now that Fairy Bubbles has really picked up and started to profit, I look at the business being hers eventually. And therefor I have been involving her more and more as the business has grown.

We have even considered bringing Mirtha when she is old enough.

The Biggest Joy

Both Liz and I are in love with the idea that we get to make people happy! At our law enforcement jobs we do not get to give or experience much joy—in fact they’re quite negative and drain the soul. Which is why crafting and art has always been entwined into our personal lives—it is a release to create something beautiful!

It’s thrilling to receive an email about how much someone loved our product. Or an inquiry about getting a feature on a blog such as this… thank you, Renée. I actually try to imagine (the writer in me) the customer opening my package and giving a sigh of relief and a smile. It really touches my soul, it really isn’t all about money.

Recent Boldness

In November of 2010, our Pink Cherry Bombs were featured on HGTV. I cannot adequately describe the sense of accomplishment that was felt seeing our product on national TV… awesome isn’t even close! Since then, we have really opened up to a slue of business ideas. So there are lots and lots of new product ideas being hashed out behind scenes—including setting up our own place on the web… which is coming along nicely.

Our Men’s Shave Kit is just beginning so to speak. It is already in the works to brand while not branding our products for men. It will be tricky, to do less branding for them and keep the Fairy Bubbles…We are going to make shopping with us more personalized, that’s all I am going to leak for now.

Thanks, Amanda! If you haven’t checked out Amanda & Liz’s Etsy shop yet, please do. While you’re there, head on over to her other Etsy shop, Wishing Creek, for hand-knitted and hand-tooled items for your wardrobe and home. The Lola Scarflette is my fave!

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Bold Mom Rebecca of Apple & Ivy is a busy lady! The father and son matching silk tie set she made 3 years ago has turned into an accessories empire! Her collections are sought out by brides-to-be and trendy mommies which keeps the online store, Etsy shop, and retail boutiques she supplies always needing more. She makes all the products herself when her son is at pre-school which is two mornings a week, then when he is down for a nap, and at night when he goes to bed. She says that it’s hard for her to sit and relax so she just creates! I’ve asked Rebecca to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Rebecca of Apple & Ivy

Accessories Designer | Married | Mother of a 3yo | Winter Park, FL

The Big Idea

I came up with my first necktie set in June of 2008. My son was being Baptized and I wanted a little necktie for his reception. I also thought it would be a nifty if his tie matched the tie of his dad, my husband. I searched for a matching necktie set but came up short. A few I found were cotton, but that didn’t seem as special as silk, particularly for this occasion. After all dead-ends, I decided to make a matching silk necktie myself.  Prototypes lay all over our living room before I found a design and method that worked beautifully. The necktie set was the hit of the party. I had orders before I even had a store! In August of 2009, I officially opened Apple & Ivy with five necktie designs.

The Biggest Fear

My biggest fear was branching out into my new product lines.  The success of my matching silk line felt “safe”, and I worried the same success couldn’t be translated into new creative tangents. Thankfully, they’ve all been incredibly well received by my customers and new customers arrive every day. That’s given me the confidence to indulge my love of new ideas and being creative. Landing on my feet helped me overcome that initial fear, and I now believe it’s best to take the risks that feel right. Explore new opportunities; you’ll never know where they’ll lead!

The Biggest Challenge

It has been difficult balancing the work I love with my love of taking care of my family. As soon as I find an equilibrium, I get a new idea and work feverishly again to see it through. I simply can’t seem to turn off the creative bug. I’ve become good at getting a lot done in a short amount of time, so when my son sleeps I become an Apple & Ivy machine.

The Biggest Joy

The biggest joy is seeing the photos customers share with me. I love seeing my products make people happy, or feel special. I also like getting emails from customers telling me how much they enjoyed receiving something I’ve created.

Recent Boldness

Without a doubt, I’ve felt oh, so bold creating my most recent new products. I used to focus on matching items that stemmed from neckties, like headbands for the little girls and earrings for the moms. Lately, I’ve branched off and create completely new products like my pearl necklaces, clutches and shoe clips. It was a bold step for me to take as my company has always been based in matching silk items, but my customers are loving the new products… and that’s what I care about!

Thanks, Rebecca! If you haven’t checked out Rebecca’s Etsy shop yet, please do. There are silk collections of every color and pattern imaginable as well as a bunch more ties, jewelry, handbags and shoe clips! Oh, and the wool berets with flower accents—stunning!

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Bold Mom Amy of Adorn with A & M doesn’t do anything small. She likes to go big! She has seven, yes, seven kids, works full-time at a Physical Therapy clinic, and co-owns her own in-home business where she makes several different types of craft items. Her Etsy shop currently has over 200 items for sale and has sold over 600 since it opened in 2008. I’ve asked Amy to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Amy of Adorn with A & M

Crafter | Married | Mother of  7 | Magdalena, NM

The Big Idea

Originally Adorn with A & M was started because two friends were going to be separated and it was a way to keep them connected. My friend Marnie moved from New Mexico to Utah… and since we had been doing craft fairs together for years, it made sense for us to have a “craft shop” together. I also at that time lost the only other stay-at-home mom I knew in my area and really needed a social outlet. Etsy has helped me with that quite a bit! I mostly made rag rugs and scrubbies.

Early last year I had someone on Etsy ask me to make her a chalkboard tablecloth and some travel chalkboard mats. And that is how the chalkboard mats started and wow, did they take off. It was lots of fun for me, too, since before I had been purchasing fabric in bulk, looking for as inexpensive as I can get—no matter what the print was. Now I can buy super fun prints and boy, oh boy, have I! I have also really enjoyed making my sock monkeys. I just don’t have enough time to make as many as I would like!

The Biggest Fear

I wear a lot of hats: Mother of 7 children (SIX boys, one lonely girl), part owner of Etsy shop, Secretary/Treasurer of a Physical Therapy clinic, chauffeur, peacemaker, house cleaner, music teacher… really… I could go on and on! So my biggest fear has been wondering if I would be able to manage all of my different jobs. It has been challenging, I have to admit, but so worth it! I LOVE all of my different jobs (ok… not the house cleaning OR the cooking)!

The Biggest Challenge

My biggest challenge is having time for everything. I honestly make myself a list and then a schedule EVERY morning. That is the only way I feel like I can get everything done. I have some pretty darn good kids, too! That surely helps! They all have jobs to do around the house and they love to help each other out! It is so nice that they all get along!

The Biggest Joy

I LOVE that I can create something for someone and that they are willing to pay for it… and use it! Maybe sounds silly but it really makes me feel great!

Recent Boldness

I would have to say the most bold thing I have done recently is taking on a second job in addition to my at-home business. I’m now the Secretary/Treasurer at my husband’s Physical Therapy clinic in a small town 30 miles from our house. I am VERY particular about numbers and finances and he insisted that no one else would do a better job! I am still learning but do love it! It’s just one more thing to juggle in my life! Life is good and I am SO very blessed!

Thanks, Amy! If you haven’t checked out Amy’s Etsy shop yet, please do. Her travel chalkboard mats would be great to bring on a long trip or to a restaurant!

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Bold Mom Yudelca of Whitesuggar’s Creations started making bows for her daughter just for fun. When she learned about Etsy, the place to buy and sell all things handmade, she decided to turn her hobby into a business. And it’s been nothing but sweet success! When she’s not making her cute creations, she’s busy doing her own marketing, blogging and is very active promoting her business on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve asked Yudelca to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Yudelca of Whitesuggar’s Creations

BowMaker | Married | Mother of a 2yo | Cliffside Park, NJ

The Big Idea

It all started two years ago, with the birth of my princess, Sadie. She inspired me to create hair accessories for her. I tried to search for bows and accessories everywhere at affordable prices but couldn’t get what I really wanted for my little princess. As a stay-at-home mom, I started to do some research on how to create bows and where to get supplies, etc. I said to myself: “This shouldn’t be so hard”. So I started creating and I loved it. My dear husband and friends loved how cute my daughter looked with the accessories. I came across Etsy and did my research and gave it a shot! To my surprise, I got a sale the 2nd night I opened my shop. This inspired me even more. And now, 1 year later, I can say I have a home business which I owe entirely to my dear husband and daughter.

The Biggest Fear

My biggest fear was not being able to manage my time between the business, husband and daughter. Fortunately, I have become more organized and have better time management. I can’t say it was easy. At the beginning, I would spend weekends working on creating new hair clips while my dear husband took care of my princess. God bless him for that. I realized weekends were supposed to be all about family, so I tried working weeknights when the baby was sleeping. This was such a huge change in my business and life. I was able to create bows without the need of sacrificing quality time with my family. I started planning ahead and writing down all my ideas. These changes helped me get much better time management and I’ve kept it up. I still create daily tasks and try to stick to them which allows me to complete everything in a shorter period of time without forgetting anything important or sacrificing my time with family.

The Biggest Challenge

As stated above, the biggest challenge was time management. Being organized and determined are key to having a happy family and successful business.

The Biggest Joy

The biggest joy is when my customers express how happy they are with their purchases and how cute their little princesses look with my items. There isn’t a bigger joy than having happy customers.

Recent Boldness

The biggest boldness was attempting to learn how to create larger bows and different techniques to add to my creations. I used to only create hair clips mainly for newborns and infants. Now that my daughter Sadie is growing, I decided to create accessories specially for toddlers and bigger girls including beanies, headbands, funky loopy bows and big boutique style bows. I am so happy my customers are loving them.

Thanks, Yudelca! If you haven’t checked out Yudelca’s Etsy shop yet, please do and get 10% off using the code 10OFF. You may also want to visit her at her blog—there are so many treasures for little girly girls on it! I also want to recognize the photographer who took the beautiful pictures of the baby and girl in the feature image of this post: Melanie Alvarez of Papergirl Press. Stunning!

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Bold Mom Susan “Suze” Bailey and daughter Meredith “Mud” of RAGGEDedge Gear started making bags out of sailcloth when Mud was just a kid. Now the two have turned this hobby into a successful business that has gotten them through some tough times and has brought them closer together. Suze is an amazing seamstress and Mud is following in her footsteps. Their products are beautifully designed and built from unique materials such as sailcloth, Kevlar and carbon fiber. Their love for art and design, as well as a passion for local, hand-made goods is apparent in everything they do. I’ve asked them to describe their experiences in being bold mother/daughter business partners.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Suze of RAGGEDedge Gear*

Entrepreneur | Master Seamstress | Mother of 2 | Recently Divorced | Floyd, Virginia

* Written by Bold Daughter: Mud of RAGGEDedge Gear

The Big Idea

The idea for RAGGEDedge started by accident, probably close to 12 years ago now. We started sailing, my mom was always trying new stuff with her sewing machine, and one day she just decided to make me a backpack out of used sails for my birthday—and that was the very first RAGGEDedge bag. Fast forward 10 years, November 2008, and we found ourselves at a crossroads. We were both working dead end jobs for a paycheck and working on RAGGEDedge in our spare time. We wanted more. We didn’t want to leave the “what ifs” on the table. It was time to take RAGGEDedge seriously and try and make it into a viable business.

We have always worked well together as a family. My mom was the director of a sailing center for a while, and both my brother and I, as well as her husband at the time, worked there too. It had been a dream in the back of our minds to have a family business of our some day. And that became RAGGEDedge—at least for my mom and I.

The Biggest Fear

That’d we’d spend a lot of money, be even more in debt then when we started, and have nothing to show for it. That we would have to go back and get “real” jobs because we ran out of money before we got RAGGEDedge off the ground. And that almost happened. We were within one month of not having the money to pay the bills, literally, and then one good review on a fairly well read blog seemed to turn everything around for us. It reminded us of Seth Godin’s concept of “The Dip.”

What we learned is that its OK to be scared. Its OK to be thinking of Plan B, or C, or D, especially if that is what makes it possible for us to keep moving forward. But what is most important, is to keep moving forward. And make sure that it is forward—and not sideways, or backwards. A close friend of mine is in the Marines, and he introduced us to the term OODAloop, which is now a concept that has become a natural part of the way we think about the business. It keeps us going in the right direction.

The Biggest Challenge

Our biggest challenge is routine, efficiency, and structure. Basically, we don’t have it. We are two people that just do. Nothing is set in stone every single day. We try to work 9–5, but we don’t really. We cook a gourmet lunch in the middle of the day that takes 2 hours, we go blueberry picking in the summer, or down to the swimming hole, we sleep in, go to yoga, sledding, coffee shop dates, you get the idea. It probably drives our dogs insane, but it seems to keep us pretty happy.

The Biggest Joy

As I just mentioned above – the flexibility it affords us. But not only in what we do everyday, but also in how we think. We get to act on our ideas, which is huge for us.

Recent Boldness

We are learning how to stick to our guns and say “NO”. Neither one of us are hard-nosed business negotiators. It’s just not us. We don’t even bargain at the flea market or a yard sale. So one of the toughest things for both of us is negotiating larger wholesale orders. The first large company to approach us about selling our products just made us starry eyed. We didn’t ask enough questions and we made some bad decisions. But we learned a lot. And we have continued to learn a lot since then. We used to stress about each deal that didn’t work out, now we just get excited about the ones that do—and we don’t count our chickens before they hatch.

BONUS QUESTION: What’s it like running a business with your mom?

The very first time we worked together, I was actually in charge! I had been teaching sailing to children in a summer camp environment for 4 or 5 years, and the first year I was a lead instructor, my mom was basically my assistant. The hardest part then, for me, was earning the respect of the parents. And I have found, even now, that because I work with my mother, some people still feel the need to treat me like the lesser partner, even when it’s made clear that that is not the case.

We had our falling out around the end of high school, mostly due to a lack of trust. But it was just in time for me to go off to college for two years and pretty much not come home. Once I established that I could hold my own, and I had that message to fall back on, we came to an understanding. Basically, I call the mom card whenever I feel like she is being mom-like, and she stops. It would be interesting to hear her side of that.

I wrote my thesis paper about how I am infinitely, and will forever be, my mother’s daughter. And I think that still holds true. But in the business, we have learned that we work very differently and we respect those differences. She likes to have 12 different projects going at one time, hopping seamlessly from one to the next, with no real concern for finishing any particular one at any given time. I can’t stand starting one project before I’ve finished another, mostly because I lose track of where I was, and forget that it’s not done. I am not a multi-tasker, which was a surprise for me to realize. I also can’t talk on the phone, and listen to a conversation with my other ear, and have any idea what anybody said.

For the most part, we balance each other. I have little desire to be organized in other aspects of my life, but I work clean. Cut pieces are kept in clipped piles with labels, materials get put away, tools hung up. On the contrary, she makes her bed every morning, likes a clean house, and a clean kitchen, but her work area is a disaster. I instituted detailed day to day accounting, because I like it and it helps me with marketing and planning to know what we sell. She doesn’t have the patience for that, but she does the big stuff like end of the month reports and taxes. I take care of most of the customer service, she deals with most of our suppliers. After writing that out, it sounds like its pretty well divided, and we have our set jobs, but it isn’t a hard and fast dividing line. We float back and forth as necessary. I guess it works, because we have found what we like and what we’re good at, and we aren’t fighting over anything. We get that we’re in it together. Every once and a while we have to draw straws about something, but not too often.

Thanks, Suze and Mud! If you haven’t checked out RaggedEdge’s Etsy shop yet, please do! I did. And I bought my hubs the orange Kevlar Card Sleeve ID Wallet for Christmas! He loves it. It’s so thin and lightweight! Oh, and check out Mud’s 2 blogs: Mudlyart and OOreGoods, too!

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Bold Mom Rachel Wolf of LüSa Organics used to be an environmental educator. She gave up that career to raise her family but she never gave up her passion for the environment. She started a business creating organic body care products including special products for expecting mothers and babies. And the company donates 10% of sales to organizations generating positive global change. The now husband and wife team have been so successful that they can spend their days together homeschooling their two kids and creating their wonderful products. With an in-home business, a handful of employees, and homeschooling duties Rachel somehow still finds time to write her successful blog, Clean. I’ve asked Rachel to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Rachel of LüSa Organics

Handcrafter of organic body care and baby care | Blogger | Crafty homeschooling mama of 2 | Married | Viroqua, WI

The Big Idea

LuSa Organics began as a hobby that played out in the background of my life while I worked in my career as an environmental educator. When I became a mama I quit my job to focus on motherhood and eventually found time for my baby business as well. After several years of staying home with our son Sage while my husband worked we wondered: what would it take to be together all of the time? We were expecting our second child and were tired of all the time apart that marked our son’s early years. By the time our daughter Lupine was born Pete had quit his job to join me in the body care business and LüSa Organics (named after our two kids) was born. It has been four years and we have never looked back.

The Biggest Fear

I kept working at a job that I liked but did not love for years because of fear: how will we manage financially if I quit my paying job to start my business? When I finally found the courage to quit (for my son, not my business) I reflected on how much easier it would have been to start a business without a baby in my arms. That realization has made me all the bolder when jumping blindly into something that feels right. I’ve learned to trust my intuition and go with my gut, even if other think my decisions are unconventional.

The Biggest Challenge

We homeschool our two children, ages 8 and 4 and run a home-based business with several employees. Add to that my writing a daily natural lifestyle blog and my plate is pretty full! For me the biggest challenge has been to stay focused on whatever task is before me: whether it be homeschooling, marketing, writing, or making a home. And every day I remind myself to work during work time and parent fully and presently when I’m not clocked in.

The Biggest Joy

Oh, to pick just one! There are dozens. Seeing our young business succeed and to remember that it all came out of my head is a big high for me. And to be together as a family each and every day as we create products that nourish and heal people—body and soul—fills me with gratitude.

Recent Boldness

I just began working on my first book, and with all that I am juggling that feels pretty darn bold! I am carving out space in my free time for writing and can’t wait to get my first chapter under my belt.

Thanks, Rachel! If you haven’t checked out Rachel’s blog yet, please do! I can’t get over the photography on it—expertly composed. She has such a warm and cozy aesthetic. And there are some great ideas on here for crafty projects to do with your kids. It’s worth a daily visit! And if you’re interested in trying some of her products use the coupon code “hello” and receive a free lip balm with your first LüSa Organics order! (Add a lip balm of your choice to your basket.) I’m interested in trying the Soap of the Month Club—what a fun idea!

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Bold Mom Josie Marsh of Wooly Baby left her engineering career to be a stay-at-home mom. Soon after, she was inspired by her daughter to begin upcycling old used sweaters and leather into the most beautiful handmade eco-friendly slippers. The process involves thrift-shopping, felting, designing and a lot of cutting and sewing. Josie makes a huge effort to be environmentally conscious in all aspects of her process including pattern and packaging paper, laundry soap and even website hosting. She also donates slipper “seconds” to charity. And like many small business owners she does her own photography, marketing, sales and social networking. I’ve asked Josie to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Josie of Wooly Baby

Creator/owner/designer of Wooly Baby slippers | Married | Mother of 1|Kennett Square, PA

The Big Idea

I wanted some high-topped, wool, leather-bottomed slippers for my daughter when she was learning to walk and I couldn’t find any commercially.  My mom had given me a diaper cover made from a felted sweater, which gave me the idea of making my own slippers.

The Biggest Fear

I haven’t had too many fears in this journey of my business. These days, I am always fearing that I’m going to get overwhelmed by my business, but I am making plans to solve that fear for next year.

The Biggest Challenge

Balancing work and family is definitely a huge challenge, especially when your work is in your house! I’ve tried to dedicate separate time for family and for work and stick to that. My daughter also goes to pre-school 3 days a week, which she loves, giving me a few big chunks of time to work.

The Biggest Joy

I love sitting down with a new (to me) sweater to see what I can create from it (and how many pair I can make from it). And I love hearing feedback from customers.

Recent Boldness

My husband was really against me offering slippers for adults, but I forged ahead and have been happy with that decision so far.

Thanks, Josie! If you haven’t checked out Josie’s Etsy shop yet, please do! Her slippers are great for daycare, preschool, the library, car trips, light outdoor use, and sleeping! Wooly Baby slippers have been featured in several books, magazines and websites. Recently Josie’s super sweet purple Mary-Jane slippers were featured at Craftzine.com in their holiday gift guide. Congrats!

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Bold Mom Mariah Haney of Baby ala Mode makes stellar clothes for one-of-a-kind kids. She hand-paints all her shirts using various stencils that she’s created. She admits that it’s time consuming but worth the look of a hand-made item—and way more customizable. Mariah is beyond busy hand-making clothes for local baby and children’s boutiques as well as her 2 Etsy shops. And to top it off,  she’s a military wife raising 2 young girls! I’ve asked Mariah to describe her experiences in being a bold mom and business owner.

Enjoy!

Bold Mom: Mariah of Baby ala Mode

Designer and Creator of Kids Clothing | Military Wife | Mother of 2 | Originally from Seattle but “Home is where the Navy sends us!”

The Big Idea

My daughter, my sewing, what a combo! When I had my daughter I quit my job. Now I had tons of time to fill with my true love… sewing and crafting! I changed the focus of my sewing to my new joy, my baby girl. Once I got some attention for the outfits I made for her, I started making multiples and selling them to a local boutique… mainly so I could afford to make more. I have two daughters now and the second one is yet another inspiration for new ideas every day.

The Biggest Fear

At first my biggest fear was that I would get too big (or overly committed) and not be able to handle it and my family at the same time. How bold is that, believing that I would get too big! Hilarious! I go at my own pace and only do what I can. I don’t set deadlines for myself because my family comes first and my projects are secondary, I complete them when I am inspired and able. After all, I am my own boss now!

The Biggest Challenge

Time, space, money, the list goes on! I’m not that great at managing it all, I just make it look like I am, it’s all a show! My house is in constant project mayhem, my sewing and crafting is always stacked up on every surface. Carving out time to work is a constant struggle, it is difficult to stop in the middle of a project too because my youngest is up from her nap, but my family is my priority and any project can wait. I organize in my own unique way, and try to stay on top of my business, but what I really need is a whole craft room designed and decked out by Martha Stewart. Just don’t drop by my house unannounced!

The Biggest Joy

When I sell something I get fired up, motivated, and re-energized. Someone out there likes my creations! That is why I do it again and again. Need I say more?

Recent Boldness

I started another small business with another bold mom, “Ticky Tavy”!  As if I have time… but I couldn’t help myself!! We joined forces and started selling tutu outfits on etsy and to boutiques in VA. I make all the t-shirts and she makes the tutus. It’s re-energized me and got my mind going yet again. Ahh, the joys of being a bold MOMtrepreneur!

Thanks, Mariah! If you haven’t checked out Mariah’s Etsy shop yet, please do! You may find yourself trying to to come up with a gift recipient just so you have an excuse to buy something.

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