By Michelle Lloyd

MomsCharlotte.com

Kristen Gaines, 29, of northwest Charlotte, began Cup Your Cakes in fall 2008, a year after the birth of her son Kylan. Cup Your Cakes products have been at NASCAR, Octagon, Birthday Blessings and many other events. In addition being a very involved mom, career woman and entrepreneur, Kristen enjoys spending time with a host of family and friends, traveling, baking, entertaining, interior decorating, volunteering and overall living life to the fullest.

Q. How did Cup Your Cakes begin?

Cup Your Cakes began by turning my hobby of baking and decorating cupcakes into a business empire in the making. I have always had an interest in cupcakes, from their flavors to their decor. Once I had my son in 2007, I began brainstorming ideas to supplement my income, with the importance of deciding on something that I found pleasure in. Cupcakes were the best-brightest-yummy idea, considering my passion for them, the window to showcase my creativity, an opportunity to help make an event even more special, and plus it was evident at that cupcakes were in high demand. That’s how Cup Your Cakes was originated!

Q. Have you taken any baking classes or did you teach yourself to bake?

As of now I have not attended any baking courses, I have self taught up until this point with the help of family, friends, and good Internet tutorials. I do plan to take some baking and decorating courses in the near future.

Q. What makes Cup Your Cakes unique and different from other Charlotte cupcakes?

The moistness, variety of flavors, and creative edge sets Cup Your Cakes cupcakes aside from other cupcakes in Charlotte. Plus all those qualities are offered in giant, regular, and mini cupcakes, and not to forget lollicakes also. I consider a "dry" cupcake to be against the law in my cupcake world. A combination of creating flavorful homemade cupcakes with an eye catching presentation leaves my customers satisfied and ready to spread the word then keep them coming back for more.

Q. Do you have a bakery or work from home?

At this time, I’m cup-baking from home. Although, cupcake connoisseurs will be able to stop by a Cup Your Cakes storefront in the near future.

Q. What types of cupcakes do you make?

I make a variety of fun and delicious flavors, to name a few ... red velvet, carrot, strawberry-vanilla (Mary Ann’s), pineapple upside-down, key lime, chocolate peanut butter, coconut, orange creamsicle, eggnog, Starburst, sweet potato, and the list goes on. There is also a variety of flavorful icings to choose from to complement your cupcakes.

Q. What are lollicakes?

Lollicakes are cake pops that consist of any flavor cake that is on the menu, mixed with our delicious cream cheese icing then dipped in melting chocolate. They are perfect as favors for bridal/baby showers, weddings, and even birthday parties. It’s hard to eat only one!

Q. Can you make themed cupcakes?

Yes! I love doing themed cupcakes and put my personal twist on them. My latest themed cupcake order was for Sesame Street cupcakes that included Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird. They turned out great! I’ve also done little pigs, sock monkeys, Mickey Mouse, Cat in the Hat, and Hello Kitty.

Q. What is your son's favorite cupcake?

My son’s favorite cupcake today is orange creamsicle; it may change tomorrow!

Q. Where can we find Cup Your Cakes in Charlotte?

At this time, Cup Your Cakes products are only available through special order, unless you luck up and attend an event that they will be featured at, i.e., birthday parties, showers, expos, etc. Placing an order is as easy as 1-2-3!

Q. What types of events have you catered?

I have catered a variety of events that include weddings, sporting/corporate/organization events, bridal/baby showers, luncheons, tea parties and birthday parties.

Q. Do you deliver?

Yes, I do deliver within a certain mile radius. Additional costs may apply considering the delivery location.

You can see some of Kristen’s yummy creations at www.cupyourcakes.com. Call 704-904-0294. Or send an email. She's also on Facebook (Cup Your Cakes) and Twitter (@cupyourcakes).

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FROM OUR ARCHIVES

MEGAN CZAIKOWSKI

Megan Czaikowski, 36, from York, S.C., started Maggie Kate in 2011. Megan loves supporting local small businesses and loves working her hands, so it was a perfect fit for her to begin her own handmade jewelry company while staying home with her 3-year-old son. Q. How did Maggie Kate begin?

I've always been drawn to jewelry-making, and over the years I have acquired tools, supplies and books. I started making leather wrap bracelets a few months ago, one specifically for a very talented photog girlfriend who flipped over it and took some amazing photos of the bracelets. She and another girlfriend encouraged me like crazy to start selling them, and the rest is history!

Q. Where did you get the name?

Margaret Kathryn was my grandmother, and my grandfather used to call her Maggie Kate. I have always found the name so endearing, and if my husband and I ever have a little girl, it will be her name. Since I was saddled with quite a mouthful of a name (maiden and married! lol) I wanted something catchier and that people could actually spell. Maggie Kate fit the bill perfectly!

Q. What all do you make?

I make leather and stone wrap bracelets, sterling wire wrapped rings with pearls, silver necklace pendants of all kinds, and I hope to branch out into charm bracelets and earrings soon.

Q. What type of materials do you use?

I work with semi-precious stones, pearls, sterling silver, lead-free leather and recycled fine silver.

Q. How did you get into making jewelry?

My love of all things hand-crafted started when I was young. I was really lucky to have tons of family around me creating things and sharing their knowledge with me. Even my Dad was super crafty and used to hand-paint gorgeous hair barrettes and furniture for me when I was a little girl. Another relative used to make beautiful silver rings with lost wax. I adored the idea that you could create whatever you wanted for yourself, but I wasn't ready for the investment required for lost wax. Over the years, I've dabbled in different kinds of jewelry and my drive to just create things from scratch, no matter what the material. I sew, I cook, I paint, I photograph, I make things out of wood. It puts things right in my world. I've been making things for a while, but just decided recently to start making jewelry for others to bring in some extra income and still allow me to be home with my son.

Q. Do you make custom gifts?

I love to make custom gifts. If you can imagine it, I'm pretty sure I can make it! It's so much fun to be able to create something that someone has been dreaming about!

Q. How long does it take to get something custom made?

My usual turnaround is a few days depending on the item. If I have to design something from scratch and/or order materials, that would of course add to the time.

Q. What is your favorite piece?

I think my favorite piece right now is the fortune cookie. It's an adorable little silver fortune cookie with a custom fortune. As long as the message will fit on the tag, you can pick the saying. Stay tuned, as there will be an amazing new fortune cookie idea coming soon. I don't want to give away the surprise, but I'm so excited!

Q. How does the thumb print necklace work? That is so cool!

The thumbprint necklace is so sweet and another of my favorites. I take an impression of your child's finger with a special molding compound and then create a fingerprint in silver (almost pure silver). I can also engrave your child's name alongside the print or leave the fingerprint by itself. It's a super unique keepsake and makes a great mother or grandmother gift.

Q. How do you manage working from home with a 3-year-old?

I'm so lucky. He's incredibly patient. I do my creating sometimes while he is awake, and I fire things while he's napping or after bed time. He also loves to sit and watch me work whenever possible. It's adorable. He asks if he can "craft" too and I set him up with play dough, etc., and let him go to town.

Q. Any multitasking tips for other work from home parents?

You have to be flexible and know your child's limits. I'm thankful that what I do allows me to laugh and carry on conversations with him while I work. I take a lot of breaks for snacks, cuddles, games and general silliness. It works for us. I know my kiddo, and there are also times when I just have to pack it up and work another time. I don't think I'm in a position to really give multitasking tips. I get it wrong as often as I get it right! :)

You can see Megan’s jewelry at www.maggiekate.com or you can contact her at meg@maggiekate.com. Or you can read her blog.

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STACY SHINAS

Stacy Shinas, 32 of Ballantyne, began Jack Be Natural in 2010 after she decided to cloth diaper her second son. In just a year, Jack Be Natural has more than 2,150 registered customers, and they are gaining at least a 100 a month! Jack Be Natural carries cloth diapers, natural products like toys, remedies, detergents, bottles and more!

Q. What made you decide to start Jack Be Natural?

I wanted to cloth diaper with our first son back in 2007, but I succumbed to pressure from friends and family who told me that I would have my hands full with a newborn, and cloth diapering would add to the stress. I reluctantly listened to them. However, when we had our second child, I noticed something strange one morning when I was changing his disposable diaper. His private area was covered with these little gel-like beads that I had never seen before with our first son's diapers. So, I started doing some research because my gut told me whatever they were they were likely not very good. Sure enough I found out that they were absorbency gels which were made from petroleum feedstocks and contained trace amounts of harmful substances, like dioxin, which are known carcinogens. I was mortified when I read this stuff. I did do a lot of research and admittedly I didn't find any conclusive evidence that these chemicals would cause any harm to my child. At the same time I couldn't find any conclusive evidence suggesting that they wouldn't cause harm. My husband and I talked about it and asked ourselves why take a chance. Initially he thought I had lost my mind switching to cloth but once I filled him in on my research he quickly changed his mind. A baby's skin is like a sponge and absorbs all these substances. Even if these chemicals are present in the diapers in small trace amounts I'd still rather not have them. So, I threw my disposables away and bought cloth diapers. Only problem was that there weren't many places in Charlotte to get them. The few places that did I felt like they weren't very helpful in guiding me so that I make the best choice while keeping the cost reasonable. So, I did a lot of research, lots of trial and error and finally figured out what works best for us. After this experience I wished there was a better resource in Charlotte for moms like me that have been curious about cloth but haven't had the right place to go to and get informed before deciding. Jack be Natural was born soon after.

Q. What made you decide to use cloth diapers?

The first reason was the potential health benefits. I liked the idea of my child wearing a diaper that wasn't laced with a bunch of hard to pronounce chemicals. The second reason, which was by accident for me but convinced my husband even more, was the cost savings which can vary anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 per child from birth to potty. Finally, the environmental impact. We have always been believers of reducing our carbon footprint and doing what's best for the environment. The facts on disposable diapers' effect on the environment were startling. They are one of the biggest contributors to our landfills and the can take up to 500 years to decompose. What makes it worse is a seldom-followed recommendation that is on the box of every disposable diaper brand, which is to flush the poop prior to disposing of the diaper. More than 90 percent of people don't follow this rule, and this contributes to the spreading of diseases from different insects. Finally, more than 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby for one year. If you extrapolate how many babies use diapers each year, you start to realize the magnitude of the resources that are used, primarily trees.

Q. What are the benefits of cloth diapering?

In short, potentially better for your baby's health and well being, saves money and is much better for the environment.

Q. How much does it cost to cloth diaper vs. disposable?

This really depends on the individual. You should be able to get a stash of various diapers to get you through birth to potty for around $400. However, if you are a minimalist and want the bare minimum (such as prefolds) you can spend as little as $150 or $200. You can spend a lot more than $400 if you decided you want the most expensive diaper offerings out there. Even if you were to spend $1,000, you would still save anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 from cloth over disposables. My husband did an analysis (he's an engineer by degree so he loves crunching numbers) and under no scenario was he able to find that disposables diapers would be cheaper than cloth diapers. This was even with accounting for the extra water usage for doing more laundry, cloth diaper detergent and power usage of your washer and dryer. The worst case that he could come up with is a break-even scenario. For that to work the disposables would have to be purchased at 0.05 cents per diaper. If you are very resourceful, plan carefully and utilize coupons you can get disposable diapers that cheap, but for most people they tend to buy diapers on the fly when they need them, or if they are able to find prices that cheap it is likely generic disposable diapers. One question we frequently get is the extra water being used to wash your cloth diapers and the impact on cost and the environment. On the cost side it depends on how much you already pay for your water but for us, our water bill went from $35 a month to $45 a month. This is an appreciable increase in terms of percentage but in absolute dollars it's really not that much. Of course this assumes you do a wash every 2 days. With the modern diaper pail liners and wet bags available, 2 days between washes is possible without stinking up your house. On the environmental side, the extra water used to wash the diaper is negligible compared to the amount of water consumed by the bleaching process in a paper plant that produces the main ingredient to disposable diapers.

Q. Any tips for parents who are thinking about cloth diapering?

Do your research as always but most of all ask yourself why you're interested in doing it in the first place. My main reason was the potential health benefit. Check out mom forums and blogs or great resources like our Facebook page, which has turned into a landing page for anyone that needs help concerning cloth diapers and natural parenting. All of our fans are devoted to cloth diapering and along with us are very eager to help anyone that is interested. Once you have decided you want to cloth diaper, don't go purchasing all your stash at once. Purchase a few different types of cloth diapers (i.e, prefold, pocket, all in one, all in two, contour, fitted, etc.), try them out and see what works best for you and your baby. Finally, be sure that your spouse is on board. My husband was, and after complaining the first week of doing cloth and saying how hard it was, he quickly got the hang of it and quickly realized that it was all in his head and it was actually pretty easy to do. The spouse on board is not a prerequisite, but it is a big help. I would have done it regardless of whether my husband was on board or not but it makes it so much better for him to be involved and supportive.

Q. What is your favorite diaper brand?

We have used all of the diaper brands we carry on our second boy and like all of them, but our favorite became the GroVia All in Two diaper. They are top notch quality, super cute and by far the easiest to use.

Q. How many types of cloth diapers do you carry?

We carry all the types (i.e, prefold, pocket, all in one, all in two, contour, fitted, etc.) and we currently represent 11 different manufacturers.

Q. What all does Jack Be Natural offer?

Cloth diapering has been our main product offering since the beginning, since that was the impetus behind us starting Jack Be Natural; however, we have slowly expanded to offer other natural products. We started as a cloth diaper store but we have evolved into a natural parenting store. We also carry probiotics and natural remedies for kids, natural lotions and ointments, natural detergents for both cloth diapers and regular clothes, natural baby bottles (i.e. stainless steel bottles) and also natural toys.

Q. Where can our readers find you in Charlotte?

We currently don't have our own store front location though we plan to some time in the not so distant future. Our website is where we can be found around the clock. Our business is run out of our house. However, we have a display at the Belly Elan maternity boutique at the Blakeney Shopping Center in south Charlotte, which also happens to be the place where we hold our bi-weekly Cloth Diaper 101 classes. The other location is at The Boulevard in South End. Both locations have some of our product offerings but not everything. We wanted to have a place where we can have people visit and see the items for themselves until we can have an actual store of our own. We used to have people to our house but as we grew it wasn't practical so we had to change that.

Q. How were you able to begin a business with a small child?

Support from my husband. I had the vision, I put in the hours of research to get things started but he was the one that handled the financial and legal aspects of starting a business and most of all he knew how much I liked to help people and that I would thoroughly enjoy this so he was very supportive, and patient! I couldn't have done it without him.

Q. What is your favorite part of owning your own company?

The fact that we can do this on our own pace and execute our vision, which is to be a great resource and ambassadors of natural parenting. I know this probably sounds silly but we truly believe in it. If we're in charge, then we don't have someone telling us that we need to put profit in front of everything else. We obviously have to make a profit to keep the business going, but like my husband told me, if you do what's right and take care of your customer the profit will be there.

Check out Jack Be Natural at www.jackbenatural.com or www.facebook/jackbenatural. Contact Stacy at sales@jackbenatural.com.

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MARICRIS GUADAGNA

Mompreneur Maricris Guadagna, originally from the Philippines and now living in south Charlotte, opened the Lake Norman Tai Chi Center with her husband, Sifu Dale, in 2010. Maricris also writes ZensibleMama.com, where she also does blogger outreach for leading companies in the country.

Q. What made you decide to open a tai chi center?

My husband, who is the co-founding partner, has been in the arts for 13 years and is passionate about it, which made it an easy decision to open the business to share the benefits of the art that he loves to other people.

Q. What services does the Lake Norman Tai Chi Center offer?

Presentations, lectures, demonstrations and workshops for business, organizations or schools.

Q. Why is tai chi beneficial?

Tai chi has always been known for its healing benefits and its power to maintain a healthy lifestyle by graceful exercises and more. Even modern doctors are now recommending tai chi to their patients to help them with ailments that needed therapeutic stretches and exercises. It is also best known for providing needed stress-management.

Q. How much are classes?

Tuition varies on programs offered and we do offer a free introductory class to determine which best apply to each potential student. They can call us or submit to us their request through our website here.

Q. How do you and your husband work together?

I do most of the admin and social media work while he does the teaching and other related components of the business.

Q. You also blog; how do you find the time to fit it all in?

I keep a certain schedule and make sure to stick to it. My blog, Zensible Mama (http://zensiblemama.com) sometimes requires a lot of time with all the projects and outreaches I do. It is hard managing my time when there is so much in my plate but then I get into a routine and I just ease into it and it just sorts itself out.

Q. What goes into maintaining a high-traffic blog?

Dedication and passion. You treat it like it's like your business. You need to always be on top of things.

Q. Do you incorporate things into your blog from the Tai Chi Center or things related?

We just started the blog for Lake Norman Tai Chi. My blog is kept separate from the business side of things, though it gets exposure in it.

Q. How do you come up with blog topics?

Life. Things around me. Things that inspires me. Most of all, things that resonates with my readers and how they can benefit from it.

Q. Why is social media so important to your businesses and blogging?

Social media is a channel where your word and brand can go viral. It is also a way of establishing relationships that goes beyond just being online friends. They can turn into potential clients or possibly who will spread about your business through word of mouth.

Q. Any tips you have for other blogger moms?

Write from the heart. Set a goal for yourself as to which you want your blogs to go. Most of all, don't forget to set a time to be a mom when you need to be. Blogging can be time-consuming, but it shouldn't rule your life and your time for yourself and your family.

You can learn more about Lake Norman Tai Chi at http://LakeNormanTaiChi.com or by calling 704-900-3005 or email contact@lakenormantaichi.com. Sifu Dale, on behalf of Lake Norman Tai Chi, has been a dedicated supporter and volunteer for Avon Walk for Breast Cancer for four years now and counting.

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SARAH MASCI

Sarah Masci, 33 of the South Park area, started a drop of golden sun in 2007 as a hobby. After having her third son, Sarah began looking at graphic design as a career and she set out goals then created her business name. In 2010 she launched her etsy site and began her official website this year. She has been going strong ever since, with 300 percent growth in 11 months. Sarah is also the co-founder of ELAN Card Charlotte, a networking program for community business members and a one-stop bargain card for consumers.

Q. Where did you get the idea for a drop of golden sun?

Coming up with the business name, a drop of golden sun, was definitely an agonizing process for me! When I first started my business, I focused primarily on stationery design and illustration. Therefore, my first company name of Paperluxe Studio was more than appropriate. However, as the years went on, I began getting more and more into freelance design, covering such a broad spectrum from stationery design, product innovation (for children), fabric design, logo and web design and then even print marketing, and I felt that Paperluxe was too limiting to my range of work. However, the one common denominator in all of my work was that I generally appealed to the simple, small business owner or hip parents, looking for that custom or handmade boutique product or image. Small, simple and fresh. These three words needed to be conveyed in my business name, and a drop of golden sun just seemed to be the perfect fit! Plus, I adored that song as a child (didn't we all?), and I thought that it would resonate well with my target client! Yes, it is all lowercase, because as it goes in the children's song, "Re" is the first word in the sentence, not "A"...

Q. What are all of the things that you do with a drop of golden sun?

I do so many different things! My two biggest areas of focus are personalized stationery, wall decor and Lullaboard sales in my etsy shop and custom designed logo's (and print marketing) for small businesses. Lullaboards are my own original invention, created out of a necessity, several years ago. They are stylish and practical dry-erase boards, used in lieu of a daily paper log, to keep track of everything that goes on during your baby's day (whether you work outside the home, or just need occasional child care). From feedings, to naps, to pee, poo and more, there's a spot to jot it all down on the original Lullaboard design. I am always open to new design challenges & love being called upon for special requests! Some of the fun projects I've worked on in the past are fabric design, photo shoot and trade show staging and custom designed photo card templates for a photographer client to offer to her clients.

Q. What companies have you worked with?

I've had the privilege of working with so many amazing local companies, as well as several across the country. Currently I am working with Nap Nanny, belly élan, ELAN Card, Jack Be Natural, Photography by Jamie Lea, The Boulevard at South End and Ambrosia Boutique. Past clients have included BabyElan {daily}, green i am, 2 Jackaroo, Change of Space, Bella Tunno, Plume Jewelry, Whole Foods 4 You, Bob Mayberry Moms (in conjunction with Macaroni Kid South Charlotte & Charlotte Smarty Pants), Neela Bags, Natural Luxe, Little Miracles Baby Planning, Punkin' Butt Photography, and Amysing Events, to name a handful!

Q. What products do you create for purchase?

In my etsy shop, I primarily sell stationery, invitations, some announcements, wall decor and Lullaboards.

Q. How much do custom invitations or personalized party decor cost?

My products range in price from $12 for an 8x10 wall sign to $18 for a standard set of 12 personalized thank you cards. With that said, a project could go well over $100 for a completely custom designed party theme, complete with accompanying party supplies (such as invitations, thank you notes, goodie bag tags or labels, water bottle wraps, etc).

Q. So you just purchase from Etsy?

While I do accept orders via email and phone, I prefer all orders to take place through the etsy checkout system. Etsy has a great thing going and they make it so easy for sellers to keep track of sales, so why not? If someone contacts me "offline" I'll just go ahead and set up a custom etsy listing for them, send them the link, then ask that they pay for the transaction via their customized etsy listing link that I've set up. It just makes it so much easier and less confusing for everyone! I handle all freelance design requests and orders through email and PayPal.

Q. What is your favorite logo and design that you've created?

This question is way too hard! I really have an tendency to fall in love with the finished product of all design work that I do! Maybe that sounds vain, but my goal is always 100 percent client satisfaction, and that generally means that I would not even offer a design concept to a client if I did not love it myself! With that said, a few of the logo's that I really pride myself on are green i am (she was one of my first logo clients!), Photography by Jamie Lea, Crystal Stokes Photography and Plume Jewelry.

Q. What made you decide to do free monthly printables?

Actually, on a whim last fall, I offered some free recipe card printables. They were such a hit and to this day still attract hundreds of site visitors per month! So I figured since people must really enjoy them, why not keep trying to come up with new ones to give out? I have to say, the recent freebies have not drawn nearly as much attention as those original recipes cards did!

Q. What has been your favorite part about working from home?

The flexibility to work when I want! I love being able to take a morning or afternoon off, to spend with my kids, running errands or having a morning coffee date, and I usually try not to work too much on Fridays since two of my three boys are home that day.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge from working from home?

Stepping away from the computer! Since all of my work is computer related, I have a very hard time "shutting down" for the day. I can often be found wandering the aisles of Pinterest, Etsy and Facebook, late into the night, and always with the excuse that it is good "marketing" for my business. With a home office just several feet away from our household headquarters (aka the kitchen), a phone that dings every 15 minutes with new messages and an iPad always floating around, I tend to be a little "too" connected… But because I work for myself, and orders come in via email, I am always anxious to check to see if I've received a new etsy order, an approval on a recent proof or draft design that I've sent out, a request for pricing, etc. I thrive on feedback from my clients & am always excited to hear what they have to say (even the occasional negative email is ok)!

Q. How are you able to do it all with three boys at home with one on the way?

I am extremely blessed to have an easygoing family that allows me the time to work when I need to. I get a lot of work done early in the morning after my husband and oldest leave for the bus stop, but before the two younger boys wake up and also when all the boys are in school. (With two in preschool and one in first grade, their schedules are all a bit different, but we make it work.) My almost 7- and almost 5-year-old sons are very independent and self-sufficient, so after school they help themselves to a snack and then either play together, watch TV, or do homework in the next room while I finish up the day's work. As for my 2-year-old, I have three magic words: best sleeper ever! He goes to bed early, sleeps in late and still takes a 3-4 hour nap every afternoon! These are precious work hours for me, so as long as the other two cooperate and there aren't too many interruptions, I am able to get a lot of work done before the crazy dinner hour and bedtime routine hits. Honestly, I am not too sure how well this set-up is going to work when our fourth little boy joins us in March. All we can really do is pray for another easy going and adaptable baby just like our third one was!

You can see Sarah’s work at www.adropofgoldensun.com. You can also find her stationery, wall decor, and Lullaboards at belly élan maternity boutique in Blakeney as well as in the recently opened The Boulevard at South End, at South Tryon, Camden and Summit.

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MARY LUCAS LACY

Mary Lucas Lacey, 39, of south Charlotte, has two children; Madison is 12 and Hampton is 9. She just recently remarried to radio personality Bob Lacey, and they have been building our little blended family. She opened The Prenatal Picture in 2006. They were the first 3D/4D ultrasound company in Charlotte. Almost six years later, Mary is still excited to see each and every family and show them pictures of their unborn babies in their theater room. The Prenatal Picture also offers live streaming over the Internet for out-of-town families or husbands deployed in the military.

Q. How did you get the idea for The Prenatal Picture?

From a friend of my who owned a production company -- he was doing a piece on the 25 top start-ups in 2005 and 3D/4D ultrasound was listed as one of the most innovative ideas for the time.

Q. What services does The Prenatal Picture offer?

We offer 3D/4D prenatal ultrasounds which are best performed between 24 and 34 weeks gestation. We also record babies heartbeats and put the recordings inside stuffed animals (monkeys, bears, frogs, elephants, etc.). We sell ultrasound frames and belly-casting kits as well.

Q. What has changed since you first opened?

Not much has changed since we opened -- parents bonding with babies is a timeless wonder. Families will always love coming together to welcome a new baby. The most notable change in technology is that we can now stream the ultrasounds live over the Internet. Some moms send the video to their sisters in California or their husbands serving overseas.

Q. What's the difference between 3D and 4D?

The difference between 3D and 4D ultrasound is just movement -- 3D ultrasound pictures are just that, still images; 4D technology is being able to watch the baby move in real time, fluid movement, as opposed to flashing still images on the screen.

Q. How accurate are the ultrasounds?

The ultrasounds are SUPER accurate -- just check out our before and after photo gallery! We have before and after photo contests yearly, and moms go crazy sending entries! They are so proud of their pictures.

Q. How did your family react to opening your own business?

My family was nervous when I opened The Prenatal Picture. They all knew that I was an entrepreneur at heart and, if this new technology had a chance at making it, I was the one to do it. Stepping outside your comfort zone is risky, though, and introducing a new concept to cautious new parents was tricky. Thankfully, the community embraced it and have come to treasure their 3D pictures long after their babies are born.

Q. What is your favorite thing about The Prenatal Picture?

The people!! I meet so many different interesting people everyday. There are so many different definitions of "family" these days and learning about different dynamics has made me so aware of how precious family is. Of course, looking at adorable babies all day doesn't hurt either!

Q. How do you juggle family life and running a business?

Juggling family life and running a business is tricky and not for the faint of heart! When I began the prenatal picture, I was a single mom, so that was definitely a trying time. Women are amazing though, tough yet tender, determined yet flexible -- they take on many roles in their lives. If you have a love of family and a love for hard work and you give your all in both roles -- you will never fail.

For more information visit www.theprenatalpicture.com.

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CAT LONG

Cat Long, 43, of Myers Park, began Baby Bundles in 2011 with two friends, Emily Harry and Heather Leavitt. All three women had suffered the loss of at least one infant child and came together to offer support to one another. Heather lost three babies over a span of several years, and Emily and Cat each had a stillborn baby at 36 weeks. The three friends wanted to do something to honor the children they had lost, so they decided to help mothers in financial need. Here is a interview with Mompreneur Cat Long.

Q. Where did the idea come from for Baby Bundles?

The three of us wanted to give back to the community and to mothers since that was what brought us together. We chose less fortunate mothers because we as mothers are so fortunate to come home from the hospital to nurseries filled with clothes and necessities and friends and family for support. We all came home to a stocked nursery, and there are mothers in our community that go home to nothing. We want our bundles to b a true "gift" to a new mother and baby. To give hope and love to other mothers who might otherwise have nothing to give their newborn baby.

Q. How were you able to manage starting a organization with family life?

I am still figuring that one out! I have a wonderful and very supportive husband! Baby Bundles so much to me so its easier to try and find the time to make it a success.

Q. How do your children feel about Baby Bundles? Have they helped?

My boys are still a little young to fully understand what BB is and why we started it but, as soon as they are old enough, they will be a huge part of it. However, Ben, who is 4, loves Baby Bundles and always wants to help with it. He loves to go to our office and help unload donations and organize! Emily, Heather and I want to role-model the behavior for our children of volunteering and giving back to others, while remembering their siblings at the same time. Baby Bundles is a positive way for me to show my children how we deal with tragedy while honoring the sister they've lost.

Q. What types of items are collected for the bundles?

We collect newborn books, toys, blankets, bibs, burp clothes, hats, socks, onesies, outfits and pajamas for babies 0-6 months old. The can be new or gently used items. Each bundle also contains a Blessing card to honor the new baby receiving the gift and to honor the five children the three of us lost.

Q. How are the mothers chosen to receive the bundles?

We are currently partnered with Presbyterian Main and Nurse-Family partnership in Charlotte. Presbyterian Hospital gives our bundles to the uninsured mothers at discharge. Nurse-Family Partnership, a division of CareRing in Charlotte, is a national organization that partners a nurse on staff with low income, first time mothers. They work with the mother and child for 3 years, starting with pregnancy. We deliver a bundle to every mom in this program!

Q. How many mothers/babies has Baby Bundles helped?

We have delivered over 125 bundles this year and hope to double or triple our numbers for next year! There are so many mothers an babies in need in Charlotte and we want to reach them all.

Q. What can our readers do to help?

We would love for any donations of clothes for our bundles, new or used. And of course, we always appreciate monetary donations so that we can continue to grow Baby Bundles. You can also volunteer by going to our website or giving us a call. We always need extra hands!

Q. What has been the greatest moment so far for Baby Bundles?

Giving a bundle to our first mom at Presbyterian Hospital when we launched last February. She was so happy and so appreciative to receive the bundle and immediately said she would donate it all back after her son outgrew the items! It was incredibly touching and reminded us how important it is for us to take our sadness and turn it into something positive for someone else.

Q. Any advice for mothers who have had a miscarriage or lost an infant?

My advice would be to accept the loss, even though you can't begin to understand the reason. It's such a painful experience to lose a baby but surrounding yourself with others that have gone through the same loss is a tremendous help and support system. I think it is OK to mourn the loss of the baby for as long as you need in order to heal. And when the time is right, if you want to, try again. My husband and I have two amazing boys, Emily has twin girls and Heather has three children.

You can find more information about Baby Bundles online or by calling 980-275-0963

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NIDHIE DHIMAN

Nidhie Dhiman, 37, who lives in the Providence Park area, bought Belly Elan from her partner in 2008 after working there for several years. Belly Elan, now in The Shops at Blakeney, carries affordable maternity clothing, nursing/postpartum, diaper bags and gifts. As Nidhie put it, it's everything for “bellies, babies, & beyond.” Check out the latest maternity trends, popular products, and more with this Q & A with the Belly Elan owner, Nidhie Dhiman.

Q. What was the most useful item when you were pregnant?

When I was pregnant I couldn't live without my Maternal America jeans – any of them!

Q. What is the most useful product for your 2-year-old that you carry?

Being a "school-aged toddler" in a Mommy's Morning Out Program, we get all sorts of not-so-fun stuff brought home with us! Needless to say, the Nosefrida is still my best friend to ensure my little one can breathe and get a good night's sleep! We took ours to the hospital with us when she was born, and have used it ever since then!

Q. What product do you recommend to every first-time mom?

A Baby K'tan or some sort of baby carrier! The Baby K'tan works from newborn onward (my 2-year-old still crawls into it when she's not feeling well) and is one of the greatest carriers you will find for bonding with baby from the start!

Q. How do you juggle family life from running a store?

Luckily I have a great support system. My husband helps with our daughter when he knows I need to get things done. And I'm lucky to have family that lives in town. When I need help, the wonderful women I work with step up to handle things. I was able to just come back from a week-long vacation in Texas! I also say I have the best of both worlds because I can work and fulfill my dreams of owning my own business, but I get to bring my daughter to work with me, so I'm never missing out! Sometimes, of course, a child will be a child and that can backfire when I need to get work done, but those times happen few and far between.

Q. What made you decide to buy out Belly Elan?

After working for years in retail, I always wanted something of my own. The option presented itself and we jumped at the chance! Although it's been difficult, we've learned so much and have grown as a couple, my husband and I, and as business owners.

Q. What is your favorite part about owning your own boutique?

I get to shop for a living!!! Granted, it's for stuff I might not be able to wear myself, but I think it still counts! And, all the amazing colleagues I've met and friends I've made along the way are hands down the best part of doing what I do! I also get to meet a LOT of beautiful little babies!

Q. What other projects do you help run?

I'm also involved with two other creative minds behind ELAN Card Charlotte and a wonderful networking group, All About Baby Charlotte!

Q. Do you have classes at Belly Elan? If so, what kind?

We do! And we're always looking for new ideas! Currently, we offer classes in cloth diapering with Jack Be Natural. We are also working on setting up classes for baby wearing, how to make your own baby food and lactation support! We're lucky to work with some phenomenal companies in Charlotte and are working on putting these and other great events together. In the past we’ve also offered Baby Dream Gear classes with Little Miracles Baby Planning. We also work with several vendors on a monthly basis to offer trunk shows including thirty-one gifts, Rue Cler Boutique and in the works USA Baby.

Q. What is the fall maternity style this year?

Color, Color, Color! And I must say I'm excited! Lots of jewel tones, so not everything is black and grey! And you will still find some girly frilliness in tops and dresses. Ruffles and layers and melt against your skin fabrics!

Q. What do you tell the first-time pregnant person to buy?

We tell them not to buy everything in sight, especially if they are on a budget. Also, avoid just going up in regular clothes until they think they are "showing" enough for maternity clothes. Maternity designers now, especially the boutique designers, have done an amazing job making sure the clothes fit from when they first find out they are pregnant through the last trimester. Starting with a good basic pair of pants and comfortable jeans, and building on top of those basic items, will ensure your maternity wardrobe works for you!

See Belly Elan at The Shops at Blakeney, 9816-D Rea Road, Charlotte; 704-544-3226.

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MAUREEN ANDERS and ADRIA RUFF

Two Fort Mill, S.C., moms, Maureen Anders, 30, and Adria Ruff, 37, began Anders Ruff Custom Design in 2010 after meeting at their children's preschool the month before. Adria had a background in the fashion industry and Maureen had an engineering and medical sales background - but they both shared the love for all things paper, design and parties! Anders Ruff Custom Design creates printable party decor including invitations, banners, favor tags, cupcake toppers, stickers, address labels, party flags, popcorn cones, drink wraps and more.

Q. Where did you get the idea for Anders Ruff Custom Designs?

We were complete strangers until a preschool open house in January 2010. In the hallway before parting, we realized that we had a lot in common. From there, a wonderful friendship formed and we decided to embark upon a business together. With both of us devoted and passionate about graphic design, we hoped to change the face of celebration style for those who love it as well.

We are focused on creating printable graphic designs that are geared towards accessorizing celebrations.

With the boom in demand for everything personalized in the party-planning market, we decided to offer custom graphic designs tailored to themed events. More and more people want quick turnarounds when they are planning parties and so offering our designs as DIY printable packages seemed to be the way to go. Not only does that allow for an economical product but it gives our creative clients flexibility to print the designs as many times as they need and use them in a variety of ways.

Q. How did you decide which mom did what job?

Maureen runs the business and is the creative director of Anders Ruff. She leads the networking and social media aspect of the business, but also is highly focused on growing the design concepts and product offerings for the clients. Adria is focused on taking select custom design projects from clients as well as writing our weekly "Ruff Draft" column on our new website (www.andersruff.com). Our "Ruff Draft" is the behind the scenes of how we style, design and create in the most do-able way. We share our tips and tricks to help our fans do the projects themselves. Both Maureen and Adria handle the large scale holiday party offerings and do the designing, styling, decorating, baking and crafting.

Q. How did your families deal with you both beginning a new company?

They were used to it since Adria and I are both such self-starters and always doing new things and tackling several projects at a time.

Q. What all does Anders Ruff do?

The core business is printable graphic design with an emphasis on celebration style. We have a store on etsy.com where we sell our printable graphic design products. These printable graphic design accessories help add that extra level of detail to each party and we customize them to the clients needs.

We brand our products by styling a full detailed photo shoot of a party from beginning to end. We do everything from graphic design, styling, crafting and sewing, baking and cooking and decorating. We do everything to show the client how to set a party from beginning to end and how to take their party to the next level by using our printable graphic design products. It really is so simple!

Also, we run our blog www.andersruff.com where we share loads of great party ideas and DIY projects, recipes, decorating ideas and also giveaway contests.

Q. What has been your favorite party?

Maureen - My son's vintage super hero party.

Adria - Bridesmaids "Girls Night In" that we did for Universal Studios.

Q. What has been your greatest achievement?

Getting hired by Universal Studios recently to design and style a girls night in photo shoot and printable collection for the release of "Bridesmaids" the movie at Target! Our designs and logo were in over 400,000 DVDs and Blu-Ray movies sold at Target.

Q. How much does a custom party usually run?

Our invitation designs (which are customized with each person's party details) in our shop are $18, and our complete party decor accessory packages range between $30-$50 and are personalized. The beauty is - the clients can print as many as they want/need.

Our holiday printable design collections are fabulous because they usually contain over 30 pages of printable designs and range from $10-$20 for over $200 worth of graphic designs.

For our holiday lines, we style a complete photo shoot where we show tons of creative ways to use the printable package. We highlight the basics of how to use our printables and also show creative DIY projects, crafts and recipes that really make it easy for any hostess to replicate.

Q. What type of events do you create designs for?

Children's birthday parties, adult parties, holiday parties, graduations, baby showers, bridal showers and more! You name it!

Q. Where do you get your design ideas?

We find inspiration from the most random everyday things. It might be a piece of furniture or an outfit or even packaging that we see in a grocery store! You name it - we translate our favorite things into our collections. We also get a lot of inspiration from the trends in the fashion industry. We start from one piece of inspiration and build upon it.

Q. Any tips for parents on coordinating their own themed parties?

Start with a theme or color scheme. From there, we can help you accessorize and add detail in the most easy ways by using our printable graphics. You can easily add that extra level of detail by accessorizing with printables.

You can follow Anders Ruff’s latest designs on Facebook at and their blog. Check out their shop. Or you can contact them directly.

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MORGAN WIEBKE

Morgan Wiebke, 29, of Lake Wylie, began her company, made by morgan, in 2009 after the birth of her second son. Morgan made clothing for her boys and started getting lots of requests from friends. Morgan opened a Facebook business page so they could choose the styles they liked. Since then, she has expanded to a shop on Etsy and has begun working with Anders Ruff Custom Designs.

Q. What inspired made by morgan?

I am a mother of two boys, and any mom of boys is surely aware that there is a serious lack of boy clothing out there. I love the looks of GapKids, Crewcuts by J.Crew and MiniBoden, but it's not always practical to spend $40 on one shirt or pair of pants, especially for a rough-and-tumble boy. It hit me while shopping one day that I could make my own versions of the clothing I saw in catalogs. I started with hand-stitched applique, some romper-type outfits and pants for my boys. Friends of mine saw my creations and asked if I could sew for them as well, and it's exploded from there. I do make clothing for girls -- there is a demand for it and, with all the amazing fabrics for girls, who could resist!

It has really worked to our advantage that I sew most of our children's clothing. We have an almost 5-year-old that still wears 2T clothing; I can make age-appropriate clothing for him in the size he needs.

Q. How many different products do you design?

I'm constantly coming out with new designs. They might not always end up in my shop, but I create new things almost daily. I recently purchased an embroidery machine as well as a screen-printing machine. Right now I have about four dozen shirt designs, several dresses, shorts, skirts and various accessories including ties, bow ties and hair accessories. I have a new line of dresses, shirts, holiday pajamas and aprons being created as we speak. Oh, and that's just the "wearable" stuff, I make floor cushions, crayon rolls, fabric notebooks and tote bags, to name a few.

Q. What is your favorite product?

That's a tough question to answer. Every day I tell myself, "This might just be my favorite." My husband just rolls his eyes and shrugs. He knows in 20 minutes I'll be rushing down the stairs proclaiming my latest creation as my all-time fave! I'm really hooked on the embroidery designs I'm stitching out for autumn but I have two new dresses in the works that are really amazing.

Q. What is your favorite part of owning your own company?

The best thing about owning my own company is that I decide where my business goes. I love that my vision matters, I create what inspires me and can share that inspiration with others. However, first and foremost I'm a mother (and a wife), and my family always comes first. Owning my own business has allowed me the flexibility to close up shop when my family needs me; no other job allows you to do that. Both of my boys have special needs that require three to four therapy sessions per week; some weeks I just can't create and others it seems I'm knocking stuff out left and right. I love that the only person I have to answer to is myself.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge so far?

By far the biggest challenge has been balancing the time I spend working with the duties of being a SAHM. I tend to have a hard time saying no; that coupled with my intense urge to please everyone around me gets me in some tough spots some times. I'm extremely lucky to have a husband that supports me fully, even when supporting me means telling me to back off. You know the saying, "My eyes were bigger than my stomach"? That certainly applies here; I've had to work at setting limits and sticking to them in order to keep my original vision alive.

Q. Your greatest accomplishment?

Ooh, I think my greatest accomplishment has been the influence my business has had on my boys. Ari, my oldest son, will ask me to make this or that for him rather than buy it at the store, and that is amazing to me. They've both learned how to be creative and make use of what we have at home. Not only does it lessen our environmental impact, but their imaginations are growing by leaps and bounds. They see me create something out of nothing just about every day, so they know it's entirely possible. That has to be the greatest accomplishment of all!

Q. Any tips on how to multitask while working/designing from home with the kids around?

Involve them! Some of my most fun ideas have come from Ari. He begged for a Darth Vader shirt so I sketched one up -- and voila! All of my hand-stamped shirts were his ideas. My husband is a pilot, so naturally both boys have an insane love of airplanes. Thus the Fly Guy shirt was born! One of my most popular items, the Lego-inspired shirt, was created for a very sweet 6-year-old to coordinate with his dream birthday party. A lot of times we'll all sit down together and "work." I cut fabrics or patterns, and they cut paper. If I'm screen-printing I'll set up some finger paints for them. As long as the 2-year-old is strapped down in his booster seat, we're generally good to go. Nine times out of 10 the mess I have to deal with when it's all said and done is pretty insane but they won't remember the messes. At least that's what I tell myself. They'll remember helping Mommy with her business and being involved in the creative process. I love that they can look at their clothing as well as the things around them they've helped create and know that it represents them, their own unique style.

Q. What fun projects are you working on now?

I have some really great things in the works. I've teamed up with my amazingly talented friend (and fellow mommy) and we're in the process of creating a joint shop featuring applique and embroidery items. I have a few stacks of fabric waiting to be turned into some adorable Christmas/Hanukkah pajamas with matching pillow cases. Halloween is right around the corner and while it's a tad too late to get a custom costume, our Treat Totes are a great item to snag! We have quite a few really wonderful things that will debut in the coming weeks; you'll have to stay tuned!

Q. Do you make custom orders?

Of course! The bulk of my business is custom orders. I know what it's like to have a vision, to think of something unique for your child. I thrive on the ability to help others achieve that vision. My motto is that I can create anything and, if I can't create it, I'll send you to someone that can!

You can see custom made by morgan designs on Facebook; or the Etsy shop. Or email for custom requests.

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SASHA HARBRECHT

Sasha Harbrecht, 40, of Myers Park, opened Paper Twist in 2008 at its South Park location. Paper Twist is a specialty paper boutique focusing on fine stationery, invitations, gift wrap by the sheet, ribbon, office organization and gifts. In 2009, they launched an online store to help serve others across the country. In 2010, Sasha’s husband, Grant, got a three-year assignment in Hong Kong, where their family has been living ever since. They have been traveling back and forth to Charlotte, and were able to spend the summer here. Now they are back in Hong Kong for the second school year, while Paper Twist is thriving in Charlotte.

Q. What made you decide to open Paper Twist?

I am passionate about all of our products and could not find the offering of our products and services in Charlotte. I was excited about opening a store and love working with all of the partners involved, from our customers to our vendors. There is never a dull moment, and I enjoy that pace.

Q. How do you juggle being in a different country while running the company and family life?

Balancing work and family life is always tricky. All three of my children are in school now, so I focus on working while they are in school. Then, I am able to schedule calls during either my morning or my night (which is opposite for Charlotte time). I would have to say the staff at Paper Twist is just the best. I truly miss being in the store on a daily basis, but I am also grateful for their hard work and dedication. They take care of our customers every day, which makes them come back again and again.

Q. Do you focus more on the Internet side than the bricks and mortar since you are overseas?

I work on all aspects of Paper Twist. We are growing and changing, so I am involved in all areas of the business.

Q. What do you miss about being in Charlotte?

Seeing the Paper Twist staff and customers, hanging with our friends at a soccer game and teaching Sunday school at our church. Charlotte is a great place to raise a family! Q. How are your children enjoying the different culture?

The kids are really thriving here. We had our moments of transition, but we are in year two now, and things are really good. Kate is in the 5th grade, Grant is in the 2nd grade, and Austin is in kindergarten, and all are learning Mandarin. They have amazed us with their ability to adapt and settle in. The kids are also getting involved with sports - some familiar like basketball and soccer, but some new like rugby. It has been interesting to see the boys play rugby.

Q. What advice do you have for other moms running their own company?

Have a clear vision and be absolutely passionate about the business. A small business is like another child and needs lots of time, cultivation, patience and hard work.

Q. What does Paper Twist specialize in?

Paper Twist is a specialty paper boutique that is one-stop shopping for all of your favorite papers including stationery, invitations, gift wrap and stylish organization for your desk.

Q. What is your favorite paper/pen?

Crane & Co stationery paired with a Lamy pen! The new designs we have from Crane are lovely. It makes me want to write, and we could all stand to send more notes, right?

You can see all of the beautiful papers online or at the store location, in SouthPark at Specialty Shops on the Park - 6401 Morrison Blvd. (right next to Talbot's). Store phone: 704-366-3100

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BECCA BOND

Becca Bond, 35, from Rock Hill, studied photography at Savannah College of Art and Design and began her photography career in New York. Becca moved to the Charlotte area with her husband in 2005. In 2008, Becca Bond Photography became an official company. She has been serving the Charlotte area ever since.

Q. How well is Becca Bond Photography doing since last year?

My business has grown by leaps and bounds in the past two years, although my client count actually shrank. When I felt like I was drowning in work, booked with three to four sessions each week and barely enough time to do a few loads of laundry each week, I felt like I was successful. I had to turn people down because my schedule was so loaded. Then the end of the year came and I sat down with my CPA to evaluate my business for tax reasons. My business was actually a loss. I had worked my butt off all year, stayed up at night drinking coffee to finish orders, gave up time with my daughter and left her with babysitters, and yet I hadn't made a dime between software purchases, web hosting, gear purchases and repairs, and necessary costs of running a photo business.

So, in February of 2010 I made a huge leap of faith and raised my prices and completely changed my business model and target clientele. There was an adjustment period, but it's definitely the only reason that I'm still in business today! Last year my business was profitable, and this year I'm estimating will experience about 25 percent growth from that after the holiday season is over. I'm in a good place.

Q. Where is your favorite place to take pictures?

This is a tricky question because it's different for each client. I love working in my clients' own homes because of their comfort level and also the personal-ness of it. I love doing "day in the life" shots of families in bed snuggling, or kids jumping on their beds, etc. I also LOVE it when clients take me to the beach!! I love doing beach photos.

Q. Who or what age do you enjoy most taking pictures of?

Every age has it's own advantage about it. I adore babies once they can sit up on their own, around 6 months. They are so sweet and expressive, and there is such a wide variety of things that you can do with them. I love toddlers, I love preschoolers. I have recently done some work with "tweens" and I must say that I LOVE it! They have developed their own ideas and it becomes more of a collaboration which is so much fun.

Q. What made you want to become a photographer?

I am just a generally happy person and always have been. Some people might say that I look at the world through rose-colored glasses, maybe even to a fault. I guess it's that optimism that made me want to be a photographer ... to show people how beautiful they are and how interesting their own lives are and the world around us.

Q. Do you find it hard to photograph your own daughter?

No, she's fun to work with! Although when I'm shooting a lot, I tend to not photograph her as much.

Q. How do you manage family time and running a business?

This is a tricky thing for any self-employed person. It is so important to let things go when you spend time with your family. There are always things to do, people to get back to, but when I am with Willow, I only focus on her. Some thing that's been helping me is to outsource certain tasks so that I don't become overwhelmed with tedious stuff that other people can do which frees up chunks of time.

Q. What is your favorite part of having your own business?

The pride I take in my work and my clients. I feel like I attract the most amazing people.

Q. What are your rates or what does a basic package cost?

My collections begin at $925; my session fee is $175. I do not do the "shoot and burn" where I give people a disk. It is important for me to have them have gorgeous pieces of art for their homes if they are planning on investing in professional photography. We all have millions of photos of our kids hanging around on hard drives that never get looked at. That being said, I do offer digital collections as add-ons once a certain limit is met, for archival purposes and gift prints.

Q. When is the best time to take pictures outside?

Mornings and evenings!

Q. Any photography tips for our moms?

Turn off your flash when photographing your kids, use natural light when possible, get down at their eye level, watch for distracting, cluttered backgrounds, talk to your kids when you are snapping, get them to forget about the camera. Here's the biggie: Understand how to use your camera in manual mode. You will be able to have a vision in mind and actually execute it!

Q. What style is your photography?

A blend of lifestyle (which is "day in the life," less posed, genuine expression) with a whimsical-theme style. I go between the two on each session. I create a setting using props I often craft myself, and design it to the family's style, home decor, etc., and then once in that special setting, I use certain words and games to get everyone interacting with each other and with the camera. All in all, it's a very modern approach to photography.

Q. Where is your favorite kid spot in Charlotte?

There are so many! Willow's favorite is probably the Lazy 5 Ranch!

Q. Any advice you'd like to give our moms on photography or starting your own company?

Take classes! Not just photo classes but business classes, too. I mentor a few photographers and love to see how far they come! There is so much to learn, and the more you learn, the more you see how much there is to learn.

As yourself: What would you do today if you knew you couldn't fail? Advice -- be yourself, exactly who you are. Cherish others, even strangers. Be respectful. Be compassionate. Be gentle on the earth and consider that when you're building a business. Align yourself with positive people, local craftspeople and like-minded individuals. Your outlook on life and how you treat people has everything to do with your business. And expect to make mistakes, to encounter challenges, those things are what prove that you're on the right path.

One more thing, I love this, I recently heard it at a workshop, it's in reference to setting goals:

If you have an idea and you decide to consciously act on the idea, you have a 25 percent chance of achieving it.

If you write a time frame for your idea, you chance of achieving it goes up to 40 percent.

If you write down action steps, that bumps it to 50 percent.

If you commit the idea to someone else, your chances of accomplishing it go to 65 percent.

If you have accountability to another person (they are depending on you), you have a 95 percent success rate.

What I got out of this is teaming up with people benefits both of you!

You can contact Becca at www.beccabondphotography.com and blog, email or 704-302-3952.

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NICOLE WILLIAMS

Nicole Williams, 41 of Myers Park, began Buti-Bag in 2008 out of the need for a good “post-diaper-era” bag. Nicole wanted something that she could roll up like a travel bag but was cute and stylish. She couldn’t find anything in stores or online that she liked, so she created her own. She now manufactures seven products, including Kuffi-its, Binkmeister, Blankets, Bundle, Bunvelope, Loveys, and Pods. Buti-Bag can be found in more than 250 stores nationwide as well as some international locations.

Q. What is your favorite Buti-Bag product?

That’s a hard question to answer! I think my overall favorite is the Bundle because it was my first design that I brought to market. But, now I’m so in love with the belle bottoms (Kuff-its) because they’re so adorable!

Q. Where are your products manufactured?

In North Carolina!

Q. Where can we find Buti-Bags in Charlotte?

Beads and Bowties, The Buttercup, The Good News Shop, Milky Way, and several other shops in the area. You can see the latest listings on our website.

Q. How hard was the design process for your products?

That is a continuing battle. It’s important to bring new ideas to keep the company fresh and current, so I’m always designing or redesigning/refining both current and future products.

Q. How do you manage family life with the demands of running a business?

With a fabulous husband and extended family. My husband is such a great partner both in business and in marriage, as well as a wonderful father. He steps in and runs the entire home show when I have to travel for shows, and my mom and stepmom help out tremendously. In addition, sometimes I just have to put the work on the back burner until after the kids are in bed.

Q. How old are your boys?

Our oldest is 6 years and youngest is 19 months.

Q. How are they an inspiration?

They are the light of my life. My product ideas come from being with them every day and trying to solve everyday issues we encounter, so they actually inspire everything!

Q. What has been the most fulfilling thing about having your own company?

Knowing that I can take an idea from my imagination and turn it into a viable product, as well as knowing I have determination that I didn’t know I had.

Q. What is your favorite kid friendly place in Charlotte?

Freedom Park

Q. Any tips you have for other moms who are thinking about starting their own company?

Do as much research about the industry and your product idea as you can stand, then do even more. You can’t be too prepared regarding the basics, but then, you have to make the leap of faith. Believe in your idea and yourself and you’ll get there, although it might be a slower process than you would like.

You can find more of Nicole’s products online at www.butibag.com.

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KRISTEN DIETZ

In June, Kristen Dietz, 27, from the Ballantyne area, decided to join her childhood friend and open Personally Paired, a family/caregiver matching site here in Charlotte. In 2009, Kristen’s friend Jessica Stowe had opened one location in Boston. Kristen was a member of multiple playgroups and heard moms express the need for finding child care. So she decided to open her own Personally Paired and is now helping families find the perfect caregiver, whether it’s full or part time, or even just for a date night.

Q. What makes Personally Paired stand out from other nanny services?

We believe in long-term relationships between families and caregivers rather than just placing our families with just any caregiver. We take an in-depth look at the needs of our clients and caregivers and match them accordingly. We do this not only to ensure that we are matching our clients with qualified caregivers but also to make sure that their philosophies and personalities are aligned. We prequalify all of our caregivers to ensure that they would be a great fit for a particular family and conduct follow up interviews with caregivers for that particular search. We believe in providing our families with lots of wonderful options so they can determine who is the best fit for them.

Q. How are the caregivers chosen?

We pride ourselves in personally connecting our families with educated and experienced caregivers who are passionate about working with children of all ages. The backgrounds of our caregivers are diverse. They are teachers, nurses, professional nannies, psychologists, special education aides, students and child development specialists. However, they all share a genuine love for working with children. We have firm requirements that our caregivers must meet in order to be included in our program and our caregivers typically exceed these requirements. They all go through an extensive screening process which includes interviews and reference checks before they can be invited into our program. Additionally, all of our caregivers will have agreed to undergo a background check if asked and arranged for by the parents.

Q. How do you manage running a company and your family life plus being eight months pregnant?

As a working mom, I have had to perfect my time-management skills and have had to use the help of my incredible caregiver to care for my son when I am working, and will continue to do so once my daughter is born. I am very blessed to have a supportive husband who cares for Emmett when he gets home after work so that I can have that time in the evening to make more phone calls or write emails. I am also very fortunate to have a great network of local friends who have been such a tremendous support to me and my family. Personally Paired is a very team-oriented environment so we are constantly working together to ensure that our clients needs are met.

Q. What is your favorite part about having your own company?

This answer is twofold. First, I love the sense of accomplishment when a family hires one of our caregivers. I have a huge responsibility to locate caregivers for a family's most prized possession: their children. It is a wonderful feeling to know that a family chooses a caregiver based on his/her personality, past experience, education, and certifications, and these qualifications match their expectations and preferences. Moreover, after interviewing the caregivers, calling their references, and keeping them up-to-date with the family's process, I develop a relationship with our caregivers. It is always great when they find the perfect family as well! Second, I love the flexibility of running my own business. I am able to take Emmett to activities and witness his milestones. I wouldn't give up this time with my son for the world!

Q. What is your favorite quick meal?

Any and all slow cooker meals, but here is a good one, especially with fall and winter around the corner!

White Bean and Chicken Chili

1 T. vegetable oil

2 whole, bone-in chicken breasts (We like thighs instead.)

salt, pepper

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 4-oz. cans roasted green chilies, drained

1 T. ground cumin

2 15-oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken broth

1. Warm oil in skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook 6 minutes each side or until brown. Transfer to platter. Saute onions and garlic for about 5 min. Stir together onion mixture, chillies, 1 cup water, cumin, beans and broth. Layer this mixture with the chicken in the slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, stirring twice. Serve alone or over rice or pasta.

Delicious!!

Q. Any tips you have for parents about choosing the right caregiver?

We always suggest that families not only interview multiple caregivers, but also schedule trial days with these caregivers and their children. This way, they can witness first hand how each caregiver interacts with the children and which caregiver fits their family the best. If the children are old enough, they can also weigh in on the decision based on their time spent with each caregiver.

Q. Do you have a nanny? What is your favorite thing that she/he does?

Our family has a caregiver that cares for Emmett. We love her! She is such a kind and gentle spirit. Other than being genuinely interested in our son and his antics, I love that she openly communicates with us. When we get home, she tells us exactly what activities they engaged in and how he reacted. Moreover, she makes us aware of any difficulties that were faced during this time, such as separation anxiety or behavior problems, such as throwing toys. She always responds to these problems with a combination or her instincts and experience and how we have asked her to respond these problems.

Q. What are the fees for the service?

We are currently offering the following introductory rates through September:

For an occasional/date night search (less than 10 hours per week): $75

For a part-time search (less than 30 hours per week, but more than 10 hours per week): $150

For a full-time search (31 hours or more per week): $195

These rates are valid through September. We do not charge placement or application fees. The one-time fee covers the placement of a caregiver.

Q. What have you learned now that you wish you knew when Personally Paired began?

I have learned to be honest and upfront with clients when they contact me for a custom child-care search. If a family is expecting a caregiver with many years of experience but does not meet these years with a competitive pay range, I have learned to tell them of the discrepancy before beginning the search. It is so important to be open and honest.

Reach Kristen at 980-918-7149 or email. Find Personally Paired on Facebook or Twitter.

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LISA DARNELL

Lisa Darnell, 46 of Gastonia, began L. Darnell & Co. this year after she had published “My Mommy’s Water Balloon” and “Letters of Faith, Family and Love.” The Lisa Darnell website will launch Aug. 30, and you will be able to purchase paintings, floor cloths, framed poetry, and more. Lisa will also be selling original artwork at the Southern Women’s Show.

Q. What inspired you to begin L. Darnell & Co.?

Two things were the driving inspiration for the company, my love of the arts and my love for children.

I enjoy looking at things from a child’s perspective, so the art is brightly colored with designs that children, teens and even adults like. As an example, I had a client who lives in Charleston and wanted a holiday floor cloth for her foyer. I painted a Santa carrying a sack of toys with palm trees in the background decorated with sea shells and colored Christmas lights. She loved it!

Q. Are you the writer and artist for all of your work?

I am the writer of all of my books and poetry. All of my floor cloths and wall canvases are my designs; however, I do like to collaborate with other artists on some projects. For instance, on my children’s book, “My Mommy’s Water Balloon,” I commissioned an artist who has a background in anatomy drawing and she did a marvelous job on the illustrations. She and I worked closely together on the concepts and the look I wanted. The illustrations are fun and whimsical.

Q. How did "My Mommy's Water Balloon" begin?

The concept of the story actually came about when my son, at the age of 4, asked how a baby lives in their Mommy’s tummy, and then of course the next question was, “How do they get out?” I was trying to quickly think of concepts that he would understand and that wouldn’t scare him to death, so that’s how the story was born. I told a few friends about it and they were like, “Oh my gosh, you should write a children’s book.” I actually had the story copyrighted 10 years ago, but did not have it published until this year.

Q. How did you handle family life with beginning a new company?

That was quite easy. My son left for college and I needed something to occupy my time! Most of my friends were very worried about how I would “react” to his leaving home, and it was difficult, but I focused on my own “dreams deferred” and so far it’s been amazing!

Q. Any tricks you can share with other aspiring moms?

No tricks, only hard work, determination and the ability to execute your plan. If you have a dream, never give up on it, even if it takes you 10 years to see it to fruition. As a single mom, my first priority was focusing my efforts on my son’s development. After he graduated, I started devoting that time to my goals. In my poetry book, “Letters of Faith, Family and Love,” I used an artist’s analogy – “think of your life as a blank canvas that only you can paint. It is your choice to paint an original with colors that only YOU can dream.”

Q. What was the hardest part about getting your work published?

The hardest part about getting my work published was the marketing. Currently, I am a one-stop shop. From the book publishing, to the website design, to the social networking, I have worn many hats this year, but it is worth it to see my vision begin to take shape!

Q. What all does L. Darnell & Co. do?

L. Darnell & Co. is all about children! We specialize in children’s books, poetry and art; however, we are most passionate about helping children reach their God-given potential. Ten percent of our profits help to fund scholarships for children who need assistance with reaching their dreams. The scholarships fund camp tuitions - for the athlete who wants to pursue sports, or the honor roll student who wants to attend academic enrichment programs, or the artist who needs new art supplies.

Our foundation is called Fruits for the Spirit, because in order to develop a child’s fruit of the spirit, traits like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control, they need encouragement and support.

L. Darnell & Co. has partnered with Giveback.org. We set up our foundation, Fruits for the Spirit, and they do the administrative stuff so that we can focus on our mission. We will announce all scholarship criteria and winners on our website. Make sure to visit lisadarnell.com regularly for updates!

Q. Does your child help with any of your art work?

My son was the inspiration for many of my poems and his curiosity inspired the children’s book, but he has not helped with any of the artwork. He has always been a student-athlete and never slowed down enough from school, practice and games to help!

You can purchase "My Mommy’s Water Balloon" at www.mymommyswaterballoon.com. You can email her at info@lisadarnell.com.

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MARTHA KINNEY

Martha Kinney, mompreneur in the Cotswold area, has been a speech-language pathologist for 10 years. In 2009, Martha and her good friend Wendy Solomon decided to begin their own speech therapy practice, The Speech Vine. Since then, they have been serving students at local schools as well as building a private practice off of Monroe Road.

Q. Why did you decide to begin Speech Vine?

Wendy and I were very good friends in graduate school and both ended up back in Charlotte at about the same time. We each had one child at that time. For a little over a year, we job-shared at CMS. After taking a little time off and each having another child, an opportunity arose to have a space with The Reading Connection. Both of us shared a strong passion for children and for speech therapy, as well as feeling a need to have time with our own children. Working together meant we each could continue to practice while being home some too.

Q. How were you able to juggle family with running a new business?

Oh, the juggling act! We literally have a picture schedule on our refrigerator so that my 3 1/2 year-old knows who will pick her up from pre-school! I am a tremendous believer in "the village." Matt and I are rare Charlotte natives. We met in high school, and we are so lucky to have lots of family in Charlotte. Everyone helps. Starting a business with a friend was also great. In the first year, Wendy and I would get our kids together to play and work on the business, or we would trade off kids while the other saw clients.

Q. Which schools do you work at with Speech Vine?

The Speech Vine has served students at Fletcher, Carmel Christian School, Hickory Grove, Trinity Episcopal, Dore Academy, Palisades Episcopal and Omni Montessori, as well as many pre-schools in the area.

Q. So you have office hours as well as going to schools; what made you decide to do both?

Initially, we planned to base our business primarily in our clinic. However, Wendy and I both have a passion for serving pre-school and school-age children in the most functional way possible, meaning, if their language or speech problem is impacting their learning, we feel very strongly that being able to be a part of their education is key. Besides, most kids have sports or music after school; it's really helpful to everyone to work on speech and language at school. Our practice has evolved to a primarily school-based practice. That being said, there are some kids whose schedules work best working in the office. We are fortunate to share a space with Rosemary Forcucci of The Reading Connection, an Orton-Gillingham reading tutoring company, and Jeanmarie Tomasulo, an occupation therapist. Parents are able to come into our office and have their child receive all the services that they need. Serving kids at schools or a clinic helps us best meet the need of each client.

Q. Did either of your children have speech delays? What got you into the field?

It's funny, Wendy and I have both had children who were "clients" at The Speech Vine! It's ironic when the speech-language pathologists' child can't say his "r" sound. That didn't drive our decision, though. Every woman in my family has been in education. I chose speech-language pathology because it gave me a unique way to have a hand in educating children. I was drawn to speech because it was a more personal way of interacting with families and children than having an entire classroom.

While our field has become much more challenging in the past few years because of changes in governmental policies in education as well as health-care cuts, it has been a field that has afforded many opportunities, and at the end of the day, I have a positive impact in the lives of children and families.

Q. What is your favorite quick meal?

If I need a quick meal for my kids, I take frozen boneless/skinless chicken tenderloins, and cover them with black beans and salsa. Then cover that with shredded cheddar and crushed tortilla chips and bake it for 30 minutes or so. I think I made that chicken for the first time when I was in the seventh grade and my mom had a Pace Picante Sauce cook book. My kids lap it up. If it's a stay-at-home date night, which my husband and I try to have once a week or so, we are obsessed with this zucchini pasta dish that I found in an article about Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook. We don't fry the zucchini - just roast it. It always turns out well and takes no time to prepare, plus, it pairs with just about any wine.

Q. Any tips you have for moms who are starting their own business?

Give yourself enough time to get your work done. I've learned that I'm not doing my kids any favors trying to do paperwork when they really just want my attention. It is important to invest in the childcare that you need to get the work done.

You can find out more information about Martha and The Speech Vine at thespeechvine.com, on Twitter at @thespeechvine, email at info@thespeechvine.com or (704) 629-8463.

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DANA LANHAM

You could say that fun is Dana Lanham's business. She takes toys, then makes them better and markets them. Dana, 45, of Davidson, began her consulting business, Fun2Market, in 2004. Dana is the managing partner, overseeing strategic marketing and product development, developing new markets and products for clients in the toy and leisure industries, along with offering invention development and representation for entrepreneurs. Fun2Market takes existing products and make them better, or helps new products get to market. They have clients, large and small, all over the world - from Hasbro and Spin Master toy companies, to medium-size Briarpatch and ThinkFun Game companies, to individuals with a marketable concept, including a mom here in Davidson and a dad in New York City, both of whom had great passion for improving families' lives with educational games.

Q. How did you begin Fun2Market? What were your first steps?

First, I had to determine my positioning and offering. I looked around at who my competitors are and how I could be different. Second, a name and look to go with it that was playful and reflected my creativity and success rate. Third, a brochure, cards and a website with search engine optimization. Fourth, I utilized my network and got busy driving potential clients and referrals to my website for more information. I attended industry events as a speaker and participant, driving my credibility.

Q. How hard was it beginning a company while having two children?

I started the business about a year prior to child No. 1. So, I was lucky to get a little time to build it before the floodgates opened! I also had several clients before I even opened the doors, so it alleviated some of the financial risk for me. I also am very lucky to have both sets of grandparents only about 30 minutes away, and they love to keep the kids and offer unlimited support. This helps in so many ways, along with not having to use babysitters - which drains the discretionary income! Both of my children have been in daycare since they were a year or so, so that I could have some consistency and allow them to socialize. The grandparents each got a day a week to keep them, which was great, as I did not feel as guilty when they were with them.

Q. What are your go-to places for a quick meal? Morgan, our 6-year-old, and I will go pick up Cooper, the-2 year-old, and head to K&W, which is around the corner from his daycare, and have dinner, with some veggies. I feel like I am eating a home-cooked meal. And it is already ready for me! And there is no mess to clean up! We also love KFC’s grilled chicken. Again, we pass it on the way home from daycare, and I get to hear “KFC” in little squeaky voices in the back seat.

Q. Any juggling tips for other parents beginning their own company? Have your support system in place, be it family or friends, so you can “swap” favors later. Have a schedule in front of you at all times with contacts. I use this great product called Momagenda. It has an area that covers my home schedule, my work schedule and the kids' schedule basically in one book with all kinds of other cool contact info for shopping sites, travel resources, and emergencies.

Q. What do you wish you would have known then what you know now? That networking is the key to business success. And that other moms (working or otherwise) are the best resources. It took me a few years to get into the whole neighborhood network.

Q. What is your biggest accomplishment so far? Outside of my children and marriage, launching several award-winning products and growing my business to the point where I needed a business partner (yes, another mom and former toy-co-worker).

Q. Any tips on how to manage a family while running a business? I don’t think there is a perfect answer. I am just lucky enough to have married a man who carries his 50 percent if not more in a lot of cases. He has no problem switching roles with me while I create and travel for clients or find time for friends. I do have to say that getting up earlier and having a list in front of me before I return a phone call or email has been the best thing as of late. I am really trying to separate my time with family with my work time, as it is sometimes hard to shut down. They don’t mingle well, and it is unfair to both. That new way of thinking is allowing me to provide more quality to each quadrant of my life from my spouse to my family, to friends to clients. It is easy to become an imposter in all of them when you are not focused on one at a time!

You can contact Dana at www.fun2market.com or via email. Dana also just launched a new ecommerce website with her father called rubyroo.com! They carry educational products and furnishings for businesses, schools and homes. They are adding new lines, but are the go-to website for mom-and-pop and smaller daycare centers for the Children’s Factory line of products.

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KRIS HAWKINS

Kris Hawkins, 43, of southeast Charlotte, had big dreams about improving the products she used the most as she nursed her youngest son to sleep every night. In 2008, Kris stepped out of character and began research and product development for 2 Jackaroo. In 2010, 2 Jackaroo launched in the Milky Way on East Boulevard and has now expanded to 15 stores along the East Coast. 2 Jackaroo creates the Sohoe Pillow Series, which is a nursing pillow with certified memory foam; the Belleche nursing cover, which is a unique easy to use cover with organic lining; and the Creme Drulee, a soft lovey treasured keepsake for your little ones.

Here, Kris shares her story with MomsCharlotte.com.

Q. How did you manage family life while creating a product and a company?

Starting a business and managing a family all at the same time is definitely not for the faint of heart, but I have a supportive husband, family and great friends! I work my best early in the mornings with a cup of coffee in my hand.

Q. Where do you manufacture your products?

I am proud to say, ALL 2 Jackaroo products are MADE IN THE USA!

Q. How old are your children?

Jackson is 11 and Ryan will be 7 on Aug. 24.

Q. Where can we find your products in Charlotte?

The Milky Way and Belly Elan.

Q. What advice do you have for other beginning mompreneurs?

Napoleon Hill said, “If you can believe it, you can achieve it.” That really sums it up in a nutshell. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever is!

Q. Why is breastfeeding important?

Research certainly shows that "breast is best," but ultimately what's important is that Mom feels strong and confident with her decisions. With optimum prenatal education and support, I believe more moms have the potential to be successful with breastfeeding, but a mom should never feel guilty if breastfeeding did not work out for her. I truly believe motherhood is the hardest, most wonderful job EVER! Women should take every opportunity to offer each other support for the wonderful things they do, and not tear each other down for their real or imagined failures!

Q. Why is it important to you to use green materials as much as possible?

Having children really makes you think about the health and welfare of our planet. My mom always taught me that it's important to leave things better than you found them. It is extremely important to me, as a mother myself, to practice this principle to the best of my ability, in all aspects of my life, including my business.

Check out the 2 Jackaroo products at www.2jackaroo.com. Contact Kris at kris@2jackaroo.com or 704-325-9727.

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HOLLY BRETSCHNEIDER

Holly Bretschneider, 46 of Marvin, began her stationary, invitation and gift boutique, Salutations, in Chapel Hill in 2002. Holly opened her second store in Ballantyne Village in 2006 and has been breaking sales records every year since. Holly has recently started two new companies, GOOD and Blog Boutique - all while parenting a 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. GOOD, Guild of Original Designers, is an organization that provides designers and other creative professionals with the tools to protect their original designs from copying. Blog Boutique provides ready-made blog posts about lifestyle issues for small businesses to download and publish to their own blogs. Holly was awarded in April 2011 with the Trendy Stationer of the Year award by Stationary Trends magazine.

Q. How did Salutations begin?

I had been a lawyer, serving as the VP/general counsel of a health plan in Northern California for 10 years. When we moved to North Carolina, I felt the itch to do something on my own. When I found that I was unable to find the sort of stationery boutique that I loved to visit when I lived in California, I thought that might be an interesting new business. I spent about six months researching the market and writing a business plan, until I decided to pull the trigger and signed a lease on a store in a brand-new development in Chapel Hill. The Charlotte store was born out of a desire to expand the business. The original plan was to hire a manager to open and run the store; however, after exploring the Charlotte area to find the store location, we found that we really liked the area and moved our family here. (We moved in August and opened the store in September 2006 - quite an eventful summer!)

Q. How were you able to begin two other new companies along with Salutations while running a family?

Two very big factors: a husband who is extremely supportive and handles more than his share of the household tasks, and an amazing staff who manage everything at Salutations beautifully without me there full time.

Q. What is your favorite quick dinner?

Anything my husband makes! I tend to be a fan of healthy eating, but almost every dinner needs to be quick, given our work and all of the various carpool runs to swim practices and soccer practices. My favorite is salmon, fingerling potatoes, and asparagus - all cooked on the grill. We have also made a few times a salad with spinach, romaine, grilled chicken-apple sausage, pears, goat cheese and pecans - great in the summertime!

Q. Any time-management tips you have for our readers?

Don't let the feeling of being overwhelmed set in, and don't have unreasonable expectations (like a sparkling-clean house). Spend time figuring out what it is that you are really good at and that invigorates you, spend most of your time and energy doing that work, and strive to outsource and/or align with those who have strengths in the other areas. For example, I am at my best, happiest and most fulfilled when I am brainstorming new business ideas and new processes. So, I am working to team with those who excel at managing the details of implementing those ideas and processes and at marketing them to take them to new and greater heights of success.

Q. What has been the most rewarding experience in having your own company?

The freedom to create the life that I want to live. It has taken me quite a while to get to the point of realizing this power, as I have strong workaholic tendencies. But, this summer, my daughter and I bought season passes to the National Whitewater Center and have taken up stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. We go paddling out on the Catawba River two to three mornings each week. My son qualified for a high-level swim meet at Stanford this month, and we're taking a two-week vacation to watch the meet, catch up with our family and friends, and then spend the last week vacationing at Lake Tahoe. I'm still pinching myself that this is even possible when I have three businesses to run. It is truly all about what you decide you want your life to look like, believing that you can have it, and then making it happen.

Q. How do your children feel about you being a mompreneur?

My children are very supportive and proud. Every once in a while, my daughter grumbles that I'm always on my laptop, but then I remind her how much more time we've spent together this summer than ever before. I think that it is very good for them to see a woman owning her own business(es), to see all of the many aspects (both good and bad) that go into running a business, and to see how a marriage and family can work with both parents contributing in very different and fluid ways.

Salutations is at 14825 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite 130, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277. You can find Holly online at:

salutations.com / hollyb@salutations.com

BlogBoutique.com / holly@BlogBoutique.com

GOODesigners.com / holly@GOODesigners.com

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MICHELLE ICARD

Michelle Icard began Athena’s Path seven years ago to help give girls tools to manage their social environment so they could be more successful in school. A couple of years later, Michelle was asked to bring the curriculum to schools. She then developed a boys program, Hero’s Pursuit. Michelle now has launched Michelle In The Middle, a website for parents whose kids are entering or are in middle school. Here's Michelle’s story in the MomsCharlotte Q&A.

Q. How did Michelle In The Middle begin?

With two programs under my belt, Athena’s Path and Hero’s Pursuit, I formed a parent company, Cognition House, which allowed me to do work for outside groups. Last year I wrote the curriculum for Girls Rock The House, a national nonprofit that engages eighth-grade girls in politics, and Girlology, a mother-daughter sexual education program. I am also excited to be working with the Democratic National Committee Host Committee to create Convention 101, a program to teach kids in Charlotte about political conventions.

My latest venture is Michelle In The Middle, a website for parents whose kids are entering or in middle school. The concern, anxiety and excitement that come with the transition to middle school are big (for kids AND parents)! The site is a place where parents can hang out to feel some relief from the middle school madness. I’ve got lots of ideas for helping kids transition to and thrive in middle school. I hope it’s a fun and funny place to visit. It’s the project I’ve poured most of my personality into, which means I feel a little like the hostess of a party, minutes before start time, dreading no one will come. Hey, you know what would be fun? If you went there right now and checked it out. And liked it.

Q. How old were your children when you began?

My daughter was 4 and my son was 2. They are now 11 and 9.

Q. How did you manage family time vs. business time?

Well that depends on who you ask. Just yesterday one of my children said, “I know it’s good to have your own business, but you are always on phone calls or doing important emails and you never see us.” In my opinion this could not be further from the truth, but I understand this is sometimes their perspective. As often as I feel I can without being obnoxious, I point out to my kids all the stuff I get to do because I work for myself. “Look at me showing up to have lunch with you at school!” or “Hey, isn’t it cool how I can be here right when you get off the bus and drive you to swimming?” I want them to appreciate the flexibility of my schedule, but sometimes they just want me. Not me with a Blackberry or me with a laptop next to them on the couch. So yesterday, right after that comment from my child, we went bowling. And this morning as I type my answers to these questions they are fending for themselves. I balance as best I can until someone says it’s broken, and then I adjust.

Q. What is a tip you give most middle school parents to help their children?

Keep a neutral facial expression when talking to your kid about what’s happening in middle school. Tweens and teens have a hard time accurately reading our expressions. They may mistake concern for anger, surprise for disdain, or stress for disappointment. Keeping a blank expression when talking about any potentially sensitive subject is your key to keeping lines of communication open with your child.

Q. How did you create your special programs?

Step 1: Research. Once I saw a need for social education programs, I began doing research on the key components of leadership and self-reliance. Then I took each of those components and wrapped them in a middle-school wrapper to make each concept relevant and cool. I also developed an affiliated tool for each concept to ensure that kids were getting more than just talk. I wanted them to develop proficiency in skills.

Step 2: Get a Babysitter. I asked my mom to watch my kids, and headed to Panera where they thankfully let me camp out with my laptop each day until my curriculum was written. I never could have focused without my mom watching the kids for me.

Step 3: Beg. Once I had a program, I needed participants. I begged everyone I knew whose daughters were the right age to “please!” send their child to my camp. And that continued for several embarrassing years. I got so tired of begging people to come but didn’t know how else to generate enough participants, although I tried lots of things. Finally, the fly wheel caught and the programs fill up now with no begging whatsoever. Phew!

Step 4: Leave it to the Moms. I’ve discovered the most powerful marketing force in Charlotte is moms. I speak whenever I can about my programs and it is usually moms who hear me talk, then approach me about bringing the programs to their school or community. They are an amazing army of foot soldiers for expansion.

Step 5: Find a Quinn. Every mom who runs her own business needs help, or she’ll get very lonely and go very crazy. I couldn’t do what I do without the help of Quinn Davidson, right hand extraordinaire.

Q. How well have the programs been doing?

Athena’s Path and Hero’s Pursuit have always grown organically and they continue to do that. We are now taught in 15 schools as a class during the school day. Schools purchase a site license, which includes curriculum, training and support, and most offer the program as a rotating elective taught by their teachers. We also offer summer camps around Charlotte. Our programs are taught as far out as Idaho and Massachusetts, as well.

With the launch of Michelle In The Middle, I’m also preparing to release a book and am offering a new coaching service to girls and moms. I love working one-on-one with clients and am excited to see how that develops as another arm of the business.

Q. What is your best advice for a mom who is starting her own company?

Stop cleaning your house. In the early stages of starting a company you will work long, hard hours and you can’t do it all. Enlist your family’s help, hire outside help, or just accept the fact that for a while your home may look a little like a crack den. Eventually, you’ll be able to reign in the mess, but in the meantime if something’s got to give don’t let it be fun with your kids. Do your work, then step over the mess and go play!

To learn more about Michelle’s services, go to www.michelleinthemiddle.com; find her on Facebook by searching for Michelle In The Middle, follow her on Twitter @Michelle Icard, email her at michelle@michelleinthemiddle.com or call her at (704) 779-6696.

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MIKI OSHEROW

Miki Osherow, 36, began Charlotte Field Hockey Club in 2005. She started the nonprofit organization as a small, indoor league and has grown it to more than 300 members and three elite travel teams. The club provides a community for young women to grow through sports and share in a passion for field hockey. Miki has coached field hockey for the past 12 years; she has two children, Lucy, 6, and Dylan, 4.

Q. How did Charlotte Field Hockey Club begin?

I got the idea for Charlotte Field Hockey Club when I spent a year living in St. Louis, Mo., in 1998. I helped coach and played with a club there and instantly loved the community that it created. I knew Charlotte had nothing like it and had set in the back of my mind that one day I would start my own club in Charlotte. I started by creating a small, adult pick-up league in 2001. That same year I started coaching at Providence Day School and met a bunch of kids who wanted more field hockey. That’s when we started indoor leagues and travel teams. It began to grow from there. I later met two wonderful women, Amy Gakenheimer and Dorcas Zeeso, who also wanted to reach more youth in our community. They helped to launch our youth clinics in 2008.

Q. What has been the most rewarding point in your new career?

Overall, the most rewarding part of my career is watching a young girl grow through adolescence and become a young woman. I have this one young girl in mind who came to her first club practice, and she was very timid. I knew she was a wonderful player from coaching her at Providence Day, but she was in a new environment and wasn’t too sure how she would compare to these elite players. It took her about three practices, but she took off! Her confidence skyrocketed, and she became a force to be reckoned with on the field and, more importantly, off! She became a team leader on the club team and her high school team, a leader that everyone looks up to. The younger girls saw her take a risk, work hard and succeed. What a wonderful example! She is now leaving this fall to play in a top collegiate field hockey program!

Q. Are your children involved?

Yes – they come to some practices and tournaments, but they always help me get ready. My son loves to fill the water cooler and dump the ice in! My daughter counts the balls to make sure we have enough and helps me wash uniforms! And they are always the loudest cheerleaders on the sidelines!

Q. How well is Charlotte Field Hockey doing?

Starting a sports club organization for a unique sport in a city where most people ask you, "What is field hockey, again?" definitely calls for a lot of grassroots marketing and work to get over the knowledge hump! But in the past year, our elite teams have had great success at national tournaments, and kids from around the state are calling to find out how they can play with Charlotte Ambush! Also, our efforts to spread the word locally among younger girls has paid off. There are only five high schools in the city that offer the sport, so I have recently started to measure our growth by kids who participate that do not have the sport offered at their school. In our 2009/2010 youth clinic season, we had an average of 5 percent of kids participating that didn’t have it at their school. In 2010/2011, we had 21 percent! We also now offer three middle school club teams that practice after school and compete versus the local school programs. In the 2010 season, we only had one team! Kids are finding out how fun field hockey is and what a great community our club offers. I recently had a parent tell me that her teenage daughter feels like she has found a new home. She has a renewed sense of accomplishment and confidence! That's growth you can't quantify!

The history behind our team name is that field hockey from North Carolina has historically been considered small-time, simply because it is not as widespread as in other states. So the girls came up with the team name Ambush. Now, when we go to national tournaments, the other teams say, "Oh you are from North Carolina." But we all know we will ambush them - and we have!

Q. How did you manage your time with family with beginning the club and now successfully running it?

The most rewarding part of my new career is that I am able to work from home with my children and do something I am so passionate about. I am able to take them to school, sneak over to school for lunch if I want and spend the afternoons with them. I also am able to bring my kids to practices and have them be involved as well. My 6-year-old daughter's highlight of a recent trip was that she got to ride in the van with the big girls! She talked about it for weeks. But I will say that doing what has become a full-time job from home is also that hardest part. I try to set specific work hours and catch up on emails in the carpool line. ... I am very blessed to have a VERY supportive husband who understands that sometimes days with kids at home and a full-time job (that really started out as a hobby) just don’t go as planned. Dinner will be half cooked by the time he gets home or laundry is spread all over the place because I asked the kids to sort. I also have A LOT of family that lives in town, and they are ALWAYS willing to watch the kids during practice or games.

But personally, I have to constantly remind myself that I don't have to hit every nail on the head every time. Meaning, it's OK not to do everything perfectly or make everyone happy all the time. A good friend and co-coach once told me that sometimes you have to PUNT - you tried hard to get this project done in "four downs," but you didn't make it this time. PUNT, and next time you'll make it!

Q. Any tips you have for beginning mompreneurs?

Make a schedule for work time and family time and stick to it - at least as much as you can!

Don’t be a martyr. When your friends and family offer to take the kids to the park or pick them up from school so you can have an extra 15 minutes to get something done, take them up on it! You will have a chance to repay them, and they wouldn’t offer if they didn’t want to help.

To learn more about Charlotte Field Hockey Club, reach Miki at (704) 995-3836 or visit her website, www.charlottefieldhockeyclub.com.

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TINA HICKS

Tina Hicks of Ballantyne opened My Baby’s Green in early 2010. Tina is mom to a 20-month-old girl and two sons who are 18 and 24. My Baby’s Green sells eco-friendly baby clothing, toys, cloth diapers, reusable lunch and mealtime supplies, bags, bath products and more.

Q. What made you decide to start your own eco-friendly company?

My family was not always eco-friendly or even organic. It wasn't until some major life changes ... had me going organic as much as I could, and being eco-friendly just naturally followed. The more I read, the more I learned about the toxic chemicals to which we unknowingly expose our children.

My Baby’s Green was started with the intent of providing products that are both environmental and baby friendly. We researched many vendors and manufacturers, looking for companies that shared our goal of providing these types of products and services while doing their part to help our planet. We set out with the intent to do this for our baby, your baby, and all of the generations of babies to come.

Q. How do you manage family time vs. business time?

At times it can be hard because I work from my home, so there is no set quitting time for me ... sometimes, not only I forget, but my family does, too. For at least the first year I stayed glued to my computer researching "green" links, tips, affordable advertising opportunities, meeting people, researching more manufacturers while my daughter, who is now 20 months, easily entertained herself in between breaks that I took. For the past few months she has needed more of my attention, so I am cutting back in areas that I can. I think I have a better handle on it now by taking longer, more frequent breaks so I can play and teach Gracie, cook, do laundry, etc.

Q. What is your favorite product and why?

Our MBG Blanket. It's 100% organic cotton, medium weight, long enough to cover my daughter, and it's her favorite. She says it's so soft. The other is reusable bags for lunches. I have saved so much money by using them instead of sandwich and snack bags, plus (I) feel good about our family not adding more to the landfills!

Q. What has been the most shocking thing you've learned so far?

There are many ways I could have saved money by doing more research when it came to start-up costs, designing and even advertising. There are plenty of people that take advantage of us newbies! Also, there are a lot of other great eco-friendly companies out there like mine, some much larger that offer so much more. When MBG was just a thought, I never knew that. I should have researched more. I shouldn't even have tried to compete, but I wanted MBG to be a one-stop e-commerce (site). I had big dreams but realized I couldn't do that. Another is that I can't do it all. I started My Baby's Green blog to promote MBG through giveaways but quickly decided I wanted to help other small companies as well. It also helped my followers to be given choices, especially ones I couldn't offer on MBG. Adding that to my daily list of to-do items made it much harder than I thought it would be, but I still do it. Just not as much. I did add a "Green Partners & Links" page to my website so I could help them advertise for free. What surprised me is that I have learned that I enjoy helping others, (and) myself, learn more about going green and organic and mentioning other small, green businesses ... on MBG's Facebook page and blogs. I think it may be my calling.

Q. Any tips you suggest to moms thinking about starting their own company?

If you pay someone to do what you can't, wow. Learn quickly, research even more on how to cut start-up costs. Find a host that best fits your needs before committing so you don't have to change it later. Some offer options you don't think you will need but end up needing or vice versa. Your business becomes your passion, almost like caring for another child, so do your research - again - and then decide if it's what you want to devote a big part of your time to.

You can find out more about My Baby's Green at www.MyBabysGreen.com, tina@mybabysgreen.com, www.mybabysgreenblog.com. You also can search My Baby's Green on Facebook and Twitter. And for a limited time you can get 50 percent off by entering GREENUP when you order.

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AMY FERGUSON

Amy Ferguson, 38, of Waxhaw began K9s Unleashed in 2006. Her own experience with an unruly rescue dog - and a lifelong love of animals - inspired her to start the company. K9s Unleashed offers a variety dog training classes, dog field trips, and camps for kids and teens. To get an idea of what her services look like, check out the video on her Facebook page. (While you're there, you can like the MomsCharlotte page, too!) To see how Amy does it all, read on.

Q. What made you decide to start your own company?

Erik and I were newlyweds when he decided to help his co-worker, and rescue a dog. This young dog was all skin and bones with the lovely bonus of kennel cough. On our second day together, this new addition to our family worked his way out of the metal crate when I was at work and Erik was on a business trip. The crate was still locked, but the dog had manipulated the sturdy metal. Once he got out that is when the fun began for him. He proceeded to have a frat party in our new home by himself. The couch was nothing but stuffing on the floor, the carpet was chomped on, the bed mattress had a hole it, my FAVORITE cherry-red boots were now cowgirl flip flops - and it goes on. This dog had an acre in our back yard to roam around, but instead would leap, with room to spare, over our five-foot, chain-link fence. I felt helpless, mad and challenged! ...

I have always had a love for animals. As a young girl I would watch all the neighbors' dogs when they went on vacation. At the age of 16, I got a job at our local animal hospital, working as a kennel assistant, (and) moving up to a vet tech assistant. After college, I organized pet therapy visits to local nursing homes. So (with our new pet) I didn't want to toss my arms up in the air and give up. As nuts as it may sound, I looked at this situation as a puzzle that I had to solve. ... I met my mentor, Alan Brown, an amazing dog trainer in our hometown in Texas. We became quite a team. Our mutt is now able to compete in shows and win in categories such as Most Obedient Dog. Our immediate family members laugh about this because they know the amount of effort behind this trophy.

Q. How do you juggle owning a business with family life?

Scheduling is always difficult because I want to be able to work with families as a whole when training their dog. As a result, families are usually together in the evening and on weekends - the same times my family wants me home, too.

Q. What is the best breed of dog for children?

It is important to know exercise requirements, grooming needs, temperament, personality, size and the trainability of each breed to start your selection process. It is not wise to select a dog because you like the way it looks.

Q. How well has your business done in the past year?

My business has increased this year due to the recognition of local veterinarians recommending my services, word of mouth from my clients, adding new classes designed for kids to provide exposure to learning how to care for dogs and become better dog handlers, connecting with local nonprofit rescue groups and marketing with Paper Blossom.

Q. What kind of puppies do you have for the kids camps?

I asked my current clients to volunteer their puppies to participate in the camp. We had six puppies (one Labradoodle, three Lab/goldens, one Great Dane, one chocolate Lab mix), all eager to please the six kids. We also had two geriatric dogs visit, so the kids could see the circle of life.

Q. Does your son help with your company at all?

Yes, my 6-year-old son helps my at events. He wears his K9sUnleashed shirt as an employee would. He likes to be the photographer while I give demonstrations to the public.

You can contact Amy at (704) 243-0920, amy@K9sUnleashed.com or www.K9sUnleashed.com.

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JULIE AGUIRRE WHITTED

Julie Aguirre Whitted, 38, from South Charlotte began Hola Baby when she was in search of T-shirts that said “mija” (my daughter) and “mijo” (my son) in Spanish. Julie grew up bilingual and hoped that her children would learn Spanish as well. She couldn’t find any tees that she liked, so she made her own. She collaborated the designs with her designer cousin who lives in Mexico and began Hola Baby in 2009.

Q. What did you do before you began your own business?

I was a reporter at WBTV for three years and at various stations around the country before then, it was my dream job and I'm proud of my accomplishments but after 10 years in that field I was a little burned out on crime, car accidents and bad weather, so I left that behind, started a family and soon after that my own business, www.holababyshop.com Cute Spanish Shirts for Kids! In 2008, I was also a MomsCharlotte blogger.

Q. How well is business for Hola Baby?

In my first year I just sold to family and friends ( thank you family and friends, I love you!). In my second year I've sold primarily to strangers! People across the country who found the shirts on the Internet and liked them enough to buy them, not because they know or like me, but because they like the shirts, that's so exciting! Hola Baby is also in several boutiques.

Q. How do you manage making the tee's with the kiddos around?

I took care of the manufacturing just weeks before my second child was born. I remember a meeting at Contagious Graphics in Charlotte with my just turned 3-year-old. The guy let her play with the little collectible Japanese figures on his desk, while I settled some final screen-printing details. The day after they were made I had a photo shoot scheduled with 10 toddlers at Pura Vida Art! As a former reporter, I'm used to working on a deadline but impending labor gave the deadline a whole new meaning! Now it's easy. The shirts are in the home office, and I fill orders during my spare time between shuffling the kids to school, naptime and other events.

Q. What is your favorite part of owning your own company?

It's a wonderful creative outlet, and I love that my business is a positive representation of my culture and heritage.

Q. Any tips for our moms?

Well, if I had to do it again, I would not have launched my business weeks after having a baby, other than that it has been a wonderful experience and would encourage other women to turn their ideas into businesses, too!

Q. What is your favorite tee?

I love them all of course! But the "Fresona" one for the girl and "El Mero Mero" for the boy would have to be my favorites.

You can contact Julie at holababyshop.com.

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CARA PUTZRATH

Cara Putzrath (aka Cara Zara), 44, is a South Charlotte mom of 2 who also is a professional hula-hoop dancer! She performs at festivals, events, and birthday parties. She also teaches the art and fitness of hula-hooping with after-school programs and summer camps.

Q. How well is your business is doing?

For over a year I have had steady business and I am booked for parties about 4-6 weeks out. I am now scheduling for the 2011-2012 school year for my after-school enrichment program. I teach kids to appreciate physical activity for the pure pleasure of movement in a manner that's not based on repetition or competition. I foster team building skills and enhance children's self-esteem in a playful and exciting way! I hoop at area festivals and have been seen spinning my hoops at Festival in the Park, First Night Charlotte, Charlotte Shakespeare Company, Strawberry Festival and many others. I was also featured on the Charlotte Today Show. Q. How long have you been hula-hooping?

I started when I was a little kid and then put the hoop down for a few decades before picking it back up again. I’m now into my fifth year as a Hoop Dancer and it has been a transforming journey. It all began when my best friend insisted that I participate in a hooping workshop in her back yard. I enjoyed the free-wheeling swoosh of the Hoop around my waist and the awe inspiring tricks of well-accomplished hoopers. All I could do at the time was keep the hoop around my waist. Every attempted trick hit the ground with a thud. I have come a long way since that day in the back yard!

Q. What made you decide to make a business out of it?

On December 31, 2009, I hooped at a party under a full moon with the beat of a drum circle and made my New Year’s declaration that I would share my love of hooping by teaching and performing, which is funny because I never make New Year’s resolutions! My girlfriend who was hosting the party commented that New Year's Eve wishes under the spell of a full moon and a drum circle are pretty powerful. She was right!

Q. What is your favorite part of having your own business?

I get paid to hula-hoop! It really doesn’t get any better than that. My favorite part is seeing the joy in the children’s faces and watching them express themselves through play. Children are enthusiastic and willing to try anything. When adults drop a hoop they automatically look around to see who’s watching their mistakes and compare themselves to others. When children drop the hoop they pick it right back up and try again.

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood our lives get filled up with a myriad of “can’ts” – “I can’t because I have no rhythm” – “I can’t because I have a bad knee” – I can’t because I’ll look silly” – “I can’t because I’m busy”.

Kids don’t have those blocks yet and hopefully with my help they won’t – ever! They’ll be just like the Little Engine That Could. “I think I can. I think I can.” It’s that attitude that propels you forward in life especially when things get difficult.

Q. How do you manage family life while running Cara Zara?

I wake up crazy early! Ideally my day starts at 4 a.m. so that I can have the quiet time to plan, write my blog, update my website, produce promo videos, sew costumes, watch hooping videos on YouTube for inspiration and a million other things. In fact it is 4:15 a.m. as I am writing this to you. I also work full-time as a lighting rep so my business has been a weekend endeavor. It can get tiring working 7 days a week but hooping gives me such a bolt of energy that I keep spinning away. Now my business has grown large enough that I will become a full-time hula-hooper this fall by teaching kids in after-school enrichment programs all over Charlotte while performing at festivals and parties on the weekend.

Q. Do your children participate when you do festivals?

My daughter Anneliese is famous for stealing the spotlight! I love to pull her up on stage with me because she gets the other kids in the crowd thinking “I can do that too!” My teenage son Otto and husband Erik are my strong men. When I work a festival I bring around 3 dozen custom-made hoops with me. They are made out of PVC pipe and specialty tapes and are heavy so the boys help carry my load. I have turned my family into a 3-ring circus. Both Erik and Otto can hoop too.

Q. What is something you wish you knew before you began Cara Zara?

Don’t try to fit someone else’s business formula - go chart your own path. I’ve been a serial entrepreneur. I have always had a small side business. My business license is under my name and has morphed over the years. I’ve worked as a decorator, photo stylist, greeting card designer, prop-master, antique vendor, etc. I guess you could say it’s in my blood to have my own business.

In the past I tried to emulate/replicate the success of someone else because I was impressed with their success. All of those previous businesses had moderate success but the hooping business has been electric. Once I centered my unique talent while letting things happen organically and shifting my business offerings based on the needs of the community and what excites me, things really began to click.

You can contact Cara at cara@carazara.com or at carazara.com.

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AVI WOOLMAN

Avi Woolman, 34, of South Charlotte is a mom of three girls all under age 7 who owns ActivewearUSA.com. The website carries yoga and fitness clothing with more than 60 brands, 1,200 styles and more than 12,000 options. The site just added swimwear. ActivewearUSA.com began in 2009. In May, it logged in 32,000 visitors and more than 175,000 page views.

Q. How did ActivewearUSA.com begin?

I haven't spent my life in retail, running an e-commerce company, or for that matter practicing yoga. After graduating from university in Israel with a computer science degree I started my career as a software engineer.

I had my first baby six years ago, and I decided to quit my time-consuming job (12 hours a day) and do an MBA in International Business Management from the University of London while taking care of my baby. It was with the birth of my second daughter that I discovered yoga while trying to get back in shape.

Despite the wonderful benefits of yoga, what I discovered was the lack of decent yoga bags on the market, a bag that would allow me to be “hands-free.” So after many days and sleepless nights, I created the Yogoco bag. (I then created my) first company, Yogoco - manufacturing eco-friendly, highly functional and super stylish yoga bags.

That went well and I wanted to expand from yoga bags to yoga apparel. So after many more days and sleepless nights ActivewearUSA.com was born.

ActivewearUSA.com started with just 2 brands: Yogoco and Margarita Activewear, which is a great activewear line from Israel, famous for its Margarita Daisy pants. The idea behind ActivewearUSA.com was to offer the best yoga and fashion fitness clothing (known as activewear) with exceptional customer service.

We offer free shipping in Charlotte, price match guarantee, easy, no-hassle returns, and we do our utmost to get every order out the same day. We also include a free ActivewearUSA.com aluminum sports bottle with every order as both a “thank you” and a way to encourage our customers to stop using plastic bottles.

Q. How do manage family life with 3 girls under 7 and run a business?

It’s hard! Very hard!! I work all night. I have built a team that really cares and does more than their job description. I have developed a great technique of breast feeding while writing e-mails, seriously! My priority is the kids. Both my husband and I grew up with proper cooked food and we continue this tradition. This means no take out. We cook a healthy dinner every day. Healthy dinner can be prepared pretty quickly. My dad always says that there is plenty of time to rest in the next world.

Q. Any tips you can share with other working moms?

Be positive, work hard and enjoy it! There is a saying: Bite off more than you can chew, and chew it. And I don’t mean eat a lot! Most of us moms are constantly hesitating before we take on a new project because we are not sure how we will have the time. We are already over stretched. You will be amazed with how much you can do with a little “can-do” attitude.

Q. What has been most rewarding about having your own business?

The letters I get from customers saying how much they love our products and our exceptional customer service is very rewarding. I still can’t believe they are talking about the company I started.

We love to amaze our customers and look for fun ways to do that. Some customers have been sent Godiva chocolates as a thank you for their business.

Q. What does your typical day look like?

A typical day goes like this: First is first – coffee, but coffee of course does not mean I sit down and drink it. While the kids are having breakfast I answer the urgent emails.

I always find a little time to plan dinner for the kids and do it while I call my parents in Israel to see how they are doing. I go to yoga or if there is no time I go for a good run with my gorgeous boxer, Lucy! Coming back with a great energy I go back to work! I am blessed with a great girl that helps me with the kids.

And I am on and off kids and work basically all day and I love it! I like to take short breaks from work during the afternoon and do one thing with the kids, it can be a quick chat with my 6 year old, a story time with my 3 year old or a good cuddle with my 9 months old! After the kids are in bed I go on working (mostly until midnight).

On a good day I will stop working and have an evening with my husband – watch a movie or read a book until I fall asleep.:-)

Q. Which of your brands do you practice yoga in?

I love all our brands, I wear all of them. I won’t take any brand that I have not personally worn practicing Yoga or working out. But I do especially love Margarita Activewear, ION Actif and Element V!

Learn more at ActivewearUSA.com.

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PENNY DIETZ

Some of you might have met Penny Dietz, a Cotswold mom of 2 and owner of “green i am,” at our MomsCharlotte Monkey Joes event last year. Penny, 39, created green i am when her youngest son, Watson, had a major reaction to toxins in their home and needed breathing treatments as well as medications. Over the past 4 years, green i am and “detoxing” homes has not only helped Penny’s son Watson get better, it has helped more than 200 families create safe and healthy homes.

She does this by conducting workshops, doing one-on-one consults and writing blogs and articles. Penny then comes up with a customized action plan and offers safe-to-use products. Over the course of a year, her business has doubled!

Q. How did green i am begin?

As with most mompreneurs, I saw a need. As I thought back over Watson’s circumstances, I tried to understand what I could have done differently. After all, I attended all the pre-natal classes offered by the hospital and my doctor as well as read many books. Unfortunately, what I didn’t hear/read was how to create a safe and healthy home for my baby. I’m not talking about locking up chemicals but avoiding them altogether when it came to house cleaning, bathing, etc.

The scary truth -- I had inadvertently “poisoned” my son through use of toxic household cleaners, which I believe was the root cause of Watson’s respiratory/health challenges. Thankfully, I was blessed to see the other side of the equation, which was more simple than administering breathing treatments and/or medications each day. It was just saying no to chemicals. That’s when I realized we’re all a victim of you don’t know what you don’t know. My mission then began to educate, raise awareness and “pull back the covers” on the real dirt. As a result, I “birthed” green i am.

Q. How has it helped your son?

First, by getting rid of toxins in our home environment, we noticed less of a need for breathing steroids and/or use of the nebulizer. Additionally, the frequency and duration of colds, ear infections and bronchial challenges decreased dramatically.

That said, while saying no to toxins was a huge component of Watson’s improved health, building up Watson’s natural immunity was also very important. Keep in mind that many times when you are taking medications for a symptom there is an offset to another component of your health. For Watson, when he was taking antibiotics, his system was getting stripped of both the good bacteria and bad bacteria. When the good bacteria is gone, it leaves you vulnerable to a weaker immune system.

So, for Watson, the use of probiotics and omegas were important to achieve/maintain great health. The result – well, November of 2007 was the last time Watson had a breathing treatment or medication for that matter. What a blessing!

Q. How do you manage home life with running a growing business?

Admittedly, some days I do it better than others. That said, in general, I try to stick to office hours, which are school based - 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Any client needs outside of those are handled as time permits based on needs of the family. And thankfully, my husband and boys are very supportive of what I do!

Q. What are some things you wish you knew before you began green i am?

I wish I knew that not everyone would embrace saying no to toxins. I launched green i am thinking that once the “real dirt” was revealed who could possibly continue using toxic products. I’ve since learned that I’m the messenger; my role is purely to educate and raise awareness. And if there’s desire to change, I support and enable. That said, I’m not here to judge personal decisions; just to respect them.

Q. What advice would you give to our readers about owning your own company while being a active mom?

First, find something that aligns with your passion. I’ve also found benefit in including my family. I just love the fact that they are my number one cheerleaders! Work hard but relish the balance that you deserve. After all, you’re in control. And get creative with your time – meaning, like doing business on the golf course, hosting/attending play dates that double as a client meeting is a win/win for all.

Q. What bad chemicals should our readers be aware of?

Regarding a few chemicals to avoid when it comes to purchasing household products, you’ll find the chemicals listed with corresponding product finds and health impacts.

-- Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) – may be found in drain cleaners, oven cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, dish soaps and laundry detergent. Known to be caustic. May cause chemical burns, may cause irritation to the respiratory tract, irritating to the eyes and skin, causes 75% of all caustic injury to kids under 5 years of age.

-- Butyl Cellosolve – may be found in glass cleaners, all purpose cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, and carpet cleaner/stain remover. Probable Carcinogen. Linked to Reproductive Harm. Irritating to the eyes, skins and respiratory system. Exposure for just 15 minutes cleaning soap scum from the shower exposes one to 3x the limit.

-- Phenol – may be found in disinfectants, germicides, mouthwash, and cosmetics – also part of Bisphenol A (may be found in plastics) and Triclosan (may be found in antibacterial soaps, toothpaste) - Phenol and its vapors are corrosive to the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract. Repeated or prolonged skin contact with phenol may cause dermatitis or even second and third-degree burns due to phenol's caustic properties. The substance may cause harmful effects on the central nervous system and heart, resulting in dysrhythmia, seizures, and coma. Long-term or repeated exposure of the substance may have harmful effects on the liver and kidneys. May cause estrogenic or endocrine disrupting activity.

-- Ammonia – may be found in glass cleaners and multi-purpose cleaners. Irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. NEVER mix with bleach or a poisonous gas may result.

-- Hydrochloric Acid – may be found in odor eliminators and toilet bowl cleaners. Can cause severe damage to skin. Can be harmful to health, just by breathing the fumes. Can be fatal if swallowed.

-- Formaldehyde – may be found in soaps and cosmetics. Known carcinogen. Formaldehyde can be toxic and allergenic Because formaldehyde resins are used in many construction materials it is one of the more common indoor air pollutants. At concentrations above 0.1 ppm in air formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes, resulting in watery eyes. Formaldehyde inhaled at this concentration may cause headaches, a burning sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing, as well as triggering or aggravating asthma symptoms.

Reach Penny at 704.654.5243, greeniam.org or penny@greeniam.org.

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KARA COZIER

South Charlotte mom of 3-year old twins, Kara Cozier, 33, is the co-founder of NavMak Enterprises, a building, remodeling and renovation company for new or older homes. NavMak is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month, and has seen a 235 percent sales increase in the last year.

Q. What made you decide to go in business for yourself?

Sometime after I graduated college when I was serving in the Navy, I decided I wanted to have my own business. Figuring out what to do was the first challenge. I originally wanted to start a coffee business and did two years of research and wrote a business plan. By the time I finished the financial plan, I decided I needed to do something else.

While working as a production supervisor for Ryan Homes, I got my broker license and general contractor license. When my girls were about 14 months old I decided to start working in real estate. After a couple of months, that grew into starting a construction and real estate business. My overall goal is financial independence. I want to homeschool my children and be able to travel and create my own schedule without the restrictions a typical job requires.

Q. How hard has it been with twin girls?

It is definitely a daily challenge. I have great support from family and friends to help out. In the beginning I couldn’t afford to have a babysitter more than a few hours a week, so I worked from home and carefully scheduled meetings. Now I have more flexibility and an office I can go to to get away from the distractions in the home. That is essential right now with the amount of business I am doing. Now my challenge is strategically growing the business and finding the right people to support that growth.

Q. How do you manage running a business plus keeping up with twins and your extracurricular activities?

I’m a pretty organized person and have a lot of energy. I am doing something I love and am working with amazing people. That really helps me stay focused and motivated to do well. I’ve had to learn to turn the phone off, shut down the computer and focus on family time. The problem with having your own business is that it never stops. You set the schedule and that schedule can be around the clock if you let it. I’ve done the 2 a.m. paperwork before and that gets old!

I work really hard at scheduling my days so that meetings and other business activities are on certain days and during particular hours so I can get what I need done and have time for my family. Spending time with them and taking a break makes me more productive and inspired. It isn’t always about the quantity of hours you spend at your job. I had to pound that idea into my head. It doesn’t have to be an 8 hour + workday. If you can get what you need done in 4, why are you sitting there in front of the computer staring at the screen?

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

I’m a morning person so I’m up at 5 a.m. putting the coffee on. I love the quiet of the morning. Then I am in my home office working on emails, paperwork and getting organized for the day. No one calls me before 8 a.m. so I have a solid three hours of quiet time to get my head in the game.

Around 8 is when my girls wake up. I spend about 30 minutes of quality time with them until my babysitter arrives. Then I’m off to the office, a project or my first meeting. I’m back home by 2 or 3 most days and the end of my work day varies. Some days it ends when I get home, others I need to keep pushing through until 5. Either way, at 5 p.m. work stops. I take personal calls or calls from employees only. If an employee calls it is going to be important. I don’t expect them to call or text unless they really need me after 5 pm. I want to be there to support them so I’ll take those calls.

At 6:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays I’m at Crossfit Ballantyne relieving stress and clearing my head. Crossfit is my new addiction. My husband participates with me so it is great time for us to do something together. It has also given me more energy and made me feel fantastic physically. Sometimes my girls come with us and it is really funny to see them mimicking us by doing pushups or overhead squats in the play area.

I’m in bed by 10 p.m. after watching a TV show or reading a little. I have to be careful with the reading because I’ll stay up all night reading a book so I try to just listen to a book on the iPod instead. For some reason I can turn that off pretty easily.

Q. How did you get started in construction/remodeling?

Growing up my parents did a lot of work on the houses we lived in. We moved about nine times in the same town when I was growing up. We would fix up one house and then move on to the next. My parents even built a house by themselves. I was always there participating somehow. After the Navy I was presented with an opportunity to work for Ryan Homes as a production supervisor. Working outdoors in a community supervising construction just sounded like a natural transition for me from my military service. After two years of building townhomes and single family homes I had the experience necessary for when I decided to go out on my own. I’ve definitely learned something on every project I’ve worked on since then.

Remodeling is tricky. You never know what you are going to find when you tear down a wall. It is really interesting to watch a project evolve and see the finished product. Before and after photos are always fun!

Q. What do you wish you were told before you began NavMak?

I wish I had a list of everything that needed to be done to start a business, where to do it, resources, how much the fees are…the list goes on. I’m still discovering different fees and requirements as my business grows. It is very important that you have people to support you. Hiring an accountant and corporate lawyer were two of my best decisions. Those fees are 100 percent worth it! Brader Greene and Paul Bass have provided me with the support I needed to keep me on the right track. One error in those areas and you could find yourself in some serious trouble.

Q. What does NavMak stand for?

Finding a name for your business that isn’t taken already is another unexpected challenge. NavMak is all about my identity. NavMak is a combination of Navy, Mother and Kara. The Navy was a big part of my personal development. I learned and grew a great deal during my time as a Naval Officer. Applying for ROTC and serving in the military is on my list of best decisions. Being a mother is very important to me. It is an amazing and rewarding experience. As a mother, business owner and wife, it is easy to lose yourself in your responsibilities to others. It is important to remember yourself every now and then. Even if it is just a 45-minute pedicure or a glass of wine with a friend once a month, I try to allow for some “Kara” time to keep me sane.

Q. I read that you are an advocate for healthy foods and natural living. How do you stay on top of things while running a business and raising twins?

When my girls were 6 months old I made a decision that changed everything for my family. I wanted my girls to be healthy and I started trying to figure out what that meant. That is when I learned about things like organic foods and grass-fed beef. One thing lead to another and I ended up in Dr Michael Smith’s office at Carolinas Natural Health Center asking about homeopathy. Since then we’ve eliminated processed foods from our diet, eat organic/local produce, and buy our meats locally from farms like Baucom’s Best and Creekside Acres. We eat a limited amount of dairy as well. My girls drank goat milk instead of cow’s milk when they turned one.

Since we made the decision 3 years ago to change our way of thinking about health and food, my girls haven’t had an ear infection and haven’t taken antibiotics or any other prescribed medicine. They get over illnesses within 48 hours and have no developmental or medical issues. My husband and I have lost weight and recover from illness quickly as well. The first few months were challenging when we made these changes. Mostly because we were researching and trying to figure it all out. Once we got into a rhythm and learned about the resources available and developed our “go-to” meals, life was just as easy as before when we broke out the box of Hamburger Helper.

I find time to stop at the grocery store or Farmer’s market in between meetings or on the way home. A lot of the time I take the girls with me after work. I get them involved in cooking too. Making healthy food a priority is important. Once you realize how much in your life is affected by what you eat it becomes something you won’t compromise on.

Contact Kara at navmak.com or 704-989-1757.

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JENNIFER BRANHAM

Jennifer Branham of South Charlotte opened Natural Luxe in 2009 when her daughter was a year old. Jennifer, 37, became alarmed when she read about the chemicals used in baby lotions, baby bottles and food containers. But she had a hard time finding eco-friendly items that were affordable and stylish. That’s when Natural Luxe was born. Right now, the boutique has space inside HomeStyles Gallery in Mint Hill and will open a Charlotte location this year.

Q. How do you juggle being a mom and owning a business?

I work a lot during nap time and school time, but I've made an effort this year to leave the laptop in my office and focus on my daughter (same with my Blackberry!).

Q. What are your favorite brands that you carry?

I love the Mar y Sol handbags we carry, they are so beautiful and support fair trade women's coops in Madagascar. I also love Lunchskins -- I think every mom should have a set of reusable snack and sandwich bags. They are so convenient and eco-friendly.

Q. Which product would you recommend to a first-time mom?

I would recommend body lotions and washes -- they are such an easy way to start to green your baby's products. We love Little Twig because they have no parabens, pthlates and they are also nut and soy free --your baby might have an allergy you aren't even aware of yet -- plus a lot of the green baby lotions contain lavender, which is naturally soothing for both baby and mom.

Q. What is your daily routine?

I get my daughter up and going for the day and then I tackle orders, find new products, connect with customers on Facebook and Twitter. I love finding local events to participate in. I really believe you need to be engaged in your local community.

Q. What advice do you wish you had been given before you began Natural Luxe?

I wish someone had told me that you can't be everywhere at all times, start slowly and focus on a few goals each month.

Learn more about Natural Luxe online.

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JAN TIFFANY

Jan Tiffany has been a regular on MomsCharlotte since the beginning of our venture three years ago! This 41-year-old South Charlotte mom of two (boys, ages 9 and 10) runs three businesses that she and her husband Chuck started: Jumpin Jacks, a party rentals business; Sandbagit, which makes sandbag covers; and LooseEnds, a personal assistance service.

Q. How did Jumpin Jacks begin?

We started Jumpin Jacks after the boys had their second- and third-year-old birthday parties. Their birthdays are 366 days apart and they have always shared a big backyard summer party. We called around for a moonbounce and found the local companies either 1. Do not return phone calls or 2. Have a disparity in prices, availability etc. The moonbounce that we ended up with was dirty and had duct tape on it.

Chuck and I both had decent full time jobs, but with both boys in day care (which was more than our house payment) we still needed additional income. After the less-than-favorable experience renting the moonbounce, Chuck decided we could probably offer a better service. He started the company from the ground up -- name, logo, website, etc.

We bought one moonbounce. That was 2003. Now with four vehicles, three trailers and more than $75,000 in rental equipment, we are almost into our ninth year in business. Even through a struggling economy, the business has increased in revenue 20 percent year after year.

Q. When did you begin Sandbagit and Loosends?

Sandbagit started in December 2009. We found the company for sale in Connecticut and it tied in nicely with our moonbounce company. We thought it would be a good source of additional revenues. We drove to New York the weekend before Christmas and spent time in the city with the kids as we made our way to Hartford to finalize the purchase. Sandbagit markets and manufactures the vinyl sandbag covers that are used primarily by inflatables companies to anchor the inflatables to the ground.

Loosends started after I was laid off in May of 2009. When friends and friends of friends found out I wasn't "working," they asked for help running their households. The calls came from working moms and previous customers/clients from Swan Learning Center for tutoring, errands, housekeeping, party planning, etc. At that point, I developed a logo, Facebook page, email and website to promote a personal assistance service.

Q. And you work outside these businesses?

After a year of "unemployment" I received an offer to run the financial division at Christ Church Kindergarten and Preschool. It is a spectacular 50-year-old preschool and kindergarten in South Charlotte. I took the position in the fall of 2010.

Q. How were you able to manage a full time job, on top of starting a new company, plus be a mom of two boys?

Chuck and I are pretty good at tag teaming, both in family and in business. Together we have managed to run a home office while working our full time jobs. Along with an amazing child care experience (birth to 5), we were able to balance it all. Life gets really "busy" and "hectic" but we are really good at using our down time. We love vacations and road trips; those have been our saving grace.

Q. How do you and your husband work together?

We are tech savvy and communicate through texts and emails a lot. Our home office extends to the garage, the family room, the dining room and the bedroom! Many nights we use our king size bed to spread reports and contracts to review and approve together.

Q. Any advice you wish you'd had before you beginning your ventures?

Establish written policies, keep electronic files and backups! We created everything as we went along and should have been better organized (electronically).

But for everything else, we really tried to research and most importantly make friends in the business to learn and network from others. That would be the advice I give to someone else. Networking is huge and making friends matches unlimited advertising dollars in my opinion. I would say 75 percent of our business in the early years came from happy moms!

Learn more about Jumpin Jacks at jumpinjacksparty.com. Email inquiries about LooseEnds at yourloosends@yahoo.com.

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RACHEL SUTHERLAND

In 2009, Mooresville mom of two Rachel Sutherland started her own boutique public relations and marketing firm - Rachel Southerland Communications. The 36-year-old mom of two started with one client and now has 10 across the nation. We recently chatted with Rachel.

Q. How did the idea begin for Rachel Sutherland Communications?

As a fashion journalist, I got to know a handful of small business owners in Charlotte quite well. Many needed more direction than I could provide (as a member of the media without violating ethical standards) on how to market themselves more effectively. As the newspaper industry changed and my hours were involuntarily cut, I started considering my options. What could I do that would allow me to play off my strengths?

Q. Did you have previous PR experience?

Not per se, but at the basest level, PR/marketing and journalism are both about informing the consumer. Instead of culling pitches and deciding which stories to tell on behalf of the newspaper, I am helping my clients tell their stories to a larger audience.

Q. How did you juggle beginning a new business with family life?

I'm still in the process of juggling/finding balance. It's been a pretty crazy year or so for our family. Three months after I took my voluntary buyout from the Charlotte Observer in November 2009, my husband Patrick was laid off from his job in the Charlotte Observer's sports department. He and I went from working opposite shifts to both working from home (he's now an editor with ESPN.com).

I've brought my children with me to client meetings -- thankfully I have understanding clients! -- and taken work calls on the beach in Hilton Head during a family vacation. I've canceled plans to run races with my triathlon buddies because of a client event.

I've had an office in Plaza-Midwood since October and that has helped better define work/family time, but there's still overlap.

Q. What has been your most rewarding moment?

Defying my own expectations, and seeing my business grow beyond my wildest expectations so quickly, pretty much by word-of-mouth.

Q. What is your typical day like?

My typical day is mostly not typical. Today, I'm working from home, and have been in front of the computer since I woke up this morning, heading downstairs to only get a cup of coffee and lunch. Tomorrow, the fam and I are planning to hit the Davidson Farmer's Market, then I'm having a working lunch with a local media source, reintroducing her to one of my clients. If there's time, I'll probably hit Costco for groceries before taking my son to baseball practice.

Next week, I'm coordinating a preview party for a client on Tuesday, on Wednesday I'll be heading to High Point Furniture Market for the first of a handful of visits in the next two weeks, and on Thursday meeting with an editor of a state-wide magazine on Thursday. Wednesday will find me giving a presentation on social media for the client's national vendors, and the following week, I'll be walking members of the national media through my client's latest collections.

Q. Going back, what family balancing advice do you wish you were given when you began your company?

Make time for yourself, make you a priority, even if it's one afternoon a week. Unplug, tune out and feed your soul. Everyone -- you, your family, your clients -- will be better for it.

Q. Do you have any tips for working moms?

Delegate at home and at work. I try to think of everything this way: "Is this worth time away from my family?" If not, then it is outsourced (hiring a cleaning service at home, hiring a bookkeeper for the business).

I've also recently discovered weekly meal planning. …I was getting too frustrated by my lack of preparedness and giving the kids chicken nuggets and mac and cheese too often. Now I sit down on Sundays, evaluate my work schedule, identify pockets of prep time and plan our dinners accordingly.

For more information, you can visit Rachel’s website.

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ROBYN PELLEI

Yes, Robyn Pellei runs her own business as CEO of ViveVita. But what's even more amazing is that this 37-year-old Cotswold woman is the mother of nine children, and she home schools them! I know how hard it is to take care of one child while working from home, let alone nine! Her five boys and four girls range from 18 months to 11 years old.

Robyn began ViveVita when she had just (just!) four kids. The idea behind her company: "Creating innovative products that efficiently solve everyday problems for Moms and families," as her website puts it. Imagine products such as sippy cup bands where you can write the child's name or special ID mats children can put on their "special chair." She has three products on the market right now, with one of them -- the sippy cup "Bandette" labels -- sold at Babies R Us nationwide.

I chatted with Robyn, to see how this Supermom gets it all done.

Q. How did ViveVita begin?

ViveVita began out of a need to resolve some irritating everyday issues that I was facing – and realizing that I would be facing them for many years to come if I didn’t figure out a way to fix them. And … since I was set on "fixing" the problems, I was determined to fix them in ways that I enjoyed – creating something pretty or cute, not just functional.

Q. What are some of the products that you've created and where can we find them?

Bandette cup and bottle labels (like wine-charms for kids plus labeling), available at BabiesRUs, Amazon and other fine retailers. Bandle bottle labels (same as Bandette labels but smaller) available on Amazon. Gripsterz StayAlong – the fun walking handle for kids (attaches to anything, multiple lengths & configurations for use) available on Amazon. ToothBand toothbrush labels; My Spot place markers (adorable 8” spots for showing kids where they need to sit and stay, perfect for time-outs and stopping arguments over whose sitting where!); & Kissaboo booboo covers (for real and ‘imagined’ booboos – no more wasted bandages!). All coming available on Amazon in the next 6-8 weeks.

Q. How did you manage the stress of beginning a new company while being a mom?

I shared it! Making sure that my husband, kids, family and friends knew what was going on and where I was every step of the process really helped lighten the load and helped them understand what was happening to us all and why.

Q. When you began ViveVita, did you make any promises to yourself about what you would and wouldn't sacrifice?

Yes, and still do as I continue to grow. Remaining very present and around for my immediate family is very important to me. I never want the business to seem more important than them and my true hope is that they never even feel like I have taken any moment away from them for the sake of the business.

Q. How do you manage working with 9 children at home with you?

For most people it probably looks something like "managed chaos!" I have an office that is off to the side of the house – I work in the office early in the morning, late at night, and during the day whenever I can take the time (or when I have sitters, which is usually 3-4 times a week for 3-4 hours). Being that my goal is to be present for the kids, I don’t usually shoo them right out of the office when they come in … instead, I encourage them to climb into the back of my chair and either comb my hair or give me a back rub (smart score for Mommy!).

I will also take my laptop into the busy home zone and do the quick and easy stuff while also helping the kids with whatever they need. And, you’d be surprised how well 9 children can entertain each other – I highly recommend that any mompreneur have more kids to solve the keeping-them-busy issues!

Q. What is your every day schedule?

I usually get up around 6 a.m., get showered and dressed before the kids get up. I then touch base with emails and the business – setting a plan for the business day. Breakfast, dressing, morning chores, and then "morning school" comes on fast and furious. Mornings require the most of managed chaos. By lunch, we have finished up most of the school work and played a bit. After lunch comes nap time, independent work for the kids, and business work for me.

With a fair share of interruptions, we get through the afternoon and are wrapping things up by 4 p.m. – moving on to soccer practices and dinner prep. The nights are a flurry again – feeding everyone, getting ready for bed and then reading together or playing a game with Daddy. The calm after the storm comes in the late evening and I spring to life – with what energy I have left to spring with! I like the nights, so I am typically up very late doing business or household chores. I very rarely watch TV, but I do cherish my friend time on Facebook!

Q. How are you able to homeschool different aged children plus run a business?

Easy…they are all in 5th grade! Maybe not really easy, but probably not as bad as you would think. I teach the oldest kids all from the same 5th grade curriculum for history and science and then tailor the rest to the learning level of each child making sure that they remain fairly grade appropriate. I encourage independence and the big kids help the younger ones a lot. And the business, well – that’s really a learning process for us all. We are all getting a homeschooled business education. Our children know a lot about starting and managing a business already!

Q. What advice do you wish you were given when you started ViveVita?

Honestly, I didn’t know that it was going to be so hard! I kind-of thought it would be fun to just start a business and learn something new. I wish that I was better prepared for the ‘long steep road’. I also wish that someone had screamed at me (I probably would not have listened/heard if they quietly mentioned it!) that I needed to make wise, non-emotional or personal decisions. We wasted way too much money and time by not making good business decisions, letting personal feelings (hopes, friendships, expectations, fears and disappointments) drive the decisions instead of sound observation, research, and calculations.

I would recommend that anyone who is starting a business first take the time to really evaluate the value and merit of the entire process – not just "will it work," but also "will I want to pull this all the way through, no matter where that leads."

Q. What are some of your methods and tricks to managing nine children?

I really put a lot of effort into training the kids how to manage their own issues and this alone has saved me much time and energy. I teach them how to deal with conflicts – so they don’t come running to me every time. One of my famous lines “Oh, I’m sorry, but I did not do that to you...please go talk to the person that did it.”

I try hard to have them obey the first time I say or request something – we don’t have the time to work through 1,2,3 and the end result is always the same anyway (or should be…but, maybe I am a little dreamy here!).

I carefully use video or TV time, ensuring that it is a used only when I need some extra quiet time. I would like to say that I am extremely organized with my time and schedule, but that is not the case. I am organized, but I leave a lot of room for the hundreds of "blips" 9 children can throw into a daily schedule. I only get frustrated if I try to follow a strict regime.

Q. I know how hard it is to work from home while taking care of 1 child and cooking dinner for 3, how do you do it for 11? In this phase of our family and business life, we are certainly not eating as healthy as I would like and have in the past. I have learned to lay down my expectations for perfection in that area "for this season" and allow us to have easy dinners that require less time and thought.

As for the amount of mouths to feed, it really doesn’t matter whether you are cooking for 1 or 9, you still have to do the cooking and dirty the pans! The kids also help – you’d be amazed what kids can do even though they are young.

Learn more about Vivevita at vivevita.com or email Robyn at info@vivevita.com.