Female Entrepreneur: Irina Kuzmina
Company: POMPIDOO is a brand for stylish and functional camera bags
Website: www.pompidoo.com and www.irinakuzmina.com
Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pompidoo.camera.bags
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pompidoobags

Tell us about your business
I am a big fan of fashion and style. But just an aesthetically nice thing is not enough – it should be also a well-thought functional product to enjoy it fully for a long time. With this approach in mind we developed POMPIDOO – a brand for stylish camera bags. These modern and functional bags are made from natural leather and can become a key accessory in the wardrobe of any stylish photographer!

What inspired you to start your business?
At one point of time I clearly felt I want something my own – think myself, do myself, create myself. Especially the moment of creation inspired me! Only a person with unlimited imagination can call banking and finance a creative field. So I’ve changed my career to 180 degrees to be able to create. Moreover, create something original and unconventional.

How long have you been in business?
Officially this business has been founded in June 2010. A POMPIDOO Team has been formed – young and energetic as its founder! And the work began – preparations for production, marketing and sales, thinking through the growth strategy and future plans. The time flies so quickly! It feels like we’ve founded the company only yesterday, however, so much has been already done!

What did you do in your past work life?
As I briefly mentioned, my background is banking and finance. Relationship building and management used to be an exciting part of my previous occupation – now I successfully translate this experience into POMPIDOO related activities: communication with various partners and suppliers.
Photography has also become an integral part of my life since 2005. Without this serious passion I probably wouldn’t come to an idea of camera bags’ production!

Describe your ideal workday
An ideal day comes together with the satisfaction: when the tasks I aimed to complete are fulfilled, it means the day was perfect! Normally I wake up at 8am and check my diary – meetings with suppliers, strategic planning, calls with the Team, definitely some time for design and inspiration, visiting production, I am used to this high tempo and always delighted to watch how it gives its fruits: new bag colours on the Shop, new articles about POMPIDOO, new leather delivered, new designs approved. I’d wish more days were ideal!

What have been some of your major successes?
It’s not a surprise that I do not separate myself from POMPIDOO. I jump of joy whenever we get the next praise from our happy customer or see how our shipping map expands.

The fact that POMPIDOO bags already live in 14 different countries I perceive as a major success!

What have been some of your major challenges?
Challenges do not simply happen, in fact we set the challenges ourselves! Since we have deliberately positioned POMPIDOO as a “stylish functionality”, we have raised the bar very high. My Team and myself, we are constantly in a search of new approaches, modern technologies, latest materials – sometimes it feels like “find something you are not sure exists” and that’s a real challenge, which also gives an additional energy and motivation!

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
Internal belief that we will succeed, burning motivation to create and a POMPIDOO Team, which supports each other and constantly reminds that we will succeed!

Do you have a motivational quote?
One day I was driving a car and listening to a radio. When the morning show was about to end, a radio DJ said: “There will be a new day tomorrow!”. That’s my motivational quote for many years already – regardless of what challenges we face, we will find the way out tomorrow. Definitely!

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
The most important thing I will teach my children is that they CAN! We used to think that to create something new is not possible, everything has already been invented or that our business ideas are not creative or even more, doom! Well, that’s wrong. I will always be supporting them in anything they do, will believe in their ideas!

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
If someone could just develop a perfect recipe for this balance, I’d be one of the first to try it out!  Surely, it’s a good talent and a desired skill – to find the golden mean between the business you are passionate about and the family you love! In order to reach this kind of balance I personally try to engage my family so that they are curious about what I do. Their support also largely means their understanding and respect.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
Favorite business tool? Google! Show me a person who doesn’t use it!

But if serious there is no just one particular resource to refer to, nowadays our digital environment contains so much valuable information that it can takes days and weeks to consume all you wish to read. I personally like this business resource: www.12manage.com – it helps me a lot to develop the business.

What is next for your business?
It’s only full speed ahead! New countries, new models, new categories, new colours, new leather, new decorations, new campaigns and new contests, new blog publications and new photo shoots! We have really exciting plans for the future!

Your two cents sales pitch?
I personally have a strong believe that one can succeed if only he or she does what s/he can do best and what really loves! This is why we believe in POMPIDOO – we see the results because we put our hearts into this idea and company.

Check out our review of one of the bags, Pompidoo – A Stylish Purse-Like Camera Bag.

Not only is Jocelyn Allen making a difference in her role with GM, but she is also the founder of Divas4Life, is a not-for-profit program dedicated to fostering determined, inspired, victorious, adventurous (DIVA) young women, ages 8-18, through the instruction of life-sustaining skills.

Tell us about your position at GM as Director of Grassroots, Community and Diversity Communications.
My actual title is Director – Regional, Grassroots and Diversity Communications, and I have three distinct but inter-related roles:

1. Work with my regional Communications teams to identify PR opportunities for GM’s people and products across the country
2. Identify and work with local influencers and organizations across the country to get them exposed to our products
3. Work with local and national diversity media and influencers across the country to get them exposed to our people and products

A recent significant accomplishment of mine was participating in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Memorial dedication this past October. GM was the first major sponsor of the Memorial project and has been involved for more than a decade in making this tribute to the civil rights leader a reality. I actually remember handling the first news release in early 2001 when GM announced it was signing on as a corporate sponsor for the project. Being a part of this initiative meant so much to me. GM and Chevrolet were involved in the MLK Memorial, not because of the past, but because of today and the future. It was really about bringing Dr. King’s vision of having people of all races and all ethnic backgrounds and genders and different lifestyles come together and have a conversation about how we can make our communities better.

What other work have you done for GM?
This is actually my sixth position since joining GM in 1999. I’m fortunate to be at a company that allows me the opportunity to re-create myself every few years. I started as an internal communications manager working with our teams across North America to make sure our employees had the right information about the business so they could effectively do their jobs. Then I took my first Public Relations job as PR manager for our diversity and philanthropy efforts – I was actually the first person to officially hold that role with GM. Then I moved on to be the Broadcast Media Relations manager. And then I took the biggest leap of my life and I went to head up OnStar Communications where I was being asked to lead a team that would effectively communicate about OnStar’s breakthrough technology. It turned about to be the greatest learning experience of my career so far, and a place where I think my team and I achieved incredible results. Last year, I came back to the corporate side and handled communications for a number of corporate functions, and in February of 2011, I took on my current role.

Please tell us about your non-profit Divas4Life and how that got started.
I was youth director at my church before founding Divas4Life, and I was witnessing something I call a “generational curse” – a cycle of poverty that is brought on by the lack of access to a good education and opportunities for socio-economic growth. I felt strongly that I could do my small part to end that curse, at least in the lives of the young women I knew. Founded in 2002, Divas4Life is a not-for-profit program dedicated to fostering determined, inspired, victorious, adventurous (DIVA) young women, ages 8-18, through the instruction of life-sustaining skills. Our mission is to turn young women into young ladies.

Divas4Life concentrates on life-sustaining skills that are intellectual attributes necessary for growth. The life-sustaining skills that Divas4Life focuses on are separated into five categories:

• Social Interaction: Etiquette, cultural awareness and volunteerism
• Achieving Your Personal Best: Self-esteem, health & wellness
• Education: College Preparation
• Career Planning: Mentoring/Coaching, awareness
• Financial Literacy: Money Management and The Importance of Good Credit

Divas4Life offers these young ladies the opportunities to attend educational, cultural and motivational events. These events not only provide an escape for our girls, it allows them to see, first-hand, people who look like them, who may have similar backgrounds as they do, excelling in their chosen field. Simply put, it allows them the opportunity to believe that their life can be better.

What inspired you to launch your non-profit?
I believe anyone who has been blessed has an obligation to pass those blessings on – there’s a cycle of giving that has to start somewhere, why not with me?

So many people are balancing a work, a business and a family, how do you manage it all?
I don’t profess to have the secret. It takes real effort to balance work, family and time for self, but you have to make each of them a priority; the hardest part for me was learning to say “no” to certain things and being okay with that – realizing that a “no” to something meant a “yes” to me.

What have been some major challenges in operating a non-profit?
For me, it’s really just been about balancing the time and energy needed to work full-time and run a non-profit and devote enough time and attention to the girls. We have not had a shortage of volunteers coming forward to help and we’re not without great ideas of things we want to do with the young ladies.

What have been your major successes?
Divas4Life’s greatest success, so far, are our girls who have graduated from high school and gone on to college, and are now giving back to other young girls. We actually have one of our first young ladies who is about to graduate from college, and she was D4L’s first intern because she wanted to stay involved. She and her younger sister are both pursuing their academic dreams, partly because of what they have learned from being a part of Divas4Life – that is definitely success to me!

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
The fact that these girls count on me, and in some cases, Divas4Life may be the only bright spot in their day, or their life.

How important do you think it is that everyone does something they are truly passionate about?
I’m fortunate to come to work every day and do something I believe in – something I feel good about; then I’m blessed to go home and in my spare time work on things that I’m really passionate about, which gives me the fuel I need to keep going.

What’s the best piece of inspirational advice you have given to the girls at Divas4Life?
It’s really not so much about what I say – I try to show our young ladies that you don’t have to be defined by your circumstances. By all statistics, I probably shouldn’t be where I am today. I’m the product of a single parent who then went on to be a single mother myself, I didn’t come from wealth or privilege, but yet I went to one of the most prestigious colleges in the US, I’m an executive at one of the biggest companies in the world, and by all outside standards I live a pretty good life. None of that is accidental – it was a combination of hard work, opportunity and the determination to be more and have more than society said I should or could.

What advice would you give someone struggling with balance?
You really need to make a real assessment of what’s important to YOU. So often, we spend so much energy on things that are important to others, but when you really focus on what’s important to you and why, some things naturally fall off the list.

What is your favorite business, tech tool and/or resource?
Facebook is still one of the best” tools” I use every day to get my story out – whether it’s personal or professional.

Bloomers! teaches early learners plant science concepts and gardening concepts. It is a new kind of engaging children’s experience that brings the magical world of nature to life through an online virtual world, a Schoolyard Program and Backyard activities.

What inspired you to start your business?
I grew up on a farm in an age with no computers and in a place with only two television channels. I learned to create imaginative worlds for myself. Worlds in the thick forest that rose behind my house, the meadows alive with fireflies, the steamy – hot vegetable gardens, the abandoned greenhouse with the secret basement and the whispering pines. Those places were my playground. That was my world.

I earned my undergraduate degree in agriculture because that is what I knew and loved. No one in my family went to college. My 4-H coach walked into the office of the dean and said let this girl in. She is something special. He saved me.

As a junior at Penn State I took an elective course on money and banking. In a class of 400 I think I received the highest grade. I promptly changed my major from animal science to agricultural economics. Now I would not just be taking care of the animals, I would be running the whole farm! I was going places. After college, I was awarded a fellowship to Georgetown University where I earned my masters degree in economics and international finance.

Upon graduation I moved to Los Angeles and went into investment banking where I saw people starting, buying and selling companies. I wanted to be a part of that exciting startup world. I co-founded a toy company that I helped run for seven years. Our company specialized in classic toys with a twist and we were named one of the 1990 Entrepreneurs of the Year by Entrepreneur magazine.

When my daughter attended preschool she had two best friends, Rosie and Lily. Her babysitter was Iris. She thought Iris was mean because Iris made her carry her dishes to the sink and brush her teeth before she went to bed. I loved Iris! I started imagining a world where little flower girls like Rosie and Lily lived, a place where evolution took a left turn in the road and plants could talk – plants and trees with kid names like Bud, Daisy and Violet. I made up stories for my kids and gave the characters personalities like them and their friends. One day I found myself writing about it and painting characters and the idea of Bloomers began to present itself to me. It began to grow on me.

Every year since I had moved to California I took my kids back to my family farm, Misty Hill Farm in Pennsylvania. That was our vacation. My mom still has a thriving vegetable garden as big as our house. The kids loved to pull the carrots and onions from the ground. They dug up potatoes, squealing with delight as excited as if they were discovering nuggets of gold. We picked lettuce and cucumbers and squash. We made salads and potato soup. We cooked our garden bounty and that is when they learned to eat {some} vegetables. We went on hayrides, and built bonfires and rode horses, ate the wild blackberries that grew in the forest and played hide and seek in the cornfields.

I bought a big house in Venice and planted a huge garden in the front yard with bananas and many exotic flowering trees and plants. I worked my way up in a variety of good jobs, even as a partner in my own company. But they were jobs that took me away from my true love of gardening and growing which was always there in the back of my mind, in the front of my yard. Recently my daughter found my flower girl paintings and encouraged me to bring it to life. Thanks to technology worlds can now be created virtually and kids can immerse themselves into that world. I decided to make my world come alive. I wanted to pass on the thrill of connecting with nature to other children. I wanted them to fall in love with gardening like I did. Like my children did.

When we started programming the online experience, I watched a TED video featuring celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. He went into a town in West Virginia to try and teach the residents how to cook and eat healthier food. They filmed him in an elementary school where he held up vegetables and asked the first graders if they could name the vegetable. Amazingly, none could. Not one vegetable was identified. Not even a potato. Shocking.

I realized then that Bloomers had to be more than a game – even more than an educational game. I want the children playing it to be inspired to go out and plant something – anything – a flower, a vegetable, a tree. I want them to know the miracle of planting a potato, nurturing it, digging it up, cooking it and eating it. I want them to go out and get their hands dirty. I want to instill a passion in children to plant trees for the planet. My goal is for Bloomers to be a leader in bridging the virtual world and the real world for the next generation of children in their homes and in school as they begin their journey to learn and then to know + grow their plants and themselves.

How long have you been in business?
3 years.

What did you do in your past work life?
Partner and C.F.O. in an apparel company. Co-founder of a toy company. C.F.O. of a major apparel company.

Describe your ideal workday.
Get to the office by 9. (Next door to my bedroom). Answer emails and connect with people all morning. Reach out to potential licensees. Eat lunch. Walk on the beach or the canals after lunch. Meetings, graphic, product design work in the afternoon. Go to the gym at 5:30. Come home and eat dinner. Write and work on my video blogs in the evening. A chilled glass of white wine is nice.

What have been some of your major successes?

1. Raised money to build the virtual world.
2. Built Bloomers Island. Launched.
3. Landed my first two licensees.
4. Secured all my trademarks.
5. Attracting such a great team.
6. Raising my second round of money.
7. Maintaining control of the company. (Shareholder’s equity).

What have been some of your major challenges?

1. We launched two weeks ago. We need players and subscribers.
2. Getting licensees to take a chance on us before we have more traffic.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
I have a great mantra: Do not be concerned with the fruit of your labor. Just be concerned with your labor. The fruit will come of its own accord. It reminds me to just keep working hard, putting one foot in front of the other. Helps keep fear at bay.

Do you have a motivational quote?
Ha, ha. Just mentioned it above.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
You must BELIEVE you can accomplish your dreams. That comes first.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
I always worked a pretty high-powered job. I raised 4 children. I always taught them self sufficeincy and independence. Here are my secrets:

1. Teach them how to do things. It takes longer at the beginning but well worth it in the end. Like doing their own laundry.
2. Make them feel a needed part of the family. Tell them you NEED them to help you. Like cooking dinner.
3. Let them suffer their own consequences. You’re not doing your laundry? Fine you can wear dirty underwear.
4. The only extracurriculars they were allowed to participate in were ones that were offered at school. I couldn’t run them around.
5. Learned to take the city bus early. Twelve in my case.
6. Made sure they got their driver’s license the day they turned 16.
7. Made it clear that without Mom’s work, we had nothing. So that had to take a priority.
8. Gave them a lot of freedom as long as they didn’t screw it up. They appreciated that.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
I have quite a few marketing blogs I subscribe to:
Seth Godin
Social Media Examiner
Itty Biz
Heart of Business
ANOC
David Siteman Garland
Hubspot

I also belong to several really helpful Linked In Groups.

I’m a big business book reader. My recent top favs are:

Crush It
Tribes
The Tipping Point
Influencer
Good to Great
Freedom from Fear
What is next for your business?
I am looking to sign up licensees in any categories that strengthen or facilitate our vision of creating an authentic connection between the online and offline world. I have a dream list.

Form a licensing relationship with a healthy and natural food company.

Develop a new concept gardening center/store.

Your two cents sales pitch?
Bloomers! – the only online game that encourages your kids to get offline.

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Bizzie Mommy’s “Living the Dream” Interview with Caryn Antonini.

Milkies is the creator of the Milkies Milk Saver, an innovative product that collects leaking milk from the non-nursing side during a breastfeeding session so no “liquid gold” goes to waste. Started by a mother/daughter team in 2007, the patented design allows moms to breastfeed anywhere without worrying about embarrassing leaks or uncomfortable nursing pads. The Milk Saver is slim and portable and allows mothers to effortlessly store their extra breast milk. More information can be found at www.MyMilkies.com.

What inspired you to start your business?
When my second son, Henry, was brand new I was filling up burp rags and nursing pads with leaking breast milk. I had the same experience when I nursed my first little baby boy. I was commiserating with my visiting mom about my present milk-soaked condition. She said she had the same problem so I started talking to other mommies and realized how many others did too. We looked for a product that could help keep me dry and collect my leaking breast milk. There was nothing out there so we decided to develop a product that could keep me comfortable and help me store more breast milk.

How long have you been in business?
Four years

What did you do in your past work life?
My mother Renee and I are both registered nurses. Renee has been a nurse for over 35 years. I worked in the Emergency Room in my local hospital. Currently, we both work full time at Milkies and breastfeeding advocacy. We had no previous experience in business so we have had quite the learning curve! When Milkies was a start-up it was really tough but we got through it and learned so much. I still pick up an occasional ER shift if the timing is right!

Describe your ideal workday.
My day starts early so I can get a running start on the day. I address the most pressing matters of the day before my kids wake up in the morning so I can focus on breakfast and getting them to pre-school. While they are in school I go to the office and make my phone calls and schedule meetings (that’s my only quiet time!). I pick them up from school, have lunch and work in my home office until mid-afternoon.

I try to involve my kids in my work throughout the day- little things like bringing me faxes or taking packages to the UPS driver. They are only 3 and 5 years old but they love to help mom around the office.

What have been some of your major successes?
I wish I could say we had a big success one day and everything changed. However, that’s just not reality. We have little successes every day. Each new retail store that carries Milkies is a little success. I love hearing from moms that have used our product, they share stories of milk saved and healthy little babies- what a great job I have!

What have been some of your major challenges?
Oh so many to choose from! Our lack of business experience was a big challenge, we spent way too much money in the beginning without really having a plan for a return on investment. We are much tighter with our budget now.

Introducing a new product like the Milk-Saver was a challenge in itself. The idea of a product to collect and save leaking milk was new and took a while for people to become accustomed to the concept. Now Milkies is familiar to moms and the product is much more easily accepted.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
The Milkies Mission. Breastfeeding is important but it’s not always easy. Milkies supports and encourages mothers to learn about breastfeeding and stay committed. The Milk-Saver helps a mom feel more confident about her supply and store milk in early post-partum, increasing her chances of having a successful breastfeeding experience. It is a truly helpful product for many moms. In my heart I am a nurse and I want to help babies get a healthy start in life, breastfeeding is a great way to make that happen.

Of course my kids are a great motivator; I want to be a good role model for my boys. They see me working hard, making mistakes and trying again. I want them to try difficult things, follow their dreams and realize it’s alright to fail.

Do you have a motivational quote?
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
-Henry David Thoreau

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Learn from others that have been in your position. Ask for advice and watch what works and what doesn’t for companies in your industry.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
It’s a work in progress, but I try to stay on top of things (easier said than done!) and avoid procrastination. Procrastination can often result in a crisis; which looks unprofessional and is tough on the family life if I am stressed about a project I let spiral out of control.

To avoid unnecessarily stressing my husband out about every bump in the Milkies road, I try not to share problems or vent about frustrations until I have slept on it and mulled it over a while. But if something great happens I tell him right away.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
Pick up the phone and call an expert. I have called professors, material engineers, Washington lobbyists. If I need an answer, I google an expert and call them. People are the best resource and they usually love to help out. Don’t be afraid to ask for the information you need

What is next for your business?
We are expanding the Milkies line to include other innovative breastfeeding products. Milkies has such high standards for any product with our name. Our new products are user friendly, low cost and durable. Look for them near the end of 2011.

Your two cents sales pitch?
The Milk-Saver collects milk from the non-nursing side during a breastfeeding session. It keeps you dry and collects milk from the very first day it comes in. Instead of absorbing your milk into a pad and throwing it in the trash, you save it and get much more milk stored for your precious little baby.

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.

GoGoNews.com is a news website for kids that informs young readers of current global events, while simultaneously protecting them from the harsh realities of today’s world. GoGoNews culls current headlines from mainstream media, and delivers filtered content in a user-friendly format for its 7-13 year-old audience. Children can seek information about global events, from the earthquake in Japan to presidential campaign nominations, as well as fun facts about historic people, places and events, puzzles, editorial picks and environmental lessons. The site, which unlike other similarly branded news sources geared for children, is updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing fresh and relevant content that will encourage conversation and evoke emotion among young people and their peers.

Today, GoGoNews is compiled by an editorial team, with consultation and input from an advisory board that includes teachers, child psychologists, curriculum specialists and various educators who guide classroom discussion and materials and advise on the treatment of stories about natural disaster, war and other subjects that have the potential of distressing children if not presented correctly.

What inspired you to start your business?
I started GoGoNews in 2006 for my twin daughters, who were four at the time. They had seen a newspaper cover with a devastating photograph of a little girl after an earthquake in Pakistan. Rather than ignoring my daughters’ ensuing questions and finding them an alternative distraction, I explained earthquakes and the types of damage they can cause. The interest, emotions and discussion that followed inspired me to create a daily newsletter for my girls. The result was a compilation of culled headlines and relevant data that encouraged conversation about what they read, learned and felt about the news. The newsletter quickly gained a following amongst family, friends and elementary schools and led to the creation of GoGoNews.com.

How long have you been in business?
GoGoNews was founded in June 2006.

What did you do in your past work life?
Prior to GoGoNews and my music business, I worked in advertising, marketing and experiential design. In addition to developing GoGoNews, I currently run a music publishing company.

Describe your ideal workday.
There are a few key elements that I aspire to each day in order to attain my “ideal” workday, and even though each day is unique and different in its own way, I feel thatI strive to live my ideal work day every day. The order of these elements is irrelevant, but each provides an inspiration and offers life perspective or reflection. If I can accomplish: spending quality time with my family, helping my daughters with their homework, getting all my work done for both businesses, and running 5 miles daily for physical and mental wellness, then the day is a success!

What have been some of your major successes?
Although I have learned to only focus on the things that matter in the present, and having children has made me more patient and forgiving, I still recognize that each day will have challenges. I’m incredibly grateful and fortunate to have a wonderful support system, healthy, independent children, and a family that understands the demands of my various roles, all of which makes a huge difference in overcoming some of the unavoidable daily hurdles.

What have been some of your major challenges?
Hands down, similar to most working mothers, time management and setting priorities remain my biggest challenges. How does one go on the field trip, take a conference call, volunteer at the children’s school, and attend a business meeting all in the same two hour time block? Usually this juggling act accompanies the dodging of various curve balls, such as a feverish child or an unforeseen event.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
A very strong determination to succeed and the joy and pride my family feels bearing witness to this.

Do you have a motivational quote?
I find motivation in many different aspects of life, including being part of the third generation of industrialists (both men and women) in my family. However, what continually resonates with me is something my father ascribes to: “work hard, be determined and most importantly, persevere.”

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
I give, and will continue to give my children advice I received from my grandfather: to respect. It is both business and life advice. I instill in my children daily to respect your work, your colleagues, your teachers, your family and your peers, your time, other people’s time, and most importantly, yourself. It’s such a simple concept that I believe is never too soon to start teaching your children. This respect will go a long way in how your children are perceived and how people treat them, both professionally and personally.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?

1. Knowing your bottom line priority. For me, it is always my family.
2. Having an incredible support system and not being afraid to ask for help. There is absolutely no way that I would able to accomplish what I do without the support of my colleagues at work, and of my family at home. Developing the proper infrastructure is key to enabling you to accomplish your goals.
3. Rules at work and rules at home. For example, at work, things are kept extremely professional. At work, people know very little about my children, my family or my commitment to them. At home, bed time is the same time every night; every meal is as a family.
4. Flexibility and Mobility: Being able to work anywhere and everywhere.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
Connectivity is paramount so I would have to say the Internet! My schedule requires me to be able to work anywhere and everywhere, be it in an airport at 5:00 am, on my bed at midnight or in my car outside my children’s school. Being an early adopter of technology platforms – and lightning fast typing skills – is also key, but not absolutely essential to everyone.

What is next for your business?
The focus is on growing GoGoNews, to make it a destination site for families everywhere.

Your two cents sales pitch?
Start an interesting conversation with your children. Read the news, expose their minds and expand their insight and perhaps they will grow up as citizens not only of their communities but also the world.

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.

Rockin’ Green is an award-winning, clean-rinsing laundry detergent formulated for cloth diapers and can be used on all fabrics. Rockin’ Green manufactures detergents for hard, soft and normal water conditions (known as Hard, Soft and Classic Rock varieties). It also comes in seven natural scents, such as Mighty Mighty Marshmallow, Smashing Watermelons, Rage Against the Raspberry, and Bare Naked Babies (unscented). Rockin’ Green also carries Funk Rock, a first-of-its kind natural ammonia bouncer. Rockin’ Green was founded in 2009 by Kim Webb, an avid cloth diapering mom who desired a better way to clean cloth diapers and treat her son’s sensitive skin. More information can be found at www.RockinGreenSoap.com.

What inspired you to start your business?
I began cloth diapering my first son when he experienced chronic diaper rash – it was my only option. However due to our hard water in San Antonio his diapers wouldn’t get clean as the hard water causes minerals to build-up and layer on the fabric, rendering them useless. So…Rockin’ Green was born.

I worked with my father, an environmental scientist, to brainstorm solutions and we finally found the right one. It’s tough finding a product that is safe for your kids but tough on stains, and parents shouldn’t have to settle. That is why I am so unbelievably grateful that Rockin’ Green helps moms and babies because that is exactly what I set out to do!

How long have you been in business?
2 years.

What did you do in your past work life?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial heart, and decided to quit my job as a marketing assistant in 2006 to stay home with my son. I did freelance writing and graphic design for several years before starting Rockin’ Green.

Describe your ideal workday.
We are pretty laid back here at Rockin’ Green. We (myself, my husband, my two sons and our basset hound Olive) make it to the office around 10. We then set up camp in the common room, with laptops and start to answer emails. Meanwhile the kids run around the office playing red light, green light and riding their bikes around our offices.

What have been some of your major successes?
Every day that I get to come to work and help family’s cloth diaper is a success to me! We have received countless emails from people saying that they started cloth diapering (or where able to continue) because of our product. I love what I do!

What have been some of your major challenges?
Handling our growth has always been a challenge. The demand for Rockin’ Green started in 2009 and hasn’t slowed down since! So we are constantly learning new things to help increase productivity.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
Our customers and retailers. They rely on us to provide them with clean diapers and clothes, and I don’t want to let them down.

Do you have a motivational quote?
Work can either be fun or drudgery. I choose fun.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Do what you love, and the rest will follow.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
For us, it was a matter of making time for everyone. We work 4 days a week, and then have 3 day weekends. It allows us time to recoup and reconnect on the weekends.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
There are many “cloud” apps that I have grown to love. We have Grasshopper for our phone system, and use things like ZenDesk and Assistly to handle our customer service questions. Most of these apps are scalable and pretty cheap to get started with.

What is next for your business?
We have several new products coming down the pipeline! And are going to be expanding into new countries and markets very soon.

Your two cents sales pitch?
Rock a soak on all your towels. The results will speak for themselves!

*Note “Rock a soak” is when you soak your towels, sheets, etc. in the bath tub or a large tub with several tablespoons of Rockin’ Green. You’ll be astounded on what is left behind.

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SPYE is a design studio based in Harlem, NYC.

What inspired you to start your business?
Both my husband and I are professional Creatives, we founded our studio as a means to collaborate.

How long have you been in business?
We were founded in 2007.

What did you do in your past work life?
I started my career in Fashion as a Model, then as a writer for clients such as Essence, Fashion Wire Daily, Aol, Ballantine Books, The Source and The Chicago Sun-Times and as an independent designer and illustrator with clients that included Random House and Bath & Body Works.

Describe your ideal workday.
My ideal workday starts early and that means that the baby is in good enough spirits to play quietly while I check my email and return phone calls. I get most of my design work done at naptime when it’s quiet or after bedtime.

What have been some of your major successes?
I think having an item picked up by Wallpaper* and Oprah, The Oprah Magazine was pretty exciting, although having an App that you’ve designed become accepted by Apple and in the iTunes App store feels pretty amazing! But mostly, designing something that makes my child smile and that reflects him in a cultural sense means the most to me.

What have been some of your major challenges?
There was a definite lull during the whole pregnancy, 1st year of new mommy-hood. I took a break during that time, now that baby is 19 months, I’ve jumped back in and it feels great to be creative again.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
Vision. Remembering that success is a journey, not a destination.

Do you have a motivational quote?
“You must eat the elephant one bite at a time.” It’s an African Proverb (per Iyanla Vanzant’s Acts of Faith), reminding you to approach large goals in small, effective steps.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Develop your skill set so that you can do as much as possible yourself at least in the beginning. Otherwise, make sure to build a winning team.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
Remain calm at all times! I’ve recently conducted a phone interview with a crying toddler in the background. I simply explained to the reporter that the child was teething and gave the option to continue the interview via email. The reporter was understanding and un-phased by the crying and chose to complete the interview. People are more accommodating than you think!

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
I rely heavily upon my children: I have two boys: a 19 month old and a 12 year old stepson. If you stay connected, they will guide you and give great feedback. In developing the DRUM KIDS App, if the children didn’t respond positively, we made tweaks.
My husband is awesome as well! He did all the coding.

What is next for your business?
We are working on the iPhone version of DRUM KIDS and a summer update. We are also working on developing other Apps for ios and Android.

Your two cents sales pitch?
DRUM KIDS is a multicultural, educational, celebration of the world’s drums that your tot will love playing with and exploring!

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gunamuna’s debut product, the gunapod, is the easiest, most comfortable sleep sack – roomier for babies who want to stretch in a super plush fabric and more convenient for parents. In fact, the gunapod is the only wearble blanket with a patent-pending, all-around zipper. Need to change a diaper without removing sleep sack? gunapod to the rescue!

What inspired you to start your business?
Several friends complained that they could not find a wearable blanket that they and their child liked. One friend came up with the ideal sleeping sack with uber functionality that allows maximum comfort and usability for caregivers and babies. Of course, everyone wanted one! We saw an opportunity, which led to the birth of the gunapod!

How long have you been in business?
We incorporated in 2009, and officially launched in January 2011.

What did you do in your past work life?
I draw on 15+ years of work in the retail/clothing industry, including experience with Bloomingdales and Children’s Place. I’ve worked with a number of companies in this industry, helping to design and build clothing labels. Being a mom has also provided me with invaluable real-world experience that has shaped my approach to business.

Describe your ideal workday.
Ideal? Wake up leisurely, finish my to-do list, keep everyone happy, visit a children’s store, go to the gym, prepare a yummy dinner for my family that everyone loves, have a restful family evening or a night with the girlfriends. Oh wait, has that ever happened?

What have been some of your major successes?
I must admit, we’ve been incredibly lucky from the moment we launched in January. Our feedback was outstanding at the two trade shows where we exhibited in January, and we received a huge pile of personal orders at both shows. It’s the ultimate compliment when people in the industry, who have access to every product available, choose us for their baby. Not only did we exceed expectations at the shows, but we also sold out at our first retail launch last month in Boston. It’s truly been an amazing ride, but at the end of the day, our greatest success is when customers tell us how much they love the gunapod.

What have been some of your major challenges?
The same challenge most of us have…balancing family and work. Keeping the business on a steady course with the economy. And just when you think you’ve found the ideal business solution, a different one crops up, and it’s back to square one.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
We are three mompreneurs who have more fun working together than alone and understand the challenges of juggling it all. We understand that moms need things to be easier. We understand that we want our babies to be safe, but comfortable at the same time. We truly believe that we are giving caretakers and babies a better option at sleeping safely through our own experience. That keeps us going on the tough days.

We honestly get excited when a customer sees the gunapod. So when we run into those awful days, we remember our mission and it motivates us. We didn’t start gunamuna because we wanted to start a business. We started gunamuna because we found a fabulous product that we wanted to share. We’re not just about business, we’re about a product that we believe in – and that always keeps us going.

Do you have a motivational quote?
I actually have two favorites….
• “The world is conspiring in my favor” (Unknown)
• “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” (Erma Bombeck)

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Find your passion and love what you do every day, then you’ll be successful.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
I’m still looking for it. I’ll let you know when I find it!

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
People. My best resolutions germinate from networking and seeking the advice of others. That’s the ultimate tool, even in today’s tech age.

What is next for your business?
gunamuna’s mission is to be a standard bearer for both baby and parent. gunamuna is committed to making a profound difference in the children’s market by having an obsessive focus on the actual needs AND wants of the both the baby and parent. We’re not seeking the ‘next’. It will seek us

Your two cents sales pitch?
Made for moms, by moms, the gunapod is the ultimate wearable blanket for babies. With a patent-pending all-around zipper, we are the only blanket that answers the mother’s and baby’s call for safe, comfortable, easy sleep.

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My Kids Consignment offers a place for parents to buy and sell their kids used stuff… Like a consignment shop, but we don’t hold the items and we don’t take a cut, plus we’re year round and not just seasonal.

What inspired you to start your business?
My DH and I have 2 wonderful kids and as every parent knows, they outgrow clothes faster than you can buy them. When looking for specific items such as a style or size, we noticed the big online markets couldn’t fill this gap. So we decided we would do it.

How long have you been in business?
Since 2010.

What did you do in your past work life?
I was a social worker and then the Army moved us and I had to find a new niche.

Describe your ideal workday.
Ideal? Both kids being quiet for once, some 90′s playing on the radio and me promoting the website.

What have been some of your major successes?
Launching the website in the timeline we set forth, from scratch, and getting the user base we currently have.

What have been some of your major challenges?
Promotion of the website. With one income and limited funds, using our own savings for promotion has been the hardest.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
The 2 kiddos remind me that they’re clothes won’t fit next week.

Do you have a motivational quote?
“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.” – E. Joseph Cossman

If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Be dedicated. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less… Hard work pays off.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
MyKidsConsignment makes that part somewhat easy… The business can be ran in free time alone.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
My husband is a really good programmer so I generate ideas and he makes them happen.

What is next for your business?
Thinking about going brick and mortar after our next move shortly.

Your two cents sales pitch?
MyKidsConsignment is completely free to buy and sell your used kids stuff. We do everything we can to make it easier for the user… So if you have a suggestion, please tell us and we’ll make it happen!

Are you a bizzie mom entrepreneur? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Fill out our mom entrepreneur questionnaire and email 411 at bizziemommy dot com any images you would like to use in your post. Interviews are posted every Tuesday.