If you’ve ever heard us speak about small business or had a chance to read our book, Mom Inc., you’ll know one thing about us: We’re kind of cheap. We didn’t spend a lot of money to start our blanket company Admiral Road, and we’re still pretty frugal. When consulting to small business owners, we always offer this piece of advice: Don’t spend money in the early days unless it solves a problem or grows your business.
I slept well last night. There was cold medication involved. In general, I am a terrible sleeper. Oh sure, I can get to sleep—it’s the staying asleep that’s the problem. But here’s the thing. I don’t actually mind my insomnia all that much. I think that insomnia can be an invaluable asset—especially for a mompreneur like me.
As owners of a personalized blanket company, we’ve seen just about everything where baby names are concerned, and there’s always a lot of talk about the latest and wildest celebrity baby names. Every prospective parent spends A LOT of time thinking about the perfect name for their impending bundle.
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Amy Ballon and Danielle Botterell have been finishing each other’s sentences for more than 20 years now. Over the last two decades they’ve been classmates, roommates, ‘best woman’ at each other’s weddings, and present for the births of each other’s children. In between all of this, they’ve been business partners for a decade and recently became co-authors.
Amy and Danielle set up shop in their business, Admiral Road Designs in 2002, and have been shipping cozy personalized blankets to happy babies around the world ever since. Along the way, they’ve discovered, if not mastered, the art of juggling – becoming mothers to five kids between them. Learning to balance business and babies led them to spend a lot of time considering the complexities of life as moms and entrepreneurs.
Just to keep things interesting, Amy and Danielle decided to share a part of their ongoing conversation with a few more people. Their book, Mom Inc. – How to Raise your Family and your Business without Losing your Mind or your Shirt, was published by HarperCollins in 2011. Between teaching seminars, chatting with new business owners and writing on the subject, let’s just say Amy and Danielle have thought A LOT about the ins and outs of life as an entrepreneurial mother. When they’re not working or mothering Amy and Danielle can be found working out, watching Dragon’s Den, or indulging in celebrity gossip rags – oh, and talking to each other.
In Mom Ink – Amy and Danielle will share insights, tips, advice, and the occasional straight-up confession about life as a mom and an entrepreneur. Are you a Yummy Mummy with a business? Or just thinking about it? Welcome to Mom Ink – where we look at the good, the bad, and the sticky of life as mom entrepreneur.
Follow Amy and Danielle on Twitter: @mominc and @admiralroad
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