Mom Entrepreneur: Amber Schaub
Business: RuffleButts
Website: www.RuffleButts.com
RuffleButts is a fun & frilly clothing line for infant and toddler girls. Bringing back the ruffled diaper cover of my childhood, the brand is designed to bring a smile to your face.
What inspired you to start your business?
I believe that it truly takes many factors to push one to make that leap of entrepreneurship. For me, it was a combination of a life-long entrepreneurial dream and working for an extremely unethical company that lead me to try it on my own.
How long have you been in business?
About a year and a half
What did you do in your past work life?
I have worked in pharmaceutical sales and real estate sales prior to starting this business.
Describe your ideal workday.
Wow, this is a fun question…my IDEAL work day would be to sit down at my computer by 8:00am, catch-up on all emails/customer service contacts, and then move onto planning. I would work on a few designs and finalize a few new orders. I would then move onto sales/customer service with all of our fabulous retail partners. I always love talking with our retail customers, as they usually have wonderfully positive responses to share from their customers!
I would then, IDEALLY, take a quick lunch break, talking with my husband over a nice warm something or another (he works from the same office, different level), and then get back to work. I would spend the afternoon catching-up on all the other work-tasks for the day and then head off to pick up my daughter from daycare, with time to hang out with her before dinner. This is my very favorite part of the day! Not that I don”t love my job, because I absolutely do, but my daughter (5 mos old) is truly my inspiration to do what I do.
What have been some of your major successes?
My first major success was launching the company, making a dream a reality. Beyond that, I have been blessed with what I would consider many small successes such as landing our products in Nordstrom department stores, surpassing our sales goals month over month, donating a portion of profits to charitable organizations, actually creating a profitable business in less than two years, and coming out on the other side still smiling…that is the biggest of them all!
What have been some of your major challenges?
Well, I have learned that business is really just one challenge after another, but it is how gracefully that you handle and overcome them that truly decide your fate of success.
Some of my challenges have been learning an industry that I knew nothing about, finding great employees, building and learning the technicalities of a website and design, figuring out the best avenue to share our creations with the world. And, the very biggest challenge has been finding a reliable, honest, and cost effective manufacturer, which I am happy to say, has finally happened!
On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?
My husband, my daughter, my incredibly supportive and encouraging customers, and my insanely stubborn personality!
Do you have a motivational quote?
I truly turn to a new quote about every week, but this week’’s quote, that I just blogged about, is a quote from Thomas Edison, “Many of life’’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?
I wish I had one!
If there was one piece of advice you could give to your children about running a successful business, what would it be?
Push yourself beyond what you feel is possible, work hard, think outside the box, have faith, pray, make it about others, have a vision, and do not give up on yourself or anyone else.
Sorry, couldn”t keep it to one =)
Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource?
Faith
What is next for your business?
We are growing at a rapid pace, and plan to continue. We will be expanding our product line and may begin working with another large retailer.
What is your two cents sales pitch?
Who doesn”t love a little ruffled baby bum…we fortunately don”t need a pitch =)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Those little ruffles look so cute. Shame I had a boy and he’s now 8!
Does anyone have the secret to balancing managing a business and family? I’d love to know what it is!
Cheers, Chloe
Chloe Alice Wilson´s last blog post..Through A Child’s Eyes
This interview was very inspiring. Those ruffle butts are so cute. I have two boys so no ruffles on their butts.
Felicia – I Complete Me´s last blog post..It’s Just The Way I Am!