featured mom-preneur: Anna-Maria Mountfort of mimiTENS

We’re delighted to feature mimiTENS products as this week’s Cuddle and judging by how quickly the products sold out, you’re just as enamored as we are.

Meet Anna-Maria, the energetic, committed Mom of two behind mimiTENS. We are not only impressed by her charitably and drive, we’re also inspired by her real advice that every ‘working’ mom needs to hear.  She’s a mom with two jobs {well, three technically} and still believes in the power of pixie dust.  We’re charmed.

We hope you find Anna-Maria as creatively cool as we do!

1.    Tell us a little about yourself, your family, and/or your business.
Right now, I am a mom working two jobs, raising two kids and married to one really great man.  I feel very lucky. I often hear that I have a lot of energy. 

mimiTENS feature product are mittens that stay up.  When I tell other parents what I do, their eyes light up with empathy.  The production of mimiTENS is something that we pride ourselves in.  They are made in Canada and of eco-friendly fabrics.  We give money to charity and in fact, our ‘You are my Sunshine’ mitts give 75% of profits to the Yonge Street Mission. 

2.    If you had to describe your business in less than 15 words, how would you do it?
Our priorities are to be functional, well-designed, principled, friendly, ambitious, considerate, flexible and light green. 

3.    What is your inspiration for your business?  Your products?
mimiTENS was born of necessity.  I could not find anything out there and frankly, I remember being a kid with cold wrists! 

As I am building my company, I keep making giant wish lists and asking myself these questions ‘if my company could have it all, what would that mean?’ and ‘how do I build a brand that people will love and become attached to?’  So my business decision and my products are inspired by this kind of thinking.   

4.    What is the most rewarding thing about being a mom? A mom-preneur?
My family loves and respects me for having an idea and following through.  My daughters get it.  I have taken them to the manufacturers and shown them all the hard work that goes into mimiTENS.  I want my girls to learn that hard work and dreaming are worthwhile things to pursue.

The very best thing is getting feedback (positive and not-so-positive) from clients.  I also fight tears every time I see a kid who is unrelated to me walking down the street wearing mimiTENS.

5.    What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a mom-preneur?
Moms are so good at getting everything done for everyone.  However, it is very hard to find the time for yourself and for your business.   Still, you need to keep the momentum going so you must work on your business little bits at a time. 

Make manageable to-do lists and never feel bad when you only have a tiny bit of time to dedicate to your business.  Every ten minutes helps.  So even if you only have one thing on your to do list, do it and you will feel great.  Make that one phone call, jot down that list, lookup that Web site.  It all adds up.

It is also good to keep a small notebook with you at all times.  Also, keep hand cream in your bag always. 

6.    What keeps you motivated?
Belief in self.  Instinct.  Love of craft.  Need to be creative.  The kind words of strangers.  Knowing that fortune favours the bold.

7.    What is your next big goal?
To improve my product, grow distribution, design a line that will fundraise for the Vancouver Olympics.  Investigate designing a line of dresses for girls. 

8.    What is your guilty pleasure?
Handbags.  More pleasure than guilt…

9.    Name a product that you can’t live without, for you or your baby?
For me, Touche-Eclat concealer.  For my kids, any colouring pencils and paper will do.  Other things we love are quick dinners like gnocchi and udon noodles with edamame. 

10. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned as a mom {so far}?
Having kids gives you the opportunity to learn it all over again. When trying to instill good manners and principles, I feel that I am learning along with them.   Also as a grown up, you discount magic and fairy tales.  What is wrong with feeling that anything is possible with a little pixie dust? 

 

Tagged as: featured moms