Rolyn Barthelman and his daughter Davis in Central Park, NYC.

lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

rb: Wee See came about very organically. Living in New York and being visually oriented, it’s impossible not to appreciate the powerful presence of geometry around us. I started wondering if we weren’t subconsciously soothed by these shapes. It seemed recognising them might be an important step in connecting to our world visually. Then, when my daughter was born, I learned a lot about infant vision development and immediately saw the possibilities of creating something beautiful that could serve as both sensory stimulation and art installation.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

rb: Self-inflict pressure by investing in yourself. Each hour (or dollar) you spend on your idea will turn into additional motivation and help you reach your goal. Guilt’s a powerful tool if you know how to use it.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

rb: Well, first and foremost you need the love and support of your family. If you have that, anything is possible. Early on, during heavy production, my wife helped me isolate the parts of the day when I could get the most quality time. Now things are up and running, nothing takes a back seat to family. The reality is there’s always something you can do for the business, so I grab as many moments with the family as I can, and then just do the best I can with everything else.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a parent?

rb: Saying no.

lmnop: Describe your ideal family day.

rb: A day outside of the city at our little cabin in the woods. Swimming, catching tadpoles and watching birds.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your daughter?

rb: Once you believe in something, don’t stop. Trust in it enough and let it carry you to great places.

Wee See, weeseeworld.com

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Read more about Rolyn Bartherlman in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 11.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

sh: After having Jemima I was inspired to start my own business so I could be more flexible with my work hours. I have always had a passion for childrenswear and having a child gave me the inspiration and motivation to give my own label a go. Fabrik was born and Jemima and the label grow bigger everyday!

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

sh: Make sure you have the full support of your partner and family. I honestly couldn’t do what I do without my family sharing my dreams and goals. You need them there for the hard times and to celebrate the successes.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

sh: I make sure I put aside quality time to spend with Jemima with no work distractions. That means no works calls and no emails. I make the best possible use of my work time and try to get as much done in nap times and at night. If I ever feel overwhelmed I remind myself that I started the business so I could work from home to have more family time and that helps me work out my priorities.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as parents?

sh: Jemima has just turned two so at the moment I am dealing with the emerging
temper tantrums… I haven’t quite worked this one out yet so if anyone has any ideas let me know.

lmnop: Describe your ideal family day?

sh: A yummy breakfast cooked by Daddy. Then a wander down to the beach and a
play in the sand. Home for quiet time. Then friends over for a late lunch or perhaps an early dinner.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your daughter?

sh: Treat others the way you would like to be treated yourself.

fabrikstore.com

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Read more about Sarah Hardie in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 12.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

vg: I started baking at the age of eight and making cookies was my favourite after school activity. My partner Stan and I co-founded Valerie Confections almost seven years ago, but it wasn’t our first venture together. For years we made gifts together under the label “Tall and Small Productions” (for reasons that are very clear when you see us standing next to each other), our collaborations together were actually a wonderful testing ground.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

vg: Structure a support system before starting your dream business! Solicit the assistance of friends and family who might be available for last minute babysitting, cushion your savings account and, if possible, schedule a professional house cleaner!

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

vg: There is no magic formula. I have yet to meet a working mother who doesn’t suffer from some level of guilt or anxiety over leaving her child for work. I try to have dedicated time with August… so no emails, phone calls, or recipe testing! If we only have 2-3 hours together each day I make him the absolute focus during that time.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a parent?

vg: Finding time for myself. It’s incredibly difficult to prioritize alone time when there are constant demands from family and work. It’s a cliché but I certainly “perform” better at both jobs when I give myself permission to take a break.

lmnop: Describe your ideal family day.

vg: Our favorite family day would include a lazy morning with pancakes, eggs and the newspaper. Once we gather a bit of energy, we would head to the farmer’s market for delicious, seasonal provisions. We might stop at an ice cream shop or a bookstore, then home for hours of leisurely cooking and noshing.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your son?

vg: Be honest with yourself.

Valerie Confections, valerieconfections.com

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Read more about Valerie Gordon in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 14.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

ar: Since turning two four years ago, my daughter refused to wear pants and just wanted to dress in fairy, ballerina and princess dresses. I couldn’t find anything in the market that was in line with my aesthetic and environmental ethos other than hot pink polyester. So
I decided to make my own. The result was so good that friends begged me to turn it into
a business.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

ar: Be prepared to put in the hours and make sure you keep your day job until you can draw money from the business.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

ar: It’s a matter of being organised, efficient and having routines so I can spend quality time with my daughter after school and on the weekend. If I have to work outside my dedicated schedule, she will happily ‘work’ alongside me making her own design boards and sketches.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a parent?

ar: Being a mother, a wife and running a business all at the same time in a way that keeps everyone involved happy – including myself!

lmnop: Describe your ideal family day?

ar: Turning off the phone and the computer and having no commitments! We might start with breakfast in the garden, maybe wander down to the beach – and finish off with a lovely early dinner at a favourite restaurant.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your daughter?

ar: Be your own person and pursue your dreams with passion.

tutudumonde.com

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Read more about Andrea Rembeck in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 13.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

gb: I realised there was a gap in smart party hire equipment of tables and chairs when I was planning Heidi’s birthday. I combined the idea of tables and chairs with hand-crafted tablecloths.

lmnop: What’s your most popular party theme?

gb: Equally the girly themes — tea party, fairy and princess. I think they may also be influenced by the Mums who just love the pom-pom fringed tablecloths — they are so pretty and feminine!

lmnop: What advice would you give to other mums trying to start a business?

gb: If it is secondary to your 9-5 job (as this is to me), it helps to have a supportive husband and the preparedness to get your hands dirty! There’s a lot to learn about running your own business and the initial stages are key to its future success. The more you do-it-yourself, the better understanding you have of its operation.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with motherhood?

gb: Because the business is primarily weekend-based, we involve the kids which allows them to feel like they play a role in it and makes us feel like we’re not being torn away from them. Charlie is particularly involved … he comes up with a different theme almost every week! So there are a lot of new boys’ themes coming up!

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a mum?

gb: At this stage and age of Charlie and Heidi – getting through the ‘witching hour’ each day!

lmnop: What do you, Charlie and Heidi like to do together?

gb: Our weekends don’t go by without a walk together at the beach (Balmoral) with our coins to toss in the wishing well.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your children?

gb: Challenge yourself … life will be more interesting.

munchkintables.com.au

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Read more about Georgia Boyd in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 4.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

dm: I was working as a stylist and struggling to find interesting things for bubs and
kids to include in magazine spreads that were easily accessible for a national audience. Realising I couldn’t launch a chain of national baby stores, I decided that online was a perfect place to offer my unique and interesting finds. We launched Baby’s Got Style in October 2004.

lmnop: What are some favourite items that you’ve carried at BGS over the years?

dm: Alimrose’s stripe red monkey rattle is on of our original products and is still very popular today, 4 years down the track. Little Horns Pavalova skirt created a ‘frou- frou
frenzy’ and I have always had a soft spot for Flatout bears.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other mums trying to start a business?

dm: Allocate a business only day and a kids only day – where that’s all you do. Be realistic in your expectations on your capabilities to grow a business while doing so much. There’s no point being a great business woman if it turns you into a grumpy mother, irritable wife and a lousy friend.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with motherhood?

dm: I’m in the office a few days a week and like any mum, I use Allegra’s naptimes and evenings to do the rest.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a mum?

dm: Letting go of my need to do everything perfectly! Also to accept that there is no ‘right’ way to raise a child.

lmnop: What do you and Allegra like to do together?

dm: Playing in the park, swimming, blowing bubbles, reading, singing in the car, walking our dog Chloe, playing tickling and lots of cuddles.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give your daughter.

dm: Be grateful. A life lived in gratitude will always be happy because you’re not constantly yearning for something other than what you have.

babysgotstyle.com.au

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Read more about Daniela Minns in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 6.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

lw: We both came from a retail background and we thought that the kid’s thing would be a fun and creative area to get involved in. Falling pregnant with our first daughter really got us started though.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

lw: Make sure you live close to lots of family members willing to help!

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

lw: We are very fortunate to live where we work and work where we live. Daycare is just across the road too, so our life is very convenient. The girls have grown up knowing nothing but the store, so it is like an extension of their home and our staff are like family to them. The hardest challenge is keeping the girls in the house and out of the store!

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as parents?

lw: Having the illusion of control that you had before kids shattered, and trying to come to terms with it. It is the hardest and yet sometimes the most liberating thing about life as a parent.

lmnop: What do you, Gia and Dillon like to do together?

lw: Spin in circles till we’re sick. Look for butterfly’s. Yell over the fence to our next
door neighbor. Find lizards. Get dirty. Have bubble baths. Read books. Plant herbs. Pick flowers. Play in cardboard boxes. Eat treats. Laugh till it hurts …

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your daughters?

lw: Who knows at this stage? Right now it might be “Don’t pick your nose in front of people you want to impress”, later it will probably be “Be kind and honest to yourself and those around you.”

Kido is located at 159 Clovelly Road, Clovelly NSW
Phone: +612 9314 7010

kidostore.com

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Read more about Lauren and Luke in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 9.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

pj: In 2007 I left a corporate design role to set up a design studio overlooking our backyard. It was through the lens of my children that Makedo emerged – fusing design, creative play and sustainable thinking. It didn’t take long to see the potential scope of Makedo so the garden studio became a family art studio and the business was born.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

PJ: One of the great pleasures of having started a business when my kids are young is that they get to ride the journey with me. In a sense they share me with the business, so I try to blur the boundaries a bit. I brainstorm and experiment with new ideas on them, take them to Makedo workshops, throw them in front of the camera for promo shoots and send email links of all the cool things happening in Makedo land.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

pj: Juggle describes things more accurately than say ‘balance’. There are a lot of balls in the air and they do drop from time to time. But I have a fantastic team at Makedo HQ and an extraordinary wife who helps make the performance more of a spectacle. Smoke and mirrors is all I can reveal.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a parent?

pj: Kids operate on an incredible creative plane – they constantly make fantastic non-linear leaps of thinking. My biggest challenge, and it is one that I relish, is to be open and engaged with their flow of creative play.

lmnop: Describe your ideal family day.

pj: Wake to find the kids busy at the craft table. Head down to the local farmers market and stock up on fresh produce, especially olives (which the kids adore). Walk to one of the many parks which line the creek near our house for a picnic. Make and race boats in the creek from twigs and bark. Later, as Claire and I prepare dinner, the kids produce a show – including full set design, tickets, programmes and merchandise. Finally a marathon of book reading.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give your kids?

pj: Make do.

mymakedo.com

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Read more about Paul Justin in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 16.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

sm: I come from a family of business owners, and have always had a preference for ‘hands-on’ jobs in small creative companies, so starting my own thing was something I’d always planned. I lived in London for some years before returning to Australia to have Luella. I discovered a gap in the market for stylish bedding and accessories for kids and Kideko was born.

lmnop: What’s your biggest seller?

sm: Our biggest seller is our Sunshine bedset. I assume this is because it works for both boys and girls.

lmnop: What advice would you give to other mums trying to start a business?

sm: Surround yourself with positive and enthusiastic people. I have many supportive friends and family, many of whom have their own small businesses. They’ve all been supportive and a great sounding board to keep me motivated.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with motherhood?

sm: I rely on friends and family for support, and catch up on email in front of the
TV at night.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a mum?

sm: Getting out of the house in the morning! I have the luxury of a child who is a late sleeper, but that makes rushing out of the house at 9am impossible. I’m grateful
I don’t work a nine-to-five job.

lmnop: What do you and Luella like to do together?

sm: She loves to help me cook. We go to the shop to buy the ingredients and then head home to make the meal. She loves to help me chop, cut, grate, stir – the works!

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give your daughter?

sm: Treat people as you’d like to be treated yourself.

kideko.com.au

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Read more about Shelley Mason in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 8.
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lmnop: How were you inspired to start your business?

ma: As a parent (and a person), I believe that when we can help others, it is our job to do so. I wanted my kids to know how important it is to give (of yourself, of your time or even your toys) and that giving also feels great!

lmnop: What advice would you give to other parents trying to start a business?

ma: Go for passion, not money and set boundaries for yourself. I don’t want to miss out on moments with my boys so if I’m not firm, I will be on the computer all day and most of the evening. I have to keep telling myself that all the work will always get done.

lmnop: How do you juggle your business with parenthood?

ma: Time management is a constant battle, see above. I try to get most work done during their school day. By design, Milk + Bookies is all about family so I get to have them with me at all of our events. I am also really blessed to have an amazing team, my husband is super hands on and we have the greatest babysitters, the dream big sister/camp counsellor – types.

lmnop: What’s your biggest challenge as a parent?

ma: I am always teaching my kids about service (philanthropy) but trying not to shove it down their throats. Oh, and speaking of shoving things down their throats, I wish I were better at preparing healthy new foods that they liked!

lmnop: Describe your ideal family day.

ma: Every day that the four of us are together and healthy is ideal. Plus there’s nothing wrong with some arts and crafts and a bite of sushi.

lmnop: The best piece of advice you’ll ever give to your kids?

ma: Know yourself. I’m also big on advising them to observe the law of karma and the golden rule.

Milk + Bookies, milkandbookies.org

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Read more about Meredith Alexander in LMNOP Magazine, Issue 15.
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