Andi Aizer of L’il Monkeys Personalized Baby Gifts
Andi Aizer is the owner of L’il Monkeys Personalized Baby Gifts, a Manufacturer of the original personalized waffle fleece baby blanket. 5 Questions is a series where online business women are asked 5 questions about life as a mom and entrepreneur. To be featured, please contact me.
1. What or who inspired you to start your business?
L’il Monkeys was officially launched in 2006 after the birth of our twin daughters, Emma and Alexis. When our girls were born I created a personalized baby blanket for each of them, distinct with their own unique names and design. The blankets went everywhere they did; draped over a stroller, their car seats or on the floor for ‘tummy time’. People starting asking me where they could purchase a similar blanket for their own baby and L’il Monkeys was born!
2. What motivates you?
Our motto has always been that no baby would be excluded because his/her name is unusual or has an unusual spelling and no two blankets are ever exactly alike….they are all as unique as the babies for whom they are intended! We are motivated by the positive feedback we receive from our delighted customers and our gallery (http://www.lilmonkeys.ca/gallery.html) is full of pictures of L’il Monkeys enjoying their blankets.
3. How do you balance being a mom and an entrepreneur?
It is definitely a challenge and there is no magic solution to the balancing act….it’s about wearing many hats and prioritization! Having my office at home, our girls are used to the buzz of my sewing machine and fabric remnants sticking to the bottom of their feet…but in the end they know that they are my #1 priority!!
4. What do you love most about what you do?
I love the flexibility of working from home and being able to meet the growing demands of the business while at the same time meeting the growing demands on our twin daughters. The majority of work gets done while the girls are at school (Kindergarten this year!), or in bed at night and I love the fact that I am able to leave my office in favour of chasing butterflies, bubble blowing or snuggling on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn (under our L’il Monkeys family sized blanket, of course!)
5. What single piece of advice would you give someone who is starting out?
Be prepared to learn as you go and remain flexible. Above all, try to maintain a sense of humour!
You can contact Andi at info_at_lilmonkeys.ca, follow her on Twitter: @lilmonkeys, or check out L’il Monkeys Personalized Baby Gifts.
Please visit our 5 Questions page or feel free to contact me for more information.
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Great story! And I completely agree with her advice to remain flexible – an absolute necessity!