- Laurie Gonzalez Milliron of Madre Gear
Laurie Gonzalez Milliron is the founder of Madre Gear, a site that provides all maternity and baby products at one place.
5 Questions is a series where online business women are asked 5 questions about being a mom entrepreneur. To be featured, please contact me.
1. What or who inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired to start my business by my ultra supportive husband, who came to me with the business idea for our online maternity and baby boutique Madre Gear. He really encouraged me and reminded me that as a mother of four I had lots of knowledge to share with other mothers. I know that pregnancy, infancy and toddlerhood are all special times in our lives as mothers and I knew that I wanted to be able to offer other Moms the products that I know made a huge difference for me when I was pregnant and caring for my new baby. I want to help Moms feel their best while pregnant and afterward too. My site is always a work in progress, but I hope to be able to offer more resources for pregnant and new moms including articles and information related to pregnancy and baby care. So, motherhood and my own family is what inspires me.
2. What motivates you?
I am motivated when I hear from one of my customers and she tells me that she is so happy with the product I have provided her with. I am also motivated when I have customers who ask me for advice or ask me what I think about a particular product. I am happy to be building relationships with these women and I really feel like I was able to share a bit of my experience as a mother with them. I am happy for every relationship I build while I run this business and that includes vendors and manufacturers. I love being part of this community of women and mothers.
3. How do you balance being a mom and an entrepreneur?
This is no easy task! When I first started my business, I visited entrepreneur forums and websites and all of the mom entrepreneurs talked about how difficult it is to balance work and family. I wondered if it was really all that difficult. I thought balancing the two would be the easiest part of running my business. It is tough, because there are days when I feel like I have not given my kids any attention at all. I know I have work that needs to get done! So, when I feel like that, I take care of anything that is absolutely pressing and cannot wait another second. I allow myself some time to take care of those tasks and then I walk away and spend time with my kids. I love my business, but my kids need me the most and they are the whole reason I am a WAHM.
4. What do you love most about what you do?
I love being able to offer other moms products I know are great and work well. I also love fashion so I am always so excited to see new lines and designs, and the new collections from the new season. Maternity clothes have come such a long way since I had my first child, so watching what designers come up with next never gets old to me. The best part of it all is that when I look up from my work, I get to see my kids playing right in front of me and I get to interact with them all day. I truly have the best of both worlds.
5. What single piece of advice would you give someone who is starting out?
My business has been through so many ups and downs already – it is unbelievable. You really have to be passionate about what you are doing and never give up your dream of what you are envisioning your business to be. I would also advise having detailed business plans and marketing plans in place. It is okay to change your goals and modify your vision, but you should always know what direction you want to be headed in. There will be many bumps in the road, but never, ever give up!
Contact Laurie at laurie _at_ madregear.com, follow her on Twitter @MadreGear, or check out MadreGear.com.
To find out more or to inquire about how you can be featured in our series, please visit our 5 Questions page or contact me for more information.
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Thank you so much for featuring me, Christine. I am really honored to be featured on your site!
Laurie’s website is beautiful! I can’t believe she called it a “work in progress”!! I am also thrilled to find a site like hers – she clearly has an eye for great things. And I am definitely buying the “belly bandit” after my next pregnancy! (http://www.madregear.com/category_53/The-Belly-Bandit.htm) Awesome!