RobbieLee Deel
RobbieLee Deel is the founder of Chickiedee, which strives to give an alternative to the average baby apparel with a handmade touch. 5 Questions is a series where online business women are asked 5 questions about being a mom entrepreneur. To be featured, please contact me. Ok, I know that RobbieLee isn’t a mom, but I just couldn’t resist her cute collection.
1. What or who inspired you to start your business?
I was a nanny for several families for a period of 6 years during and after college. I was immersed in baby items from the start and immediately took interest in their clothing. I liked the cute little pink bunnies and blue sail boats, but that wasn’t enough for me. I grew up with a creative family. My mother taught me to sew and my father taught me to draw from an early age. I remember thinking to my self, “Baby clothing doesn’t always have to be pastel colours and the same repetitious images over and over.” I’m an artist, graphic designer, and crafter, so I knew that I could put my unique,yet appropriate designs on children’s clothing for parents who were also looking for something a little different. So, in short, I was inspired by the children that I cared for and their clothing to create Chickiedee.
2. What motivates you?
My passion to create is what motivates me. I’m constantly having new designs and ideas popping into my head. So much so,that I carry around an “Idea Book” everywhere I go so I can jot down mythoughts for later use. I’m inspired by everything around me, including other artists, places and magazines. As long as that passion continues to burn, I’ll continue to succeed.
3. How do you balance being a mom and an entrepreneur?
Unfortunately I’m not a mother at this time, but my husband and I hope very soon. However, I started Chickiedee while fresh out of college while I continued to be a nanny. I spent my days with the children and my nights on Chickiedee. It made for long days, but it didn’t seem like work because it was what I loved doing. Now I work on it full time and love every minute of it! Now that I’ve established my own online business, when we’re blessed with children, I can still work from home and be there for them with flexibility.
4. What do you love most about what you do?
The thing that I love most about what I do is that I get to use my creativity to give an alternative to the average baby apparel, and that’s priceless! It doesn’t hurt that I make an income while doing what I love either.
5. What single piece of advice would you give someone who is starting out?
The single piece of advice that I would give to someone who is starting out is to take the risk and follow through. People will throw numbers at you saying that more than 50% of all startups fail and your chances are slim. But there are always exceptions and your business could be that exception! Don’t give up if things feel rocky, it always gets better if you have that passion backing you. Another little tidbit is don’t go crazy on taking out loans right away. Save up and build as you go. If you find that you need some financial help down the road, then do your homework on interest rates and the fine print and try to stay out of debt when possible.
You can contact RobbieLee at robbielee [at] chickiedee.com, or follow her on Twitter:@chickiedeebaby, or check out Chickiedee .
To find out more or to inquire about how you can be featured in our series, please visit our 5 Questions page. Or feel free to contact me for more information.
Related Posts:
{ 1 trackback }
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Taking a risk feeds the entrepreneurial spirit. Embracing your fears and taking a risk is a sure fire way to achieve success. Yes, 50 % or higher of businesses fail but lets re- frame that by saying that 50 % or higher of business start ups are successful. It is up to you to choose the one that energizes you to take action to receive your goals to create that vision you have for your successful entrepreneurial endeavor.
As Samuel Smiles said: We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do.
I wish you exponential success with your business venture.
RobbieLee’s designs are so unique. I can tell that she really does draw inspiration not from the normal baby designs, but from her own experiences, which absolutely makes her products stand out!
You ladies are inspiration to me! Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. My glass is always half full and it’s people like you that keep me inspired to continue what I love to do! Let’s keep the world pretty and successful, shall we!