Chasing Mermaids is an online boutique style clothing line started and run by my friend Raedene. After wading through her fabric room and seeing all her cute dresses and skirts, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t considered cross-dressing my boys. She’s made several pieces for my little guys and they’ve been styling all summer in madras shorts, sweet whale-print knits, and seersucker jon jons. If you are looking for unique everyday and special occasion attire, check out Chasing Mermaids!

Enjoy this interview, and as always click the pictures to learn more about the clothing!

Tell us about your “job”?
I love to find unique patterns and cool, fun fabrics to compliment them and create handmade children’s clothing!

Tell us about your previous jobs? How did you get to this point?
My “real” job was teaching middle school language arts/ social studies for 11 years prior to staying home with my first born! I taught all 3 grades but by far my favorite was 8th grade!  I loved the creativity aspect of planning fun lessons and activities and watching students grow throughout of the year!

After 5 years of raising 3 kids I was feeling the monotony of the day to day life as a stay at home mom. I needed my “own” outlet but wanted to continue to stay home so I looked for opportunities to “work from home”. I was also blessed with 2 daughters and I was spending way to much $$$$ on adorable boutique style clothes so I decided to learn to sew. I hired a sewing tutor who came to my home weekly for 2 months and she taught me the basics. As the weeks went on I tried more challenging patterns and she guided me along the way. After that I was on my way and on my own! This began August 2011 and by November 2011, I opened my Facebook business page Chasing Mermaids. In February 2012, I opened my Etsy shop and in April I started a website/blog.

Describe yourself in three words.
Hardworking, generous, outspoken.

What preparations did you make, if any, before starting your business?
My grandparents left me money and I wanted to use that money on something they would be proud of. My grandmother was an avid knitter and my grandfather raised his 5 children to be very successful and entrepreneurial. With that said I felt that starting my own business in the crafty sewing field met both their loves! So with their money I built a room in my house to meet my needs: built in cabinets, shelving, counters, desks, tiles etc. I also purchased a high quality Bernina sewing machine and serger.

When did you first feel successful?
I am still working on a learning curve and navigating the marketing/advertising world in which to meet my business needs.

How do you balance your time between work and play?
It is hard to find time to SEW with 3 kids at home….I do a lot in the evenings after bedtime (they go to bed relatively early) and during the school year the kids will be in preschool 3 mornings a week and my oldest will be in kindergarten! So hopefully I will have more time then.

What is the best part about working for yourself?
Managing the schedule to meet my family’s needs. Being able to stay home and raise the 3 children I chose to have while still working at something I find my own and truly love!

What has been the hardest?
The hardest part has been feeling guilty at times for needing to fill orders and having to have my kids do their own thing. Also, learning the marketing world is something I am trying to master!

What has been your biggest business related achievement?
In April, a buyer from Zulily contacted my as they were impressed with my “party dress” and wanted to showcase me on their site. Their needs were way beyond my capabilities but it was an honor and very flattering to be approached.

What are your top three marketing tips? Have you embraced social media?
Marketing is the area I struggle with daily. I have done a few free giveaways on popular blogs. I do use Facebook as my business platform and get the most business this way. I also pin items on Pinterest and offer a lot of specials when sales slow down. For me I have found that word of mouth has been my best source of advertising.

What are your goals for the next 3 years?
Wow! Goals for the next three years…..I am still thinking a month at a time. I hope to still be home with my babes. I will go back to teaching at some point because it is a great “mom” job. It really allows for great hours to be with my kids in the late afternoon and similar holidays and vacation times. But if this business takes off they way I would love it to I could hire additional seamstresses to keep up with the demand….that would be awesome! I would love to be able to work from home forever so I could continue to volunteer and be with my kids in every way!

What advice would you give someone who is considering starting her own business?
My advice would be to surround yourself with supportive, smart, and savvy people who can be your cheerleader as well as help you in all areas of your business. I have savvy friends who support me with social media, website design, photography, blogging tips, and advertising ideas! I have also joined some sewing forums with successful women that have truly become my mentors!  Don’t be afraid of the power of bartering!

Share the love: Tell us about a mentor or supporter (in your industry or niche) who has helped you get where you are today.
My mentors would have to be ….1. Reva my sewing tutor. 2. My gals in my sewing forum….Made by Mommies on Facebook. 3. Laurel Krynock, of Sing All You Want is a friend who has has become my sewing buddy! We meet monthly to try new patterns that I find difficult and work through them together.  Laurel taught me how to sew my very first skirt!! That was a scary night!

Thank you Raedene! I had so much fun working with you on this.

I have several items from Chasing Mermaids for my boys and we always get tons of compliments. Check out the Chasing Mermaids Etsy shop and Facebook page for sales and ready to ship events. They’ve also started a new blog with lots of fun posts about family fun, sewing activities, and neat tutorials.

If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in this series, please contact me at wheresthezoom@gmail.com.

So today I get to introduce you to my favorite blogger of all time. This is big friends. I have a lot of favorite bloggers, but Jessica at How Sweet It Is, is a practical favorite. Does that make sense? There are tons (and tons) of blogs I read and forget about as soon as I’ve finished the latest post. Jessica’s blog is one I read daily and refer to multiple times weekly. It’s my go to recipe-searching blog, my photography-drooling inspiration blog, and just an all around great read.

I’m not entirely sure how I found Jessica, but I’ve been reading her blog for several years. I got hooked right around the time she quit her day job, and I’ve been reading and following her journey ever since. Mostly, I love her writing and recipes. I’m totally envious of her photography and watching it blossom (especially in the last 6 months) has been super inspiring to me. I first contacted Jessica a couple of months ago when I wanted to post my own photos of her recipes on my blog and I had no idea what the proper protocol was. She was so sweet and encouraging and responded immediately. I was a little nervous about asking her to do this series because she’s like MAJOR big time, but again she responded immediately and was super great to work with.

Enjoy this interview with Jessica! Warning: there are some insanely provocative food images below. Click the pictures for recipe links; you won’t be sorry.

Tell us about your job.
Most days, I can’t believe that I get to call this my “job!” I feel insanely lucky and blessed every minute of every day. Early on I knew I was cut from an entrepreneurial cloth, and that I’d never be satisfied sitting behind a desk. Currently, I pour all of my time into my website, which is my #1 priority and full time job. I also have a few freelance gigs each month, mostly revolving around recipe development or photography. Is this real life?

Tell us about your previous jobs? How did you get to this point?
I fell into blogging accidentally. I left a job I loved to take a chance for more personal and professional growth, and it was a total dead end. Two days in, I realized there was nothing for me to do, and I was right smack in the middle of my worst nightmare: stuck behind a desk. I spent all day on the computer, ran across a blog or two (not food related) and decided that I wanted to do it too. My intent was never to blog 100% about food – initially I was going to have more of a lifestyle blog. However I was so miserable in my job and worked all day – and my husband worked late. Our lives were pretty boring and I didn’t have many things to blog about, but loved to cook… so food just came about naturally.

Describe yourself in three words.
Passionate. Hard-working. Genuine. Wait.. is that 4?

What preparations did you make, if any, before starting your business?
I definitely didn’t make any. I had no idea I was creating a “business” when I started my blog – it just gradually happened over time.

Where do you work (home office, on location, brick and mortar, on your couch, at your favorite coffee shop)?
Oh my… all throughout my house? In the kitchen, in my bed, on the couch, at the dining room table… everywhere! I work way too much and need an office to separate my life from my work. But I’d rather buy fancy shoes than spend the money on that.

When did you first feel successful?
Probably the first time someone wrote to me and said how happy their day was when they read my blog and made my recipe. I don’t even think I was making any money at the time, but knowing that I can bring some happiness into others’ lives makes me feel so great about what I do.

How do you balance your time between work and play?
Ha! I barely do. I haven’t really taken a day off from my job since I started – i am always doing something work related. But I try to get the majority of my work done between Monday and Friday afternoon, so I can somewhat relax a bit more on the weekends. Which usually just means that I work at 75% strength instead of 100%.

What is the best part about working for yourself?
Definitely having the opportunity to manage my time as I please to. Working for myself has given me the chance to spend weekdays with my mom or take more than one family vacation since I can work from anywhere. I always have to make up the work somewhere, but it’s worth it to spend Wednesday with somebody I love and work Saturday instead.

What has been the hardest?
Um… managing my time? Ha! I have a very difficult time separating life and work. Because my life is my work.

What is the most important thing you’ve done for your business?
Build a community on my site. It is so important to me to nurture the relationships I’ve made with my readers and let them know how much I appreciate them.

What has been your biggest business related achievement?
It may sound cliché, but I have to say again that my biggest achievement has been creating this community of my site. It means everything to me. No, literally… everything.

What are your top three marketing tips? Have you embraced social media?
Marketing a blog is definitely different than marketing a service or a brick and mortar business, but my top three tips would be to 1. Network with others and build genuine relationships, 2. Stay true to yourself and don’t sell out for money, success or anything else, and 3. Don’t be afraid to know your own value and worth.

What are your goals for the next 3 years?
My main goal is to write a fiction novel. Writing fiction has been my dream since I was a little girl. Eating food and sharing food with others is a very strong passion of mine, but it’s one that I satisfy everyday with my website. Writing fiction is what I crave. And yes – total women’s, chick-lit, beachy fiction. No, nothing like Fifty Shades of Grey. Yes, everything like Kristin Hannah, Emily Giffin, and Elin Hilderbrand.  

What advice would you give someone who is considering starting her own business.?
Be absolutely madly, passionately in love with what you are doing. And work at it every single day for the rest of your life.

Share the love: Tell us about a mentor or supporter (in your industry or niche) who has helped you get where you are today.
Blogging is something that is very personal, and many times when people start out, they think that having other bloggers talk them up or promote them or share their website will grow their readership. I sure did. But truthfully, I read blogs only because of the person behind them – their voice, their passions, their gorgeous photography and all-around inspiration.  In terms of a huge supporter of my work, I’d have to say my husband, even though he is not in my industry whatsoever. I am someone who only thinks with my heart and find it incapable many times to even try thinking with my head. He balances me out and has been so supportive of my job, which is what I have lived and breathed the last two years.

In terms of someone in my industry I look up to the most, I have to say Deb from Smitten Kitchen. I adore that she has a strong voice and has never faltered or changed her ways, regardless of what the industry is doing. My top 3 favorite bloggers are Tracy from Shutterbean, who is hilarious and has incredible unique photography, Katie from Yes, I Want Cake, who is amazingly genuine and real, and Naomi from Bakers Royale, who has outrageous style and recipes that are right up my alley.

Please, please go bookmark this site and start making these recipes. I get rave reviews each time I whip something up from this blog and I so appreciate Jessica’s hard work and photography. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. She’s a great asset to the food blogger community, a phenomenal food photographer, and terribly inspiring.

A million thank you’s Jessica!

If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in this series, please contact me at wheresthezoom@gmail.com

I’m so excited to share Laurel from Sing All You Want with you tonight. I found Laurel a few months ago through a mutual friend and fell in love with her beautiful and thoughtful work. I’m a sucker for a pretty quilt and when I came across her blog and Etsy shop I was smitten. We just got a new couch and painted our walls a light shade of gray and I’m just dying to get my hands on a couple of fun multi-colored quilted pillows to brighten up the room. Laurel’s work is careful and creative and I hope you enjoy browsing through her work after your read her interview below.

Tell us about your job.
First and foremost, I’m a stay-home Mom to my two kiddos (Maggie, 5 and Joe, 4).  I’m expecting a 3rd baby in September!  According to my Dad, I “created a whole new life for myself” when I learned to sew and quilt and began sharing my pursuits with others and on my blog.  In May 2012, I opened an Etsy shop to sell some handmade items.  I offer ready to ship items in my shop, but also welcome custom orders for anything from patchwork pillows to pretty handbags and clutches.  When it comes to sewing, I like to make bright, functional items that add a bit of unexpected to an individual’s life or home.

Tell us about your previous jobs? How did you get to this point?
Before I had children, I worked as an Environmental Engineer – yup!  I bought a sewing machine just before my first child was born with the goal of mending and making basic things for our home.  A friend helped me get started, but it never really clicked with me.  A couple of years later, my Mom approached me about making a quilt for my sister who had breast cancer at the time.  She cut the fabric, I pieced it, and a kind friend of my Mom’s quilted it.  In the midst of that project, I found myself stuck at times, so I went to the internet for help.  There, I stumbled into the world of modern sewing and quilting blogs and fell in love.  Shortly after, I just started making things and never stopped.  My Etsy shop came to be because I felt I needed to focus my handmade pursuits (and finance my hobby!).

Describe yourself in three words.
Caring, Motivated, Shy

What preparations did you make, if any, before starting your business?
I did the typical things like come up with a logo, order business cards, and purchase shipping supplies.  I discussed my intentions to open an Etsy shop on my blog and posted about items I was working on for the shop.  I planned and made a “collection” of items that I thought would give shoppers an idea of my style and capabilities.  I did my best to take quality photographs of my items, which I think is soooo important!

Where do you work (home office, on location, brick and mortar, on your couch, at your favorite coffee shop)?
I suppose I work all over my house, but I do all of my sewing in my kitchen.  Our house is on the small side and I hope to one day have a studio space that I can devote to sewing, but this works for now.  I appreciate being in the “heart” of our home when I’m working so I can continue to interact with the kiddos or keep my eye on them when they’re playing outside.

When did you first feel successful?
Success is an interesting term!  I felt successful when I first started putting pictures of my handmade items into Flickr groups and got positive feedback.  That was long before I opened my Etsy shop, but it helped build confidence, connect me with others, and eventually led the way to the opening of my Etsy shop.

How do you balance your time between work and play?
Finding balance is always hard!  Truthfully, most of the time I spend sewing is playtime for me, whether I’m working on items for my Etsy shop or something for my home or a gift.  But, my primary job is, of course, to take care of my kids (that can be fun too!). I’m blessed that my kids are best buds and quite independent.  I limit my work time during the day when I need to be with them.  But, I often set up something (a craft or art project) that they can do in parallel with me.  I’ve found that my children seem to be inspired by seeing me work and create.  Then, there’s my awesome husband who often takes the kids and gives me a break on the weekends.

What is the best part about working for yourself?
The best part is that I have control over how much time I choose to commit to my business.  At this point in my life, that is necessary to maintain balance.  If I have time to make a bunch of items for my shop, great.  If I need a break or need to devote more time to the kids, then I do that.

What has been the hardest?
I have a flood of inspiration and ideas, but it’s difficult to find time and resources to make it all happen.

What is the most important thing you’ve done for your business?
Definitely blogging!  It has helped me to connect with other sewists and quilters who have inspired me, helped me to learn new ideas, and offered advice and tips on growing a business in different ways.  I have connected with other bloggers via Flickr groups and do my best to be an active participant in the the sewing blogosphere.  I have participated in sewing contests and leave questions and comments on other blogs.  I “networked” this way long before I opened my Etsy shop and I have definitely made some great contacts (and friends)!

What are your goals for the next 3 years?
Well, I’m having a baby in just a couple of months, so I think life in Mommy-land is going to be crazy fun and super busy!  I do want to continue to grow my “small business”  in some shape or form.  I have so many ideas about different things I’d like to pursue.  I’d like to try craft fairs to sell my handmade goodies and help expose my business locally.  I’d love to create and publish some sewing patterns – possibly children’s clothes or handmade items for kids.  And, I’d like to get involved in more charity projects, such as a charity quilting bee.    

Share the love: Tell us about a mentor or supporter (in your industry or niche) who has helped you get where you are today.
My parents always encouraged independence!  They let me try things, make a mess, and figure things out on my own. And, of course, my Mom convinced me I could make a quilt top when I knew very little about sewing!

Thank you Laurel! It’s been so fun getting to know you through your work (and in person). I’m still in the market for one of those sweet notebook covers. I’ll get my order in soon! Please visit Laurel on Facebook, at her Etsy shop, on her blog, and follow her on Instagram at laurelk76!

If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in this series, please contact me at wheresthezoom@gmail.com. 

When I started this series, I had no idea what kind of response I was going to get from the people I approached to participate. To say it’s been overwhelming is an understatement. I’m a self-proclaimed blog stalker, so when it came time to contact the people I’d been reading about for so long (years sometimes) it was a little scary. I’m not sure why, but some of these big time bloggers are like celebrities to me. I mean, they’re a BIG DEAL. So after taking several deep breaths and re-reading my introduction email about a thousand times, I hit the send button and held my breath.

Sherry and John from the insanely popular and totally drool worthy DIY blog Young House Love didn’t make me wait too long. Sherry was back to me with a slew of compliments and an enthusiastic yes to my offer for them to participate in mere hours. I was floored. If you are a reader of Young House Love, you’ll certainly appreciate how their writing style makes you feel like you’re a close friend of the family on a personal tour of their latest project. That rapport they have…it’s totally authentic.

They’ve been featured on the Nate Berkus Show, HGTV, CNN, Fox News and the cover the The Nest magazine. They have ranked in the Forbes Best Websites for Women and London Times Best Blogs. They’ve been in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, and Reader’s Digest. And, in addition to their full-time DIY and blogging gig, they write columns for Do It Yourself, R. Home Magazine, and Southern Flourish. Whew. They’re pretty much superstars, and I’m so excited to share them with you. Please click on the pictures as you are reading: they link to some of my favorite posts at Young House Love!

I so enjoyed working with Sherry and I hope you’ll enjoy their answers to my questions about their business. Check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and of course on their website.  And if you aren’t inspired by their story from a business standpoint, go spend 5 minutes clicking around their blog. I have no doubt you’ll be planning a home improvement or design project for this weekend.

If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in this series, please contact me at wheresthezoom@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

For the first installment of this series, I thought I’d share with you an interview with my aunt; owner of Ann Carney Designs. The entrepreneurial spirit is definitely in my blood. We have several business owners, on both sides, going back decades. Both my grandfathers owned businesses; one in telecommunications the other in diamond knives. My grandmother had a business sewing tennis skirts in her community. Several aunts have or have had jewelry businesses.

Ann inspired this series for me. She’s one of those family members I’ve peppered with questions over the years. I’ve discussed everything from shipping to pricing to employment to photography with her and she’s always been so eager and willing to answer my questions. 10 years ago she started Ann Carney Designs which has grown incredibly and has required her to hire a sales team and beaders in order to manage the volume of orders she receives. Ann has embraced social media, tailored her designs to current trends, and fine-tuned her photography. She’s a small business owner and woman I look up to. I hope you enjoy this interview with her!

Tell us about your job.
I started making jewelry over ten years ago when one of my sisters discovered these awesome Bali sterling silver beads and made the prettiest bracelet I had ever seen.  I not only wanted one, but lots, so she showed me how to make a bracelet.  I loved it and so did all of my friends, so I started making them bracelets.  Before I knew it, a friend offered to have a jewelry show for me and it was so successful that I decided I would start a business. The hardest part of starting for me was telling my husband I was going to spend $1500 on beads, and having no idea if this was going to work!

Describe yourself in three words.
Happy, lucky and a hard worker!

What preparations did you make, if any, before starting your business?
Well, I have always been interested in business and am a CPA by training so I definitely had the experience for the financial part of the business.  As far as the creative side, my sisters and I would always do “projects” when we visited each other a couple of times a year.  Anything from making wreaths and hair ribbons to painting boxes and flip flops.  I also loved to cook, sew, and needlepoint. I have done a lot of crafting so I thought I might be able to do this too.

Where do you work (home office, on location, brick and mortar, on your couch, at your favorite coffee shop)?
I am so lucky.  We have a detached garage and above it is my studio.  My friends call it my adult tree house.  It is surrounded by trees and is such a pretty place to work.

When did you first feel successful?
It always cracked me up when my husband would come home and tell me he was just introduced to someone as the jewelry lady’s husband-haha.

How do you balance your time between work and play?
That’s a tough one-if you’d ask my kids, they would say I worked all of the time.  What I try to do now is make sure that I schedule in my workout time everyday and not work in the evenings and on Sundays.

What is the best part about working for yourself?
The flexibility and never having to defend a decision.

What has been the hardest?
Feeling like I need to be working all of the time.

What is the most important thing you’ve done for your business?
I would say taking the time to implement procedures and processes to make my day easier and more efficient.  For example, I have a mailing system that allows me to mail a package with a click of a button and walk  it out to my mailbox.

What are your top three marketing tips? Have you embraced social media?
The best marketing for me has been word of mouth by happy customers.  My business went viral in my community and I made a huge effort to be available, turn orders around quickly, have great quality, and nurture relationships with my customers who have now become friends.  Social media marketing is new to me. Actually, I just started a Facebook page a few months ago!

What are your goals for the next 3 years?
My biggest goal is to expand my web presence mainly using Facebook and my website.  I am also going to continue to focus on getting my jewelry into more boutiques.

What advice would you give someone who is considering starting her own business?
You can do it!!  All it takes is hard work.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  Success takes a lot of work but as long as you  love what you do and don’t mind working really, really hard, you can do it!

Share the love: Tell us about a mentor or supporter (in your industry or niche) who has helped you get where you are today.
My biggest support is my sister, Liz, who actually has her own jewelry business in Westchester, PA.  Although our businesses are separate, we share so many ideas and tips with each other. We go on buying trips, discuss trends and designs, teach each other new techniques, and troubleshoot problems together.

Thank you Auntie Ann! I hope you all enjoyed reading this interview and found it inspiring. Next week I’ll be featuring a major DIY blogger team. Hope you’ll come back and check them out!

If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in this series, please contact me at wheresthezoom@gmail.com.  Looking forward to hearing from you!