Today we’re chatting with Becky — the brilliant mom behind SmartSeat Dining Covers. This take-charge mama loves being able to spend more time with her family as she builds her successful home biz! Way to go, Becky!
01. Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a stay-at-home mom to two wonderful boys, ages 6 and 8. Last year, I also became an accidental entrepreneur (I certainly didn’t set out to run my own business!) My family and I live outside of Boston in Newton, MA.
02. What lead you to creating your own business?
We purchased a new dining room set a couple of years ago. I wanted waterproof seat covers to protect my new upholstered dining room chairs from my two messy boys, but I couldn’t find anything that I liked. The only waterproof covers on the market were made from plastic or vinyl, which my kids refuse to sit on. I also didn’t want a full slip cover that would completely change the look of my chair. The SmartSeat was my solution to the problem — a seat cover that is waterproof, comfortable, and attractive. After getting positive feedback on my design from friends and family, my husband encouraged me to look into what it would take to have my covers manufactured. One thing led to another and I now run my company with the help of my husband and our third partner, who is a very close friend of our family and also a dad of two kids.
03. Describe a typical day in the life of YOU!
I usually get an early start to the day (around 5:30) so that I can check email and get the lay of the land before the craziness begins. It also is the only way that I can quietly enjoy my morning coffee! Then I pack lunches and get the kids ready for school. We are out the door by 7:30. On the way home from school drop off, I swing by the post office to deliver any packages that are ready to go out to customers.
The rest of the day is a mix of emails, SEO time on facebook and twitter, processing orders, and, if I am lucky, a little bit of me time (either to exercise or meet up with a friend). Around 3:00, I put my mom-hat back on, pick the boys up from school, and taxi them around to their various activities, help with homework, and make sure that dinner gets served. We try to sit down for dinner together every night, although sometimes that means eating together on a soccer field before a game or practice! Around 8:00, my boys head off to bed and my work day resumes.
04. What is your best piece of advice for fellow WAHMs?
I think that it is so important to cut yourself some slack. It is hard to be a working parent! There are definitely good days and bad days. But most days fall somewhere in between. I try not to dwell on the bad moments. I just pick myself up and keep moving forward!
05. The best part of being a WAHM? The worst?
The best part of being a WAHM is that I can contribute to my family’s financial well-being and still have the flexibility of being there for my kids before and after school. I love that I am the one who gets to walk them into school every day and the one who gets the big hug at pick up time. I also feel quite lucky to spend so much of my day with my boys.
The worst part of being a WAHM is that there sometimes just aren’t enough hours in the day. But I think that is a problem for all working parents, not just those who are WAHM.
06. Favourite blog? Music? Book? Movie?
Oh, I don’t know where to begin! I’m a big fan of romantic comedies. I read when I can — I think that my last favorite book was probably The Help or Water for Elephants. And blog? I come across too many good ones these days to choose only one favorite!
07. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I would love to continue doing what I am doing now, but on a larger scale. I would love to see my product in retail stores. And maybe if I’m lucky, we’ll even have a second or third product in our line.
Visit the SmartSeat website, check out their Facebook page and be sure to catch up on all their latest news by following @smartseatcover on Twitter!