Name: Christy
Business Name: Montkid online children's clothing & outerwear boutique
Years in operation: 4 years (started in 2004)
What is your idea of a perfect day?
I try and find at least one perfect moment in every day. But, if I could have one day…
A lazy summer day that begins with good morning hugs from each of my girls, followed by morning coffee outside soaking up some sun while watching the girls play. This would be followed by a solo run or hike and I come home to a lovingly prepared meal surrounded by fresh flowers picked from one of our many overflowing gardens. Then, I would drive up to Bridger Bowl, where there would be a crazy mid-summer powder day and I could spend the afternoon skiing with my girls, maybe grab a burger and a cold beer from the Mid-Way Lodge. While we were gone the cleaning lady arrives and makes all the beds, does all the laundry, picks up all the plastic toys and makes the house smell wonderfully clean. That evening, a babysitter comes to help get the kids dinner, bathed and to bed while my husband and I get to enjoy a wonderful meal and movie together. I end the day by checking Montkid.com revenue and found out I’ve had a great day of sales while I was enjoying my family, and finally, just before I climb into bed, I step on the scale and discover I’ve lost weight!
This isn’t reality of course - but I can dream!
Out of 31 flavors of ice cream, which would you choose?
Homemade vanilla on top of just from the oven apple pie.
What is one product that you use that you couldn’t live without?
I start every morning with a cold Starbucks Frappacino (the ones in the little glass jar). I need that kick of sugar and caffeine.
Please explain a little bit about your product/business and how you developed the concept behind it:
I started the business out of major frustration trying to find outerwear for my 3 girls that was high quality and somewhat stylish since I had to look at it every day. It was such a miserable, exhausting experience that we built the Montkid.com web site and launched it less than a month later. Since starting the business we welcomed our 4th daughter to the family.
What makes your product/business so unique?
Based on my own frustrations, I try to stock sizes ranging from infant to teen so that one family can take care of all of their outerwear needs in one stop. I also try to offer a range of prices and styles to suit everyone’s taste and budget.
Would you give us a sense of some of the steps-big & little you took
from your first thoughts about starting your own business, to the thoughts and actions in the middle to when it was finally up and running?
Over the years, I have built up this amazing ability to talk myself out of any great idea (what if I’m a complete failure!). If I run into obstacles I quickly lose interest and motivation. One of the best things I did - for me personally - was to view this business as a hobby. That way, there seemed to be no expectations. In the beginning, I didn’t even tell my friends what I was doing all day. I still stutter sometimes when someone asks me what I do!
What is your best memory of your first year in business for yourself? What
is your worst? The best memory is my first order – a guy in Washington placed an online order less than a month after I first had the idea. The worst memory was that I didn’t get my second order until 15 days later! That was a very long 15 days.
Since becoming a business owner, what has been one or more of your most exciting but least anticipated pay- offs?
The best thing to come out of my particular business has been the desire to get the family outside more. Since, we sell so much outerwear and outdoor gear, I want to be considered “an expert” when I talk on the phone to my customers. This means that our family does a lot of gear testing!
What do you love the most about being your own boss? What do you dislike the most?
I love the flexibility. I am a mother first, and this business lets me drop my kids off every morning and pick them up every afternoon. I am able to go with them on field trips and attend nearly every school performance. On the flip side, there are times when it is completely horrifying to look at the bills that are coming due over the next few months and know that it is completely on my shoulders to come up with the revenue to pay them.
What gets you up in the morning and keeps you going when things have been tough at work ?
Well, as every mother knows, one of my four kids gets me up every morning with a slow painful creak of the bedroom door. I haven’t used an alarm clock in 8 years. But, I also truly love what I do. I don’t think you can be successful in a business that you are not passionate about because it requires so much of your time. In four years, there have only been a handful of days that I haven’t wanted to rush in to work. On those days, I crawl back into bed or take some time for myself by going for a hike or to lunch with my husband and try again the next day. Most business owners work 7 days a week 8+ hours a day - we just fit it in at different times than the traditional 8-5. So, you’ve got to give yourself a break every now and then and feel OK about it.
How would you describe your most difficult challenge of being a "momtrepeneur"?
There are not enough hours in the day!
On any given day, what makes you smile?
Too many things to list! My husband cracks me up and my children, it seems, have inherited their father’s sense of humor. We also try to create a really fun work environment, so my employees keep me laughing all day.
How many children do you have. What are their ages? What were their ages when you started your business?
I have 4 little girls age 8,6,4 and 1. I never thought that was an unreasonable number until I started trying to plan vacations. It seems most hotels think a family of 6 is entirely too many children in one room! I started Montkid.com when my 3rd child was 9 months old. I look back on that time and honestly find it pretty amazing the family survived. After this experience I firmly believe you have to be extraordinarily passionate about something to make it work – I still find it amusing that I can be extraordinarily passionate about kid’s outerwear. If you are, you can find the time.
How do your kids respond to mom being her own boss?
My kids are clueless that I am anything special. In fact my 6 year old looked at me the other day and said, “Yeah, I don’t know what I’m going to be when I grow up. Maybe, I’ll just do nothing like you!”
How does the fact that you have children factor into your decision to have your own business?
I have met so many mothers that have found the inspiration for their business from their children. That is certainly my situation. I did try to work outside the home two other times when my girls were young and I did not last long. It is very difficult to work in an environment that does not have flexible hours and I have learned that I will not work unless it is my own business.
What are some of the creative ways you have found to juggle being a woman, a mother, a business owner, and a wife?
First of all, I try to surround myself with a wonderfully competent team of people. I also involve my husband and children in the business (brilliant, right?). And, I do my best to prioritize. However, I have found that as a result of being stretched very thin and not having much free time, I have just had to give myself a break and realize that there are a number of things that are just going to get done half ass!
What or whom have you found to be the greatest support to you and to your business over the years? Your greatest drain?
My number one fan is my husband!
My greatest drain is that there are a number of things beyond my control, and I have learned that I like to be in control. So many factors affect success – weather, economy, competitors, search engine technology, etc. - that at times it feels like a roll of the dice. Since, I’m not much of a gambler, my heart literally feels like it’s going to jump out of my chest at any moment.
XOXO
30X45 PRINT
Boys 
