Mom
Top 50 Mompreneurs, 2011
They cook, they clean and, between naptimes, they run kickass companies. For those who run their own mom-centric firms, the responsibilities of motherhood are only half the battle. Babble is running our first ever salute to the top 50 mompreneurs who pull all-nighters, suffer enormous financial set-backs, and balance business and baby every day to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Here's how they did it.
- Christina Couch
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Danielle Ayotte and Julie Dix | Taggies
Danielle’s Rankings
bright idea
Company: Taggies
Location: Spencer, Massachusetts
Children: Ayotte has two sons, 12 and 16, daughter, 15; Dix has two sons, 14 and 17, daughter, 12
Age: Danielle, 41 & Julie, 43
Inspiration: When Dix noticed how her son enjoyed playing with the satin tag on his baby blanket, she started sewing ribbon around his blankets. Then Ayotte’s daughter, a colicky, crying baby, loved the blanket too. “I said to Julie, ‘Why don’t you sell these?’” Ayotte says.
Perspiration: Ayotte and Dix had no idea how well their product would sell. In 1999, the pair took a few Taggies to craft shows, where they sold out. Armed with no business background, the two learned the ropes on the road while managing the 100 percent increase in demand the company has experienced since its launch. ” “The growth was our biggest challenge and there were a lot of times when we thought, ‘How are we going to get over this hurdle?,’” Ayotte says. “We’ve moved five or six times because of the increase in demand, plus our own kids were vying for our attention. It was a very stressful time.” As the company grew, Ayotte and Dix hired help.
Success: Today Taggies is home to 17 employees, has vastly expanded its product line to include books, apparel and bedding supplies, and sells throughout the U.S., Europe, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
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These women are amazing. Period.
In need of inspiration — check out how these ladies mix it all up.
What an even bigger inspiration to be a part of these great Mompreneurs!
The Carissa Rose clothing line is awesome, machine washable at that.
Why Mompreneurs? There’s no such thing as a dadpreneur? Why the special designation for women?
I have been reading a lot off late to grasp more knowledge on this topic, but after reading your article I realized there is a lot more than I read and you are the only one who could make this happen. You are the only one from whom I could get the entire information on the topic. Thanks!!! You are fantastic
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these moms make me jealous! i wish i had the energy and motivation to start a company while raising my kids! Kudos to all of them!!
I look forward to reading about all of these women!
hmmm…..interesting…
Amazing women!
and bagrging about a 30% approval rating???absolutly PATHETICabsolutly PATHETICremember clinton left with a 75% approval ratigread it and weep cons projecting once morebububbububub 30% bububububub 30%absolutly sadBush is back!! 30%
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