Katie of Katie James launched her accessories label in May of 2006 and is the creator of the quirky fashion blog, FashionMista.
Katie James, FashionMista
I grew up knowing I wanted and needed my own business while I raised children, which is why I borrowed the "mompreneur" term from MIchelle Rubin of Willow Creek Baby. I had no visions of a wedding dress or a huge diamond. Just me working somewhere, doing something I loved. My mother raised us directly (with the help of our dad) while carrying out different jobs, like selling children’s educational toys (that was a fun one), selling Sunbeam things, and for the past 15 years has been a rep for lines of clothing, most recently Doncaster and Elana.
So I grew up with her always doing something, and being there for us at the same time (even if that meant picking us up late from basketball practice!). I also loved money - counting money, saving money for a bike or Cabbage Patch Kid - and was taught that if I wanted the money, I had to work for the money. I also didn't want to depend on a man or a marriage to have that money, just in case he wouldn't be there the whole time, which brings us to today. I'm a 29 year old mother of a super smart German Shepherd/Chow named Gerdy (that a former fiance of mine abandoned due to our breakup! so glad to get that out of the way!), a regal cat named Dinah, and now a new kitten named Oliver the Terrible who just had to run in front of me as I walked home from the subway the other night. They are true inspirations to me, and two products so far have been developed for them - the Chow Chow dog treat bag and the FashionMista (a fashion mouse for cats).
I only know how to do what I love and what makes me happy. It took a little while to figure out what that was, but I'm learning the combination and it's filling me with joy. At my mom's encouragement, I took a class in fashion design at FIT which turned into an accessories business called Katie James, which is expanding into website design, and then there's the FashionMista blog which has its own plans of a redesign and boutique of unique designs.
So my 'plan' is falling into place, which is to have a business set up so that when I have children (if I'm so blessed), a system will be set up for me to work in. For my 9-5 day job, I manage the website of a nonprofit specializing in educating women and health professionals about the best maternity care, so I'm set. I've also recognized, as was testimony from so many of these launching moms, that being a mompreneur makes you plan your time and actually get things done instead of procrastinating...something I always suspected. I also suspect, though, then when I become a mom, all of these plans will fly out the window and a new situation will present itself. So I eagerly look forward to the day when I am balancing both and gaining new inspirations.
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