Ladies Who Launch

Launching Moms: Kristy Amy

Kristy Amy is the president of OnMark Solutions.

The fact that I am a mother was my main catalyst for becoming an entrepreneur. After my first child and while I was pregnant with my second, I went through a job change. While I was reflecting on my next career move, I realized that I couldn't go back to corporate hours. I wanted to have hours that I could control. This realization hit me while in my first job interview for a new position. I came home after the interview and told myself I was going to start a business. From that, OnMark Solutions was born.

Being a mother has taken my multitasking capabilities and exponentially increased them. I sometimes find it funny on a given day how I can be in the middle of a work project and then click three things off my personal to-do list at the same time. For example, yesterday I put all of the stamps on my personal holiday cards during a conference call.

Launching Moms: Samantha Graham

Samantha Graham recently completed the Sacramento Incubator Intensive and is in the Sacramento Ongoing Program. Samantha is launching  Crave Parties in Sacramento as well as her own photography business, Samantha Graham Photography.

I am a 32-year old single mom of a not quite yet 5 month old. And I would absolutely have to say that my son is my inspiration for "putting myself out there" and trying to launch a business. Since university I've had amazing experiences living and traveling abroad for years and working in some rather interesting industries (advertising, education, non-profit, media) but there's nothing like riding the emotional ups and downs of pregnancy to light a fire under me and make real, solid plans to care for this new life. While I cannot be a stay-at-home mom like I'd like to be, I needed  a way to eventually earn a decent income, work the projects that I feel passionate about and have the flexibility to be there for my son especially in the coming years when he begins preschool and grade school. So in September/October, I joined the inaugural Sacramento incubator for Ladies Who Launch and  when I came across Crave Parties. Thinking this was a great idea for the region and a great outlet for a working woman and new mommy like me to connect with other women across the city, who need an opportunity to relax and just be a girl., I have begun the process of bringing Crave Parties to the Sacramento area. Additionally, I am also launching a photography business, a real passion of mine, and one of my first projects is to create a coffee table book, of sorts, capturing the daily life and what it means to be single mother.

Launching Moms: Sharon Gaffney

I launched my very first business at 29 so I could do something that allowed me to work from home when I had kids. Boy did I plan way ahead! That business (a website development company) was 7 years old when I got married and I sold it before I had my son (he’s only 3 weeks old now) at 38. I always knew that I wanted to work, but I also wanted the flexibility to stay at home with my kids, because my Mother as a single Mom had not been able to – so launching is what I have chosen to do. I launched my new business LetsMeetOut.com, a group dating and real life social networking website) while pregnant with Mac and was able to jump right back in right after he was born since my office is just a few steps away from his nursery. I am juggling things a bit more these days – answering email in between feedings, but so far, I am able to have the best of both worlds.

Launching Moms: Elizabeth Martinelli

Elizabeth Martinelli is a member of The Providence Incubator, and she is the owner of Elizabeth's Decadent Desserts.

I am the mom of twin nine year old boys and I am inspired by my children every hour of everyday. They inspire me to be a better person, to take better care of myself and to succeed in life.  I want them to have a role model that they can respect and look up to as they grow.  I have always been entrepreneurial and I knew I would be in business for myself someday, but when my husband opened a business, my plans got put on hold.  Then I got comfortable with my role as a mom and working as a part time Project Leader.  It wasn't until I experienced a dramatic event in my life that I was really inspired to take that next step and make my dream of entrepreneurship happen.  I would encourage moms to maintain their identity and focus on their dreams, whatever they are.
I attended LWL incubator in April of 2006 and I am launching my cookie and dessert company, Elizabeth's Decadent Desserts.  I truly have enjoyed baking cookies and biscotti's over the years and I am excited to be able to make this my business--something I really enjoy doing. At the same time I am teaching my children at a young age, about building a business and to respect and understand money.  I know they respect the work that I am doing-- as long as I don't take too much time away from them---my first priority!!!!!!!

Launching Moms: Mikki Morrissette

Mikki Morrissette is a member of the Minneapolis/Twin Cities Incubator. Her website is Choosing Single Motherhood.

Absolutely I was inspired to become an entrepreneur because of motherhood.

Before my daughter was born, I made ends meet as a freelance writer, making just enough money to pay my rent, travel occasionally, and go out with friends. Then I returned to the corporate world for a few years, eventually making roughly $100K as executive editor at a large New York City publishing company. The salary enabled me to buy my home, travel to Madagascar to work on a novel, and proactively choose to become a single mother. After seven months of maternity leave, I intended to go back to my 10-hour days -- not enjoying the work but needing the income. Or so I thought.

Initially I was panicked when I learned that my boss had decided to "job eliminate" me while I was on maternity leave. Not smart timing on his part. But I parlayed my enhanced severance package into a return to the freelance lifestyle. Only now I had a young daughter to take care of. "Freelance writer" is not a lucrative profession. I needed to make the mental switch to become an entrepreneur. One who did not simply take paying assignments when she could land them, but who actually created her own platform.

I used my experience as a Choice Mom -- which is a hugely untapped market and community -- to write a book, Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman's Guide. I moved to my home state of Minnesota, so that I could take a few years to interview more than 100 single women about this choice, along with child development experts. I used my background to self-publish the book a year ago.

The book has sold in 10 countries so far, and is about to go into its fifth printing. I was pleased when I recently sold 300 books in one month. More pleased when I sold the next batch of 300 books in one week! And even more pleased when I recently signed a lucrative contract with Houghton Mifflin, which will begin distributing the book in February 2008.

Currently I write an email newsletter that goes to 450 women. I am developing a website of information and support resources that already serves 800 visitors each month. I moderate an online discussion group that includes hundreds of women in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. I've officially incorporated my own specialized Be-Mondo publishing business, and am putting the finishing touches on the first of several new books I have planned for the coming years.