In honor of Mother’s Day + celebrating all the wonderful mothers and women in our lives…we have a very special treat… for the next week we plan to feature Real Moms that inspire! Most may think they are just ordinary women but on the contrary they are mothers doing extraordinary things…juggling motherhood while running a business! ALSO launching a special mothers day giveaway featuring items from amazing momprenuers later today! ENTER NOW
Today we are featuring Laura Elgoff, the creator and owner of Velveteen Clothing…she has really inspired us and we know she will inspire you too! Here is our mini interview with laura.
MB: Share with us your story of how you started your business…
I went to FIT in New York to study textile technology and design when I was first out of school and then went back to finish a business degree. I’d been working on the concept for Velveteen for years but had struggled to find the quality of fabrics and production that I wanted. When I was 8 months pregnant with my second child, everything suddenly came together and I was faced with this dilemma of whether or not I should quit my existing job and jump head into my dream of launching Velveteen just a month before Gabriel was born. I decided to dive in and we launched our first capsule collection 6 months later.
MB: How do you juggle motherhood while running your business..
I like the way you phrased this question. Most people ask about how you juggle your time and it’s not really just about that. Motherhood isn’t just about allocating time to your children, it’s allocating your mind and heart as well and I find that this is as difficult as anything else. Surrounding yourself with great people is the first tip, the second is to make sure you use every minute to “do the doing”.
I’m lucky enough to have a mountain of amazing people around me – friends, family, colleagues, customers – who all contribute to making Velveteen possible in the midst of raising my two lovely children and I have a studio in the front of our flat so I’m lucky enough to be close to the kids throughout the day. The sanity-critical tip is to focus on whatever is in front of you whilst it’s there. If you’re working, close the door and work. If you’re with the kids, turn your design brain off, put the iPhone down and be there with them. When the kids are in bed and the studio is closed, take a minute for yourself and try to shut everything else out. It takes practice and I’m still working on getting it right, to be honest!
MB: What advice or encouragement would you give to another mom who is debating on whether they should take that leap of faith to start something new….
My advice would be to jump at the chance to follow your passion. There will always be a list of reasons why you shouldn’t, as there was for me, but there’s only one way to make something succeed and that’s to believe that it will and then to work hard to make sure it does. If you are truly dedicated to doing something, you will find a way to make it work and it will inspire you and, in turn, maybe you’ll inspire others. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward until you look back one day in awe of what you’ve accomplished.
MB: 3 things we would not know about you…
1. I was born in Los Angeles, went to school in New York, lived in London, moved to Hong Kong and was married in Switzerland. I’m still a California girl at heart but I love that my work has enabled me to see and experience the world in a way that most people don’t get to do. I try to bring this sense of global proximity to each collection – the world is much smaller than it can sometimes feel.
2. My favourite movies include This is Spinal Tap, The Big Lebowski, The Princess Bride and Ferris Bueller’s Day off and I would quote them in their entirety on a regular basis if I didn’t think it would drive all my friends away.
3. My kids and I recite a little mantra every morning to remind them of the importance of being “strong, smart and kind and to sparkle like a diamond”. I’d wish for every child to understand how powerful they can be by having a strong will, sharp mind and kind heart….and how badly the world today needs them to shine, not to hide from their greatness.
