Today we are featuring two amazing moms! Megan and Kailee, the dynamic duo behind the newly launched brand Stay and Co. A fun fresh home accessory/decor and children’s apparel company. Each one started their first company last year, Goods by Grinn and Miss J Handmade, after meeting this January, they instantly hit it off and the rest is now history! Read on to be inspired by these two amazing ladies and their new journey as well as tips on how they created success with busy families!
2 of you lucky mamas could win some goodies from Stay and Co in our Mother’s Day ultimate giveaway hurry up and enter it now …only one day left!
MB: Share with us your story of how you started your business…
Megan started her home decor and textile company (Goods by Grinn) at the beginning of 2013 with the needs to help support her family while in dental school and Kailee started her kids fashion line (Miss J Handmade) in the summer of 2013 with the intent to fulfill a hole in the kids clothing market. We both are die hard lovers of design and feel the need to have something that pushes us and something that fulfills our creative desires, especially as mothers. We both live in Southern California and knew we needed to take advantage of the resources that are close by in Los Angeles.
Both companies grew quickly enough to when the beginning of 2014 came around, something needed to give. We had only met in January, but kind of instantly knew we would be a good team. With different personalities and perspective on things, we kind of make up for each other’s weaknesses and play on each others strengths. With the same vision for our companies, we put our heads together, got busy (with our littles in tow) and created a vision for our new company STAY and Co. We are so excited for what we having coming. There is something about seeing your vision come to life that is simply awesome and rewarding!
MB: How do you juggle motherhood while running your business..a few tips or things that have helped you stay sane…
Juggle is the right word! Thanks for not saying “balance”, because we we all know that doesn’t exist 🙂 We have decided as partners to hire help. With the launch of our company, we hired a shipping coordinator who will completely take care of that for us. The many hours we spent into the wee hours of the night doing packaging and shipping was the thing that was putting us over the edge. Realizing this was a huge relief and now we can focus our attention on the designing part and free up time with for our families on a weekly basis.
We have also set things up so that we share all the responsibilities such as social media, customer service emails, etc. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays one of us with do everything that day while the other person steps away and has the day to not stress about work. Then on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays, the other person takes the reins. We have our work days and our mom days – so that we can give 100% of our attention to our families on our days off. Talk about a huge sanity saver! When you feel like you are bogged down every day with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, we find that we don’t feel like we are fulling our potential in any area of life. Compartmentalizing it has helped each of us at this phase of our company.
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….
We actually just had a conversation about this not too long ago. We both feel like as you get older, become moms and get into the daily grind, sometimes as women it is easy to lose sight of what we as individuals (aside from being a mom and wife) want out of life. It is important to both of us to keep our minds busy and looking forward to something – if we have that self identity, then we are happier all around. So with that being said, we would say to GO FOR IT! Whatever it is. Both of us had very minimal budgets starting out, but with an original and solid idea, and of course, some persistence, anything is possible. Surround yourself with people that inspire you and that are happy for your successes. This is key. There is such a great community of creatives out there, we each have been so inspired and uplifted by. Don’t be scared… have no regrets!
MB: 3 things we would not know about you…
Megan:
1. I despise making my bed although I have probably spent the most money and effort to get the perfect bedding set up. It’s totally backwards and no one ever sees my bedroom.
2. I love and need sunshine! I get over the-the-top grumpy when I am cold and have to wear a million layers. I guess if you know me, this is not a secret.
3. “Papworths never give up!” (Papworth is our last name)
This is our every day saying and something we live by at our house! I say it on the daily to both of my kids. We try to teach our kids independence and determination, two of the traits that I think are most important in life and try a little harder at every day.
Kailee:
1. I’m a little OCD about organization…like my pantry, fridge, email inbox etc. I just feel like I can think better and I get more accomplished if “most things” are put in their spot. This drives my husband crazy.
2. I love to be pregnant, and I love delivery day!! I bawled like a baby when my last little one was born, not because she had just arrived, but because the delivery was over too fast. I don’t know what it is about feeling that little baby inside you all the time is just indescribable.
3. I also am a hairstylist and have been for the past 13 years. (wow that makes me sound old) I have a salon in my home and absolutely enjoy a good hair/chatting session with my kids and girlfriends.
*photos courtesy of Megan and Kailee from Stay and Co.
