Katie's Story: Kt Steppers, LLC

When she wrote to me about her company, Katie O'Neill stressed the fact that Kt Steppers is a Mom-owned business. She told me she loves being referred to as a "Mompreneur", and after reading her story, I can really appreciate why. Recently we've featured some mom-owned businesses on this blog, and I am loving all these inspiring stories from women who do it all, and then some!

"The summer before my junior year in college, my life, vision, and future plans all came to a halt. Headaches, vision problems, and lactation were just a few symptoms I encountered before I learned that I had a brain tumor. I don’t know many people who can say this, but I had brain surgery when I was 22 years old to remove a benign (thank goodness) tumor on my pituitary gland. It was so large that surgical removal was crucial; otherwise it would've continued to more severely affect my vision and pituitary functions.

You could say being a 'MOMpreneur' means more to me than words can explain. Because of the tumor's location and size, the possibility of not having children could have been very real. So, as you can imagine, I am very proud of my mom-owned, children-inspired online gift boutique. I wanted a kid-friendly business since that is whom I spend my days, hours and minutes with, and can’t imagine it any other way now. I am a mom of two boys, ages 5 and 3. They have become my support and inspiration for Kt Steppers.

My dream business became a reality in 2008, after the birth of my second son. Kt Steppers, LLC was formed. I was always creative and loved to draw, and after we received a step stool for my son as a gift, I realized and told my husband, 'I can make these.'

The first 'stepper' was conceived when my sister-in-law was looking for something unique and personal to give her best friend’s son. I offered up a Kt Stepper as an idea. It was a hit! Doing further research and talking with other moms, I found there was a great need for that 'special something' to give as a gift for a birth, birthday, or to add a personal touch to a baby registry item. Our 'Steppers' have become a special, custom and truly personal way to say, 'you’re one of a kind!'

One of my favorite testimonies to date is from a mom who’s daughter has Down Syndrome, which causes low muscle tone: 'The stepper helps her coordinate gross motor skills and balance. She uses it to get onto the couch since she is still too short to get up. She is doing really well, and uses it to step up and down without using her hands, which is huge progress for her.' So not only are our steppers a great gift and a practical item for toddlers, but they are helping in other areas of development I never even considered previously. Stories like this make me very proud.

My business has blossomed and grown locally over the past year in NY/NJ, but we are also being recognized all over the country. During the holidays, Kt Steppers made their debut on National TV; Giuliana Rancic’s Gift Guide segment on E! News featured Kt Steppers, and we couldn’t have been more honored.

Celebrities have also become fans of Kt Steppers, and many have sent thank you notes after showing their child their very own custom steppers. Custom Kt Steppers were made for celebrities such as Alison Sweeney, Tori Spelling, Rhea Wahlberg, Jenna Elfman, Denise Richards, Jennie Garth, Jason and Naomi Priestley, and more. (Click here to see celebrity 'kudos'.)

My vision for Kt Steppers is to be the preferred online boutique when buying that unique gift for someone special, but we are also are pursuing retail outlets such as local boutiques and specialty gift stores. We want people to be able to find them both online and close to home."

Find out more about Kt Steppers on their website, ktsteppers.com, or on Twitter (@ktsteppers) and Facebook.

Sheena's Story: Lizzie Lou Shoes

First off, congrats to Lisa, the winner of the free GoCharmz offered as part of our last story! Many thanks to Michelle for participating in our first giveaway.

Today's story comes to us from Sheena, a mom, inventor, designer and entrepreneur based in San Antonio, Texas. Lizzie Lou Shoes have international flair, close family ties, and one-of-a-kind handmade craftsmanship built into each pair. Sheena's experience with her business brought a few financial challenges along the way, but of course not without lessons learned. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Sheena - it's important to recognize the role that risk plays in the development of a start-up.

"The Lizzie Lou Shoes concept was born in July of 2008. After a year of development, the shoes hit the market. I had a fantastic, sought-after product: comfortable, lightweight, hand-stitched flip flops - but I wasn't as prepared to run a business as I should have been. I took quite a few things for granted and have listed some of them here in the hopes of helping other entrepreneurs avoid the same mistakes I made.

Only after many months of planning and execution did I become familiar with how risk would take a part in my new business - how much money, time and total investment I was willing to risk for it. I realized that I had failed to take a number of financial variables into account during the planning process. I hadn't fully appreciated how high my start-up costs would be, or how those expenses would increase over time. We had some huge shipping delays which caused us to lose important sales, and the shipments ended up costing double the quoted price due to a customs intensive exam. This was very stressful and overwhelming for a start up company.

I also hadn't foreseen just how much trial and error would be involved and how many mistakes were inherent to the start-up process. Mistakes mean additional expenses (something else I had not planned for). Finally, I knew going into this venture that, as a full-time mother of three, time was as valuable a commodity as cash. There wasn't an excess of either one just lying around, so I had to move more slowly and cautiously than I would have liked.

It is so important to understand the risk before you start a business, so research and prepare. Estimating how much time and money you'll need to put into your business, then assuming it will take TWICE that, should help you during the start-up process and hopefully help you get through the tough spots. Don't be afraid to scale back some on your initial plans. The most important thing is to understand how much you are willing to risk."

Make sure to visit the Lizzie Lou Shoes website, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot to learn more about Sheena's company and get your hands (or feet, rather) on a pair of her unique flip flops!