http://www.cupcakemag.com

Marketmommies:  Tell us about your business.
Casi:  cupcakeMAG began two years ago showcasing New York, LA and Miami Fashion Week – it was your place for all things fashion where we would showcase exclusive designer interviews and backstage coverage. Once things got up and going cupcakeMAG really took off – we started covering not just fashion but beauty, celebrity interviews, etc. Then we realized we needed a place for Mommistastas to go – a place where we could not just cater to fashionistas but a one-stop blog for moms and their littles. That is when Sprinkles was born; Fashionable Treats for Chic Moms and Their Babes. Both of our blogs offer great product reviews of all the hottest must-have items, celebrity interviews and giveaways galore!

Marketmommes:  How did you get started.
Casi:  It began just by being a place for showcasing designers and collections each fashion season. We would go to New York in September and February – watch runway shows, interviews designers and voice our opinions to our readers. However, it blossomed into so much more very quickly.

Marketmommies:  Is there a person in your life that inspired you to go for it?
Casi:  Ahhh! Good question and tough. My family is very supportive and very close. However, one person who really inspired me to go for it would be my Aunt lost her battle with cancer two years ago. Not only did she have an obsession with fashion (and shoes!) but she bought me my first heels as we jammed to Cyndi Lauper and Madonna after shopping. We would always go shopping together, watch QVC and do all those fun girly things – she even taught me how to apply mousse and take advantage of my full head of curls at 10 years old. It is memories like those that I will never forget and every time I sit front-row at a fashion show or have an interview with a celebrity I think how she would always tell me to go for your dream and how excited she would be seeing everything I have done in the fashion industry.

Marketmommies:  What has been the biggest learning curve?
Casi:  You just have to stick with it. It’s mind over body. You can do anything you want to do; you just gotta put your mind to it. I would say the biggest learning curve is not giving up and learning how to do that. You always have to stay positive and don’t let anyone bring you down.

Marketmommies:  What are the pros/cons of having your own business?
Casi:  Well, I would say that there are definitely way more pros to having my own biz then cons. A matter of fact – I can’t even really think of any cons at the moment. But, you caught me on a good day J It is definitely amazing to be able to have your own work schedule and lucky for me I have five amazing writers that I have brought on the cupcakeMAG team. They are by far the pros of my business because I can pick and choose who I want to showcase on the blog and what I want to feature. However, it is nice to have others point of views as well and not just me writing. Having your own business is challenging for sure but at the end of the day it is more so rewarding than anything.

Marketmommies:  How do your find your balance between your family and your business?
Casi:  Finding a balance can be really difficult. It can be hard sometimes, especially with a blackberry to shift from office to home because my mind is always working and I am constantly with a full inbox of emails. Having a schedule and amazing time management really helps. As long as you can draw the line between family and business you can manage it all – it is just about the finding your own balance.

Marketmommies:  What advice do you have for moms with their own business, or moms who are thinking of giving it a try?
Casi:  Like I said before, just stay positive, don’t give up, and follow your heart. If you know what you want then go for it! You don’t want to have any regrets in life and if you think you are going to look back and say, I sholda, coulda, woulda – then you better go for it because you may never have that chance again.

Marketmommies:  Tell Us about your family.
Casi:  I have 3 little mini-fashionistas! Zoe is 7 going into the 2nd grade and just can’t wait to wear high-heels. She loves to read and wants to be a Marine Biologist but Model on the side. She has great plans to also one day have a farm. McKenzie is 3 and is my big ham in front of the camera. She is a little peanut (she was a preemie) with a BIG personality. McKenzie doesn’t leave the house without her oversized white sunglasses, jewelry, and purse. As for Kennadi – well, she is our angel. She was also a preemie but has severe problems at 11 weeks old and spent 3 weeks in the NICU. Thanks to God and everyone’s prayers she is still with us and as healthy as can be. She will be 6 months next week.

Marketmommies:  Anything else you would like to add?
Casi:  Stay tuned to cupcakeMAG & sprinkles for tons of exclusive celeb interviews, amazing giveaways and lots to come! And thank you to all of our avid readers – without your love, praise and support we wouldn’t be here today!