I have been chatting with Heather of Chickadee Prints for sometime now on Twitter. She has a some big successes lately, including having her invitations featured on Tori Spelling's reality show.
I recently invited Heather to write a guest blog for Marketmommies.com about her path to owning her own business. My hope is that by sharing the stories of moms who have already made the journey to business ownership, we will inspire even more moms to follow their dreams.
Heather - Chickadee Prints
http://www.chickadeeprints.com
http://www.marketmommies.com/_webapp_2694922/Chickadee_Prints
Looking back, I never imagined myself where I am today. I was on the track I was expected to be on…go to school, get a degree, get a job, get married, have children, keep working at the J.O.B. So, I did these things…I went to school, I got my degrees, and I married my husband. It was during my fourth year of teaching, that the most wonderful thing happened to me, something that was meant to be, and changed my life forever. I became pregnant with my first child.
Things happen for a reason, I truly believe that. You just have to pay attention to what they are telling you. Luckily, I did. I was contracted to go back to work the following school year after having my son, because that’s what ‘s expected! However, after staying home with him, two weeks into my six week maternity leave, I realized I couldn’t leave him. I needed to stay home with him and raise him…not someone else. How could I go raise other people’s children all day but not my own? So, I called into my principal, told her my plan, and I was on my way to adjusting my life into a new vision.
So, here I was, just me and my son…and no clue what to do to keep me occupied when he was sleeping! Slowly, my entrepreneurial spirit started sparking inside. I went through several business ideas, trials and errors, over the course of three years, until I found what I really wanted to do. It was when I had my daughter Eden in 2006 where it became clear. You see, back in 2004, Costco’s few photo paper printed birth announcements were the norm to send out when you had a baby. So, that’s what I did! But when I had Eden, I wanted something different, something more unique, something I designed.
So, in 2006 I started Rainy Day Memories. RDM was a birth announcement company…where I designed everything from scratch, no two orders would be alike, and they were printed on photo paper just like Costco…BUT, had MY unique touches and designs…MANY to choose from with the utmost care for each client’s special day. Being a professional photographer, I understood the importance of treating the photos with just as much care as the design itself. I wanted every client’s experience to feel special. Slowly, business began to grow, and I knew what I was doing was special.
In 2009, I renamed the business Chickadee Prints, and took our one-on-one customer service across more areas. We broadened our scope from birth announcements to birthday invitations, stationery, wedding lines, and thank you cards. We also changed our product from photo paper to card stock, offering a more durable solution. However, I remained conscious of the environment, and needed to know that in my industry, I was still providing responsible choices. So we teamed up with a triple chain certified printing press, which you can read more about on our web site. In 2010, we added self-inking stamps, which have been a hit!
My small vision is now becoming more than I ever dreamed. I didn’t know this adventure would ever be possible…me, a business owner…getting time freedom with my family. It hasn’t been easy, still isn’t what I would call easy, but it’s a passion, and with passion come determination. Thank goodness I have a great support system in my husband, my family, and in other mothers. I now wish nothing more for my kids than to learn that the road expected is not always the road best suited. I hope I create dreamers and explorers in them.
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