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Take two Sarahs, add a brood of young children and an entrepreneurial spirit and what do you get? Custom Made for Kids. This new publishing company is run by two moms: Sarah Rivera and Sarah Headrick who live and work in the U.S. Their touching, personalized book,
The First Adventures of Incredible You is illustrated by Jill Dryer Bartolucci.
I received my own customized copy of this book in the mail the other day and, I have to tell you, I was pretty impressed. As a mom and a freelance writer who covers parenting and child-related issues, I've seen my share of kids' books and customized gifts but I'm happy to say that this book "wowed" me. The fact that it's hard-cover with vivid, colourful illustrations won me over first. I also enjoy the fact that my child's life story is seamlessly integrated into the overall text as opposed to a cookie-cutter approach where names and information are just dropped into place. If you're ordering online, you can fill out a questionnaire about the child. Books are about $33 each.
Of course, not every single detail is going to work for every kid...there's a spot for "favourite meal" which doesn't exactly jibe with my son but that's okay, it's only one page out of many. I was pleased that both Lily's and Kash's names could be incorporated as well as grandparents and other friends (if you choose) and fun memories like beach visits, a trip to the zoo and nights staring up at the stars.
Here's a quick Q&A with authors and mom entrepreneurs, Sarah Rivera and Sarah Headrick - the women behind Custom Made For Kids:
Q: How and why did you start your business?
A: "We met in a suburban Chicago playgroup and discovered that we both had a desire to start our own businesses when our kids were older. In 2006, after our second children were both out of diapers, we formed Custom Made For Kids after realizing we could take the idea of a personalized book to the next level. Most of the personalized books we saw on the market were of poor quality and/or incorporated only the child’s name and birth date into the story. We wanted to produce a high-quality keepsake book that truly highlighted the connection between the recipient child and the special people and places in the child’s life."
Q: What’s the best part about being a mom entrepreneur? And, the worst?
A: "The best part of being a mom entrepreneur is seeing your dream come to life and witnessing the great joy that your product brings to other people. The worst part of being a mom entrepreneur is taking time away from family in order to make your dream a reality. The business has a tendency to creep into your mind at all times and it can be difficult to 'turn it off.' "
Q: How does it feel to have your own business? What have you learned?
A: "It is very rewarding to have our own business. Sarah and I feel like we have accomplished so much this past year and we have had to learn about many different industries, including: marketing and public relations, website design, printing, illustration and graphic design, and accounting – just to name a few. We still have a lot more to learn – but that continuing challenge and learning curve is part of what makes it exciting (and so much more work than we ever expected when starting the business!)."
Q: Do you have plans to expand?
A: "We are in the early stages of developing another personalized storybook and we hope to add some complimentary products to our website store the near future. We feel very lucky that our business continues to expand every day."
Q: Are your customers in the U.S. only or in other countries, too?
A: "We ship all over the world. We have had orders from New Zealand, Australia, the UK and even Thailand!"
...more incredible mom entrepreneur interviews coming soon!
