MADE.
"HOUSTON LIFE" STARTS NOW.
♪
>>FROM BUSINESS MEETINGS,
AFTER SCHOOL, CAR POOLING AND
SO MUCH MORE, MANAGING THINGS
AROUND THE HOUSE AND OFFICE CAN
BE TRICKY, TO SAY THE LEAST.
ENTREPRENEURS, AKA MOMPRENEURS.
>> WE HAVE A GRAPHIC DESIGNER
AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND
CHILDREN'S WEAR DESIGNER
WELCOME.
LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR COMPANY.
HOW YOU GOT STARTED.
YOU HAVE TWO YOUNG KIDS.
>>YES.
VIVIDPIXEL.
I DO GRAPHIC DESIGN.
IT STARTED IN 2015.
I USED TO BE A WEDDING PLANNER.
>> EVERY WEEKEND.
>> YES.
>> I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING
KIDS.
MY BACKGROUND WAS GRAPHIC
DESIGN.
IT WAS A A NATURAL, SOMETHING TO
FLOW INTO.
I DID IT FOR FRIENDS.
THEY LOVED IT SO I THOUGHT, I
WILL MAKE MONEY.
>> YOUR STUFF IS INCREDIBLE.
WE ARE SEEING PHOTOS, THE TYPE
WORK YOU DO.
VIEWERS RECOGNIZE YOU.
BEFORE.
COMING UP IN THE NEXT SEGMENT
YOU WILL GIVE US A LITTLE MORE.
>> YEAH.
>> LET'S MOVE ON TO YOU.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR VISIT.
THIS IS LASER CUTTING, RIGHT?
>> YES.
MY BUSINESS IS CALLED POST
STUDIO PROJECTS.
WE DO LASER-CUT DESIGNS.
CUSTOM LASER CUTTING FOR
DIFFERENT CLIENTS.
INDUSTRY.
I HAVE WORKED ON INVITATION,
THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
WE GOT OUR START THREE YEARS
AGO GO AND HAVE KIND OF ADDED
AND GROWN ORGANICALLY.
>> YOU FOUND YOUR SPACE IN
FRANCISCO?
>> YEAH.
I WAS IN ART SCHOOL, WORKING
FOR THE ART SCHOOL.
I WANTED TO TAKE THE KILLS --
SKILLS INTO BUSINESS SCENE AND
STUMBLED UPON LASER CUTTERS.
WHAT THEY CAN DO IS MAGIC,
REALLY.
>> SARA, DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS.
THIS IS CHILDREN'S WEAR.
YOUR STORY IS COOL.
THIS CAME FROM A PERSONAL
ISSUES.
>> TWO YEARS AGO GO WHEN I HAD
MY DAUGHTER, I COULD NOT FIND
ANYTHING THAT WASN'T CRAZY PINK
OR ZEBRA.
I LIKE MORE NEUTRALS.
I THOUGHT, I CAN MAKE THOSE.
MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME THE BASICS
OF SEWING.
I DECIDED TO START A BUSINESS.
I STARTED WITH AN ETSY, LIKE
MOST CREATIVES.
GOT MY OWN WEB SITE FROM THERE.
>> WHAT I LOVE IS SO MANY WOMEN
WAY.
ALONE.
THEY HAVE SAME FEELINGS OF I
WILL HAVE A FAMILY AND MY
CAREER IS OVER.
SARA, IN YOUR CASE, HAVING
CHILDREN WAS THE BIRTH OFA
BRAND-NEW CAREER.
INSPIRATION.
>> WHY DON'T WE GET INTO THE
NITTY-GRITTY.
HOW TO BALANCE.
LAUNDRY --
>> IT IS HARD.
>> I LOT THINK OF IT IS HOBBY.
YOU HAVE TO BE PASSIONATE AND
MAKE IT INTO A BUSINESS.
WHAT IT IS LIKE GOING FROM THE
KIND OF TIPPING POINT.
THIS IS NO LONGER A HOBBY.
THIS I CAN DO A BUSINESS.
>> WHEN THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE
THAT WANT AND LIKE YOUR STUFF
AND WILLING TO PAY, GO FOR IT.
WITH ME I HAD JUST A FEW PEOPLE
IN THE BEGINNING ASKING.
FRIENDS OF FRIENDS.
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ASK.
LIKE KLIG --CALLIGRAPHY.
THAT.
ONE ASKED, IT SOLDOUT.
MORE ASKED.
THERE WERE NO CALLIGRAPHY
BASIS.
I GRABBEDTHAT NICHE, GRABBED
IT.
CALLIGRAPHY.
>> I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE
THEY THINK, OKAY.
I CAN ONLY FOCUS ON MY
PROFESSIONAL CAREER OR BEING
CREATIVE WHEN I'M ALONE.
FOR MANY, YOU HAVE FIGURED OUT
A WAY TO INCLUDE.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> IT IS EASY BECAUSE I HAVE
AN ARTISTIC -- PAINTING IS WHAT
I LOVE.
KIDS LOVE HELPING.
EACH MONTH THEY HAVE A
DIFFERENT WRAP ON THE OUTSIDE.
MY SON PAINTS EVERY MONTH.
THE STUDENTS LOVE IT.
IT IS SOMETHING NEW THAT NO ONE
WILL HAVE TO PAINT MORE THAN
ONCE AND TURN OUT AMAZING.
THESE ARE AWESOME.
LIKE WHEN I'M PAINTING
LANDSCAPES OR BUILDING, HE
PAINTS CALLIGRAPHY KITS.
>> DO YOU PAY HIM?
>> IT IS TEACHING KIDS WHAT
THEY CAN ACHIEVE.
25 CENTS.
IT IS STILL ALLOWANCE.
HE IS ONLY FOUR.
>> GOOD GRIEF.
>> KIM, HOW DO YOU FIND THE
TIME?
USING NAP TIME?
HOW DO YOU FIGURE IN THE
BEAUTIFUL WORK YOU DO BUT YOU
HAVE TO DO BILLING AND OTHERS?
THE BOUNDARIES.
>> SO IT IS DIFFICULT.
WORKING MIDNIGHT AND I HAVE HAD
CLIENTS.
MY DAUGHTER IS FIVE AND A HALF
MONTHS OLD.
I'M IN THE THICK OF NAVIGATING
NAP TYPES, TRYING TO GET SOME
SEMBLANCE.
SO I WORK WHEN I CAN.
I HAVE A TALENTED TEAM OF
PEOPLE AT THE STUDIO HELPING ME
GET THE PROJECTS OUT.
THEN A LOT OF TIMES WHAT I WILL
DO IF I'M WORKING OUTSIDE
REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS I
SCHEDULE E-MAILS AND USE
TECHNOLOGY TO SEND THINGS AS IF
IT WERE THE MORNING OR --
>> YOU TRULY SET YOUR OWN
BOUNDARIES.
>> I REALLY TRTO.
I ALSO HAVE TO NAVIGATE OF WHAT
I CAN DO THERE A DAY FOR MYSELF
TOO.
I'M RENEGOTIATING THAT.
JUST LEARNING CAN'T GET
EVERYTHING DONE THAT I USED TO.
>> YOU HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE
AS KIM.
SEEMS LIKE WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING
YOUR OWN BUSINESS, IT IS LIKE
WHEN YOU ARE A COLLEGE STUDENT
AND STUDYING NEVER ENDS.
YOU COULD WORK ALL NIGHT.
HOW CRITICAL HAS IT BEEN TO SET
LIMITS?
>> YEAH, IT IS A LOT.
WHEN YOU ARE A BUSINESS OWNER
BECAUSE YOU ARE DOING IT ALL.
FOR ME I JUST -- I LOOK AND
DISSECT MY LEADS AND TRY TO
BLOCK TIME.
SAY THIS IS TIME FOR MY
BUSINESS.
THESE THREE DAYS I NEED TO GET
THESE ORDERS PROCESSED AND GET
THEMOUT THE DOOR.
THESE DAYS ARE THINGS I CAN GET
DONE WITH KIDS AND NAP TIMES.
LOOKING AT YOUR WEEK AT A
GLANCE, NOTHING TOO STRUCTURED.
AS AN ENTREPRENEUR YOU CAN'T
STRUCTURE EVERYTHING 100%.
>> YOU SCHEDULE FAMILY TIME AND
SOCIAL TIME.
>> EXACTLY, YES.
IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU LOSE ALL
OF IT.
THAT IS THE JOY OF WORKING FOR
YOURSELF.
>> COLOR COATED CALENDARS?
>> THAT IS A GOOD IDEA.
>> THIS IS LIKE --
>> JENNIFER BROOME USES COLOR
COORDINATED EVERYTHING.
LET'S TALK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.
THERE IS SOMETHINCALLED
INSTAGRAM.
MARATHON.
HOW MUCH IS REAL.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK MY GOSH,
I'M NOT LIVING UP TO THESE
EXPECTATIONS.
>> I TAKE UP TO 20 MINUTES
DIALING THE PERFECT PICTURE.
IF I WAS TO ZOOM OUT, AROUND
THAT PERFECT SQUARE YOU WILL
SEE CRAYONS AND SPILLED COFFEE.
I KNOW IF I'M GOING THROUGH
THAT, THEN OTHER MOTHERS ARE
GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING.
IT IS NOT PERFECT.
THINK BEYOND THAT LITTLE SQUARE.
ZOOM OUT, THERE IS A LOT MORE
CRAZENESS GOING ON OUTSIDE THE
BORDERS.
>> WE SHOULDN'T JUDGE OURSELVES
BASED ON WHAT WE SEE ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
IN GENERAL, PEOPLE LIKE TO POST
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THEIR LIFE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> IS THERE ANY ADVICE SOMEBODY
GAVE YOU WHEN YOU WERE JUST IN
THE INFANCY OF YOUR BUSINESSES
>> THERE WEREN'T MANY.
I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO THE
HAVE KIDS.
KNOWING.
HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS?
>> I WAS THINKING AT ONE POINT
WHEN I WAS NEWLY PREGNANT I WAS
LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THIS?
SHE GAVE ME A FEW TIDBITS.
SCHEDULING AROUND THINGS,
FINDING OUT WHAT YOUR KIDS
HAPPY TIMES ARE.
TRYING TO NAVIGATE WHAT YOU CAN
DO DURING THOSE TIMES.
THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> KNOWING YOU ARE NOT ALONE IS
PROBABLY MAKES A WORLD OF
DIFFERENCE.
>> SARA, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE
AN OFFER F
>> ON MY WEB SITE USE CODE
HOUSTON LIFE FOR 10% OFF THE
FIRST PURCHASE.
>> AND YOUR CHILDREN'S NAMES?
>> THIS IS A COLLABORATION OF
MY TWO KIDS, DANIEL AND HANNAH.
HI.
THAT IS HOW I CAME UP WITH IT,
YEAH.
>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY
OF THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, WE
HAVE THEIR WEB SITES ON THE
SCREEN RIGHT THERE.
ALL THREE OF THE
WREATH MAKING.