A Mom Who Made It Happen
Shannon Gevero
Hometown: City, NY (now a Floridian : )
Tell Us about your business and why you created it.
"See Baby Grow, LLC was created shortly after I had my son. Living away from family made it difficult for us and we wanted to stay connected with our friends/family. As an avid picture taker, I started posting signs next to my son of every little milestone; ie. 1 week old! 2 weeks old! Crawler, 1 month old, etc. I returned to my teaching job 7 weeks after his birth (which was sooo hard) and knew that deep down inside I wanted to enter the world of entrepreneurship. After numerous late night chats with my husband, I decided to embark on this journey and I am SO happy that I went for it."
Tell us about your family
"We are originally from New York and relocated to Florida about five years ago. My husband and I have been married for almost 7 years (together for 15) and we have an almost 3 year old little boy. We also have two fluffy doggies that require lots of attention : )"
"We are originally from New York and relocated to Florida about five years ago. My husband and I have been married for almost 7 years (together for 15) and we have an almost 3 year old little boy. We also have two fluffy doggies that require lots of attention : )"
Tell us about your background/ education
"I taught at the elementary level for eight years before creating See Baby Grow. I have a MsED in Elementary Education."
"I taught at the elementary level for eight years before creating See Baby Grow. I have a MsED in Elementary Education."
What Advice do you have for other moms looking to make it happen at home? Looking to have it all!?
"Jump in! When you find something that you have deep passion for nothing will stop you. It also helps to have a support system that will always have your back. It's important to note that working for yourself is also hard work, especially if it's a career change. My background was in education, not in marketing/advertising, etc. I literally had to study these fields in order to get to where we are today. I definitely do not 'have it all' but I do LOVE where I am at this point in my life."
What do you love about having your own business?
"Personally, having my own business is very motivating for me. I am a very driven individual and I love being able to make all of the decisions for the business. It is also very rewarding to know that I put my heart and soul into this and now it's real. It used to be a sketch on a notepad and now it's out there. I love that!After we came up with our first round of designs, I sent them to a few close friends/family members. In turn, they sent them to their friends/coworkers and the emails starting pouring in. I was getting pre-orders before we had any inventory. It was time to get the ball rolling!"
What challenge(s) did you find most prevalent as a mom running a business?
"There are numerous challenges, but the rewards far outweigh any of them. Finding time in the day can be tricky when you are on mom-duty. Currently, my son is starting to get away from his naps, which was when I would do most of my work. Finding balance is also something that I've struggled with in the past, but I can honestly say that I think I've (almost) found it. If I have to get up at 6:00am and respond to emails/work on orders, then I do it. For me, working out of my house is a million times easier than having to rush out the door each day."
Did you ever want to quit, throw in the towel!? What kept you going?
"I never wanted to quit but there have definitely been times that were challenging and frustrating as a business owner. I have a folder on my desktop called 'Testimonials' and it's where I save emails from customers who have said kind things about our business. When things get tough, I often read through some of them to keep me going."
"I never wanted to quit but there have definitely been times that were challenging and frustrating as a business owner. I have a folder on my desktop called 'Testimonials' and it's where I save emails from customers who have said kind things about our business. When things get tough, I often read through some of them to keep me going."
Check out her awesome products!!
Mac Kids Readers: Feel free to use code FIFTEEN on either our website or Etsy site to receive 15% off.
