Parenting Tips
|June 15, 2018
Mom Entrepreneur Spotlight: Amanda Stewart of Mochi Kids
Meet Amanda Stewart, she’s a busy Mom to a six-year-old son, three-year-old daughter and third baby on the way, and sole business owner of Mochi Kids, a boutique kid’s clothing company. We met Amanda earlier this year and had the pleasure of getting to know her and learn about her business. She’s the first of many who will be featured in our Mom Entrepreneur Spotlight series on the blog, showcasing influential and inspirational mamas who share the workload of being a full-time business owner and mothers!
Munchkin: Can you tell us about your family?
Amanda Stewart: I have two kids, six-year-old Stephen and three-year-old Camilla (she goes by Millie.) I’m also expecting a baby boy at the end of June!
MCK: Can you tell us a little about your business?
AS: I design and hand screen print kid’s tee shirts and I’m launching a Kickstarter to add shorts and joggers to my collection!
MCK: When did you start Mochi Kids?
AS: October 2015
MCK: What was your inspiration for starting your business?
AS: My kids are the inspiration behind Mochi Kids. All of my designs are based on things that my own kids love. I started designing tees for my son as a hobby several years ago. When my son was two he wanted to wear the same character shirt day after day and I thought there had to be something else out there that he loved enough to wear that wouldn’t make me cringe every time he wore it. I began designing and screen printing tees for him and soon had demand from friends and family and that is how Mochi Kids was born!
MCK: What has been your biggest struggle so far as a business owner?
AS: The most difficult thing for me has been finding some kind of balance between work and home life. I am so grateful to have a job that I love and that I can do from home but I still feel guilty when my work interferes with spending time with my kids.
MCK: What is your biggest win or most successful moment so far?
AS: My biggest win has been teaching my son the value of hard work and money. He is 6 now and understands that sometimes I need to get work done. I try to involve him in the process as much as I can. Whether that is sketching designs with him or having him help me drop packages in the mailbox. I remind him how lucky we are that I can work from home and don’t have to go to an office every day and I think he’s starting to realize that.
MCK: Did becoming a mom change how you run or operate your business?
AS: I quit my day job when my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 18 months. I’m not going to lie, being a stay at home mom was really hard for me. I felt like I lost a lot of my sense of self and I also felt like I was living in Groundhog’s Day doing the same thing over and over. When my second child was born I was struggling with postpartum depression. Luckily, it was at this time that I began designing and screen printing tees for my son as a hobby. This became a great creative outlet for me and gave me more motivation and a sense of purpose. I never thought I would turn it into a business. But over time it has grown organically and I’m so grateful for that!
MCK: What has been the most rewarding part of becoming a mom?
AS: Watching my kids learn, grow, develop their own opinions and personalities.
MCK: What is your biggest challenge as a mom?
AS: The biggest challenge for me is not knowing whether or not I’m doing a good job as a mom. I think we all want to raise happy, independent children but its so hard to know how to do that and if we are doing the right thing!
MCK: What is the best advice you can give to other mothers that want to become entrepreneurs but haven’t yet?
AS: Just go for it! Start somewhere and see where it takes you. I strongly believe that mamas can do ANYTHING!
Loved this story and Amanda’s designs? Keep up with Amanda, her growing family, and apparel by following her on: