I am so touched by your comments in response to my post about closing up shop at Mod Mom Furniture. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Today, I thought I’d share a little more about what’s to come and the how my intuition played an important role in my decision to move on.
 
But before I do that, I want to share something that’s not talked about all that much in entrepreneurship circles. It’s the fact that most startup founders I know, at some point, simultaneously work a full-time gig during lean times. I was no different. Even from the start—from 2006 to 2016—I built Mod Mom while I was caring of our kiddos full-time. In 2016, after the multimillion-dollar Stanley Furniture deal imploded, I worked full-time for two years at Northern Arizona University in PR and Marketing while I continued to create new opportunities for Mod Mom.
 
In 2018, I was hired as Entrepreneur in Residence by the board of directors at Moonshot, the nonprofit Scott leads as CEO. Together, we expanded our entrepreneurship programming in Arizona, Nevada, and the state of Washington. My job has morphed over the years, sliding into the role of VP of Marketing and now, in 2024, Chief Marketing Officer, but one thing has remained constant: I still consult with entrepreneurs of all ages and speak to audiences across the US and Canada about my startup and Shark Tank journey. It’s an honor and a privilege to pass on what I’ve learned (the good, the bad, and the ugly) about what it takes to build and sustain a line of products. It’s one thing to have an idea for a product or to BE your product (consultants, speakers, etc.); it’s another to design, test, market, produce, and distribute products. My hat is off to all who dare to do so. It’s not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure!
 
So, that’s what I’ve been doing full-time while still pushing to attract and grow opportunities for Mod Mom. In February of this past year, my intuition said I needed to wrap up Mod Mom to open the door for new opportunities that are more in line with what I do as an intuitive medium. Being that I’m originally from the Midwest and it’s not in our collective DNA to quit anything ever, I didn’t jump to do so. Instead, I waited to see how my book and the work I do as a volunteer medium played out before I made any rash decisions.
 
Guess what happened? My intuition got louder: “It’s time…shut down manufacturing by August.” I listened and let the manufacturer know I was severing ties in August, but I didn’t announce it publicly. Out of the blue, in July, I started hearing from the designers and vendors who were also NOT getting paid by my manufacturer. I was gobsmacked because their messages (within one week of each other) put an exclamation point— in real time—that what I was hearing was indeed spot on. I couldn’t give the manufacturer a pass anymore because times were hard, Covid, etc. Enough was enough on all fronts.
 
The minute I made the decision to finally close Mod Mom, new doors started opening. I inked a deal with a production company in Canada who is excited to partner with a distributor for a docuseries about my life as a volunteer medium who helps families and law enforcement. The docuseries concept has been very well received by several networks/distributors. More on this to come in the next few months!
 
Another door that opened was an opportunity to sign with a major production company in LA. Without my knowledge or urging, a senior producer/manager read my memoir Little Voices and immediately reached out to my film/tv agency asking about rights to the book to turn it into a limited drama series or feature film. I’m excited to share that the Little Voices film concept is currently being read by an incredible list of producing and studio partners (many of whom you’d know by name). This project would give me the opportunity to help shape the screenplay (as a writer and producing partner). I’m beyond excited to see where this goes because I’ve heard for many years (from the kids in spirit) that Little Voices will indeed be turned into a film/dramatic series. They’ve also encouraged me to write a few more books, which I’ll do over the next few years. I’d love to share what I’ve learned about life and life after death from the kids in spirit like Jason, Nate, Carrie, and many others.
 
Without my Mod Mom journey, I doubt I would have had the opportunity to land a literary agent, let alone a traditional book deal and burgeoning tv and film deals.
 
And without taking the following risks…
 

• to start Mod Mom in 2006,
• to embrace and publicly share my late-in-life mediumship awakening in 2011,
• to share my journey as an abuse survivor in 2014,
• or to close the Mod Mom chapter of my life in 2023,

 
…I wouldn’t have the opportunities I do today.
 
Today, my weeks involve spending time with family and friends, working full-time with a team I love at Moonshot, speaking to groups of young and not-so-young entrepreneurs, helping families whose children are highly intuitive learn to manage their gifts, working with Detective Mark Pucci and the NILJ team to help families whose loved ones are missing or murdered, responding to messages from Little Voices readers (thanks for reaching out to me!) and speaking to book clubs, and passing spirit messages when I feel the nudge from souls on the other side.
 
I hope that reading about my journey—both the past and present— helps you remember that every time you step outside of your comfort zone to trust your gut (no matter what others think), you’re taking another step along the path to your best life. It doesn’t mean the path will be free from hardship, that’s for sure. But taking those steps—believing in your own power and intuition— is what creates magic in your life.
 
I think Martin Luther King Jr said it best when he said, “You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
 
No matter where you are in your life, I hope you’ll take the first step.

Happy New Year! 

If someone had told me 17 years ago that I would leave a TV marketing career to become a self-taught carpenter and founder of a kids’ furniture company, I would have said they were crazy.
 
Truth be told, it was kind of crazy to think I could compete with multimillion-dollar brands founded by folks with big money and fancy design degrees from Parsons School of Design. (SIDE NOTE: I don’t have a BA in Design but I did go to the ‘Barry Parsons’ School of Design in Ohio (wink, wink). And I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Watching my dad take old high school bleacher boards, plane them down, and build furniture out them taught me more about design, hard work, and perseverance than a four-year design degree ever could.)
 
Today, on December 31, 2023, I’m honored that you’re reading my goodbye letter to my company/crazy idea that helped make me who I am today. All the exhilarating highs (like Shark Tank and NOT accidentally cutting my fingers off) and the heart-wrenching, embarrassing lows (too many to list) now slot together in my mind like mortise and tenon joints. Without one, I wouldn’t have the other; however, I sure do wish I’d done a few things differently. The path isn’t always clear, is it?!
 
What was clear from the start is that the calm, quiet voice (aka, intuition) that encouraged me to climb into my minivan and drive down to the lumberyard was and will always be a gift. It changed my life.
 
While I never reached millionaire status with Mod Mom (despite what the internet says) and I’ve had pride-swallowing conversations with my incredible investors telling them, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do what I set out to do with Mod Mom,” I’m most proud of the fact that I tried. I kept on keeping on, as they say. I kept the faith, even when the dream job known as the Frank Lloyd Wright design deal fell apart at the beginning of Covid (top tip: don’t launch a new product at the beginning of a pandemic.)
 
I kept going…
 
Even when the one female shark I thought would have my back on Shark Tank point blank said on national TV that the two male Sharks offering deals were doing so in part because, in her words… “you’re pretty…it’s an advantage, play it up.”
 
Even when multimillion-dollar licensing deals (plural) fell apart.
 
Even when my manufacturer stopped paying my royalty checks more than two years ago.
 
Even when I started getting calls from other designers and vendors telling me that my manufacturer was using my name and brand to get new clients, only to cheat them out of tens of thousands of dollars.
 
Well, in that last case, I kept on but in a different direction. I was grateful to be able to connect her with the only manufacturer I’ve ever fully trusted: Ray Yoder and team at L&J Woodworking in Dundee, Ohio. I love full-circle happy endings. (Check out these adorable mud kitchens from Monarch Studio!)
 
With all that said, the hard stuff will always pale in comparison to good that came from my startup journey and the invaluable life lessons I learned along the way. I am forever grateful for the beautiful families (my own family included) who bought and/or supported my line of products, the investors who believed in me, the bloggers, journalists, artists, interior designers, industry colleagues, distributors, and producers all over the world who have supported Mod Mom Furniture over the years. You helped me believe in myself, even when the odds were stacked against me.
 
I never dreamt I would be an entrepreneur, let alone a thirty-something mom in a garage without a design degree or carpentry experience who somehow caught lightning in a bottle in the early aughts. During the first three years of Mod Mom, I built and sold close to 400 toy boxes and play tables, fielded inquiries from retailers from 17 different countries, and sold my garage-made furniture to celebs Camilla Alves and Matthew McConaughey, Christina Applegate and Martyn LeNoble, and Rachel Zoe and Rodger Berman. This was all before I stepped onto the Shark Tank sound stage. I have so many great memories from those days.
 
I realize that when most companies close shop, they go quietly into the night. And that’s a wonderful way to bow out. I considered that; truth be told. But I also know that I’m not exactly someone who doesn’t talk about the ups and downs of life.
 
So, here I am talking about the sometimes painful, many times wonderful, life-changing rollercoaster of entrepreneurship and the end of an incredible 17-year journey.
 
Last night, I spent some time looking back on photos from my years in the garage, and I am most proud that my girls saw me covered in sawdust, creating something from scratch. In those moments, they learned that they could be anything they want to be, regardless of what others think or say. They just need to muster the courage to try.
 
Even if it means you risk falling flat on your face.
Even if it means you’re in tears during hard moments.
Even if it means it’s time to let go of what was to open the door for what’s to come.
 
It’s that time, now. I’d like to say I’m ready for what’s to come, but the truth is, I don’t know that I am.
 
All I know is that I’ll muster the courage to try, whatever it is.
 
Here’s to endings, new beginnings, and the next crazy idea….

​“Little Voices is a life-changing book! Not only will it make even the biggest skeptic believe in intuition, but it will also connect the dots for millions of abuse survivors” — Kelli Ellis, celebrity designer, artist, and author | HGTV| Bravo TV | TLC | TDN

If you’ve ever wondered if intuition is real, check out Little Voices! Sign up for updates at kierstenhathcock.com or link in bio.

#intuition #abuse #narcissist #kelliellis #design #posthillpress #healing #ghosts #spirit

I'm thrilled to announce that my memoir entitled Little Voices will launch next fall. Post Hill Press (Distributed by Simon and Schuster) will publish my stranger than fiction journey that began around the time I appeared on Shark Tank in 2011.

For more info on that journey, check out kierstenhathcock.com.

​A few weeks back, my friend Chris (who is an unstoppable force for LGBTQ equality) asked if I’d be a part of something called "The Human Library" in Sedona. It’s an event held in September that helps dissolve prejudices and stereotypes. Essentially, I’ll be a “human book” telling my story in about 15 minutes time, and then attendees can ask me questions for another 15. I’m honored to be part of this event surrounded by incredible human beings who, in most cases, have endured prejudice and unfair treatment far worse than anything I’ve ever endured.

For me, well, my topic is about gender inequality. Here’s my book cover description…

"As a self-taught carpenter and furniture designer, and the founder and CEO of an internationally-known furniture company, she faced gender discrimination on a weekly basis for fourteen years. Despite being told she was crazy to think a woman could do what she did, she built a furniture company out of her LA garage in 2007, won a deal on the TV show SHARK TANK in 2011, and grew her brand internationally through licensing partnerships. Now, at the age of 47, she’s fighting for her transgender daughter to ensure equal rights for all genders."

When I was crafting my book cover description, I thought back to my carpentry days and all of the sexist comments, the looks, the naysayers, the grossly inappropriate comments, and a few moments where I had to leave the room in order to not strangle someone. And then I realized that even now, during a time that I’m not as entrenched in the male-dominated furniture industry (aside from designing pieces for the Frank Lloyd Wright collection), I still continue be a target for men whose egos are larger than Texas. 

Ironically, when I finally ousted a few king and queen narcissists from my personal life, the same damn type of person showed up in my work life. I thought I’d left behind the old boys’ network that is still at the helm of the furniture world. Turns out, they are in or around nonprofit work, too. 

My husband, who is the antithesis of the men I’m describing, is one of the good ones who does all he can to fight for gender equality. He’s even gone to bat for a woman who was being sexually harassed by a top dog in the TV industry only to find himself kicked to the curb because he stood up for her. There are a few other good ones, too. But on the whole, over the last three years that I’ve been involved in nonprofit work, I’ve seen many wolves in sheep’s clothing. And let’s be honest—most of them are older white men. That’s been my experience, at least. 

I’ve been told to calm down when I wasn’t doing anything but asking questions about a project this particular man needed done. For God's sake, I was helping him! 

I’ve been retaliated against when I stood up and demanded to be paid for the work I’d done. (Apparently, this dude just expects everyone to do work for him for free.)

I’ve had to stand up to abuse while filming a speech only to be made a target again and again for expressing that I will not tolerate bullying. 

One guy even asked a woman that I report to if she could handle me. First of all, that question is incredibly demeaning and degrading to both of us. I’ve never been someone who has needed to be "handled". I’ve always gone above and beyond to ensure our team succeeds, no matter where I'm working or volunteering. Now, think about this for a second…if you swapped out two men for the two women in this scenario, would he have asked the question in the first place? I think not. Who asks another man if they can handle a business colleague or direct report?!? No one. 

I used to want to believe that what I endured while building the Mod Mom brand was mostly industry-related. That it was just the good old Southern boys running the show, ya know. 

But it’s not. Despite the work of equal rights activists like Gloria Steinem and Malala Yousafzai, and all who came before and after them, gender inequality is everywhere. 

Like the silent epidemic of childhood abuse, sexism and chauvinism are still happening at a rate I didn’t want to believe to be true.

How do we stop this, you ask? 

You keep standing up. 
You keep talking about gender inequality and sexism. 
You keep shining a big freakin’ light on generational cycles of dysfunction and abuse that will only end when people are aware of what they’re handing down to their children. 

But what do I know?!? 

I’m just a woman who needs to be handled. 

​I'm up earlier than usual this morning. 4:45am, to be exact. Per my normal routine, I stayed in bed checking my phone for a bit before I let the dog out. While thumbing through my Facebook feed, I happened upon a piece written by my friend Wendy Miller. 

It's called, "I Asked A Holocaust Survivor, What’s The Point Of Life?"

With my eyes still adjusting to the light of the phone, I pressed the link. 

And I'm beyond grateful that I did. 

This year has required us to dig deeper than we have in a very long time. It's required us to process pain and fear that we never saw coming. And it forced me to do something I didn't want to do—slow down. I'd become accustomed to running around at warp speed like most of us entrepreneurs do without realizing it. 

Even my intuition told me I had to slow down, but until I was forced to pump the brakes, I didn't. It's easier to run in circles than to sit quietly feeling all of the feelings. 

This morning while reading Wendy's beautifully written piece, I was reminded that I needed to come back into balance again. I was off-kilter.

As happens with all of us, things show up in life to help us see just how far we've come. This happened to me two weeks ago. I faced something I hadn't had to face in a long time—a trigger that opened the door for me to set boundaries. A trigger that brought up visceral memories of abuse I endured at one point in my life.

This time, I chose to stand up for myself and employ boundaries and distance, something I didn't do as easily or quickly in the past.  For that, I'm grateful, but I also realized that on top of all of the feelings that come with 2020, the emotional energy of what I recently endured was still coating everything in my life. 

Until I read what Wendy's neighbor, a holocaust survivor, said was the meaning of life. 

Now, I won't ruin that for you by telling you what she said because I want you to check it out for yourself, but I will say that her words helped me wipe clean the dark, sticky coating of pain and anger that was dampening my ability to find joy. 

And it reminded me that choosing happiness has everything to do with how we look at life. 

As my brilliant friend, Rachael Wolff, would say/ask, "Are you coming from a place of fear, lack, and separation or from a place of love?" 

I had tailspun into a place of fear and lack. 

I know it's incredibly hard to not live in a place of fear right now. Fear of COVID. Fear of loss. Fear for our safety and security. Fear for our kids who are struggling so much right now. Fear for our family and friends, and the world in general. 

But there is always light if we choose to look for it. And if we choose to take stock in what we're grateful for and what we can do to help others—no matter how big or small. 

I believe that choosing light over dark starts with how you see the world and your place in it.

And what you read at 4:45am in the morning. 

(Thank you, Wendy.)

--------

LINKS: 

Wendy Miller's article on MEDIUM:
https://thewendymiller.medium.com/i-asked-a-holocaust-survivor-whats-the-point-of-life-57421b6910af

Rachael Wolff:
https://fromalovingplace.com/2020/12/14/daily-aligning-with-love-abundance-and-peace-136/

My personal website where I write about healing from abuse:
kierstenhathcock.com
 

I haven't seen the latest Flagstaff Business News in person yet, but I know it's out there and should be hitting my mailbox soon! Many thanks to Bonnie Stevens for writing such a wonderful article. It's the first time I've talked with a print reporter about my upcoming book and spiritual journey, as well as Mod Mom and Frank Lloyd Wright.

The link isn't up yet so here's the article in it's entirety:

Mod Mom Furniture Designer Teams Up with Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Kiersten Hathcock is a model for perseverance, listening to intuition and stepping through the fear

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

Going from television sales in Chicago for the A&E network to stay-at-home mom in Los Angeles, Kiersten Hathcock was restless. “In addition to the fact that we needed to make up for my lost income, I realized quickly that I was wired to work and create. In 2006, I set up a garage sale and it looked like the display floor of The Gap. At that point, I knew I needed to do something to foster my creative side while I was home with the kids.”

She also knew she needed toy storage for her young children, ages 1 and 5. But she and her husband, Scott, wanted that toy box to blend with the rest of the mid-century modern furniture in their 1,400-square-foot home. She looked online, she looked on Craigslist. She found only one that she would consider modern.

“We were in L.A., a town that appreciates mid-century modern style. I thought, ‘If I can teach myself how to build furniture, there’s niche here.’ So, I bought a circular saw and Googled ‘how to build furniture.’ The first toy boxes I built were horrible. But I put them on Etsy and sold a couple of them. Later, when I got better, I gave those people new toy boxes.”

Becoming a Carpenter, Building a Brand, Battling Sharks

For four years, Hathcock sawed and sanded and painted, creating over 300 pieces of mid-century modern-style kids’ furniture and building her Mod Mom Furniture brand in her garage. Celebrities became her clientele. So, she drove her minivan into the L.A. foothills to deliver furniture to people like reality television fashion designer Rachel Zoe and actor Matthew McConaughey.
“I wouldn’t trade that time, but boy, did I get tired,” she says. “I was always covered in sawdust and managing the kids at home 24/7.”

Her dad suggested she watch Shark Tank, the television program in which budding entrepreneurs pitch their business idea to famous multi-millionaires in hopes of gaining an investor. After about 30 minutes of considering making her own presentation, she thought, “I should give it a shot.”

She did and she received two offers on the air: one from Robert Herjavec and one from Kevin O'Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful. She went with Herjavec and what appeared to be the better deal. Hathcock left the television studio elated, believing her dreams had come true. But not long after the bright lights of the set had dimmed, so did her hopes. She tried to track down her investor, but learned the deal would not be moving forward.

“I believe everything happens the way it should happen. I picked myself back up and said, ‘I can do this.’” Besides, she’d already received all kinds of free press from publications like People magazine.

The television appearance, which continues to be re-run, along with media exposure surrounding her television offer, brought another interested investor.

"He called from San Francisco and said, ‘I believe in you, tell me what you want.’”

The agreement included $100,000 and she was able to keep more equity in the company than she would have with previous offers.

Hathcock continued to build children’s furniture as the CEO and Founder of Mod Mom Furniture. She also began giving presentations, mostly to high school students and aspiring entrepreneurs, about pursuing their dreams. “I talk a lot about building a brand from nothing, because I didn’t have money to build a brand. I tell them my story and how I went from corporate to carpentry -- nobody does that. But it worked. You can do anything you put your mind to. Be resilient. Don’t quit. Trust your intuition. I had no skill and no money and now I’m designing furniture that’s recognized internationally.”

Teaming Up with Frank Lloyd Wright

A year ago, Hathcock was hired to give a presentation to the American Society of Interior Designers. The new vice president of licensing for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation was in the audience. Three days later, the two were talking on the phone about creating a children’s furniture line for the organization.
In April, a news released announced, “The American-made, modern kids’ furniture brand, Mod Mom Furniture, and leading toddler furniture maker, Little Colorado, are honored and excited to collaborate with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to create a line of modern children’s furniture. Some pieces will be inspired by Wright’s furniture designs, while others will be replicas of Wright furniture scaled down for children.”

Little Colorado is the company Hathcock had chosen because of its environmentally sustainable practices. The Frank Lloyd Wright furniture line is called PlayHouse by Mod Mom Furniture. The origin of the brand name was a drawing of the word “playhouse” Wright had created for a client project.
“This was incredible. All of a sudden I’m doing business under the name of America’s most famous architect!” Hathcock is now designing and creating multiple kids’ furniture pieces inspired by Wright’s work.

The nonprofit organization’s President and CEO Stuart Graff said in the news release, “The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation inspires the world through an understanding and experience of Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas, architecture, and design. Developing a new line of children’s furniture that incorporates Wright’s design principles is a fantastic way to show new generations a beautiful and inspired way of living.”

The first product to hit the market is a play table and chair set. Five different Frank Lloyd Wright graphic designs can be printed directly on the tabletop, or the tabletop can be left in its natural finish. A prototype was on display during Modernism Week in Palm Springs. The foundation says feedback throughout and after the event was so positive that the launch of the brand was moved up to April from August.

Following Her Intuition

During the past decade, while Hathcock was intently focused on the extraordinary ups and down of her children’s furniture business, another astounding developing was happening. More children began coming into her life.

“It started in 2011. I started hearing and seeing children in spirit. As a skeptic and believer in scientific data, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. I thought maybe I’d inhaled too much polyurethane in the workshop.”

From that moment on, many children who had been killed by predators, or who died suddenly, began to visit her. They would communicate to her about their tragic deaths. She thought she was going crazy until she started sharing what she was receiving with law enforcement and grieving parents who validated the messages as correct.

“It’s incredibly emotional work so I had to learn to step outside of myself and just record what I was seeing and hearing. I became like a doctor observing a patient and I would write down what I was being told needed to be shared, she said.

She became a reluctant undercover medium, volunteering to help police officers and detectives solve crimes against children.

“After I’d been volunteering for about two years, visions of myself at a young age starting coming to me. Because I trusted my intuition by that point, I knew to trust what I was getting.”

Long locked-out memories began to reveal themselves to Hathcock. She learned that she too had her own history with a pedophile, assaults by a relative that took place when she was between the ages of 3 and 5. Further, during a three-year split from her husband, Scott, she “fell down a deep hole” in a relationship with a narcissistic sociopath.

“Unbeknownst to me, I was living with a predator,” The spirits of the children were warning her. She says, one in particular named Jason told her to, “’Go get the restraining order now. You have to do it now.’ Had I not left, I believe I would be dead.”

Hathcock’s experiences are now captured in her book with the working title, “Undercover Medium.” She expects it to be on the market in 2021.
Retired New York City Police Department Detective Mark Pucci, who continues to work as a private investigator, wrote the foreword. Here’s an excerpt:

Thinking back to before we had the opportunity to speak on the phone, I remember asking myself, “What is this furniture company CEO from Arizona doing volunteering to assist on a high-profile missing persons case in Long Island, New York?” That being said, when I finally had the chance to speak to Kiersten on the phone for the first time, my intuition kicked into full gear. Much to my surprise, not long into our conversation, I realized that Kiersten was unlike any other intuitive medium I had spoken to through the years. She explained to me that she had recently discovered that she possessed certain abilities that might assist investigators in finding missing persons, and that she was simply looking to volunteer her time because she cared and just wanted to help. I eventually came to understand, as time went on and I got to know Kiersten personally, that she had truly been given a gift for helping others in this way . . . especially kids. The most amazing part of her journey is that she wasn’t looking for any of what has happened to her . . . it simply found her.

Hathcock lives in Flagstaff with her husband Scott. Their two children Grace and Noah are now adults. For more information about Mod Mom Furniture or the book, “Undercover Medium,” visit https://www.modmomfurniture.com/upcoming-book.html

Mod Mom started as a way for me to bring in lost income from leaving the corporate world to spend more time with my kids. If I was lucky enough to sell two toy boxes in one week, I knew we had our gas bill and a grocery trip covered.

I had no idea what I was doing, but I had Google. I researched how to build furniture and started building. I looked up to mid-century mod designers like Eames and Herman Miller but I didn’t feel as if I was ever in their league.

And I wasn’t. I was a mom in a garage.

I was even told by a high-end designer to hang it up—that I had no shot without a Parsons School of Design degree. I defiantly said I had my own “Parsons” degree. My maiden name is Parsons and my education was trial by sawdust in a run-down, 1940s Burbank garage.

I wouldn’t trade my learning by doing degree for a million bucks. OK, maybe for a million bucks.

Thirteen years after I started Mod Mom in my garage, I’m now partnering with Frank Lloyd Wright, the most acclaimed American architect that ever lived. Even though he’s no longer here, I feel his spirit in all that I do while I’m designing a new kids’ furniture line inspired by Mr. Wright’s Usonian furniture designs from approximately 1930-1950. They are mostly plywood, just like my furniture.

How did this happen and who did I have to pay, you ask?

Well, as “luck” would have it, I met the VP of Licensing at an event in Phoenix where I was hired as the keynote speaker. Three days later, she asked if I would be interested in exploring collaborative opportunities with Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation...but I didn’t have to pay her. ;)

In all of his years, Mr. Wright never designed a kids’ line of furniture. He designed a piece or two but that’s it. What he did do was leave behind an incredible portfolio of world-renowned designs from which to draw inspiration. He truly was a genius.

And get this... back in my days as a marketing manager for A&E and the History Channel long before I thought about picking up a hammer, I was assigned an integrated marketing project with his name on it. Frank Lloyd Wright was to be featured on the Biography Channel as well as other outlets the network owned and I was tasked with putting together a marketing plan. I learned a lot about him back then but never once thought that almost twenty years later, I’d be taking pictures (on the lawn of Taliesin West) of a table set I designed that is inspired by him.

Maybe that marketing plan was a universal hint. A preview of what was to come in my life. I'm not really sure but what I do know is that I'm blown away by how all of this is coming together. 
 
Late last year, I went into our Flagstaff garage and designed a prototype of what is now showing at Palm Springs’ Modernism Week. It’s the first of many items that will launch this summer as part of the Frank Lloyd Wright kids’ furniture line by Mod Mom. I’m incredibly lucky that my manufacturing partner, a family-owned, thirty-year kids furniture manufacturer named Little Colorado, is as excited as I am about this new venture. After I designed the table set, I sent photos to Little Colorado in Denver and they worked their magic producing a a ready-to-assemble table and chair set matching my design. It's thrilling that we can keep manufacturing right here in the US!

I wonder what Mr. Wright would think of me spearheading a new line of furniture based on his work. I’d like to think he would love my warrior spirit—entrepreneurship is not easy, that's for sure. And I know my own designs would resonate with him even though I didn't look at his work when I was designing my original Mod Mom pieces. Honestly, I knew more about his architecture than his furniture before I dove into his world for this project. His life was far from easy and I know his professional journey was bumpy at times. I’ve been there, too. 
 
I’m forever grateful for the chance to do what I’m doing with a team of people who are the best of the best. I can honestly say that when I'm old and gray and I look back at my life, this opportunity will stand out as one of the greatest.
 
Thanks for taking a chance on this self-taught carpenter and furniture designer, Mr. Wright. (Errr, Stephanie, to be exact.)

* P.S: If you are in town for Modernism Week in Palm Springs, CA starting February 13, check out the Show and Sale!  The play table set will be shown in the Atomic Ranch Magazine booth. 

Check out the Frank Lloyd Wright page on our Mod Mom Website the latest scoop. 

It's been thirteen years since I bought a sheet of plywood at the local lumberyard and started designing the Gracie Toy Box.

It's truly surreal that it's been that long. As you might know or have read in "What happened after Shark Tank", the road has not been easy but it's been worth it! Although, during the times I was in tears sitting on the sawdust-covered step of my garage workshop, I didn't know if it was worth it. All I knew was that no matter how much I wanted to throw in the towel, I couldn't.

This year, we're only 26 days into January and I can't quite believe what's happening! (In a good way!).

First of all, I'm incredibly happy and proud to say that I was approached by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation about design collaboration opportunities last year, but this year, I'm now knee deep in exploring those collaboration opportunities. As in, I went into the garage and designed (and built) a table and chair set that's inspired by Mr. Wright's work.

There's so much more to come on this partnership, but what I can say right now is that I'm still pinching myself. Who knew that a self-taught carpenter and designer would be working with the biggest name in architecture (and design) in the US?!? Certainly not me. I was told when I started my Mod Mom journey that it would be impossible, that I would never amount to anything because I didn't have a design degree, and many said that I should just quit. I'm so glad I didn't listen to the noise.

In addition to the new developments with Mod Mom Furniture, I am also jumping up and down about next steps with the memoir I just finished writing. Much to my delight, after sending a few query letters to literary agents, one wrote back. After reading stories of how long it takes folks to land agents, I was half expecting it to take years. It took only three months. She was interested in reading more about my book, and after doing so, offered to be my literary agent. You can read more about it (and reviews from beta readers) here.

I'm also thrilled to share that the retired NYPD detective/current CEO of a private detective firm I work with in NY will be writing the foreward for my book. To say I'm grateful is an understatement. Surviving and healing from abuse is far from easy but I realized along the journey that if I learned to trust my intuition, it would prove to be a roadmap leading me out of pain and hurt to love and light. I'm so glad I trusted it!

I can't wait to see what's to come in 2020 but I know one thing for sure—I'm going to keep moving forward committed to the things in my life that I'm passionate about.

I couldn't do this without the love and support of my family. Scott, Noah, and Grace —you are my world and my inspiration. Thank you for being you. And for supporting and loving me through all of the ups and downs of life.

Here's to 2020! May it push you to the edge of your dreams and give you the courage and strength to just keep going. Believe me, it works. Just keep going!

When I started Mod Mom in our garage back in 2007, I had no idea what I was doing. I merely had a gut feeling, some wood, and a drive to make up the salary I lost when I chose to stay home with our kids after Grace was born.

And then Scott was laid off. Ah, good ole 2008. So many of us went through it.

Mod Mom became a necessity for us. Most entrepreneurs I know can relate to this. Every toy box and play table I built and sold ensured we could pay our household bills. 

My initial vision wasn't to expand internationally, it was to sell toy boxes locally and continue to be able to be home with the kids like I couldn't when Noah was little. So many families struggle with this and for me, entrepreneurship was the answer. 

The icing on the cake was when Mod Mom grew nationally and then internationally in a very organic way. I'm forever grateful for all of you out there who have supported Mod Mom in one way or another. I wouldn't be where I am without you.

Now, I even consult with entrepreneurs helping them scale their businesses and/or get their products manufactured or licensed. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I did not get here alone; a whole host of folks helped me along the way and I love being able to share what I've learned over the past twelve years.

To all of you out there who risked it all—ridicule by naysayers, stability, hours and hours of your life, crying in your pillow (er, sawdust), the hard AF choices you have to make, and all the rest that comes with entrepreneurship, I have the utmost respect for you.

You are the risk takers. The brave souls who continually push through fear. You inspire me and I hope that in some small way, sharing my journey has helped you. 

Happy National Entrepreneurs Day to all of you! 

​