Questions and Answers…

 

Wow you guys had some great questions! I took a look at some of them on my flight over to China.  And I’m working on the rest!!

 

Q: Having 2 kids… One with special needs and one without.  How do you manage both of their needs without the other one missing out on something? Or feeling favored? Or feeling mad?

A:  Well, as most of you know Joe had a stroke at birth and is a hemiplegic. In other words his right side is effected with little use of his right hand, no motion in right food and speech delays. Pretty much just  a week side. 

With that said, we all have our own issues and things we aren’t all that great at.  David and I have never treated Joe any different.  When he says something  is difficult for him, we simple say ” ya, well different things are difficult for different people.  Some just have to work harder than others. And If you want it bad enough then you’d better start practicing.”. And we say the same thing to Gabe.

However, last fall when we started skiing with the boys and Gabe was great right from the start (and Joe was not) we felt a  little sad for Joe.  I wanted it to be a sport we all loved.  It was hard for Joe, really hard, so I put him on a snowboard.  And he liked it and I could tell it was a sport he could be good at.  We were thrilled….but then Gabe decided he’d rather snowboard too.  I knew that Gabe would steal the show so I said, “no snowboarding till you  are 8”. 

We make little adjustments like that but in the grand scheme of things one doesn’t get favored. But no, we never treat Joe like he is special needs. After all, what’s the difference if your eyes don’t work and you compensate by wearing glasses or you right hand doesn’t work and you compensate by using your left more?

 

Q: What’s your greatest influence as an adult or child?

A: This is a little difficult because it’s not one single person or even 2.   I have learned so much from everyone I’ve been around.  I grew up with 2 bothers and 2 sisters, lived across the street from my grandparents and had a slew of kids to play with on my street.  We were all so different but yet so much alike.  But as I’m typing, I’m going to have to say my Grandpa, my mom and my brother Doug.  For as long as I can remember they loved to put a smile on a face and loved to give…never expecting anything in return.  Then there’s my dad, he’s the guy that never judges a soul. He couldn’t care less what you have, where you’re from or whatever.  Everyone’s  equal. 

 

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A: Up until 6-7th grade I was convinced I would be the first girl NBA player and I most certainly would travel to Nigeria to play basketball as well!!!

Around 8th grade and beyond I wanted to be a window dresser.  I always thought I’d live in NYC in a teeny tiny apartment and do window displays at night.  And this was the plan till a few years before  I did my first art fair. After the first art fair, I was hooked.

 

Q: What is your favorite Fall show to watch and why?

A: Easy, Revolution.  It leaves you wanting more after every episode.  Kinda like LOST.  You are left with so many questions and never enough answers. 

 

Q: What’s your favorite dress of the season and why?

A: Anastasia!!!! I’ve always loved the dresses my mom wore as a girl.  And this is the Matilda Jane take on that.  I love everything from the peter pan collar to the sweet girly youth of it.

 

Q: How do you choose which people and projects will benefit from your generosity?

A: There are so many variables here.  Turnstone and CHASA have been close to our hearts because of our involvement with Joe.  Our girls in Peru is just a natural fit.  The Kitale orphanage was total serendipity. 

Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, The DAR Project, Bust a Move and so many organizations come from the girls at MJC.  We all love to help where we can and try our best to do as much as possible for as many as possible.

 

Q: The company is a huge success by all standards- do you have any plans of early retirement?

A: Thank you.  This is a difficult one too! Success is measured in so many ways. We certainly have grown a lot since the beginning but I think we are just starting to tap into success.  Success to me is to have Matilda Jane touch and change lives daily.  It’s to grant a wish, give a smile and inspire everyone to do the same. We have so many more lives to touch. 

And retirement? Ha, never.  I love Matilda Jane.  It is such a huge part of me and I’m such a huge part of it I could  never see us separate.  Its still a baby and I’m in love watching it grow.

 

Q: What’s one lesson you hope to teach your kids?

A: Oh, there are so many. But above all it to always treat those around you as the most important people around.  To never make anyone feel less of a person, to bring them up and make them feel like they are the only ones in the room.  It’s a tough one, but now a days with everyone so preoccupied with their phones etc, we have to remember what’s important.

 

And of course, to never judge  and to ALWAYS  help others.  

 

Q: What keeps you grounded?

A: It’s just who I am. I’m just like everyone.  I try to do my best at everything I do. I dump my heart and soul into my work. I get stressed when I can’t make everyone happy or feel like I’m failing as a mom. And most of all I know who I am, who I was when I started and that’s what I try so hard to stay true to.  It gets tough sometimes when I read/ hear a lot of things but as long I’m happy with me, I’m okay.  Ha, and when I did art fairs for 12 years I became so used to people thinking I slept in my van, I’m certain they still do.  I’ve really got no one to impress and acting cool would certainly make my friends all think I’m nuts!! I’m so not cool!!

 

Q: Why do your adult pieces run so small? Will you ever make plus sizes?

A: Adult sizing has proven to be a lot trickier.  It’s not like children’s. Adults are all sized so differently so getting a good fit that fits all without doing 2-4-6-8-10-12-14 it’s a challenge. 

A great example is… Everything is always big in my waist (because my waist is small) an small on my butt (because mine’s huge). We are working on this every season. I feel we have improved a lot in the past few seasons and it will continue to improve.

As far as plus sizes, we’ll see. We added some XS/XL this season to see how they would sell. And we’ll continue to watch it and add as we see a market

 

Q: Do you ever think you’ll have more children, biologically or adopted?

A:  I so wanted to bring the 3 sisters home from Peru in such a bad way.  And still do.  But I do know deep down my life is crazy right now.  I work so much.  You may be surprised to see how much I am away from home.   I’d love a bigger family if I had a better balance but right now, that’s not in the plan.

 

Q: Favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

A: Anything with maple or coconut

 

Q: How did you know how to get your first designs made into a real, finished piece?

A:  I had no clue.  None.  Carla and I laugh about this often. I literally called her, hoping she spoke English.  Lynette and I went to visit and we designed the entire line on a napkin in a restaurant. We were clueless but very fortunate that out first production landed in good hands. Carla was a referral from a friend I sold with on eBay. She had sewn a few things for them.

 

Q: Did you invest your own funds? Did your family financially back you?

A:  I am so proud to say David and I financed MJC all by ourselves.  We never took a loan out…until last May when we decided we needed to stop having sell outs and causing disappointment in customers. However we paid it back right away.  We are both firm about living as debt free as possible. This is part of the reason we grew so slow, and would often have sell outs, and could only hire so many Trunk Keepers at one time. We could only buy enough inventory as we had money for.

 

Q: When you come home from work what’s one thing you do for yourself?

A:  Truth? Nothing.  We get kids fed, homework done, tucked in then I’m back to work.   Matilda Jane never leaves my brain. And I know I need a better balance. That’s why I love going up to Michigan for 3 days weekends when the kids are off from school. I completely unplug and can just  “live”.

 

Q: What pieces did David say he didn’t think anyone would buy?

A: Oh, we all laugh when David makes his predictions.  Everyone season he does it.  He predicts what the hot items will be and the ones that will sit on the shelf  for months and months.  He’s always so off.  With Serendipity, he was certain that no one would like the Ethel or the Aqua Ruffles (we have NONE left).  This season it was the Grape Juice sweater for adults (also soldout).  I’ll have to have him start blogging predictions. We can do a boy vs girl poll!!

 

Q: Why did you choose to sell through Trunk Keepers vs online?

A: In the very beginning I sold online.  It was a constant battle with myself.  I felt like I had no relationship with who I was shipping my dresses to.  After doing art fairs for so long I was used to knowing all my customers and building friendships.  What I loved most about creating a product is the personal relationships that were made. And selling online didn’t make me happy. It was just a stale feeling…if that makes sense.  When Lynette introduced me to Trunk Shows, I was smitten.  It was as close to doing art fairs as I could imagine.  It’s a perfect fit for Matilda Jane.  I have never been about just making money and selling product.  It’s so much different than that.  To me,  if it’s not personally fulfilling then it’s not worth doing.  I want to build relationships not just mail clothes.

 

Q: Which line are you most proud of and would do all over again?

A: It’s definitely a tie between Homegrown and Hammond Bay. Homegrown was one of my first lines made in Peru and it was such a challenge trying to get all the fabrics, buttons, trims and etc. I had to design a line with very few things available to me.  It was tough but the outcome was gorgeous.  I was so super proud.

And then I have to say Hammond Bay. There’s just something about that line that makes me happy. It had so many new styles and all my own fabrics. I don’t know, but there’s something magical about it!!

 

Q: Which line would you be an “Addict” for?

A:  I’ve been a Patagonia addict since I was 2o and read Yvon Chouinard’s books. I’m totally sold on him, his philosophy and his products.  I’ve even written him letters.  I was also totally an Oilily Addict for my boys and Pepper Toes (if it’s still around?)