9
Janice Villanueva
Me and my cousin/partner/co-mompreneur, Candice
Note From The Editor
CONTACT USFor inquiries, call 470.9925 or 0918.930.0313 or email, [email protected]
Urban Mom is a lifestyle freezine for young, modern moms. Material appearing here may not be reproduced in print or electronically without written permission from the publisher and without proper credit. Urban Mom is published by MommyMundo, a division of Creative Juice Communications, Inc.www,mommymundo.com
Hi, I’m a new mom, and I must admit, it is REALLY such a rewarding experience! I came across your mag while I was still pregnant and I must say that from that time until now, I find the mag very comprehensive and informative as tiny as it is compared to full size magazines sold in the stands. Your TINY-sized mag is such a BIG help to NEW moms like me! :) Thanks so much!
Regards,Lai Daryanani
Dear Janice,Would like to congratulate you on a great mag =) It’s a fun easy read that fits in my bag so I can easily take it with me. The “Summer Stuff ” feature in the Apr-May issue was great and very helpful.
Keep up the great work!Carla Sanchez
Congratulations Lai,you won a Lassig Bottle Holder!
We’d love to hear from you! The chosen letter to the editor wins a Lassig Bottle Holder! Email us at:
I wonder if it was because of the extra endorphins that came with breastfeeding, or fun playtime with my baby (a true test of resourcefulness and creativity!) or the endless shopping for cool baby products that was the source of all the business ideas that flooded me when I became a mom. In my 13 years of motherhood, at one point or another, I had wanted to create a nursingwear line, set up a party lootbag business, invent and distribute baby products, publish mommy magazines, set up a fieldtrip business for kids, set up an events company, and the list of visions goes on.
Some of these i was able to bring to reality, some just faded as the related-phases of my baby’s life came and went. Now i can call myself a serial (and passionate!) mompreneur just like a lot of other mommies (see page 13).
Moms know what other moms need and want because we live our lives caring for our kids and playing many other roles thus, we are in the position to be natural inventors (see page 10) and potential mompreneurs. With big doses of inspiration, time management skills, and support from our husbands and families, mompreneurship allows us to feed our passions, put our minds and creativity to good use, andwith success, earn some income too!
This issue is for all mompreneurs and aspiring mompreneurs!
P.S. To learn more about Mommy Mundo’s mompreneurship advocacy, I invite you to visit www.mompreneurmanila.com. Thank you PLDT SME Nation for your support!
INBOX
AUG-SEPT 2010 | VOL 3 NO. 1
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJanice Crisostomo-Villanueva
MARKETINGMicky DarantinaoTiffany de Guzman
Pauline FlavierDiane Nikolai Lopez
ADMINISTRATIVEAngela De LunaArnel Banares
PUBLISHERSGary M. Villanueva
Janice Crisostomo-Villanueva
CONTRIBUTORCover story by Jing Lejano
CREATIVE CONSULTANTJaymie Crisostomo-Pizarro
PHOTOGRAPHYRealKids Photography
LAYOUTCarol Gaviola
UrbanMom
MOMPRENEUR Passion
I love being able to do something truly meaningful. Since I have chosen a business that supports breastfeeding, it is more than just a job but an advocacy. I also appreciate how being a mompreneur lets me be in control of my time and my priorities. When I was employed, 90% of my time was devoted to work, and 10% to family. Not by choice but out of circumstance. Now I have the freedom to spend more time with my husband and my 3-year old daughter, and overall have a more balanced family life.-Bessie Colet-Campillo, Nursing Momnursingmom.multiply.com0917.897.0175
Two Tots is a sigh of relief (from my full time job at a software company) as it’s something I’ve always wanted to do! I love working with children’s furniture and creating practical yet playful accessories for my
toddler to enjoy. In a way, it’s the best of both worlds, incorporating my daughter’s needs and sharing it with other mom’s out there to enjoy!- Bea Ilusorio, Two Totswww.twotots.net or email us at:[email protected]
Being a home-based mompreneur, my children -- at a very early age -- are exposed with how the business operates way before the theories in business school. At 10, my eldest forsees a future with her at the helm of our company. It’s never too early to harness a kid’s entrepreneurial spirit.- Benz Co-Rana, WeddingsAtWork.com
Time is precious and we can’t turn it back, so being a mompreneur enables me to make the most out of it with my kids. It’s a dream come true! :)- Darlene del Mundo, BY NATURE Handmade Soaps & 100% Natural Productswww.bynaturehandmadesoaps.com0917.537.0124
I don’t always love it. I used to have difficulties dividing my time and attention between my children and work. But with the help of my staff at the office and my yayas, everything is much more enjoyable. You need support to be able to love being a mompreneur :-)- Yenny Saw, Global Art Philippines
URBANMOM Q&A
Five dynamic and active mompreneurs answer the question: What do I love about being a mompreneur?
HENEVER ONE HEARS of a Filipino doing good in the world stage, one can’t help but
feel proud. But when that Filipino happens to be a mother with four children, one can’t help but feel ecstatic—especially when that one Filipino turns out to be Tweetie de Leon Gonzalez.
World class jewelry designer is the just latest title to adorn Tweetie’s many-feathered hat. Always reinventing herself, we’ve seen Tweetie morph from model to wife, mother to
mentor, health buff to squash player. Designing jewelry, it seems, is another attempt at self-definition.
Expanding her worldIt was late in the nineties. Tweetie, who had always been used to keeping a full schedule, felt a little out of sorts. At the time, she spent most of her days taking care of her children. Looking back, Tweetie remembers, “I had two kids; what am I going to do when they’re sleeping? I’m so idle. I’m rotting away.”
WPhotography by: Doods Tanabe of RealKids Photography Hair and make up by: Wardrobe by Tala (For inquiries, call Mavis Fuentebella at 09175384195)
At home, she just happened to stumble on a jewelry making book. And so she read it and started experimenting. It wasn’t long before she was turning strings and stones into necklaces and bracelets.
“It was a hobby, that’s how it started, just like with any mompreneur business,” Tweetie says. She explains, “You know, making jewelry is not really what I was interested in. I never used to wear any fancy stuff. I wasn’t into accessories. It’s just that I like working with my hands… When I got more confident about my skills, I just progressed to finer materials—semi-precious stones, etc.” Fortunately for Tweetie, she got a lot of support from friends who were already in the business. She started selling her jewelry and placing them in selected stores. She also got into exporting her pieces. Tweetie says, “It started rolling for me too fast and I didn’t know how to go about it. Next thing I knew, I was shipping my items.”
Off to the worldToday, Tweetie’s handcrafted pieces may be found locally at Rustan’s and Essenses, and globally at Paul Smith stores in Los Angeles, Milan, and London. How she got into Paul Smith was as serendipitous as how she found that jewelry-making book one lazy day.It was 2006. Manila was experiencing
a major economic slump. Tweetie says, “Zero for the week ang sales, I cannot survive. I felt that I needed to do something.” She explains, “I just thought of photographing my items and sending out announcements to people I knew who were out of the country, not really knowing where I wanted to go. I was just thinking along the lines of maybe they can order from me, they can be the middle man, something like that.”
As it turns out, one of the recipients of Tweetie’s SOS message was a Filipina working at Paul Smith. Tweetie’s items caught her fancy and she told the jewelry designer that
she’ll present it to her boss. ‘If he likes it, we’ll see,’ was all the Filipina could promise. And so Tweetie waited and waited and waited. After four long months, Tweetie finally got a call from the buyers of Paul Smith: They were placing orders for her kamagong collection. Tweetie was ecstatic.
Today, you can see Tweetie’s pieces at the Paul Smith website. And while Paul Smith is her biggest client, they’re one of the easiest to deal with. “Very few requirements, easy to talk to,” she explains.
I have other hats to wear. I want to be able to do other things. I want it a manageable size.“
years, she has become very adept at weaving stones and beads and wooden pieces into beautiful pieces of wearable art. She has also moved the business out of her home and into a proper office.
“Before, it was in my house and then you know, I realized, this is crazy. I never stop. Four a.m. na pala! I have to go to sleep; you get so engrossed. You forget that you need time off,” she says.
And if there’s anything that this mompreneur needs, it’s time off: time to dine out with the kids, time to watch movies with the hubby, time to play some squash, time to give a crafts workshop at her children’s school, time to read, time to play, time to enjoy life to its absolute fullest!
MOMPRENEUR SMARTSHere, Tweetie de Leon Gonzalez shares a few starting-your-business tricks.
1 Find your passion. Yes, you may have heard of this before but this is still the best advice that you’re going to get when it comes to starting an enterprise of your own. Involve yourself in something that you are head over heels for—whether it’s baking chocolate-crusted brownies or making scrapbooks. You are, after all, going to devote time, effort, and money into your enterprise, so might as well enjoy it.
2 Make yourself an expert. Do your research. Study. Learn. Tweetie says, “I didn’t know anything about jewelry making so I took it upon myself to learn.” Tweetie took up an online course at the Gemological Institute of America, which suited her mommy life perfectly. It allowed her to study at her own time, and pay her tuition at manageable intervals. Studying not only gives you personal satisfaction, the knowledge you gain also adds more value to your product.
3 Decide on the size of your business. As a mother, you wear many hats; running a business is just one of them. Ask yourself, how much time can you devote to your business? Are there other things that you want to do?
4 Fight! After all is said and done, just do it!
Her day-to-day worldTweetie is happy with where her little hobby has taken her. “I enjoy it. I like the challenge. I like the pressure”, she says. And though there is the potential to grow the brand and make it even bigger, Tweetie is satisfied with where she is right now.
“I don’t have a big work force. I supply boutiques. I have no capacity to supply department stores. And I don’t think I ever will because I just feel I don’t know everything about running a business… I just feel that I want it this size, not really big because I have other hats to wear. I want to be able to do other things. I want it a manageable size,” she adds.
To this day, Tweetie still makes a lot of the pieces, especially those that are marked for export. And over the
Cool mom creations to help make parenting tasks easier and even more FUN!
Learning Lion Flash Cards to help moms teach their kids to read, while having fun in the process. 0917.8522000 Tisha Gonzales-Cruz
FAVEFINDS
Kinder Company Cool Statement Teesfor little ones. www.kindercompany.multiply.comby Marie de Guzman
Oasis by Planet Noah VOCO Cream andSoothing Baby OilBy Nature Moisturizing Insect Repellent andBy Nature Baby SalveNatural products to keep baby’s skin health and safeoneplanetnoah.multiply.comby Judy Dytandiuwww.bynaturehandmadesoaps.comby Darlene del Mundo
Writable Flash Cards2-in-1 flash cards help kids not only how to recognize letters but also to write them by Percy Sy
The Little Red Shoecute fashionable shoes and sandals for babies and toddlersthelittleredshoe.multiply.comby Grace Profeta
Momease Diaper Bag ConverterConverts your favorite bag into a diaper bag.mommymatters.multiply.comby Candice Cu-Yawand Janice Villanueva
MommypadsPersonalized notepads and family calendars for every member of the familymommypages.multiply.comby Ria Salazar
INTO Personalized Bags, Baskets and BinsPersonalized bags, toy boxes and hampersby Lyn Dy
the mother of INVENTIONS
KITRI’S WEDDING: Danspace celebrated 10 years with “Kitri’s Wedding” at the Tanghalang Pasigueno, Pasig City Hall Complex, Caruncho Ave., Pasig City last May 31. Starring Danspace alumna and now Philippine Ballet Theater Company Member, Lobreza Pimente together with Mark Pineda and the Danspace students ages 4-13 years old. The show was conceptualized, choreographed and directed by: Maritoni Rufino Tordesillas, Danspace founder and director. www.danspacemanila.com
AEGIS PEOPLE SUPPORT CAFE AU LAIT: The employees of Aegis People Support are a blessed lot as management takes an extra step to provide the nursing mothers among them with a breastfeeding station in their work areas. Amale Jopson invited Mommy Mundo to the launch which was graced by Senator Pia Cayetano, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan and other breastfeeding advocates.
KNOW YOUR CHILD WORKSHOP:The Art of Living organized its first Know Your Child Workshop facilitated by Alka C. Mehta, an international teacher of this non-profit organization. The 2hour interactive workshop provided practical wisdom for parents and caregivers and helping them understand the nature of kids ages 1-12 years old.www.artofliving.org
EVENTSINTHECITY
WEB SAFETY SEMINAR: A free seminar was held at the Microsoft Auditorium. The seminar was organized to help parents learn more about how to protect their children from possible harmful effects and dangers of the internet. www.websafetyforparents.com
EXPO MOM GOES SOUTH: Expo Mom went south of Manila for the first time, to respond to requests from moms from Alabang and nearby areas. Mommy Mundo partnered with Karina Garcia-Reyes for this event and all-out support wasgiven by Expo Mom goes South venue, Alabang Town Center.www.mommymundo.com
FILLINTHEBLANKS
JoannaOngpinDuarte
Most unforgettable experience as mom: giving birth, everything gets fuzzy after that!Most embarrassing experience as mom: when my kids say the darndest things. Usually, it’s funny but it can also be very embarassing at times. thankfully they’re growing up so it happens less often these days.I get my parenting info from my mom/ doctor/ friends/ books or
internet/ others all of the above.What I wish for my kids is happiness and fulfillment in life (which goes hand in hand with usefulness in society).My mom’s best mommy tip for me was don’t spoil your children, and make them read books. My husband is an involved daddy.3 essential things in your baby bag/ kids’ bag: books, Nintendo DS (embarassed to say it, but it’s true), wet ones.Favorite bonding activity with your kids: out of town trips, movie nights and eating out.Most memorable quote from your kids- When my son was much younger, he really liked and enjoyed Winnie the Pooh. He would say “Oh bother!” everytime he was upset or disappointed.- When my daughter entered an all-girls Catholic school, she kept complaining, “Mom, it’s all about God!”. I just had to say, “Get used to it dear”. After two weeks she told me, “Mom, I’m getting used to God.” - Phew! Favorite family or kid-friendly dining place: Chili’sMotherhood is challenging, fulfilling and full of loveA day in my life is like a day with three phases - mom, mompreneur, wife (not necessarily in that order) Favorite mommy products wet ones and hand gel! Boo Boo Lip Balm from VMV Hypoallergenics (for all sorts of bites, wounds, etc.) cellphones (is that a mommy product?)Besides being a mom, I am a mompreneur of the Big & Small Co., Orange Juice, Spin, and H.A.B. Maternity and MoreThe best thing about my business job is I enjoy it. I love being a mompreneur because it completes meMy tip/ advice for time management: prioritize and do things one at a time, not all at the same time. My advice to aspiring mompreneurs: don’t be afraid to try. What is life like as an urban mom?: busy and enjoyable. Challenging and fulfilling.
Mom to Jaime 12,Rocio 7
Mompreneur,President of The Big & Small Co.
