Spotlight on Mommy -- Melissa Livingston of Goodie Tins

 


 I am so excited to share this week's Spotlight Mom with you, as she creates the most unique and fun gift idea --  Goodie Tins.  I stumbled upon her company a few months back and reached out to Melissa Livingston to see is she wanted to have a spotlight post done.  She agreed, and recently sent a goodie tin for my to share this week with Savannah for her 2nd birthday.  Head back here on Friday when I will share more about this great gift idea, and share photos of Savannah enjoying her very own Goodie Tin gift, thanks to Melissa.


But in the meantime, please enjoy my spotlight interview with Melissa Livingston, co-founder of Goodie Tins, along with her best friend, Zabrina.



Name: Melissa Livingston
Company Name/Product/Service: Goodie Tins 
Company Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Company Website: www.goodietins.com 
Facebook URL:facebook.com/goodietins 
Twitter Handle: @goodietins
Age of Company: 2 years
Favorite Inspirational Quotes: Stay hungry. Stay foolish. - Steve Jobs
Favorite Book: Night by Elie Wiesel

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How many children do you have? What are their ages? Your hobbies? Etc.

I have 3 kids. An active and loving 5 year old boy and 2-year old twin girls.  My hobbies are pretty much taking care of my kids and launching Goodie Tins.  I can't seem to find the time for much else.

Briefly explain your business. How did it come about?
 
Goodie Tins is a partnership with my best friend. We met at work and formed an instant friendship. She is very creative and I am a marketer. We put our skills together to form Goodie Tins.  We were at the age where we were both constantly going to baby showers and were tired of seeing the same old gifts and gift baskets.  Zabrina started to create her own gifts which everyone loved. We knew we were on to something. She is an awesome designer and came up some pretty awesome designs for not just baby showers, but weddings, hostess gifts, mom's gifts etc.  We call ourselves the more sophisticated cousin of the gift basket.

What is a typical work day like?

There is no typical day. Some days are spent working with suppliers to get the best products for our Goodie Tins. Other days are spend reviewing designs for a new collection. We spend a lot of time researching the industry to stay up on trends. We are very serious about customer service so we spend lots of time on that too.

What has been a struggle while starting up your company? 

The biggest struggle has been gaining awareness for our company. Once people learn about us they love us. We get so many complements on Goodie Tins. But it has been a struggle breaking though to the masses.

What did you do in your past work life?

In my past life, I worked in Corporate America. I worked in brand marketing for some of the biggest companies in America.

What have been some of your major successes?

I feel like everyday is a success because I get to do what I love with my best friend. We get so excited about every win, every mention in the local paper or even a re-tweet. It is just nice to be recognized and feel good about the work that I do.


What have been some of your major challenges?

It has been challenging getting others to see that this is a priority. Friends and Family sometimes don't understand the choices we make or the sacrifice it takes to make this company a success.


On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?

My family is the ultimate motivation. I want to prove to my kids but especially my daughters that they can blaze their own trail. They don't have to follow a cookie-cutter career. They can dream and be whatever they want.
What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?

Not sure that I have solved that one yet. I take everyday one day at a time. I try to over communicate with my family and business partner. If I have family commitments that will occupy my weekend, I make sure everyone knows I won't be available. If we have a big business meeting, I let my family know that I need time to prepare. 

What is next for your business?

We have no where to go but up. There are so many options. So many partnerships and directions to go into. We are making some investments in our website goodietins.com that will help us as we continue to grow.

Do you have any advice for other mom entrepreneurs that are starting out and struggling, or are on the fence about starting a business?

This is definitely a journey. We have planned for the long haul which helps put things into perspective. We'd love to be an overnight success but we know that it is extremely unlikely.