Christie Schultz and five-month-old Alison.Chris Bolin
"The term mompreneur was coined almost two decades ago so it's not a brand new idea, but what's happening is that there's growing recognition that there's more of us,' says Christie Schultz, the mother of three young children and founder of Entrepreneurial Moms International, an online destination for other mothers running small businesses.
The unofficial catalyst for her firm was a gathering of seven Calgary mothers in April, 2008. Regular monthly meetings followed with more and more participants joining in.
"I decided that if I could make this networking of moms happen in Calgary, I could make this happen in Vancouver and Ottawa," Ms. Schultz says.
The Internet and other technology tools allowed her to realize her vision and to lay the groundwork to start up local chapters in Edmonton and Ottawa, as well as Austin, Tex., which is her home town.
"Without the Internet, no one way could I reach the numbers of people I'm able to reach," Ms. Schultz explains. "It's such a gift. It helps me maintain my lifestyle of being able to work from home on hours that fit me. Right now as I speak to you, I have two children asleep and another in a camp about five minutes away."
Membership fees drive most of the revenue for Entrepreneurial Moms International. The annual $99 charge allows members to receive discounts on local networking events, enables them to create public profiles for their companies, to post ads on the Entrepreneurial Moms website, and to gain access to the members-only online group. Memberships and corporate sponsorships are projected to reach more than $200,000 this year.
Ms. Schultz answered questions about how she balances her work and home life, and how she built her business. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions.