Work-at-home moms in Siouxland
By Dolly A. ButzJournal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, September 22, 2007
In a small red room tucked in the basement of her home, Emily Rohan fashions necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings and brooches from sterling silver, teal and yellow turquoise, jade, carnelian and a host of other precious stones.
On the other side of a black curtain, Lillie, 5, Isabel, 3 1/2, and Sophie, 9 months, watch TV, while mom works.
Somedays the girls are busy stringing their own beads as well.
Rohan is working two jobs simultaneously, jewelry maker and mother. She said her situation is ideal.
"I've always loved making things and making jewelry, drawing, everything like that, but I never wanted being a mom to mean that I had to quit doing that kind of stuff," she said. "I think a lot of people when they have kids, their kids become their absolute everything. I love my kids. My kids are my everything, but I also don't want to lose who I am either."
Over the past decade full-time work outside the home has become less appealing to mothers, according to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center.
Among working mothers with minor children, just 21 percent said full-time work is the ideal situation for them, down from 32 percent in 1997. Sixty percent of working mothers today say part-time work would be their ideal situation and another 19 percent say they would prefer not working outside of the home at all.
After the birth of her first daughter, Melissa Curry, of Elk Point, S.D., went from working full-time at Morningside College to becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. When her second daughter was born, Curry caught the entrepreneurial itch.
"When I was a stay-at-home mom, I was kind of struggling doing that," she said. "I loved to be home with my kids, but it was like I just needed something to fulfill the entrepreneurial side of me."
Curry attended a purse party and instantly knew she wanted to sell trendy hand bags in people's homes. Curry conducted some research on the Internet before ordering 300 hand bags from reputable vendors. She invited everyone she knew to her home for her first purse party. From there Curry's business took off.
"People having parties would tell their relatives or people would say, 'That's a cute bag,' and ask where they got it," she said. "Really word of mouth is what helped me expand outside of the region I lived in."
Three years later, Arm Candy Purse Parties is a lucrative business. Curry, who has 160 affiliates coast to coast, estimates that she makes almost twice as much money working for herself, as she did working a full-time job outside of her home.
"At the beginning I just wanted some spending money so I didn't feel guilty every time I went to the store," she said. "Now it's an income."
Getting started
Rohan has always loved creating things, but it was her high school art teacher that instilled in her a passion for jewelry. After graduating from high school, Rohan continued making jewelry, but she doubted it could ever be her career.
"It always seemed like something that would be out of the realm of possibility," she said. "It's going to take too much money or too many tools or I wouldn't know all that would be involved."
A few years later Rohan attended ArtSplash, where she met a jewelry maker from Des Moines. Inspired by the woman's pieces, Rohan decided right then and there that she was going to fulfill her dream.
"I just kind of decided if I want to do this, I just need to do it now because if I don't do it now I maybe never will," Rohan said.
Rohan, who was pregnant with her second child at the time, turned to her high school art teacher for advice. She began purchasing jewelry making supplies and setting up her online store at Etsy.com, a Web site similar to eBay where artists and craftsmen can sell their handmade creations at listed prices.
One of Rohan's very first sales was a "dinner plate" ring to a woman living in Canada. She has also sold several pieces to clients living in England and the Netherlands. Rohan estimates that every other one of her sales is to a customer living outside of the United States.
"It's amazing to me," she said. "People I never would have been able to reach otherwise are wearing pieces I've made."
After giving birth to her third child nine months ago, Rohan spent several months away from her business. Now she's back in her shop working regularly on custom pieces.
"When I got pregnant with my third child, I kind of ended up taking a while off," she said. "That was really nice too because when you work for yourself it's not like you have pressure to have to be there. If you're not feeling well you can take a day off or a week off or however much you need."
The best of both worlds
Curry works 30 hour weeks. Most of that time is spent in her home office calling in orders and unboxing and marking purses. Her daughters Kenna and Josie are right by her side working at their own little desks.
"I loved working full-time, but I felt like I was missing so much," Curry said. "My kids were with a day-care provider more hours of the day than they were with me, so being able to spend more time with them, but yet have the satisfaction of the wage-earning person in our family. I really get the best of both worlds now."
Curry chooses her hours. She books three to four purse parties a week after her children go to bed, before they wake up or during their nap time. To be successful at both of her jobs, Curry said it takes balance and determination.
"Some women are completely happy just being at home and being a mom, which is their most important job," she said. "I think that's awesome. If you're not one of those people then yes, I think it takes some drive. It takes some time management. My business is successful because I've made it successful."
Emily's Jewelry
Sterling and stone jewelry by Emily Rohan
www.EmeliaRo.etsy.com
Arm Candy Purse Parties
www.armcandypurseparties.com
For more information or to schedule a purse party, contact Melissa Curry at
sweetpurses4u@yahoo.com or (605) 261-1203.
On the other side of a black curtain, Lillie, 5, Isabel, 3 1/2, and Sophie, 9 months, watch TV, while mom works.
Somedays the girls are busy stringing their own beads as well.
Rohan is working two jobs simultaneously, jewelry maker and mother. She said her situation is ideal.
"I've always loved making things and making jewelry, drawing, everything like that, but I never wanted being a mom to mean that I had to quit doing that kind of stuff," she said. "I think a lot of people when they have kids, their kids become their absolute everything. I love my kids. My kids are my everything, but I also don't want to lose who I am either."
Over the past decade full-time work outside the home has become less appealing to mothers, according to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center.
Among working mothers with minor children, just 21 percent said full-time work is the ideal situation for them, down from 32 percent in 1997. Sixty percent of working mothers today say part-time work would be their ideal situation and another 19 percent say they would prefer not working outside of the home at all.
After the birth of her first daughter, Melissa Curry, of Elk Point, S.D., went from working full-time at Morningside College to becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. When her second daughter was born, Curry caught the entrepreneurial itch.
"When I was a stay-at-home mom, I was kind of struggling doing that," she said. "I loved to be home with my kids, but it was like I just needed something to fulfill the entrepreneurial side of me."
Curry attended a purse party and instantly knew she wanted to sell trendy hand bags in people's homes. Curry conducted some research on the Internet before ordering 300 hand bags from reputable vendors. She invited everyone she knew to her home for her first purse party. From there Curry's business took off.
"People having parties would tell their relatives or people would say, 'That's a cute bag,' and ask where they got it," she said. "Really word of mouth is what helped me expand outside of the region I lived in."
Three years later, Arm Candy Purse Parties is a lucrative business. Curry, who has 160 affiliates coast to coast, estimates that she makes almost twice as much money working for herself, as she did working a full-time job outside of her home.
"At the beginning I just wanted some spending money so I didn't feel guilty every time I went to the store," she said. "Now it's an income."
Getting started
Rohan has always loved creating things, but it was her high school art teacher that instilled in her a passion for jewelry. After graduating from high school, Rohan continued making jewelry, but she doubted it could ever be her career.
"It always seemed like something that would be out of the realm of possibility," she said. "It's going to take too much money or too many tools or I wouldn't know all that would be involved."
A few years later Rohan attended ArtSplash, where she met a jewelry maker from Des Moines. Inspired by the woman's pieces, Rohan decided right then and there that she was going to fulfill her dream.
"I just kind of decided if I want to do this, I just need to do it now because if I don't do it now I maybe never will," Rohan said.
Rohan, who was pregnant with her second child at the time, turned to her high school art teacher for advice. She began purchasing jewelry making supplies and setting up her online store at Etsy.com, a Web site similar to eBay where artists and craftsmen can sell their handmade creations at listed prices.
One of Rohan's very first sales was a "dinner plate" ring to a woman living in Canada. She has also sold several pieces to clients living in England and the Netherlands. Rohan estimates that every other one of her sales is to a customer living outside of the United States.
"It's amazing to me," she said. "People I never would have been able to reach otherwise are wearing pieces I've made."
After giving birth to her third child nine months ago, Rohan spent several months away from her business. Now she's back in her shop working regularly on custom pieces.
"When I got pregnant with my third child, I kind of ended up taking a while off," she said. "That was really nice too because when you work for yourself it's not like you have pressure to have to be there. If you're not feeling well you can take a day off or a week off or however much you need."
The best of both worlds
Curry works 30 hour weeks. Most of that time is spent in her home office calling in orders and unboxing and marking purses. Her daughters Kenna and Josie are right by her side working at their own little desks.
"I loved working full-time, but I felt like I was missing so much," Curry said. "My kids were with a day-care provider more hours of the day than they were with me, so being able to spend more time with them, but yet have the satisfaction of the wage-earning person in our family. I really get the best of both worlds now."
Curry chooses her hours. She books three to four purse parties a week after her children go to bed, before they wake up or during their nap time. To be successful at both of her jobs, Curry said it takes balance and determination.
"Some women are completely happy just being at home and being a mom, which is their most important job," she said. "I think that's awesome. If you're not one of those people then yes, I think it takes some drive. It takes some time management. My business is successful because I've made it successful."
Emily's Jewelry
Sterling and stone jewelry by Emily Rohan
www.EmeliaRo.etsy.com
Arm Candy Purse Parties
www.armcandypurseparties.com
For more information or to schedule a purse party, contact Melissa Curry at
sweetpurses4u@yahoo.com or (605) 261-1203.
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