Moms on Mondays - Erica from Lookie Loo Loo

I am so excited to feature Erica from Lookie Loo Loo this week on Moms on Mondays!  I just love her tees and leggings, it's stuff I've never seen before and I love the fun colors and movie/song quotes.  I originally found her because of her karate kid tee and I knew Lemon had to have it!!  This mama is awesome, her clothes are amazing (for girls and boys), you must go to her site now and SHOP!

What is the name of your shop and how can we find you? 

Lookie Loo Loo is my shop and I also have Facebook and Instagram.

Tell us about what you make/sell in your shop.

LLL is a children's boutique that specializes in hand screen printed tees, leggings, shorts, and skirts all in fun, fabulous, funky prints.

How/why did you start making these products and open this shop.

I'm a mama to two boys, 14 months apart. I found myself drooling over the girls' sections at all my favorite stores and seeing how the boys' clothing just paled in comparison. I wanted something fun, funky, and different. There is no reason boys shouldn't be allowed to show their personality in their clothing, as sometimes that doesn't include e sports, nautical themes, and trucks you see out there in abundance.

How long have you been in business?

LLL opened in February of 2014.

What is your background (college/career/etc.)?

I majored in Broadcast Journalism. Crazy right? The wannabe radio DJ making clothes? Ha! I took advantage of internships in college, and for my major those happened to focus around marketing and promotions. This lead to a 10 year career as a marketing director for various companies. I've worked the gamut - radio stations, copier sales, a dating site {oh my god, me too Erica!} and most recently, was the Community Manager for Yelp Memphis.

Tell us a little bit about your family?

I have two little dudes, Lennon 2 and Theo 1, who rule my world and a wonderfully supportive husband. We're originally from Chicago, but have called Memphis home for the last 5 years.

How does this company help your family?  Or you?

My husband works 70-80 hours a week, which leaves me home to fend for myself with these kiddos most days. Our family time is hard to come by, and we definitely treasure it. It was a really a difficult transition for me when I made the decision to walk away from my dream job with Yelp and stay home with my boys, but we knew, given his schedule, that one of us needed to be completely present for our kids. I have high hopes that one day, when we are old and grey, we can hand over LLL to our boys as an option to work for themselves in a business we've worked to solidify for their futures.  {Ah-mazing, I hope your dream comes true!} 

Did you ever think you'd be doing this?  What did you think you'd be doing instead?

Hahaha!! No. I have always been a very creative, out of the box person. I've never found that "job" that fit. There was always too many cooks in the kitchen, too many people to stifle that creativity. I had always wanted to own my own Etsy shop, but I never had a niche. Never knew what I wanted to do that there was a market for. I taught myself to sew earlier this year, and it's just gone up from there.

Does anyone help you with your shop?

Right now it's just me! I have some serious issues handing over any control, but it looks as if we may need to add some help soon to keep up with orders.

How do you find time to run your shop and create products?

Nap and bedtime. That's the only time I can focus on the sewing and screen printing part of my shop. I'm still a stay at home mom first and foremost. However, I'm moving my machines into the living room tomorrow on an attempt to catch up! When you can't find a babysitter, and you've got 45 open orders, you gotta do what you gotta do :)

What do you love about this businesses?

I love so much about this business - making my own choices, doing what I love. The supportive community of like-minded shops. It's beyond any expectations I had for this endeavor. I wake up excited to create and go to bed thinking about what I can do to shake things up.

What is the most challenging part of this business?

Juggling. Oh do you have to juggle with this! I feel a lot of guilt with the kids because it does take a lot of my time. I also feel it because it sometimes means the house is an absolute disaster for days on end, or we eat take out two nights in a row. I don't think anyone really understands the pressure. There's no one else you can blame but yourself, and there are most certainly a lot of people to answer to.

Where do you see your shop in the future?

I have a very loose business plan that I made when I first opened shop. It's loose because I knew going into this that I would need to be flexible for changes whenever something wasn't working. When LLL first opened, we were paper banners! We've had a lot of change even in just the first year. I want to keep creating, keep making hip, fun clothing for kids. I mean, kids are adorable, so seeing your items on them is just one of the most surreal and rewarding things.

Tell us your favorite product or your most favorite thing you've created?

I have way too many favorites! It's part of why I have so many legging and tee options. I adore our nun leggings, gummy leggings, and our I'm Spunky tee.

Do you have any advice for future mom-entrepreneurs?

Support! This is one of the most supportive communities I've ever been blessed to be a part of. If you're kind and supportive of others, it will come back to you ten fold. You can't think of it as competition. You instead have to lift everyone up, support other small businesses.

What are some of YOUR favorite shops/products, besides your own?

I'm a huge fan of Opposite of Far, Dudley Denim, Ahoy Amigo, and Pretend with Poppins. I could sit and list shops for days! There is so much amazing stuff out there!!

Thanks Erica, I love featuring "boy moms" because you're right, cute and stylish clothes aren't just for girls!  :)