I am a San Antonio Mom :: Katy Mimari of Caden Lane & Nursery Couture

Katy Mimari, designer of Caden Lane and owner of Nursery Couture baby and children’s boutique right here in San Antonio, is a successful, dynamic and inspiring mom of three.  She’s also my sister-in-law (and she’s become a true friend to me), very opinionated, and privy to all things “mom” in her daily business dealings.  Katy is the perfect candidate for the Alamo City Moms Blog’s very first I am a San Antonio Mom interview series.

First, a little background on Katy:  Katy is a San Antonio native and has been married to her husband, Damon, for 10 years.  They have three kids (my darling nephew and nieces)-  ages 9, 6, and almost 2.

Katy is a true entrepreneur and a true creative talent.  There’s a reason celebrities hire her to design their nurseries.  She’s successfully blended her gifts, her business savvy, and her awesome mom-ness into an inspiring career path that lends itself to doling out some pretty decent advice on all things mom.  My interview below with Katy is a great glimpse into who Katy is as a business-woman, a person, and most definitely as a mom. [hr]

I am a San Antonio Mom :: Katy Mimari
Katy Mimari of Caden Lane and Nursery Couture

How did you start this baby empire of yours?  What inspired you? Can you believe it – we will hit 10 years this October! Fastest 10 years ever. Honestly, I started Caden Lane because I loved the idea of creating a product that someone across the world was using. I had no idea it would grow into what it is today. Okay, wait, that’s a lie. I always wanted it to be a huge success. Dream big or go home, right? I was extremely lucky to grow up in a family of entrepreneurs, so I learned firsthand what it took to really succeed, and I truly believe if you work hard enough at something – anything is possible.

I actually started Caden Lane before I had any children. I had the idea for diaper bags because a few of my friends were starting to have babies and they were carrying around these horrid quilted diaper bags. I  knew I wanted to get into the baby industry, and because clothes are such an oversaturated category, I figured my love for purses would pay off with really great diaper bag designs. It took just under a year from idea conception to product samples, and the week I received my final round of samples I found out I was expecting more than just a new business. I spent the next 9 months as a huge preggo selling diaper bags to stores. My business was growing as fast as my expanding belly, and just a few weeks before giving birth, I signed my first deal with Nordstrom and was working with over 250 retail stores nationwide. I also got my first taste of textile design when I was planning Cade’s nursery. There wasn’t much available in baby bedding that wasn’t themed or smocked, so I designed my first collection of fabrics and came out with bedding a few months later. Cade actually had the actual sample bedding in his crib. My poor kids, they don’t even get the good stuff!

I opened our flagship retail store, Nursery Couture, three years later. We had designed a few big celebrity nurseries, and started an online business, which pretty organically grew into a physical store in San Antonio. I opened the doors of Nursery Couture in 2007, and haven’t looked back since! It’s been such a wonderful way for me to keep in touch with trends, new products, and our community.

I am a San Antonio Mom :: Katy Mimari of Nursery Couture and Caden LaneWhen you launched Caden Lane, you were a first time expectant mom.  Now you are a mom of three and your business has grown tremendously.  What is your secret to doing it all?  Ugh, I hate this question. No one really “does it all” – do they? If they say they do, they are lying. I pretty much half-ass everything, and I feel like my life is in a constant sprint mode, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I absolutely LOVE what I do, I thrive off of mad chaos, and I consider myself extremely lucky to wake up every day excited about going to work. For the first few years of business, I worked out of my home with zero help. I remember sitting on the floor breast feeding Cade while talking to the buyers at Nordstrom. As the company grew, so did my litter of children, and I found this amazing woman who became our nanny/stay-at-home wife, and truly SHE IS MY SANITY. This summer, I’ve brought Cade and Ashlyn to the store a few times (Lila gets the boot because she’s almost two, and, well, CRAZY – but she did make a few appearances as an infant), and I love that I’m teaching them that work doesn’t have to be the stereotypical office job. When we get home, and Ashlyn asks why I do things certain ways at work, or if she can come again and help – it makes my heart happy.

I know I’m a workaholic. I live, breathe and dream work, nursery design and everything baby. But I love what I do, and not everyone can say that. I’d say I’m a pretty lucky gal with two great companies and three AMAZING chilren. But is running two businesses, raising three children and keeping my marriage happy, hard? Absolutely. But a glass o’ wine (or several) and a hot bath can help fix anything.

Your own mother is a successful, accomplished business woman who raised four kids.  What did she pass on to you that you hope to pass on to your own girls?  Six kids actually, which always puts things into perspective when I’m complaining about juggling the schedules of three kids. The most valuable lesson I learned from my mother is one that I don’t think she ever really meant to teach me. It was through observation and experience that I learned that anything is possible if you work hard enough at it. I love that I’m teaching my daughters (and son) that you can actually LOVE what you do. I don’t take it for granted either, I know there’s plenty of people out there that go to work daily counting the minutes until it’s over. I’m literally at work at the end of the day wishing for more time. I want my kids to discover what they love to do, and then figure out a way to make money doing it. That seems to be the secret to success. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.

My mother also always told me to take care of myself, and as long as I could financially support myself, then I could marry whoever I wanted, and not ever have to stay in a relationship because I didn’t have a choice. I don’t think this is a lesson exclusive to working parents either. Whether my kids decide to stay at home, or continue with a professional career – I want them to know themselves well enough, and have the experience, to dream big.

You have 3 kids and are privy to mommy discussions all day long in your boutique, Nursery Couture, so here is some mommy-wars fodder- give me your immediate reaction in just a few words: Wait! I love this question! Let me pre-face my answers with the fact that WE ALL slept on our tummies, ate food from glass jars, didn’t really know what a seat belt was until the 90’s, and yet – somehow, we all survived. To ALL new mommies out there: please do not believe everything you read online. Product reviews, mommy advice, how to make your baby eat-sleep-poop better, those are all just opinions. I’ve worked in the baby industry for 10 years now. I’ve seen some of the best products disappear because one person used it incorrectly, and I’ve seen some of the most ridiculous products ever praised for their ability to take the parenting out of parenting. If you need an app to remember to take your child out of a hot car, then honestly… why did you take on parenting in the first place?

Disclaimer: this is ONLY what worked for me! My vote is always, feed them when they are hungry, let them sleep when they are tired. There’s no right way to ANY of this.

Breastfeeding or bottle? I vote breastfeed for at least the first 6 weeks (the first 2 weeks will suck whether you are doing it right or wrong, so just stick with it and remember it’s kick starting your metabolism). After 6 weeks, you decide what works best for you. There are countless studies that say the most important time to breastfeed is within the first few weeks. In my personal opinion, if you’re staying at home, it’s probably easier to breast feed longer. I always went back to work pretty quickly, and although I pumped for a few weeks… for me, the truth is that the bottle is just easier.

Co-sleeping or get out my bed? Whatever makes them sleep longer! I love to keep a squishy newborn so close I can smell them, and then we usually convert over to co-sleeper until they are either sleeping through the night, or hit 3 months. Mommy hint: get them in the crib as soon as you can. You’ll thank me later.

Organic food or whatever they will eat? First child answer: organic (never homemade, but I’ll spend a little extra at HEB to buy the “organic” brand even though I know it’s mostly a marketing scheme). Second child answer: Whatever they will eat. You’ll probably start solids earlier with the 2nd baby too. Third child: squeezy food pouches. They can hold it themselves close to 6 months, and thus, feed themselves, and thus… a few hands free moments for you. Everyone wins.

SAHM or working mom? Here’s my best advice on this, never say never. Your entire pregnancy you will be asked what you plan on doing, and the truth is, you won’t know until that baby is a few months old. You will either relish every moment of every second with that squishy newborn, or you will be chomping at the bit to get back to work. No matter what, it doesn’t make any of us better or worse parents. I love what I do, it defines me and it makes me a better mother. Everyone has levels of balance that works for them, do what will make you a better parent, and more importantly, what will keep you sane in this crazy rollercoaster of life. The grass is NEVER greener.

Other critical questions: Ahhh, these are much easier….

           Red wine or white? Whatever’s open.

           Sushi or steak? Sushi

           Facebook or Instagram? Neither, I want to quit both. But… instagram. I’m a picture person.

           Elsa or Anna? Elsa’s independence and Anna’s optimism.

What’s your favorite phase with your little ones (newborn, toddler, school age)? I love, love, LOVE a squishy newborn… and then I like to fast forward to age 4. They start to resemble human at four.

What are your creative outlets?  What’s your latest project at home or at work?We actually just redesigned our home office into a craft room for the kids (errr, me). I covered an entire wall in large drawers, and shelves, and put a counter height table in the middle of the room for projects and easy cleaning. We’ve used it more in the last few months than in the last four years.

I am a San Antonio Mom :: A New Craft Room

What does your regular day look like?  How do you start your day?  Is coffee involved? Coffee. One at home, and a Starbucks on the way (trying to quit that second cup, but it’s soooooo good). We recently moved Caden Lane into new offices, so now I go back and forth between the two companies. My typical day consists of designing new products, talking to stores, planning market travel, putting out fires, starting new ones, ordering for the store, writing blog posts for industry websites, processing orders, answers a bazillion emails, hearing the life stories of all my employees, helping customers in the store, picking out a monogram, picking paint colors, ordering props for a photoshoot, SHOOTING during a photoshoot, dealing with my kids, customers kids, catching up with old friends, making new ones, and everything else that goes into running two companies. Oh, and that’s in one day. If someone had asked last year if I could put more on my plate, I would have laughed at them! Turns out, I just needed a bigger plate.

Where is your favorite date night location?  Girls night out spot?  Stay-cation spots for the family? My favorite date night is the chef’s table at Tre, favorite girls night out is Piatti at The Rim, and my favorite stay-cation is the JW Marriott! We recently spent the 4th of July there with friends, and had a wonderful time! I don’t think we touched their iPhones/iPads the entire time! (A true vacation win in my books!)

What is the best kids birthday party venue in San Antonio?I love the Celebration Station at I-10/Ralph Fair Road. It’s great for ages 2-10!  They have huge blow up castles, putt-putt golf, lots of trees, playscapes, trampolines, several covered gazebos for cake, shade, and… wait for it… they have a bar for the parents there too.

Any advice for first-time moms? How about for moms contemplating adding #3 to the mix? Well, my BEST advice for all first time moms is to come by Nursery Couture so we can help you create your dream nursery! I guess I’m a little biased, but I happen to think we have THE cutest baby store in town. And we give really good advice too! As for baby #3, go for it, it’s mad chaos pretty much at all times. And you’ll never sit down. Ever. But the love grows, and I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything.

 

Bridget
Bridget was born and raised in San Antonio and moved back here after college and law school. She is a wife, full-time attorney, wrangler of four kids ages 15, 13, 3 and almost 2. As both a stepmom and mom, her life and house is always full and she loves to share about blended family life. Bridget is also passionate about infertility advocacy after having suffered multiple miscarriages and multiple rounds of IVF. Now with her stepkids, rainbow baby, and surprise baby, her family is complete and she is soaking up every minute of motherhood!

2 COMMENTS

Comments are closed.