(sheri)
From the moment I met Kathryn I knew she was a force. As she put together the business she had purchased only months before it was clear she was on a mission, she was driven and passionate. Immediately I respected her and wanted to see her succeed. Admittedly I am drawn to companies with a purpose, I believe it is our obligation to do greater things when we can (more on Franklin Goose's goal later this year). Kathryn lives and breathes this same feeling. It is what keeps her "Rockin"!
Kathryn's company, Rockin' Baby, has a very special mission: for every sling or pouch you buy, Rockin' Baby will donate a sling to a mother in need in Haiti. She has captivated our entire staff and motivated us with her Mother to Mother mission. So, I wanted all of you to be able to get to know her as we have.
1. How many children do you have? 5, 1 more on the way!
2. I know you have biological and adopted children. What motivated you to adopt? We always wanted to adopt before having children. There are 153 million orphans in the world, and we knew that biology wasn't everything to us, but loving a child was!
3. How has being a mother changed you? Being a mother has made me such a better person. I don't have an out to make an irresponsible choice. I have to follow-through, have to keep a positive attitude, and have to show love to all of my children. These things have changed me forever, and I love who I have become because of them!
4. Did being a mother motivate you to start your Mother to Mother mission? I put myself in the shoes of the Mothers that could not be close to their babies because they had no way to carry them. Because I have carried all of my children, this is devastating to me that mothers would have to leave their babies behind, not being breastfed or nourished because they had to tend to basic needs of their families. Without having the knowledge of what being a mother is like, I could not relate and feel the need so much.
5. How do you juggle running your own business and being a mother? Family comes first; for everyone that works with Rockin' Baby, it is the first thing that we communicate. Because I make sure that I am a mother first, I feel good about the hours I put into Rockin' Baby. It is really important to me to be fully engaged with my children when I am with them, so I work a lot into the wee hours of the night. I have a few hours a week that I take appointments and make phone calls, but email really allows me to keep the distraction of so many "to do's" out of my children's awareness. I would be lying if that didn't take a lot of planning…but, it is totally worth it!
6. What is one piece of advice you would give to other mothers? Live in the moment. Don't be distracted by the noise of modern life to not enjoy everyday with your children.
7. We hear from parents all the time how hard it is to choose names for their babies. How did you choose your children's names? We are going through this process now with our 6th! For this baby, the kids said they loved the name Judah, and my Husband and I did too! That was a really great moment for our family (and for Judah!). The other kids have each been unique! Our kids names are Abel, Cyrus, Sabina, Liesl, and Aspen. Everyone of them comes with a special journey to their name. I would say that it is not difficult, but an exciting journey for us!
8. Your children all get along so well, most of the time, what do you attribute this to? We focus on them being best friends; that they were given each other, and were brought together for a reason. We don't allow them to disrespect each other, and it is their responsibility to be encouraging and help one another. They truly do love each other; and I feel so blessed!
9. When your children are grown and they are telling people about their mom what is one thing you hope they say about you? That I loved them unconditionally, and I was their mom first.
10. What is the one thing you try to teach women in Haiti about being a mom, aside from wearing the Rockin Baby slings? Being close to your baby is wonderful for the baby, and for them. The bond is something you cannot imitate between a mother and a child. We also really encourage breastfeeding and making that a priority!