Q: How have you managed to juggle the roles of business owner and mom? What falls by the wayside?
A: Everything!
Q: What kind of support system do you have in place personally and professionally?
A: My main support is my husband. We also have a fabulous nanny, who has been with us for many years. I don’t know how we would live without her.
I also have a top-notch senior-level executive team who loves the company as much as I do.
Q: How did you finance your business (personal contributions, loans from friends & family, loans from bank, credit cards, outside investors?)
A: Myself and two partners financed the business.
Q: What made you decide to sell the company to Saks in 2003? Can you share the terms of the deal?
A: It was an excellent opportunity for growth, and Saks is a terrific company. We shared a vision for Club Libby Lu, and they’ve been a great partner. Terms of the deal are proprietary.
Q: What has been your greatest success or “high point” in the process?
A: Every time I go into a store and see the effect Club Libby Lu has on little girls is a high point. I can be having a bad day, go into a store and see girls laughing, having fun, and feeling special, and I realize that’s why I do what I do.
Another moment stands out in my mind, and that’s when I heard a little girl’s mom speak publicly about how much a beanie from Club Libby Lu meant to her cancer-stricken daughter. This little girl was a St. Jude patient and had lost her hair to chemotherapy. Her mom said that when she placed a darling little beanie from our store on her head, her face lit up. She said when her daughter looked in the mirror, she smiled for the first time in a long time.
Q: Have you experienced a “low point” and if so, how did you rally yourself to get back on track?
A: There have been multiple low points that relate to operating a complicated, growing business. I’ve always gotten through those times by telling myself there’s no other choice but to keep going. I’m not the type to let the inevitable bumps in the road wreck my dream.
