May 10, 2016

Mom Means Business: Emily Little of Queen City Alchemy

Hi Emily! I can't wait to hear your story. Tell us a little about yourself, business, and family.

My name is Emily Little and I live just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio with my five year old daughter. I am a micro-business owner of a company called Queen City Alchemy which specializes in all natural personal care and beauty products such as hand-crafted cold pressed soaps, luxurious body butters, healing balms, and silky smooth facial serums. I also have a passion for writing, speaking, and teaching about everything related to botanical medicine and holistic wellness.

At what point in your business did you have children and how did that affect the way you run your business?

I began my business in 2008 originally in response to being laid off from my job during the recession that had affected so many Americans at that time. However, In late 2010 I gave birth to my daughter and it absolutely gave my business, and my entire life new meaning. My purpose really began to shift at that point. What first was a necessary source of income generated from a hobby turned into a business became a mission to provide safe, natural, beautiful, and hand-crafted personal care products partnered with a new, but equally important mission, of providing education and empowerment to encourage people to take charge of their health and wellbeing in a natural and holistic way.

What is one trait of yours that you hope your child inherits from you?

As young as she is, at five years old my daughter is already exhibiting so many fantastic personality traits that I can only hope she has observed me exhibiting in my own life. Her heart of service and belief that she can do anything are particularly incredible and make me completely beam with pride.

Has your daughter influenced the work you do in any way?

She's influenced everything I do! Specifically in relation to my micro-biz, though, she's inspired MANY products such as my bug repellant made with a blend of organic essential oils, my healing balm for her diaper rashes and now for small cuts, and my arnica balm for all those bumps and bruises!

What are you currently listening to/watching?

My name is Emily Little, and I have a podcast addiction (hey, the first step is admitting you have a problem, right?). I love to read but with my unrelenting schedule there isn't much time for reading these days. However, in transit, while working away on the computer, or filling orders I love to listed to podcasts! I listen to Rob Bell, the Minimalists, LearningHerbs, and Dr. Aviva Romm a lot. They all have fantastic podcasts. It's like a book on tape (OMG- did I seriously just reference book on tape)!

I know being a mom and an entrepreneur can be a tough job. How do you treat yourself on special occasions? How do you celebrate the small victories?

My biggest treat is scheduling time with my "tribe". I pretty much hit the friend lottery... I have about ten girlfriends, many of which I've known for more than 15 years, and we all try to spend time together every two or three months. It's such a great way to celebrate ALL of our victories, small and big alike, and to refuel when the world gets heavy.

Depending on your story, what advice would you give to a mom thinking about starting a business or a business owner about to have children?

Have a support system, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. This is something I have had to learn and relearn and still have to remind myself on a regular basis. You don't have to kill it all the time. You don't have to be "on" all the time. You don't have to loose your mind, either. You're a mamapreneur, not a martyr! Follow your dreams, live your truth. Being a mother and an entrepreneur is such a powerful thing. You are sending a message that everyone has the power to change the world around them in a positive way. Oh, and loose the guilt. Ain't nobody got time for that...

Do you use any tech/apps to keep your life together?

Not like I probably should! I monitor my etsy shop on my phone regularly and I love social media- but as far as organization goes, I'm actually an old fashioned, paper planner kinda girl.