Dreamers Into Doers -- marthastewart.com

Doer of the Week: Kim Stoegbauer

A few years ago, Kim Stoegbauer was a real estate agent crafting handmade cards and invitations for friends and family in her spare time. Two years later, she has gone from stay-at-home mom to blogger to bona fide party pro. Kim has created the career of her dreams with The TomKat Studio -- a blog and Etsy shop featuring printable party decor that sells like hotcakes.

What were you doing before you decided to create TomKat Studio?
I was in real estate. With the downturn of the market, I decided to stay home and spend more time with my kids. I started my blog for fun.

What inspired your business?
Ultimately, my children inspired me to do this. I have always loved party planning, and once I had babies I wanted to celebrate their birthdays in style! When my daughter's second birthday party posted, it got picked up by some fabulous party blogs like Hostess with the Mostess, which lead to readers requesting to purchase items from the party!

How long did it take you to become profitable?
With nearly no overhead, my business was immediately profitable. I had already built a following with my blog, so once my shop opened, they became customers.

How do you find balance between work and home?
After several months of designing, printing, assembling, and shipping orders, I burnt out from working so many hours. Then I had an “ah-ha!” moment and restructured my designs to be DIY printable files. I realized that many moms out there have the crafty talent to do most of the work themselves. This made the product more affordable, too. Going printable freed up more time to be with my children, and [helped me] find a better balance while working from home.

How have you been using social media to grow your business?
I love Facebook! It is a fantastic platform for me to connect with my readers and fans! I post projects that I am working on, but I also link to other products and parties that catch my eye. I also use Twitter regularly, and have gotten fabulous press opportunities, including a feature on Amy Atlas's blog after she saw something I posted on Twitter. You never know who may be watching!

What's the best piece of business advice you ever received?
Always keep the customer happy.

If you had it to do over again, what, if anything, would you do differently?
I would have hired help sooner! When I hired Andrea in January, it was a huge relief. I was able to focus on the bigger picture for the company and design new collections. As we continued to grow, I realized that I needed more help and recently hired Toni. I can now confidently say that all of our inquiries are answered promptly and our customer service is fantastic!

Do you have entrepreneurial role models? What’s so inspiring about them?
Martha [Stewart] is my ultimate role model. Her book, "The Martha Rules" is my business bible. My ultimate goal for my business is to be on "The Martha Stewart Show."

Amy Atlas is also a huge role model for me. As a mom and former lawyer turned creative party planner, she is a true inspiration. I had an amazing opportunity to work with her on designs for an InStyle magazine shoot recently. I couldn't have been more thrilled!

What advice would you give to Dreamers who haven’t become Doers yet?
Keep dreaming! If you find your passion and pour your heart into it, the business will come!

Photos from The TomKat Studio

See all Doers of the Week

Keep up with TomKat Studio
Kim's Profile Page
Twitter: @tomkatstudio
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thetomkatstudio

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Comment by belle cake topper and mould on June 24, 2011 at 12:24am: auguri....!!!!

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on September 14, 2010 at 12:39pm: Thank you, Denise!!

Comment by Denise DiFalco on September 14, 2010 at 12:35pm: So Excited that Kim Made It~ She inspires us all!!!

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on September 14, 2010 at 12:07pm: Thank you, Helen!!!

Comment by Helen Guzman - bonito design on September 14, 2010 at 5:55am: LOVE this entire article. CONGRATS ONCE AGAIN!

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on July 20, 2010 at 3:42pm: Thank you for your sweet words, ladies!

Comment by Elizabeth Santamaria on July 20, 2010 at 3:39pm: Congratulations!!! love your designs and blog... you're one of my favorites!!!

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on July 19, 2010 at 8:49pm: Thank you, Gigi! I am so lucky to be doing what I love!!

Comment by Gigi Page on July 19, 2010 at 7:20pm: Indeed Congrats!
I love this very creative idea.....so useful and cleaver...great job Kim.....just terrific...

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on July 19, 2010 at 4:02pm: Oh Kim, you are the sweetest! It was such a pleasure to meet you at Bloggy Bootcamp! I hope all is well with you! Great to see you here!

Comment by Kim on July 19, 2010 at 3:58pm: I can honestly say she is just as beautiful inside and in person as her photos show!

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on July 18, 2010 at 11:47am: Thank you all so much!!

Comment by Mint Monkey Design on July 18, 2010 at 1:09am: Congratulations!! Beautiful designs!!

Comment by Jessica - Pen N' Paperflowers on July 17, 2010 at 3:04pm: You are awesome Kim. Your work is beautiful and inspirational. Congratulations!!

Comment by Kim Bent on July 17, 2010 at 12:39pm: Congratulations Kim!
Your work is beautiful!

Comment by Carrie-Lou Hrudey on July 17, 2010 at 3:16am: Congratulations Kim, you have a very inspirational story indeed.

Comment by Andrea Ofiara on July 17, 2010 at 12:53am: Congrats on being featured!!

Comment by Kim - The TomKat Studio on July 16, 2010 at 9:41pm: Thank you all for the sweet comments! I am thrilled to be featured!

Comment by Jennifer Updegrove on July 16, 2010 at 9:31pm: AWESOME!!! and all the very best

Comment by Pamela Stansberry on July 16, 2010 at 4:23pm: Wow! Being honored as "Doer of the Week" on a Martha Stewart site-is amazing-and by the looks of your photos, and reading your blog-I could see it was an easy choice for the Martha Stewart Team!! Congratulations on receiving a well deserved honor!