mamas rock: penny seto
Filed Under Mamas Rock | August 18, 2010
As our thoughts turn to fall and the changing of the seasons, it seemed the perfect time to profile Penny Seto, the mum behind Milk Factory. As her business and her two kids grew Penny found herself overwhelmed. So, recently, she stepped back to do a rethink about what she was truly passionate about in order to make changes to reduce the chaos while still doing everything in a way she finds truly satisfying.
Milk Factory came about when Penny was on mat leave and got tired of sitting on damp grass during excursions with her babe. She also saw a need for clothing that would dry quickly and help protect her son’s skin from drool and heat rashes. BB, or before babies, she was the Manager of Operations for a group of high-end retail stores in Vancouver. As she says, “It was there that I realized I was meant to work for my own family and not someone else’s.”
Jumping into business, Penny and her co-founding partner created Milk Factory. They quickly became known for their inaugural product, their SpillProof Blanket and their quick-drying clothes for infants and toddlers that also offered UV protection. The business was run from a Vancouver-based factory and kept growing to include more offerings and like many entrepreneurs we know, Penny was always brimming with plans and ideas.
But as with parenting, running a business is all about ages and stages, and in last little while Penny – who is now the sole milker at the factory – found life as an entrepreneurial mama just too busy. She started to become conscious of how often she was saying yes when she should have been saying no and realized she needed to stop and take stock. She decided to take Milk Factory back to the original basics, focusing on the SpillProof blanket and other fan favourites like their bucket hats. She’s also closed down her studio, devoted part of her basement to the business and after their annual birthday sale in September she’ll be spending the winter thinking long and hard about what’s next for her. We can’t wait to see what she comes up with!
Find out more about Milk Factory at: www.milkfactory.com
Entrepreneurial Tip:
- LOVE what you do.
- Live without regret and learn from mistakes or less than ideal outcomes
- Trust yourself and anything you do will be right.
For a full q&a of our conversation with Penny visit our yoyo diaries blog, she had heaps to say and we just couldn’t fit it all in here.
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