PPB November 2021

her office in our house and now I have my office in my house. As a kid, I had access to all kinds of office supplies, and I was obsessed. Now I giggle because my kids love to run into my office yelling, ‘I know where the paper is!’” While there are benefits to running her own business, Brown says there are sacrifices. “I don’t have the kind of job where I go there and work, and when I come home, there’s no work. I’m kind of always working,” she says. “I try to segment my brain when I’m with my kids because I don’t want them to feel like they are second.” Like many other mothers who own businesses, Brown is a “mompreneur,” a term introduced in 1994 to describe a female business owner who actively balances the roles of mother and entrepreneur. Entrepreneur magazine even has a section dedicated to momprenuers. While opening a business during the pandemic wasn’t a part of the plan, Brown says her business hasn’t slowed and that running the company gives her an extra edge. “It’s interesting opening the curtain and having full access to every part of an order. When I worked for a distributorship, they would handle the nitty-gritty. I would sell and place the order, and the distributor I was working with would do everything else,” she says. “I didn’t know about all the other components of an order, so it’s been really fun to see what happens once you place an order with the supplier. To me, there’s a lot of freedom in that and I feel really empowered that I have full control of every part of my orders. I feel like that gives me the ability to provide the best customer service.” Brown says she’s looking forward to more in-person meetings and building relationships with her suppliers. “It just helps to feel like you’re not alone, especially right now with how volatile the supply chain is. Being an independent distributor does strip a layer of support,” she says. “If I’m only placing orders with suppliers that I don’t have relationships with, it’s just transactional. I’m really trying to meet as many people as I can to lean on and provide support for as well.” For Brown, promotional products have a permanent place in her life. “I realized I love the industry, and I can see myself doing this for a really long time.” PPB spoke with Brown to learn more about her journey as a mompreneur. PPB What does time management look like for you? Brown I have three, very dependent, little kids. I am organized. For me, it’s mostly utilizing as many resources as I can. I am obsessed with SAGE. At first, I wasn’t utilizing it as well as I could, so I called my rep for a one-on-one training session. That was a huge benefit because there are a lot of resources in SAGE that helped me better organize my orders. I am a list-maker and I put everything in my phone. Every tiny aspect of my life is in my iPhone calendar. I am trying my best every day. I am giving myself some grace and I drink a lot of coffee. PPB For someone starting their own distributorship, what advice would you share? Brown Like any startup, you might not make a ton of money the first year. There are a lot of expenses. In my situation, as a completely independent distributor, I am my own bank. Most suppliers will not give you net terms, immediately, until you’re a more established business. That means when you place an order, you are upfronting the money until you get paid. Be prepared to budget really well. Ask a ton of questions. Do every webinar that’s offered. Go to the trade shows and meet the reps who are in your area. Say “yes” more than you say “no,” but know your worth. Kristina Valdez is associate editor of PPB . Say “yes” more than you say “no,” but know your worth. Abigail Brown Ab i ga i l Br own 82 | NOVEMBER 2021 | CONNECT