ERICA EHM Q&AWITH - The MOMpreneur

THE 

September 2007 

MompreneurTM 

FAMILY | AMBITION | INSPIRATION | BALANCE 

ERICA EHM 

SUCCESS IS 

SO YUMMY 

THE POWER OF 

MARKETING 

Q&A WITH 

BABY GOURMET 

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF 

ELISABETH FAYT

4 PUBLISHERʼS MESSAGE 

6 SUCCESS 

Balancing Your Marketing Portfolio 

8 BUSINESS 

Getting Intimate With Your Customers 

13 A DAY IN THE LIFE 

Elisabeth Fayt 

14 MOMMY MERCHANDISE 

16 MARKETING 

Business Card Or Marketing Tool? 

24 

30 TECHNOLOGY 

Combining Your Online And 

Offline Marketing Strategies 

Can Save You Money (Part II) 

32 PARENTING 

Your Kids Are A Target Market 

34 Q&A 

Baby Gourmet 

THE 

Mompreneur 

September 2007 

TM 

21 SUCCESS 

Stirring the Sales Pot 

22 READ ABOUT SEX 

Discover Kama Sutra 


13 

24 FEATURE STORY 

Erica Ehm – Success Is So Yummy 

29 RELAX 

Cooing Babies, Rested Parents 

34

Publisher 

Kathryn Bechthold 

Advertising & Sales: 

Azure Campbel 

Tara Ellis 

Erin Tigchelaar 

Shazia Warsi 

Graphic Design: 

Karen Cottingham 

Photography: 

Stephanie Cragg Photography 

Printer: 

Calgary Colorpress 

Distibutor: 

National Distribution Alliance 

Contributing Writers: 

Dr. Trina Read, Kim Duke, Angela King, 

Julia Freedman Smith, Gail Bell, 

Cidnee Stephen, Tara Ellis, 

Erin Tigchelaar , Coral Freedman 

© 2007 The Mompreneur Networking 

Group Inc. assumes all articles published 

here are original and are the property 

of the submitting firms. 

The Mompreneur is a FREE magazine 

produced and printed in Canada. 

It is published 11 times a year by 

The Mompreneur Networking 

Group Inc. 

Suite 3041, 

614 - 33 Heritage Meadows Way SE, 

Calgary, AB T2H 3B8. 

(403) 201-3327 

themompreneur@shaw.ca 

www.themompreneur.com 

Article contributions are encouraged 

Contact Kathryn Bechthold at the above 

phone number or e-mail address. 

4 

THE 

Mompreneur 

The Mompreneur • September 2007 

TM 

PUBLISHER’S 

MESSAGE 

by Kathryn Bechthold 

Recently, my husband came home very 

excited – not about seeing me, but about 

seeing a new movie called 300. 

Knowing it to be a typical boy/war/goreand-guts 

film, I was hesitant to join him in his 

excitement. 

I was only persuaded to watch once he told me 

that it was loosely based on historical fact and that the 

men in the movie were mostly naked and often sweaty – 

hey, a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do. 

As I watched this movie, I realized how quickly and eagerly men describe 

their challenges and accomplishments to people they come across. You only 

have to look at the histories of major battles to know this is true. 

Are women different? 

You get to know a lot of really successful women once you have been 

doing the networking circuit for a while and it is always interesting to watch 

the reactions of these women when you congratulate them on a recent 

accomplishment – the achievement is often down-played or totally dismissed. 

The thinking seems to be that we wouldn’t want anyone thinking we’re 

arrogant or anything now, would we? 

Then I ran into a friend who had recently had a baby. I opened with the 

obligatory “Congratulations. How are you feeling?” 

My friend then proceeded to go into the goriest story of labour, delivery 

and aftermath I have ever heard. It was so explicit and detailed and she was 

so in the moment that she almost had to sit down once she was finished. I 

almost needed to sit down, too. 

“Wow! That sounds terrible. Are you okay now?” I asked. 

She quickly replied “No, I will never heal completely. I haven’t had sex 

in months and that is the least of my worries.” 

As she continued, I found myself wondering when “vagina,” “anus” and 

“tearing” had become common words for an environment like Starbucks. 

Then it occurred to me I had done this, as well. After my daughter was 

born, I distinctly remember a friend visiting me and interrupting my 

description of the birth to ask that I stop talking, as she was about to vomit 

on my living room carpet. 

“I’m sorry, are you sick?” I asked. 

“No”, she replied. “I can’t stand this story.” 

I was shocked! I hadn’t even gotten to the really good part about the 

recovery yet. I felt so cheated. This is my battle story, this is my kingdom that 

I conquered and, dammit, I am going to tell this story until the day I die! 

This obviously begs a question: why is it ok for us to brag about our stories 

of delivery, but not about the accomplishments we have fought for as business 

women? 

So, here’s my challenge to you: send me the story of your biggest 

accomplishment. We are always looking for fascinating women to feature and, 

if we like your story, you just might see yourself in our magazine. 

So, what are you waiting for? 

Visit our website at www.themompreneur.com

Be empowered … 

Sign up for The Mompreneur e-Zine today. 


THE 

Mompreneur 


TM

We all understand the importance 

of having a balanced financial 

portfolio, but what about our 

marketing portfolio? If we invest the bulk 

of our marketing in limited activities, we 

are putting ourselves at risk of achieving 

a less than desirable return on our 

investment. 

While in finance we want to 

balance risk and return, in marketing 

we want to balance three crucial 

elements – control, cost and credibility. 

See the diagram below. 

Each of these three areas has varied 

degrees of control, cost and credibility. 

For example, with advertising, we are 

pretty much in total control of when, where 

and how we place an ad. Of course we also 

have to pay more to have this control. But how 

much credibility do we gain by telling others we 

are great? 

If we rely heavily on advertising, chances are 

we could very quickly deplete our marketing budget 

before we reach our goals. 

On the other hand, if we were to look at low cost items 

with high credibility, like PR and, to some extent, referral 

marketing, we have very little control on when, where and 

how it occurs. 

In this instance we could run out of TIME before we 

reach our goals. 

Therefore, divide your budget in two ways: 

1. Allocate a lot of your marketing dollars to savvy 

advertising and promotions (the key here is savvy)! 

2. Allocate more of your marketing time to referral 

marketing and PR activities. 

6 The Mompreneur • September 2007 

SUCCESS 

by Cidnee Stephen 

Balancing Your Marketing Portfolio 

So you have some money to spend on marketing. 

The big question is: what do you spend it on 

to minimize risk and maximize return? 

The answer is: your balanced 

marketing portfolio. 

Control Cost & Credibility Table 

Control Cost Credibility 

Advertising High High Low 

Referrals Medium Low Medium 

Public Relations Low Low High 

Don’t forget. Just like your financial portfolio, it’s 

important to measure your return on investment on all your 

marketing activities as well! 

Is your marketing portfolio balanced? Does it exist at 

all? If you answered no to either of these questions, chances 

are you are missing out on maximizing your bottom line and 

minimizing your costs and time. MP 

Cidnee Stephen is the president of Strategies for Success, 

a marketing company that caters specifically to the needs 

of small businesses and solopreneurs. 

She is a sought after speaker and writer on cost and 

time effective ways to generate qualified leads and 

build credibility. For more free tips, make sure you 

subsribe to Marketing Tips for the Savvy 

at www.strategiesforsuccess.ca.


7

Getting Intimate With Your Customers 

You know you need to do something differently to be 

successful in the marketplace. You’ve seen words like 

“differentiate,” “niche market” and “added value,” 

but you’re not sure where to start. You don’t want to read 

another column about marketing yourself by networking, 

writing articles, using direct mail or starting an e-zine, and 

you don’t want to spend money on advertising that doesn’t 

get a return. 

So what now? 

I say it’s time to get intimate with your customers. 

Whether you’re selling a product or delivering a service, 

the next level of marketing lies in finding out what would 

make the lives of your customers easier. 

Some examples of what I’m talking about: 

• the razor for women that is embedded 

in “moisture-rich skin lotion:” to lather, 

shave and moisturize in one step 

• phone-ahead prescription services 

• pizza delivery 

• sliced bread 

Each 

of these 

products is 

an example of a 

marketer who’s 

done his homework. 

These ideas were developed by studying the customer and 

identifying a need that wasn’t being met. 

Studying your customer is different than talking with 

your customer. Although asking your customer how you 

can add value is always a good idea, chances are that your 

customers may not know what it is that they might want. 

Imagine you had a really good relationship with your 

local baker. You buy bread there every few days. The owner 

of the bakery invites you to a focus group in which he gives 

you samples of bread and asks what he could do to make it 

better. You might suggest that he could add walnuts, make 

the bread fluffier or chewier, healthier or tastier, or bake 

bigger or smaller loaves. This information is helpful to the 

baker. 

Now imagine that someone from the bakery asks you if 

they could spend a day with you at home (on the weekend). 

You are supposed to just go about your day and this person 

will simply observe what happens in your home. Naturally, 


BUSINESS 

by Coral Freedman, The Coralation Group 

your kids are on their best behaviour. You probably want to 

explain why you do some of the things you do and the two of 

you might even have some pleasant conversations. At the 

end of the day, the baker leaves. What could he possibly 

have learned from that exercise? 

Here is a sample of the ideas the baker might jot down 

during the day: 

• small, finger-sized, chewy breadsticks for dipping in 

soft-boiled eggs 

• bread bowls for soup 

• miniature bagels to be used as teething rings 

• daily fresh bread delivery service 

• product goes stale quickly – try half-sized 

loaves to eliminate waste 

• put bread pudding or crouton 

recipes in the package so customer 

doesn’t waste stale bread 

• bread return service – 

customer returns unused portions to 

receive discount on next loaf – can 

we provide this to people in need? 

• calcium-enriched yoghurt-based 

dough? 

There is a significant difference 

between the ideas customers provide 

about what they want and those that come from 

observing customers in their own environment. When you 

spend time with your customers in their space, you learn 

about their lives and find ways your business can 

help them. This is what it means to get intimate with your 

customers. 

You’ll want to tweak this concept to fit your business, of 

course – perhaps a short visit to your customer’s home or 

workplace will do. Maybe you only need to observe a specific 

time (like family dinner hour), or a specific item (like a 

daytimer, or the contents of their fridge). The point is that 

you want to gain a perspective on your customer in their 

own environment that you don’t already have. 

How do you get started? 

The first step is to identify customers who you feel 

would be appropriate for this exercise. 

Choose customers who are: 

Satisfied: Customers who have expressed appreciation 

for your product and service in the past may be flattered to 

be asked to assist you in this way. 

Representative: Select customers who are similar to 

the majority of the people you want to serve, or those who 

represent markets you are looking to grow. 

Enigmatic: You may have some customers who 

“ought” to be buying more from you (given your definition of 

your target market), but who seem to only have a marginal

There is a significant difference between the ideas customers 

provide about what they want and those that come from 

observing customers in their own environment. 

use for your products or service. Spending a bit of time with 

this type of customer may help you identify what prevents 

them from buying more. 

Next, you’ll want to approach these people to find out if 

they would be willing to work with you in this way. I prefer 

the straightforward approach. 

You can say something like: I’m interested in 

learning more about my customers in an effort to identify 

opportunities for me to serve them better. Would you be 

interested in helping me? You don’t have to say more until 

they ask, and the likely response is a question as to what 

would be involved in helping. I might express it this way: 

I would like to be able to spend some time observing my 

customers in their everyday environment. If you are willing, 

I would like to shadow you as you go about your normal 

day/evening/weekend/workday. We would work around 

your schedule and, of course, if there were private or 

confidential tasks that you would need to take care of, 

I would offer you privacy during those times. 

From this point on, you can work out the details 

with them. 

Some additional tips: 

Even if you fit the description of your target market 

(i.e., you’re a mom and you sell products for mothers), don’t 

assume that you can ignore observing others. This kind of 

assumption is how products or services get stale. 

Don’t forget to thank your customers in some way for 

sharing their lives with you. 

After you’ve gone through the process, take some time 

to formulate some ideas based on what you saw. You may 

need or want to share what you saw with someone to see if 

they can come up with insights or ideas that are different 

than yours. (A colleague or coach would be great for this.) 

When you’ve processed your thoughts, share your 

insights with your customers and ask for their feedback. 

If you’re thinking to yourself that this is something 

you’d never do – look back at the beginning of this article. 

Implementing this idea takes effort and courage. 

If you decide to take the plunge, please share 

your questions, stories and insights with me at 

MP 

coral@coralationgroup.com. 

Coral Freedman provides coaching and tools that increase the confidence, 

capability and measurable results of people on their way to success. 

You can reach her at coral@coralationgroup.com or at 403.282.1051. 

Visit our website at www.themompreneur.com 


9

Are you living a luscious life? ..... 

Are you a luscious you? ..... 

Stop searching – just call!

A DAY IN THE LIFE 

5:30 am Perform Energization Exercises & Kriya Yoga 

Meditation. 

6:15 am Respond to a few emails – a quick preview of 

the work day. 

6:30 am Breastfeed and cuddle my baby… and maybe 

catch a few minutes snoozing together! 

7:00 am Fetch newspaper from porch and make 

cappuccinos to bring to bed. Our morning ritual 

is for Dad and baby to read the paper together. 

I bring my husband a cappuccino and juice 

with an inspirational quote or message for the 

day written on a napkin every morning. 

7:45 am Brisk jog. 

8:00 am Nanny arrives, husband and I get ready for 

work. 

8:30 am We have a sit-down breakfast as a family every 

morning, as meal-time is a great way to bond. 

9:00 am Open THE SPA (RnR Wellness) with Spa 

Director. 

11:00 am Perform a Reflexology Session for client. 

12:00 noon Perform a Reiki Session for client. 

1:15 pm Lunch Meeting with a Pinnacle Concierge to 

discuss upcoming joint promotion. 

2:00 pm Greet ladies’ group at the spa. 

Elisabeth 

Fayt 

owner of RnR Wellness Spas, 

shares with us one of her 

typical and action-packed 

work days. 

2:30 pm Meet with Leisure Life Vacations to finalize 

agenda for a Jamaican corporate retreat. 

3:00 pm Take baby to the pool for an afternoon swim 

– we go swimming every day! 

4:00 pm Back to desk at my home office for two hours 

while baby has his afternoon nap. 

6:00 pm Nanny leaves and baby and I have dinner. 

7:00 pm Take a walk up to our home, where Dad is 

working on a renovation with a crew of 

builders. We usually bring him dinner, as 

he’s working around the clock until the house 

is done. 

7:30 pm Visit the park and spend quality time on the 

swings. 

8:00 pm Back home to meet with an Aromatherapist, 

who is dropping off the new RnR Baby Spa 

product to test (orange/lavender/vanilla). 

8:15 pm Baby’s bath and night-time story, wind-down 

cuddles, quality time with baby and Dad. 

9:00 pm Baby’s bed time. 

9:15 pm E-mail follow-up, prepare notes for next day, 

write course material, work on book, and 

perform household chores. 

10:30 pm Time for personal journaling and reflection, 

baby journaling, connecting with my husband 

and going to bed. MP 


13

The Funky Monkey Baby Boutique, Inc. 

Skip Hop Expo diaper bag in Bubblegum Pink. $92.00. 

www.funkymonkeybaby.com 

Maximizer 

A product, sales and contact 

management software program 

– a necessary tool for any salesperson. 

$229.00. www.maximizer.com 


Shanghai Girl 

Silk diaper bag & bottle bag set; 

100% silk, washable. $125.00. 

Bronze necklace $85.00 

Chinese lantern (holds a votive candle). 

$20.00 each. 

www.shanghaigirl.ca 

bo bebe lifestyle 

Brand new Belly Beans®; anti-morning 

sickness candies – the most natural candy 

on the planet, 100% organic, vegan, sugar 

free, Nut free, Fat free, GMO free, no 

artificial flavour/colour, no gelatin or animal 

by-products, and only 5 calories for every 3 

you eat! Designed with sour fruits, ginger or 

mint – all essential in combatting nausea. 

$6.99 www.bobebe.com

MOMMY 

Belkin 

Washable Mouse, Cush Top, 

Wireless Router and Network USB 

Hub are just some of the products 

available. www.belkin.ca 

MERCHANDISE 


Little Soles 

A full line of unique footwear for infants 

and children. Our shoes are the perfect 

combination of function, durability and style. 

www.littlesoles.ca 

Baby Sherpa 

Fully equipped with: uniquely 

integrated soft-sided cooler; 

parent pouch & key clip; 

pacifier & toy clips; modular 

insulated bottle pocket & water 

bottle holder; heavy duty molded 

lug handle & oversized change 

pad; accessory pouches for 

cameras, PDAs, cell phones 

or sunglasses; ergonomically 

designed padded shoulder 

straps; sternum strap; 

optics pouch. $89.00. 

www.babysherpa.com 


15

Do you have a box of business cards on your desk 

that you hardly seem to put a dent in before the 

information changes and a new box is ordered? 

Or worse yet - are you still working on that same box of 

business cards that you printed three years ago? 

Business cards can be a great inexpensive marketing 

tool for a small business. They say exactly what you do and 

give people all the contact information they need to get a 

hold of you. Yet, oddly enough, we tend to use them only for 

networking, and even then, we aren’t really sure if people 

are holding on to them. 

Here are seven different ways you can turn your 

business cards into a low cost marketing machine! 

1. Keep them on hand. Even when you are popping to the 

convenience store or running a short errand. You never 

know who you will run into or what opportunity might 

present itself. It’s wise to keep your business cards in 

multiple locations, like your wallet or purse, your car, or 

your favourite coat, so that you won’t be left empty-handed. 

Words of advice: invest in some simple card holders so your 

cards are protected instead of bent or soiled. 

2. Share with Strategic Alliances. This is highly effective 

if you market to consumers, but can also be used business to 

business. Business cards can be placed at grocery stores, 

car washes, or restaurants, for example. How about placing 

them with a graphic artist if you’re a sign company, or a 

realtor if you are a mortgage broker? Keep your eyes open 

for opportunities to get your business cards in front of your 

target audience! 

3. Include them in your correspondence. If you are 

sending out invoices or other correspondence to your 

target market, make sure you include your card. Consider 

enclosing a couple and ask your loyal suppliers or clients 

if they can pass them on. I know a travel agent who even 

included hers with her utility payments. 

4. Direct them to your website. Face it – more and more 

people are turning to the web for information. Yet some 

people still forget to include their website on their business 

card. If you are proud of your website and it promotes your 

company, point this out to people when you hand them your 

card. 

5. Put something useful on the back. By useful, I mean 

something that makes them want to hold on to your card. 

It can be a calendar, a discount, a FREE Trial or a Free 

Report. Think of something that your target market will 

value and you’ve increased the longevity of your card. 


MARKETING 

by Cidnee Stephen 

Business Card or Marketing Tool? 

6. Use them for jotting down information. So someone 

asks you for the name of your dentist or you are trying to 

explain a point. If the information will fit on your card, use 

it. By doing so you are guaranteeing two things: they will 

remember you for helping them and they will hold on to 

your card longer. 

7. Use them as part of your referral system. Business 

cards can be an integral part of your referral system. I’m not 

a huge advocate of handing out two or three cards to people 

you have just met. I am, however, a big believer in making 

sure happy clients and strategic alliances have extra cards 

on hand. Consider marking the cards in such a way to track 

the referral source. Offer a discount or prize if someone 

hands in the card. A good referral strategy can be one of the 

most powerful alternative uses for your business cards. 

Think about it. You have in your possession 500 to 

1,000 pieces of marketing in those little business card boxes. 

The idea is to get them in the hands of people that can grow 

your business. In order to do that you need to devise a 

strategy to utilize them in creative ways. Ideally you want 

all of those cards out of your office and into the marketplace 

as quickly as possible! MP 

Cidnee Stephen is the president of Strategies for Success, 

a marketing company that caters specifically to the 

needs of small businesses and solopreneurs. 

She is a sought after speaker and writer on cost and 

time effective ways to generate qualified leads and 

build credibility. For more free tips, make sure you 

subsribe to Marketing Tips for the Savvy 

at www.strategiesforsuccess.ca.

Product Review 

Kelty Adventure Child Carrier by Tara Ellis 

We purchased our Kelty Adventure Child Carrier 

soon after we planned a four-week trip to Greece 

with our 15-month-old daughter. We chose this 

particular child carrier for its lightweight frame, sun/rain 

cover and two removable packs (one that can be worn as a 

backpack) that attach to the back of the carrier. The child’s 

seat is more of a harness, and is fully adjustable. Our 

daughter sat quite comfortably with no complaints. 

We were able to carry our daughter in the Kelty 

Carrier through security at the airport, because a carrier 

or stroller is not considered part of your one bag carry-on 

restriction. As we boarded the plane, other parents had 

to check their strollers with the flight attendants; we were 

the only ones allowed to store our child’s transportation 

system overhead. It fit perfectly. We were able to do this 

on even medium-sized airplanes and watched by the most 

sceptical of attendants. Once boarded, we zipped off the two 

packs and brought them to our seats. 

At one point, we were taking 

pictures of the ruins as people 

were taking pictures of our 

daughter in her carrier! 

When we were in Greece at the Knossos ruins, we 

tested the entire carrier in 35°C weather and our daughter 

was the only child still happy at the end of a three-hour 

visit. Thankfully, she was in the shade of the ventilated 

cover and thus avoided sunburn or heat stroke. The toy 

loops allowed us to hang her water cup within reach so she 

could drink from it at any time. The attached mirror on the 

front shoulder strap is a nice feature: it allows you to see 

what your child is doing behind you. The carrier’s rear 

support legs are spring-loaded to kick out when the carrier 

is removed and set down – a handy feature not present in 

other models. We had people approaching us regularly to 

ask about the carrier. At one point, we were taking pictures 

of the ruins as people were taking pictures of our daughter 

in her carrier! 


The Kelty Carrier is practically made and very easy to 

adjust for sizing. It took only a minute or two to adjust it to 

fit my 5 foot 5 inch frame, rather than my husband’s 6 foot 

2 inch frame. This convenience was much appreciated 

when we stood on the side of a steep hill. My husband felt 

that it could have adjusted for someone much taller and I 

felt it could have fit a much smaller frame than mine. 

The shoulder strap attachment slides along a metal rail 

that is part of the carrier’s rigid frame. A spring-loaded pin 

allows you to change the position to suit your height. This 

can be done with one or two fingers and in a manner of 

seconds. We found this to be much simpler and more 

effective than other models we tried, which used a Velcro 

adjustment or ladder straps that needed to be re-threaded 

for each adjustment. 

We were even able to adjust the height of the carrier for 

comfort while wearing it, although this requires assistance 

from another person. 

We have been extremely impressed with the Kelty 

Adventure Carrier and we look forward to many more trips 

with our daughter on our backs. MP 

Whether you are wanting to buy or sell, please 

call me for professional assistance!!! 

Theresa Corcoran 

Maxwell South Star Realty 

Phone 253-5678 cell 607-7798 

www.calgaryrealestateleader.com

Shopping Review 

Located in charming downtown Grimsby, Ontario, Cocoon's original 

tin ceiling and maple floors add ambience to this specialty decor 

and giftware shop. 

Unique bedroom, dining and leather furniture create a backdrop for 

an amazing selection of dishware, clay wine cups, decanters, Riedel 

glassware, lamps and decor accessories 

Cocoon also carries a large selection of Bath and Body including 

Fruits & Passion, Pacifica Soy candles and body butters. 

Our baby corner is full of wonderful gifts and accessories including 

Robeez footwear and Perlimpinpin for as little as $20.00. 

Visit at Christmas when the store 

offers a wonderland of Christmas gift 

and decorating inspirations. MP 

Cocoon Home Décor 

18 Main West 

Grimsby, Ont 

(905) 309-7679 

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Stirring The Sales Pot 

We’ve all had the experience of cooking something in 

the kitchen and also reading a book or watching 

TV at the same time. You become completely 

engrossed in what you’re doing and then … SNIFF, SNIFF 

… the smell of charred food fills the air. 

In sales you can burn things up as well. It all starts 

with complacency. 

Don’t let an unwatched sales pot burn 

your bottom line. 

Complacency is defined by Mr. Webster as “A 

feeling of contentment or self-satisfaction, esp. when 

coupled with an unawareness of danger or trouble.” 

Yikes – something is definitely burning here! 

Complacency happens to all of us if we allow 

it. For a salesperson or entrepreneur it is especially 

dangerous. When sales are going great, you have a 

large client that is investing heavily with you, or 

a project deadline seems far away, it is easy to 

slack off and think the workload can wait. Then, 

seemingly out of nowhere, the large client goes 

bankrupt or switches to another supplier, your 

project is due next week and you haven’t sold a 

dime in a month. 

Did it happen by accident? Absolutely not. The 

burner was left on too long without any attention 

from you. 

Stir the sales pot before things 

start to boil over. 

When sales are doing well is not the time to sit back 

and relax. It is the perfect time to use the positive energy 

and confidence you feel and apply it in new directions. 

Research, read books that propel you forward with 

ideas and attitude, call on new accounts and speak to your 

current accounts on how you can 

improve service for them. 

By stirring the sales pot you are showing care and 

attention to yourself as well as your customers. You are 

anticipating needs and planning for future business. It 

doesn’t take much work and the rewards are great. 

Take it from the Sales Martha – it’s a good thing! MP 

SUCCESS 

by Kim Duke, The Sales Diva 

Cooking and selling have many things in common. 

You are always working with a variety of ingredients to create the desired end result. 

You turn the heat up or down. You let things simmer to achieve perfection. 

This Sales Martha also believes in stirring the pot! 


Kim Duke, The Sales Diva, provides savvy, sassy sales training for 

women small biz owners and entrepreneurs. Kim works with clients 

internationally, showing them The Sales Diva secrets to success! 

Sign up for her saucy and smart FREE e-zine and receive her 

FREE Bonus Report “The 5 Biggest Sales Mistakes Women Make“ 

at www.salesdivas.com. 


21

Discover Kama Sutra 

“There is something timeless and enduring about this and the other classic Eastern 

sex manuals, giving them a prestige more modern sex books do not possess.” 

- Anne Hooper, Kama Sutra for the 21st Century Lovers 

id you know the Kama Sutra was written by 

a celibate scholar? Or that the Kama Sutra 

revolves around a man’s pleasure? Or that 

only about 20% of the book is about sexual 

positioning? It’s interesting that most people know about 

Kama Sutra and yet they don’t really know what it is about. 

After being with the same partner for a number of 

years, many couples are desperately curious about how to 

spice up their sex life. Stuck for options, they secretly tiptoe 

down the “sex” section of the bookstore to get a peek at the 

Kama Sutra nudie pictures and acrobatic sexual positions. 

Titillated, they buy the book, only to have it sit 

untouched and lonesome in their nightstand drawer for 

ever more. 

Unfortunately, what they failed to understand is that 

the Kama Sutra is not a sex-quick-fix; rather, it’s a 

comprehensive way of looking at their sexuality. As such, 

it has remained under a mystical Eastern shroud since it 

first hit pop-culture in the early 1980s. 

Truthfully, the Kama Sutra isn’t all that complicated 

and it’s a great way for couples to keep their sex fun and 

fresh over the long term. 

So what is Kama Sutra? It was meant as a pillow book. 

Whereas our Western culture used to believe in not talking 

about sex and leaving kids ignorant until their wedding day, 

Eastern culture had the opposite viewpoint. When a young 

person became engaged, they were given a “pillow book”, 

which was their technical guide on how to have sex. 

Vatsyayana happened to create the world’s most famous 

pillow book. 


READ ABOUT SEX 

by Dr. Trina Read 

Tradition states that Vatsyayana was a celibate scholar 

who lived sometime around the 4th century AD. He did not 

write the Kama Sutra per se; rather, he was a compiler and 

editor of all the information that existed during the very rich 

Gupta period. Interestingly, Vatsyayana believed that sex 

itself was not wrong, but doing it frivolously was sinful. 

“Kama” literally means desire and “Sutra” signifies a 

thread or a thread of discourses. While most of us believe 

the Kama Sutra is all about sexual positions, approximately 

80% of the book gives insights on how to make love a divine 

union, how to act like a responsible citizen, how to handle 

your household, etc. It’s a philosophical discourse and a 

marriage manual to troubleshoot all the sticky subjects a 

young man or young woman will face in their pending 

marriage. And it’s brilliant, really. 

And then there are the infamous 64 positions which 

have launched hundreds (maybe thousands) of books, videos 

and websites. Vatsyayana believed there were eight ways to 

make love, multiplied by eight positions – a veritable 

smorgasbord of sex. 

What many people don’t realize is that the Kama 

Sutra’s focus is to give the man the maximum amount of 

sexual pleasure. Eastern culture believed that, in order for 

the man to get the maximum amount of gratification, he 

first had to bring the woman to full arousal. Why? The more 

sexual energy she had, the more likely it was her energy 

would cross over to give him a bigger, better orgasm. 

What does that translate to? 

Our quickly-becomes-boring Western get-on, get-in,

Our quickly-becomes-boring Western get-on, 

get-in, get-off type of sex cannot begin to 

rival the sex described in the Kama Sutra because 

the latter is about the entire sexual experience. 

get-off type of sex cannot begin to rival the sex described in the Kama Sutra 

because the latter is about the entire sexual experience. 

Kama Sutra sex has a beginning, middle and end – instead of just 

focusing on the middle, like Western sex does. 

First, the Kama Sutra gives instructions on how to prepare yourself 

and your environment for lovemaking. It then talks about multiple ways to 

have foreplay in order to “energize” the woman (yeah!). 

It then shows many different options for positions. The possible 

combinations are endless, enabling you to mix sex up each and every time. 

You may be asking, “If Kama Sutra sex is so great, why aren’t more 

people jumping on the band wagon?” Well, if you want to be authentic, you 

read Richard Burton’s original translated version of Vatsyayana’s work – 

and it is deadly boring. Did I mention it’s also complicated? He talks about 

yonis and bulls and other euphemisms that are unfamiliar to our Western 

sensibilities. It’s intimidating and off-putting for the average couple. 

Luckily, Anne Hooper came out with Kama Sutra for 21 st Century 

Lovers. It’s the best version I’ve seen on the store shelf because it is written 

in understandable language and the photos are superb. Or if you want to be 

more authentic, Deepak Chopra is trying to cash in on his name with his 

own beautiful version of Kama Sutra. 

If you’ve done the math, then yes, Kama Sutra takes more bedroom 

work. Time-starved couples look at it, roll their eyes and say, “No thanks.” 

Please remember though, good sex gives you and your relationship a 

much-needed injection of energy. 

The 10 or 15 minutes of extra time required will take your sex from 

blah to bravo. MP 

Sexologist, Dr. Trina E. Read is a national newspaper columnist,magazine columnist and 

international speaker. Go to Dr. Trina’s website, www. trinaread.com to sign up for your weekly 

audio T-Sex Tip, or email your comments to drtrina@ trinaread.com.

FEATURE 

by Erin Tigchelaar Erica 


Ehm

Success Is So Yummy 

Being Erica Ehm – the first female VJ of MuchMusic and one of the most 

recognizable Canadian television personalities of the ʼ80s, 

an award-winning songwriter, playwright and an event host and 

motivational speaker – seems like a business unto itself. 

We sat down with her to find out the story of her success with her online business. 

Since launching the Yummy Mummy Club, what 

benefits and challenges have there been for you as 

a celebrity business owner? 

My biggest challenge as a mompreneur is time. Since 

having kids it’s like I’ve entered a time-sucking vortex. As 

an entrepreneur, I see opportunities presenting themselves 

everywhere, and I’m driven to turn these opportunities 

into realities. This demands time, which I don’t always feel 

I have! 

I do have amazing focus, so when I’m “celebrity Erica,” 

I do my job in an appropriate manner: I dress the part, I 

look glossy and I turn my public persona on. But there’s 

another side to me, which is the small business owner side: 

wearing comfy clothes working in my home office all day 

without coming up for air. This is where I am most of the 

time – creating something out of nothing. 

Without a doubt, the celebrity side of my life is very 

helpful. People take my call when I cold-call them (which I 

find myself doing constantly), and companies are interested 

in co-branding with me because I bring my own “personal” 

brand of yumminess to the Yummy Mummy Club. All the 

years I’ve spent in the public eye working hard to stay true 

to my personal values are definitely paying off. But, 

celebrity or not, in the end, if my product doesn’t deliver, 

I’m out of luck. So far, I’m managing to exceed most 

expectations. 

What traits or life lessons from being a mother have 

contributed to your success as an entrepreneur? 

I think it’s the other way around. Being an 

entrepreneur makes me a good mother. I’m not hyperfocused 

on my kids, because I have a life outside of them. 

I’m stimulated, so I’m happier. I’m a role model for them, 

constantly reinforcing the importance of hard work and 

loving what you do for a living by example. I am proof that 

making your dreams come true is possible and I remind 

them that their futures are in their hands. The only 

thing that being a mom has taught me about being an 

entrepreneur is that it is possible to survive (barely) on 

next-to-no sleep when necessary. 

Have you experienced challenges unique to running 

an online business? 

My challenge is learning the technology involved in an 

online business, which is changing at hyper-speed. When 

you don’t understand the technology, you become prisoner to 

those around you who do. Luckily, I started working with 

www.yourwebdepartment.com, and the company set me 

up with a fantastic, user-friendly, content-managed website. 

My learning curve went through the roof. I went from 

websites not even being on my radar, to single-handedly 

building one of the hottest mom sites in North America. I 

am very proud of this! By the way, I’ve since partnered with 

Your Web Department to create an online web solution for 

mompreneurs. 

What are your key messages when marketing the site, 

and how did you develop them? 

The Yummy Mummy Club is an online destination for 

modern moms who are looking for some adult stimulation. 

We speak to the woman in every mom. 

The inspiration for the website was my own experience 

of feeling brain-dead and incredibly un-yummy after having 

my son. First, I found moving at the speed of a baby or 

toddler was mind-numbing. I was desperate for some adult 

stimulation, but I found that most of the publications 

available all spoke to me like the only thing I had in my 

life was my kids: how to cook for your kids, how to encourage 

your kids to sleep, what to read to your kids, how to develop 

your kid’s learning skills. What about me? Why does society 

ignore the needs of the mother? Why had I become so 

invisible after having kids? 

I started the Yummy Mummy Club as an online 

community for women to celebrate and commiserate about 

our new reality of being someone’s mother, and to dish about 

how to keep all the other parts of ourselves alive – the sexy 

mama, the smart thinker, the professional, the girlfriend, 

the athlete, the adventurer. We need all these pieces to 

make up an accurate picture of today’s yummy mummies. 

In a recent National Post article, you were 

disarmingly open and unapologetic about the 

advertising and Yummy Shops! section of the site. 

How have your club members reacted to the more 

commercial aspects of the community? 

We all like to shop. My take is to find cool companies 

that want to speak to sexy modern moms, rather than 

talking to us like we’re just somebody’s mother. I believe 

continued on next page 


25

it is a welcome relief to moms to not be patronized by the 

advertisers. That’s why many of my sponsors are not 

traditionally found on mom sites. XM Radio, Roots, 

WaySpa.com, Fuji , Mercedes Benz – these are brands that 

are looking to get the attention of the CEO of the household, 

the one who holds the purse strings. Rather than selling my 

readers diapers and baby toys, we look for lingerie, travel 

destinations, computers and other fashionable items 

relevant to the life of a multi-tasking mom. 

Also, the Shop Yummy is an inexpensive forum for 

mompreneurs to advertise to moms looking to spend some 

money online. It’s win/win! 

What has been the biggest reward of running Yummy 

Mummy? 

I have never felt so connected to a community before. 

Even though I’ve spent over a decade as a major player 

in the Canadian music industry, my sense of community 


there pales in comparison to the feeling of connecting 

with amazing women on both on a personal and 

professional level (and often a combination of the two) 

since I started the Yummy Mummy Club. There is 

something so … I don’t know … almost mystical that 

happens when you become a mom. I see it as entering 

a secret club, which you only get to be a part of once 

you have a child. It’s why I called the site the 

Yummy Mummy Club. 

On a business level, I have created relationships 

with several mompreneurs who, like me, are 

struggling to bring their vision to life without 

sacrificing their family time. Some are competitors, 

running online mom-focused websites, but we view 

this as a great networking opportunity, rather than a 

threat. In fact, I put together the “Mummy Mafia” to 

partner with me on a huge promotion called Canada’s 

Yummiest Mummy (www.yummiestmummy.com), 

where we’re inviting Canadian moms to upload videos 

for a chance to win huge prizes. 

It’s the biggest initiative I’ve ever launched and 

I’m thrilled and relieved that www.UrbanMoms.ca, 

www.SavvyMom.ca, www.ConnectMom.com, 

ww.weewelcome.ca, www.funnymummy.com 

and www.mommyclub.ca are a part of it with me. 

How has your recent trip to Africa for World 

Vision affected your business and personal life? 

I went to Malawi to host a television show for 

World Vision about the epidemic of AIDS orphans, in 

the hopes of raising money that is so desperately 

needed. After spending time with so many who had 

next to nothing, I came back thankful for my great 

life, but more than a little uncomfortable with all our 

“materialistic stuff.” 

Luckily, I’m in a position to spread the word on 

what I’ve seen and learned. I take full advantage of 

my public persona to fundraise and be a spokesperson 

for causes I believe in. It’s the least I can do to make 

the world a bit better. 

As a mother, one of the hardest jobs for me is 

ensuring my kids don’t develop that dreaded sense of 

entitlement. I want them to have a well-grounded 

value system. It was very helpful to see how the children in 

Africa are living. It has provided me with countless stories 

to share with my privileged kids in the hopes of making 

them understand how lucky they are and appreciate how 

much they have, as well as to remind them how much they 

have to give. 

I know it’s not in the same realm as the AIDS crisis in 

Malawi, but I do believe the Yummy Mummy Club has an 

effect on a problem as well. Roaming the playgrounds, there 

are too many exhausted, isolated, guilt-ridden moms who 

feel they have to give up their former selves in order to be 

someone’s mother. 

I hope that moms who visit my site and sign up for my 

cheeky newsletter will somehow rid themselves of their 

martyr complexes, and understand it’s important to feel 

yummy! Happy mummy, happy baby! Now that’s Yummy. 

Can I go to sleep now? I’m exhausted! MP

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RELAX 

by Julie Riach 

Cooing Babies, Rested Parents 

Does that sound like new parent paradise? These days a lot of North 

American parents are getting wise to all the benefits of baby 

massage. In countries such as India, moms have been practicing the 

traditional art of Shantala Baby Massage for centuries. Not only is it fun to 

watch your child wiggle and coo in response to your touch, you as a parent 

will also reap rewards (one of which is an infant 

who sleeps better). 

Digestive issues, such as colic, gas 

and constipation, are never fun for baby 

or parent. Massage can help combat 

these issues. If you have a 

digestively-challenged baby, try 

laying him on his back and 

moving his legs in a clockwise 

direction so that his thighs 

are rubbing against his 

abdomen. Massaging the 

abdomen with clockwise 

circles can also help 

stimulate the digestive 

tract and get things moving 

along. 

Incorporating a daily 

massage into baby’s routine 

is one way to help ensure he 

sleeps soundly and more 

regularly. Try a 10 to 15 minute 

massage before bath time or bedtime. 

This will quickly become a popular routine with both of you! 

Simultaneous benefits of massage include better circulation, 

reduced stress hormones, positive body image development and improved 

baby-parent bonds. A US study has also shown that infant massage helps 

premature babies: infants receiving massage grew up to 47% faster and on 

average left the hospital six days earlier than the premature babies that 

were not massaged. 

Just wait … there’s more! Parents not only get the immense pleasure 

of giving their baby a rub-down. They also more easily pick up on their 

baby’s cues and feel more confident when handling them (especially true for 

first-time parents). A reduction of instances and symptoms of postpartum 

depression in mothers has also been observed when massage is used. 

Want to get on board? Here’s what you’ll need: a 100% cold-pressed 

organic vegetable oil, such as apricot kernel or grapeseed oil, and a quiet 

and warm room. Make sure you remove any jewelry that may scratch the 

baby, and check yourself to ensure you are in a happy and relaxed mood 

(babies pick up on negative energy very quickly). Keep the pace of the 

massage slow. Try to cover the whole body including chest, arms/hands, 

stomach, legs/feet and back. Keeping the same sequence for each massage 

session is more relaxing for the baby as he will soon learn what body part 

comes next in your massage routine. 

Above all, life moves faster than we’d like sometimes, so enjoy these 

precious moments together. MP 

Baby massage courses are heaps of fun and a useful way to get comfortable with baby 

massage techniques. Julie Riach is a Certified Shantala Baby Massage Instructor and the 

owner of Thrive Fitness: www.thrivefitness.ca. She teaches private and group classes 

throughout Calgary and the surrounding area. 


29

Our example from the previous article showed us a 

client who was getting 64% of his site’s traffic from 

offline methods – he just didn’t know which methods 

were most profitable. If he was tracking each of these, he 

would also know exactly which strategy was bringing in the 

most visitors and where to focus his efforts and money and 

where to stop wasting them. 

This leads us to the second technique, which stems 

from Link Cloaking software. This is an amazing way of 

gathering information about all of your advertising 

methods and learning exactly which ones are making 

you money and which ones are costing you money. 

Imagine you’re using various online and offline 

strategies all through different sources and all at different 

costs. 

Aside from asking people directly, which can be time 

consuming and frustrating, especially if you forget to ask or 

if they never contact you so you can’t ask them, how will you 


TECHNOLOGY 

by Angela King 

Combining Your 

Online and Offline 

Marketing 

Strategies 

Can Save You 

Money 

The number one technique you should be using to see what 

your marketing dollars are really doing for you! 

Part II 

know how many people found you through each method? 

For example, let’s say you advertise using the following 

sources: 

• an ad in a magazine such as The Momprenuer, 

• a trade show booth at the Women’s Expo, 

• a radio ad, 

• and an ad in a newspaper or coffee shop paper. 

Each strategy has a specific cost but is very hard to 

actually measure! 

The problem with past offline marketing is the 

inability to measure its effectiveness, meaning you often 

just have to take your chances and see what 

happens. 

Well, not anymore. 

Link Cloaking software allows you to create a new 

sub-directory on your website’s server which hosts a page 

that redirects your visitor to any page you want and 

actually tracks every time someone uses that URL. 


Let’s say you decide to take an ad out in The 

Momprenuer Magazine. The URL you would use to 

track visitors going to your site from that ad would be: 

www.yoururl.com/mom (mom being the sub-directory 

with the redirect page that you want people to see when 

they go to your site). 

This does two things. 

One, it allows you to see how many people visited your 

site for the first time based on the ad you ran, which is your 

number of unique visitors (extremely important data to 

have). 

Two, it gives you control over where visitors are sent 

on your site when they use this URL. If you have caught 

someone’s attention with a specific message in your ad, 

this gives you the opportunity to continue the message and 

increase your chances of convincing your visitor to take 

action. 

Using this tool in conjunction with Google Analytics 

will give you even more insight. For example, if 100 people 

type in www.yoururl.com/mom and only two go farther than 

your landing page (the main page they were directed to from 

the URL), then you know you need to adjust some factors on 

that page. 

If they do go farther but drop off somewhere else, then 

you can find out where and quickly make the needed 

changes to that portion of the website. 

Do you see how powerful this is? It means now you can 

track your advertising dollars and be able to fine-tune 

where you spend your money and where to focus your time 

and efforts on your site. 

Once you learn which strategies are the most 

successful and which are simply costing you money – you’ll 

be able to make smart decisions based on facts. You don’t 

necessarily have to completely quit using a particular 

method, but these techniques and tools give you the ability 

to make informed decisions. 

A step by step action plan to get 

you going immediately 

Learning about new techniques and ideas is only 

useful if you have a plan that you can walk away with and 

get started. 

Step 1: Find a tool that allows you to create and 

track your marketing efforts offline. Install it yourself or 

have someone else install it and track all your offline 

marketing efforts. The one we’ve used and like is 

www.affiliateprofitlinker.com. 

Step 2: Set up pages on your website that directly 

relate to your ad and redirect them to those pages. Again 

this will help them stay in line with what interested them in 

the first place. Sending them to a page that doesn’t relate to 

what they went to your site for could frustrate them and you 

could lose them altogether. 

Step 3: Set up website analytics of some kind. The ones 

usually provided by hosting companies are almost 

always useless. We suggest something like Google Analytics 

as it’s free and a lot more straightforward. 

Step 4: Offer something free that relates to your 

visitor’s interest and in exchange ask for their email 

address. This allows you to be able to build a relationship 

beyond your website and help further your bottom line. 

Whatever you offer must be a real gem – people don’t just 

give away their email address for another newsletter. 

Step 5: Analyze all of your data and make the 

necessary changes to your marketing strategy and website 

to maximize your ROI on advertising. 

You can always get more information or help with 

any of the steps, but please don’t let not knowing how to 

implement something prevent you from achieving great 

results. 

Nowadays, it’s not even a question whether or not to 

have a website, it’s how can I turn it into the most 

effective business tool possible and put money in my 

pocket? 

We hope that this has opened the door to the 

possibilities of combining offline and online methods to 

improve your return on investment, save you time and 

improve your results. 

Wishing you success! MP 

Angela King is co-owner of Lavia Marketing & Web Design, 

which specializes in online conversion and tracking 

and helps small businesses make the most from 

their website and online marketing efforts. 

www.laviadesign.com/analyze 


31

PARENTING 

Your Kids Are A Target Market 

“Now how are they going to write a parenting article 

about marketing? This should be good!” 

We bet that’s what you’re thinking because that’s 

what we thought too. Writing a parenting column in a 

business magazine is usually not too tricky. Most of the 

time, raising children and building a business overlap a 

great deal. But this topic was looking tricky … that is 

until we asked “Who is our target market?” “What is our 

tone?” and “What are our key messages?” All of a sudden, 

everything became crystal clear. 

As parents, we spend a good part of each day trying 

to sell key messages to our target market –trying to get 

information into the ears and brains of our children. We 

are frustrated when it doesn’t work. We feel like one big, 

disrespected, nagging mouth with a car and a wallet … 

and snacks … and wipes. Ok, perhaps we are painting too 

graphic a picture. Most of us know what this feels like 

anyway. 

Key Messages 

Do you remember the feeling of trying to market your 

business without knowing your key messages? It is a 

sinking, helpless feeling which embraces you shortly after 

you have met an influential stranger who asks about the 

work you do. As you begin to try to describe your business, 

you see eyes glazing over and suddenly this individual 


by Julie Freedman Smith & Gail Bell, 

Parenting Power 

begins to text someone on a BlackBerry while pretending to 

listen. Watching this lost soul walk away, you tell yourself – 

today is the day I decide on my key messages. I will never 

have this feeling again. 

That is until we get home to our family and react 

spontaneously to misbehaviour. The mouth begins (driven 

by our emotional brain) long before the logical brain has 

even begun to process the situation. We start spouting 

words without even thinking. Phrases we swore we would 

never utter fly from our lips at top speed, tackling helpless 

children. When it’s all over, everyone feels lousy and we feel 

defeated. A familiar voice echoes: today is the day I decide 

on my key messages. I will never have this feeling again. 

Effective key messages are short and to the point. 

They communicate clearly and often elicit an immediate 

response. Generating key messages usually takes some 

time, energy and an understanding of what we want 

to teach the consumer about our product. Knowing 

what we want to teach our children (Parenting with 

a Plan) makes creating key parenting messages 

so much easier. When we know how we will react to 

those same old situations – they didn’t take the 

garbage out, they won’t eat dinner, they got out of 

bed again– we are consistent, and our children get 

the message. They might roll eyes, but at least the 

eyes don’t glaze. They are “called to action.” 

One last thing about key messages: planning the 

messages we intend for our children to hear is a great place 

to start. At Parenting Power, we recommend taking it one 

step further by planning the messages we don’t intend for 

them to hear. 

Our children hear us and learn from us when: 

• We berate ourselves or our spouse for making a 

mistake. 

• We refer to ourselves as stupid or fat or useless. 

• We create little white lies to get out of things we 

don’t want to do. 

• We play the role of the victim. 

Children learn what they live. Knowing the morals and 

values we want to teach to our children helps us to choose 

actions that send clear messages to those eyes watching 

every thing that we do. 

Target Market 

We know that beer companies aren’t talking to us 

(over-30-married-with-children women) when they show ski 

bunnies hunting abominable snowmen or offer prizes of 

weekends with Maxim models. However, when companies

As parents, we spend a good part of each day trying 

to sell key messages to our target market –trying to get 

information into the ears and brains of our children. 

do want our attention, we know it because they are “hip to 

our lingo!” (That means they speak our language – in case 

you are under 30). 

If there is more than one child in your family, you will 

know that what motivates one youngster may fall flat with 

another. Parents often get tongue-tied trying to be fair 

and using the same limits, expectations, language and 

consequences for every child in the family. The fairest way 

to parent our children is by meeting each of their needs 

equally. Take each child’s abilities, developmental level, 

strengths and challenges into account when making 

decisions for them. See them as individuals. This will 

help to minimize sibling rivalry, and maximize successful 

interactions. 

Tone 

Do you strive to be seen as elite? Perhaps you wish to 

come off as approachable? Maybe you like the humourous 

angle? In business or parenting, tone invites a response 

from the market. You get what you give. 

When you have requested task completion and return 

to find very little done, your tone will directly impact the 

resulting communication for the next hour if not the next 

day. 


Tone 1: I asked you to do this and you have barely done 

anything! What is wrong with you? Can’t you just do this one 

task? How will you ever amount to anything if you can’t 

complete one project? No big surprise though – I’m surprised 

you even did any of it. 

Response: It’s not my fault! You never told me! I didn’t 

hear you! I hate you! I can’t do it! 

Tone 2: Hi. I see you’ve completed two of the six things 

I asked. I knew you could do this stuff. What’s the next step? 

How long do you think each step will take? 

Response: Well, I was thinking of doing this next and 

then finishing off the last three things. I’ll be done in 10 

more minutes. 

Choose a tone that invites cooperation and action from 

your target market. Let them know that you value them 

and trust that they will make the right decision: heeding 

your key messages. Happy Marketing! MP 

For more information about this and other parenting 

questions, contact Parenting Power via email 

at info@parentingpower.ca 


33

Baby 

Gourmet 

Sisters Jennifer Broe and Jill Vos are 

the founders of Baby Gourmet, a line 

of luxury, additive-free frozen meals and 

snacks for babies and toddlers. 

From a stall at the Calgary's Farmers' 

Market to a new store and production 

facility, Jennifer and Jill share with 

us the short and happy history 

of their business 

so far. 

How did you discover there was a market for 

gourmet baby food? 

Jennifer: When my first daughter started eating solids, I 

was appalled by the quality and lack of variety in the jarred 

supermarket offerings. They were loaded with fillers like 

flour and cornstarch and tasted terrible, and I wondered: 

“How could I feed my baby something I would never eat 

myself?” Our mother made everything from scratch, so Jill 

and I had grown up eating the nutritious and lovingly 

laboured over meals that many working women don’t have 

time to create any more. In the fall of my daughter’s first 

year, she was attending a play group, and when the other 

children’s mothers learned I was making healthy and 

appetizing food for her, they offered to purchase it. 

Considering my experience with the group, Jill and I 

realized there was a need for a convenient, homemade 

product and we looked into becoming a vendor at the 

Calgary Farmer’s Market. Despite the demand for space 

there, the administration was enthusiastic about us 

because the Market didn’t have any food producers aimed 

at creating meals for children. We launched Baby Gourmet 

about a month later in February 2006, using our own 

capital and renting a commercial kitchen. 

What strategies have worked best for you as you 

promote the brand? 

Jill: We’ve attracted customers through distributing 

menus and samples at the Mom & Tots fair locally, but our 

most powerful marketing tool has been word of mouth. 

Jennifer and I have focused on creating a quality product: 

we research the latest trends and guidelines in infant 


Q&A 

by Erin Tigchelaar 

dietary needs, we expand the menu with creative meals 

and snacks, and we work to keep the entire product line 

available and consistent. Our aim has been to get parents 

to test Baby Gourmet with their kids, just by buying one or 

two bags or allowing the child to sample a teething biscuit 

– and we’ve already put in the time to make sure the 

products bring them back for more. Our biggest challenge 

has always been keeping up with the demand. Through 

surveys and direct contact with the customers we’ve found 

that our customers want more: more variety of products, 

more availability, and more points of distribution. It’s 

been hard for us to keep up, and so in the past we were 

hesitant to promote the products in other media and other 

markets. 

Jennifer: Even though we now employ customer service 

staff, Jill and I sell at the Market and at the store as often 

as we can so that we interact with the customers. It’s still 

the best way to determine their needs: what allergies 

parents are dealing with, what new kinds of products 

they’re interested in, and what kind of packaging and 

labels appeal to them. We’ve always emphasized the 

convenience and nutrition of our dishes, but we’ve also 

worked hard to place the products as gourmet foods. The 

taste and fragrance of the food is very important to us: the 

meals include fresh, organic ingredients as well as herbs 

and seasonings. It’s the parents who are paying for the 

product and so we need to market the meals to mothers. 

Through naming and labeling the products as well as 

through the physical appearance of the meals themselves, 

we’ve tried to create a line that seems appetizing to a 

discriminating adult audience. 

How has the company’s rapid growth challenged you? 

Jill: We’ve outgrown everything! Because the demand is 

ever increasing, we always need larger preparation, storage 

and sales spaces, bigger and more expensive equipment, 

more staff and a consistent supply of fresh ingredients. We 

provided our own start-up capital, but we’ve need loans to 

expand. Early next year we’re opening a federally-inspected 

production facility, which should allow us to grow into the

Sisters and partners Jill Vos and Jennifer Broe. 

markets we know are there, in other cities and rural areas. 

Alberta Agriculture has been involved in the planning and 

construction of the facility. When we needed help, we hired 

experts in accounting, printing, photography and web 

design, and we worked with business consultants as well as 

organizations like the Alberta Food Processors Association. 

The demand has always run ahead of our time and resources, 

and wanting the business to grow slowly and intelligently, 

we’ve occasionally put on the brakes, trying to weigh our 

options on outside investment and the desirability and 

feasibility of other markets. We’re always interested in 

exploring new ways of distributing the product. 

With the growth of the business and five children 

between you – Jennifer with two, Jill with three and a 

fourth on the way – how do you balance your family 

and working lives? 

Jennifer: Time-management skills are absolutely essential. 

Neither Jill nor I have ever wanted to work at Baby Gourmet 

full-time and so we’ve had to carefully coordinate schedules 

with our spouses, child care providers and each other. We 

began this business putting our families first, and we’ve 

kept it that way. So far, we’ve managed to work several 

days a week each, but we have needed to be really firm and 

organized about it. We’ve hired people to help us with every 

aspect of the business. Also, it’s important that you love 

what you do. We are passionate about providing healthy, 

tasty food and the creative side of the business – researching 

and creating new recipes – really keeps me going. Balancing 

the business with our family lives would be too stressful 

and exhausting to bear if we didn’t feel the way we do about 

our jobs. MP 

Baby Gourmet’s Top Tips for the Mompreneur 

Do your research! Develop a business plan from the 

very beginning. A feasibility study will determine whether or 

not your venture is going to be profitable and the time 

commitments it will require. Analysing your idea will help 

you to decide how, why, where and when to proceed. 

Manage your time. If you are trying to balance family and 

work and want be successful with both, you must organize your 

day ahead of time. It is very easy to become overwhelmingly 

stressed if you are not organized. 

Outsource to the professionals. We are not 

accountants or graphic designers by training and we do not 

try to be. Get balanced books and top-notch marketing 

materials by outsourcing the areas of your business you are 

not comfortable handling yourself. A professional job and the 

time saved are well worth the cost in the end. 

Surround yourself with a positive support system. 

Find like-minded people who will encourage growth and 

success. Becoming a business owner can be a most difficult, 

draining and challenging task, so you do not need negative 

feedback. Seek out people who can pick you up at times 

when you feel you are falling. 

Utilize the resources available to you. There are 

many programs and forms of funding available to entrepreneurs 

who locate them. Take the time to research your industry and 

find out what is available to you and take advantage of these 

opportunities. Locate strategic advisors to assist you along 

the way. 


35

36 The Mompreneur • September 2007


37

And Finally … 

… Aren’t You Glad Summer Vacation Is Over? 

38 The Mompreneur • September 2007 Visit our website at www.themompreneur.com

ERICA EHM Q&AWITH - The MOMpreneur

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