Esther Freedman: 110% mom // 110% businesswoman
Entrepreneur Excitement Blog Series #7 – cuteheads.com with Esther Freedman
We all have those friends or people we know around town – the ones who seem to get more done in one little day than you can manage to get done in two weeks and look amazing and upbeat while doing all of it. Right? The person who rings true for that description is one of the ultimate Girl Bosses in Houston, Esther Freedman. Even though we’re probably the same age or at least very close to it, I can truly say I want to be like Esther when I grow up. This lady has it all together.
Check out The Blonde Side’s exclusive interview with this crafty gal and mother of two who makes it seem like she truly does have more hours in a day than Beyonce, because she’s just that awesome…
The Blonde Side: Tell us who you are?
Esther Freedman: Esther Freedman, Founder & Designer, cuteheads.com
TBS: Tell us about yourself.
EF: My job, even on its hardest day, is still something I love and am passionate about 4 years in. As a designer of kidswear, I’m constantly creating, looking for inspiration and getting to work with other business owners I like and admire. I also love children, so getting to work with kids on fun photoshoots is a definite plus.
TBS: Think back – how did we met?
EF: That’s a great question… I’m not sure exactly how we met or how long ago, but it’s certainly been at least 5 or 6 years. I think we became friends during Twitter’s heyday back when people still hung out there and it wasn’t just a bunch of bots and scheduled tweets talking to each other.
TBS: Have you partnered with The Blonde Side on any projects before?
EF: I don’t think we’ve ever actually partnered before, but we’ve certainly promoted each other and helped each other spread the word about whatever we were working on!
TBS: Describe your personal style.
EF: I’d describe my personal style as mom chic (ha). Seriously, I dress for comfort, but cute comfort. I love boyfriend jeans, well-made tees, cute leggings and I have quite a collection of sneakers. I have a kind of uniform I wear every day, which makes it easy to get dressed in the morning. I have a 2 year old and just had another baby, so I need things I can easily and comfortably wear while still looking good in case I need to pop into a meeting.
TBS: What does supporting not only local Houston folks mean to you, but specifically
cutest kids clothes around: cuteheads.com
other women?
EF: This is a major passion for me and something I feel is much talked about and not practiced. I know it’s easy to buy everything at Target, but I make it a point to shop small as much as I can. I promote other business owners not only through social media but through dollars. I write a weekly series about girlbosses and I’ve had so much fun highlighting and promoting these deserving women. And as for shopping local, there are so many incredible small businesses in this town. Houston has been so giving and generous to me and my business, it’s only right that I do the same for others.
TBS: You run your own business (which is the point of this series!) – what was the final straw to say “I can do this on my own?”
EF: Truthfully, I was at a very stressful but awesome job and knew I wanted to start a family soon after getting married. I didn’t feel I could be the kind of mom I wanted to be while working full time at an office because I wanted to have the flexibility of not working if I needed to, and the stress level and intensity plus having kids wouldn’t have been a good situation for me. So I started my business right before I got married and got it off the ground during our first year of marriage.
TBS: What’s your driving force behind running your business? I know firsthand it’s hard as balls, but what keeps you going?
EF: I’d say the #1 thing that keeps me going is good habits. That might seem simplistic, but in all honesty, if you don’t have the discipline to make yourself do the work you don’t want to do, or solve the problems that need to be solved, you’re not going to make it. I’d also say really loving what you do versus just thinking it sounds cool/romantic/lucrative is the other factor. My business is my baby. If you don’t legitimately enjoy and love the process, you’ll never make it for the long haul.
TBS: Best advice you’ve ever been given but ignored?
EF: “You? Make kids clothes? Maybe you should do something else.”
TBS: If there was a reality show about you, what channel would it be on?
EF: Probably CNBC or some boring chanel like that, and it would be all about my business. As much as I love social media, I’m a pretty private person and don’t like to share a lot of personal stuff with the world. I’m definitely not Bravo material.
TBS: Favorite sports teams?
EF: Texans and Rockets!
TBS: Magazine, website or author you can’t put down?
EF: I read Slate and The Daily Beast every day. Other than that, I’m into a lot of different things and can’t say I have too many faves.
Except for Esther – she has more
TBS: Look in your bag right now (purse or computer bag) – what’s the most random thing in there?
EF: There’s this little collapsible snowman that my toddler loves; I keep it in there for when she’s being extra cranky and needs to be distracted from her bad mood.
TBS: Most embarrassing/random thing in your Google search history?
EF: Some pretty terrible headshots back from when I worked in marketing. I mean, come on.
TBS: Favorite part of your job?
EF: The flexibility. I love that I can take a nap if I need to, which I do right now, since I’m having a baby in like 5 days.
TBS: Moment you are most proud of?
EF: I’ve been featured in lots of cool publications and on TV, but one of my proudest moments was being out with my daughter and seeing a random child I didn’t know wearing my clothing. It was very gratifying.
TBS: You have two plane tickets for anywhere in the world: where are you going and who are you taking?
EF: I’m going to Australia and New Zealand for like two weeks with my husband, no kids. And we’re staying in all kinds of ridiculous, amazing hotels.
TBS: Fill in the blank: I wish more people in this world would drive like their moms/sisters/children were in the cars they’re recklessly speeding and texting around.
TBS: For me (and most sports fans), Sunday Funday is all about football. What’s your
All smiles for this Queen Girl Boss
perfect Sunday look like?
EF: I love game days, especially going to Texans games! We’re season ticket holders, so we definitely go a lot. Other than that, I don’t care much about the other teams and definitely have no interest in fantasy football other than my husband’s team. I always root for him. My perfect Sunday probably involves a really good brunch on a cute patio and a nap.
Follow Esther & cuteheads on Instagram, Pinterest and FB.
Sponsor: With the busy lives we lead as entrepreneurs, it’s important to take time for yourself (and friends) and find a good work/life balance. One of my favorite places in Houston to “balance myself out” is Pour Society, one of the newest local hangouts in Houston. Pour Society is an American gastropub (48 taps of craft beer, which I love), an extensive wine list, a delicious chicken fried chicken sandwich well worth all the calories, and Sunday brunches. So go find some life balance with a pint or two of craft beer or just some hangout time with a friend over an amazing brunch.
Know someone we should profile in this Entrepreneur Excitement Series? Leave a comment below or shoot us an email – jayme @ theblondeside [.] com.
