In preparation for our Tnee's Tpees & Little Unicorn Pop Up Shop on Saturday February 2oth we recently met up with Courtney, the founder of Tnee's Tpees to see what inspires her and find more about her journey as an entrepreneur. In case you haven't seen Courtney's Tpees before, they are gorgeous Teepees for children. Kids can never get enough of them no matter their age. Cameron's (The Baby Cubby's founder) 14 month old loves to play hide and seek in theirs while his older girls (4 & 8) love to read and play pretend in their teepee.
- Why did you start your company?
- I started my company simply to have extra spending money for my family. It then turned into paying off student loans, and then into our full time income.
- Tell me about the journey of your company?
- We started making teepees with a single sewing machine in one room and have grown from there. We now have our own warehouse and a team of 9 seamstresses plus other employees.
- What has been the most satisfying achievement so far?
- Being published in 4 magazines: American Baby, Utah Valley Magazine, Dallas Kids Magazine, and Pregnancy and Newborn
- What has been one of the most difficult parts of starting and growing your business?
- The hardest part of starting a business is keeping with the mind set that you can do it and it is going to be worth it. After you get past that part, you have to grow your business and in my case raise three kids at the same time.
- What advice would you give to other parents/moms trying to start their own companies from home?
- It is a lot of hard work and long hours. The key is finding a balance, and not shorting your family of your time. Your relationships in the home should be priority #1 and your business needs to come after that.
- What makes Tnee's Tpees stand out, what makes your products and brand different?
- We use high quality fabrics and even line them again with other fabric for lasting endurance. We use fabrics that are stylish and modern. Each of our seamstresses is highly trained and makes each teepee to perfection. We strive to have the best and most appealing teepees on the market, and I feel we have accomplished that with our hard work and willingness to improve.
- What have you learned about parenting and family as you’ve started your company?
- I can get through hard things with my husband at my side & he is my best cheerleader..
- What do you wish you had known when you started that you have learned?
- Not all seamstresses are created equal and quality is critical
- What is your favorite thing about owning your own business?
- The freedom that comes with it. We can go out of town when we want, have a sick day when we want, and have no one to answer to.
- What are some of your favorite activities to do with your children? We love to travel with our family.
- What advice would you give to first time moms? Just relax :)
- If you had to describe your company in 3 words what would they be? Imaginative, modern, & functional
