Mod Mom Furniture Press Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  KIERSTEN HATHCOCK

818-399-1172

publicrelations@modmomfurniture.com

Mod Mom Furniture Announces U.S. Production Expansion

(LOS ANGELES, CA., June 20, 2011)  Mod Mom Furniture, a Los Angeles-based boutique manufacturer of mid-modern-era children’s furniture, recently announced expansion plans via a partnership with L & J Woodworking in Dundee, Ohio, increasing its national and international production capabilities.

Founded in 2007, by Kiersten Hathcock, each piece of Mod Mom Furniture has been individually designed and hand crafted by Hathcock, a self-taught carpenter and mother of two who until recently has managed all manufacturing out of her LA garage. “As a woman who started this company without carpentry skills or furniture design know-how, I’m thrilled to see it grow beyond my workshop,” says Hathcock.

Shortly upon leaving her job as a cable television marketing executive in the Midwest and relocating to Los Angeles, Hathcock discovered a need for quality, well-designed children’s furniture that would enhance—rather than detract--from the family living space. Her current line features an assortment of toy boxes with names like Maude, Noah, Gracie and Owyn.  All integrate a subtle mid-century modern design and are eco-friendly, achieving immense popularity in both in the United States and abroad.

By keeping production in the United States, Mod Mom Furniture can preserve its core values while expanding the brand through existing retailers and via the social media. Hathcock plans to introduce beds, dressers desks and play tables in the next two years. Each handcrafted toy box will now be shipped fully constructed from L&J Woodworking.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with an Amish manufacturer in my home state of Ohio. It’s rare nowadays for American furniture companies to be able to keep production in US and I’m excited to be one of the few that is making it happen.”

Since its inception in 2007 in a Los Angeles garage, Mod Mom Furniture has sold its line of modern crafted-by-hand children’s toy boxes throughout the United States and Canada.  The line, which features five custom designs—Owyn, Gracie, Bertie, Maude and Noah, has been recently featured on episodes of Shark Tank and the Nate Berkus Show, along with its founder, Kiersten Hathcock.

 An expanded version of the Owyn series will be introduced at the 2011 ABC Kids Expo in September.  This newest Mod Mom line will feature twin beds with reversible headboards, a nightstand, and five and three drawer dressers.

For more information on Mod Mom Furniture and its product line, please visit http://www.modmomfurniture.com.

Fav Biz Fridays...er Saturday: Name Your Wish Images

I was very fortunate, during the filming of Shark Tank, to meet some really wonderful people not to mention very smart, talented entrepreneurs.  The women behind Name Your Wish Images are two of my favorites from my filming experience.  I'm thrilled to share their business with you today.

Website: www.nameyourwishimages.com

Who They Are:  

April and Laurie 

What They Do:  We offer a diversity of personalized images which begin with original photography. We add any name(s) you wish to create unique customized gifts to delight family and friends. 

** I'm excited to share that they've recently partnered with Walmart and you can purchase one of their most popular creations here:  http://www.walmart.com/ip/Personalized-Carved-Heart-Art-Canvas/15718242

Check out their Facebook page as well for new updates! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Name-Your-Wish-Images/214590184841

Fav Biz Fridays: Coming Soon...

Ok, so it's been a crazy week. I've been out of town for a few days and now we have lots of sweet family in town for an LA vacation.  I've had to choose between Fav Biz Fridays and a shower.  I love all my friends with businesses but the shower won out today.

I'll post the new Fav Biz Friday edition on Saturday so I'm now keeping you in suspense til tomorrow AND I'm clean! :)

Fav Biz Fridays: Patrick Caneday's Book - Crooked Little Birdhouse

It's the first edition of Fav Biz Fridays!!  Every Friday I'm going to profile a favorite biz/entrepreneur in hopes you'll take my advice and check them out as well.  I won't steer you wrong people, I promise! I mean, come on, how many of you have secretly tried those fake glue-on toenails because I said they were cool.  What's that?  Not one of you? Sheesh, people.

Regardless, check out one of my favorite writers in the world....
PATRICK CANEDAY

I live down the street from a famous writer.  Not only is he a genius writer but he's the kind of friend you want to sit down with and share a bottle of wine and cheese on the heaviest plate in the world in his front lawn and yell at speeding cars.  I could go on and on about his book, Crooked Little Birdhouse, but instead I'll let a Pulitzer Prize Winner and a published author tell you how great it is.  After all, you haven't tried the glue-on toenails yet based on my recommendation. :)

From AL MARTINEZ, LA Daily News and Pulitzer Prize winning columnist:
               "I love Patrick Caneday's work. He seeks out the humanity in us and writes about it in the kind of seamless prose that any author would envy, in a style that only a few can achieve. I have always looked forward to reading his columns and now I have them at hand to consider them in pleasure. Thanks, Patrick, for the immensity of the gift you have given us and continue to give."

From STEVE LOPEZ, Los Angeles Times columnist and author of "The Soloist":
               “Patrick Caneday writes from the heart. His stories, carefully and gracefully revealed, are about the things that ground and unite us all: family, tradition, place, community. This is a collection you’ll reach for again and again.”

ABOUT THE BOOK:  Whether the subject is a bruised knee or a bruised ego, the death of a loved one or the death of a goldfish, his challenged faith, delusions of grandeur or addiction to grilled meat, Patrick Caneday finds a way to make the mundane and ordinary meaningful. In Crooked Little Birdhouse, Caneday brings together a collection of the most popular pieces from his weekly newspaper column and adds a series of new essays. The result is a life story weaved through random insights on the world, people and a birdhouse. With trademark wit and poignant observation, he's not afraid to offer himself as proof of our shared suffering, humanity and survival, in a book that is more memoir than compilation. While others tell us what’s wrong with the world, Caneday shows us what’s right.

Where to buy a signed copy of 

Crooked Little Birdhouse:

http://www.patrickcaneday.com/

More Shark Tank questions and answers....

After Shark Tank aired, my poor husband took a lot of grief for being portrayed as the supportive yet not supportive enough husband because I was doing all the Mod Mom stuff myself.  He laughed at comments made about him but I want to set the record straight because it's not so easy for me to read that stuff about him.  I'm addressing a couple points about him below to clear up the confusion and misperception.  And I threw in a couple more frequently asked questions as well.  :)

"Why didn't he help you build twice the amount of toy boxes so you could make double the money?"
Here's the deal.  He was laid off from his job, doing some consulting work, taking care of the kids, taking care of the house (grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning), and interviewing for full-time work.  His help with everything (including helping me with polyurethaning toy boxes, etc) allowed me to focus on growing Mod Mom and do everything needed to prep for Shark Tank which is an insane amount of work.  While I did make $34K in 2009 (over $100K from 2007-2010), his salary was so far above mine that having him working with me full-time and me making and extra $30K a year wouldn't even touch his income level.  A few people suggested that if he worked with me while he was unemployed, I would have made more money.   He was working with me -- he was handling everything that fell under parenting/homelife. He was unemployed when we filmed the show in October 2010 and remained unemployed til January so every bit of emotion you saw and felt in the Tank was real. We were counting on either MMF or his job or both to save us financially.  The main objective for him (for both of us) was finding a full-time gig making his VP level salary because we knew that what was going to save us immediately.  We live in LA which means if you're making $30K per year for a family of four, you're living in a van down by the river. (Nod to Chris Farley) It's a TV show so they edit it the way they want to have story play out even though I talked quite a bit about how he was helping me.  (Oh, and he does use power tools and builds things as well so he knows his way around the garage.)

"Why wasn't he in the Tank with you showing his support?"
It's my company-- always has been my brain child. While he's insanely supportive and helpful and will be collaborating with me on a few designs in the future, it's still my blood, sweat, and tears all over MMF from the very, very humble beginning in 2007.  I certainly wouldn't go with him to show my support on one of his interviews.  It's the same kinda thing.  Also, he was home taking care of the kids.  Besides, let's be honest.  If he'd been up there by my side, the first question out of the Shark's mouth would've been, "So he's building them, right?" That's the world we live in....the world I'm hoping will change.  I've been working my way through (sometimes fighting my way through) my male-dominated industry for years now so I'm not off in thinking that question would've come up.

"Were you always a stay at home mom? How did you come up with the idea?"
http://modmomfurniture.blogspot.com/2011/04/straight-and-narrow-career-path.html

Friday ADD Edition: Crying on TV and New Owyn Table and Stool Set

My brain is literally jumping randomly from one thing to the next so in honor of that (OMG there's a massive squirrel running up a tree), I am listing a few things to note in bullet points to save you from the torture that is my head today.

• ABC is re-airing my Shark Tank episode again TONIGHT so if you'd like to see me cry on TV, and you didn't get a chance last time, TUNE IN! 8pm on ABC. 

• *New Owyn Table and Stool Set* is for sale but not on my website yet.  I'm making that happen ASAP! See below for all the details and photos! Owyn has a table and stool set companion! Comes with table and 2 stools.  Amish-made. Heirloom quality construction. Eco-friendly, low-VOC, Eco-Var finish, Sustainable Baltic Birch ply, lift lid to reveal storage. 26"w x 20.25" top, 18" table height, 10" stool height. $375 for the set (includes table + 2 stools).  If you're interested in ordering the table and stool set, please contact me at sale@modmomfurniture.com until I can get it up on the website.  Thank you!

• I am excited to announce that Mod Mom Furniture will debut the Owyn Bedroom collection at the ABC Kids Show in Louisville, KY in September.  So if you're heading down South, make sure you look for me in the Modern Child Pavilion.