One Mom’s Quest for a Flexible Work Arrangement

For years Robin Bengston had worked for a Fortune 500 company and truly loved it. When children were added into the mix she still loved working for the company but found the lack of flexible work arrangements a hassle. When their second daughter was born both Robin and her husband were looking for ways to adjust their lifestyle from the hectic chaos that having both parents work full time outside the home presented them. They wanted to spend more time with the kids but still maintain their lifestyle. Robin knew that the sacrifice would have to be going part time but that was easier said then done. Her solution was an idea she had years before when her first daughter had been born that involved wonderful clothes from South Africa. She yearned to start her own clothing boutique, she even had a name, but how would she do it, when would Kaboodle Kids become a reality?



Robin knew that if she just did it the clothes would sell themselves, she remembered how much she wanted the clothes when she first saw them. She first noticed the beautiful clothes on the children of her husband's business associates they socialized with. Their children were dressed in the most adorable clothes that were so unique and fun. Robin's first question was “How do you get these clothes?”. She begged her husband to bring clothes home from his business trips to South Africa back for their baby girl. All of Robin's friends and family always wanted some for their own kids, so Robin thought that she could probably find them some on the Internet. After looking all over the Internet she became frustrated that she could not find them. She resorted to being content with the clothes her husband brought back.



The hectic lifestyle was becoming more of a rat race when her youngest was approaching the age of two. Robin was consumed with the idea of bringing those clothes to the States. If she loved the clothes so much, many other moms would too. The risk and timing was never quite right until…she realized that staying in the rat race and losing out on her dream was riskier than not taking the BIG leap. Kaboodle Kids would become reality in December of 2005, when Robin quit her full time job. She went to South Africa and brought home for our shopping pleasure only the best. The web site http://www.kaboodlekids.com/ went live in late March 2006, quite by accident I hear. Oops, she wasn't ready for her first sale but she was very happy that the clothes were now selling themselves as she once thought.



I am very grateful that Robin's husband encouraged her to start blogging about her journey along the road of small business ownership. In fact she didn't even really know what it was until her husband told her. He sat her down one day and they set up her blogsite and she was left alone to start blogging. At first she didn't know what to say. She was cautious about expressing her feelings out there where everyone can read them? Why would anyone want to hear about how she made Kaboodle Kids or really care about what she had to say?---Well, I for one was very fortunate, as I started my own journey I secretly read about Robin's. I found much encouragement and guidance along the way each time I read her blog, until I contacted her recently and thanked her for sharing. To read more about Robin's journey visit her blog Play At Home Mom! I am sure you will relate to her honesty and humor even if you are not a business owner.