We had the good fortune of connecting with Amber Porath and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I spent 15 years in the apartment industry. By the time I left, I was a software trainer for the largest management company in the US! I absolutely loved my job but I couldn’t handle being away from my son all day. So I decided to be a stay at home mom! I just didnt like the idea of not having fun money. I wanted to be able to buy my son toys and continue my fast food addiction! This seemed like the perfect opportunity to set my own schedule and have that extra income. I never Imagined it would grow to what it is now!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In the beginning, it would take me four hours to put vinyl on one cup. That shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes but I was such a perfectionist. I lost a lot of money because I refused to give a customer anything I didn’t think was absolutely perfect. I would redo it as many times as it took! I’m still that way. I’m just a lot more efficient now! About a year into this, I realized my favorite part was designing the item and not actually making it. I started to put my designs on Etsy for other crafters to use on their merchandise. Four years later, and I have over 9,000 sells on Etsy! I would say that’s one of the things I am most proud of. A lot of crafters don’t design their own products. They purchase them from sites like Etsy, but I never wanted to spend money on something I could make myself. I spent hours and hours on YouTube learning how to use my software. Even now, the majority of my business comes from my designs! Another thing I’m extremely proud of is providing free shirts to kids getting adopted from foster care! A friend of mine has fostered over 20 kids. When she was adopting her son, she came to me with a shirt idea for their court date coming up. I was so excited to make it! She took a picture of him on the steps of the courthouse wearing it and it’s still one of my favorite pictures! After that, she referred me to another family who wanted the same shirt. That’s when I decided those families would never pay for one again. Adoption, especially one from foster care, is very close to my heart. My parents fostered and I cant wait to do it someday!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
With three kids, we don’t get out much but I would definitely want to take them to a Denver Nuggets game! I’ve been a fan my entire life, which wasn’t always easy growing up in San Antonio, Texas! Just like my business name suggests, I’m pretty mouthy so I was always arguing with Spurs fans. My uncle Koz has been the voice of the Nuggets for 30 years. I grew up sitting next to him while he called the games. Theres nothing else like it!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I had two friends, Jackie and Brenda, who knew how to do all of this. I asked them so many questions! Im sure I drove them crazy but they never hesitated to help me. Brenda was an absolute pro and saved me hours of time with designs, vinyl and cups. She still does! Jackie was my sublimation go-to! I’m so thankful for them! When I started this, I was working from our dining room table. I thought I would just have an order here and there. Turns out, I have a lot of supportive friends. I was extremely busy from the start thanks to my friend Lori who ordered all of her Christmas gifts from me! There were times I’d call my husband at work and ask him to come home so I could get my orders done. To my surprise, he would! That’s a big deal! As a superintendent, he can have 300 people on-site at any given time that rely on him. If that’s not a supportive husband, I don’t know what is! Our neighbors joke that they didn’t know who he was married to for over a year because he would have the kids alone at night while I was inside completing orders. He has always treated this business like it is just as important as his own career. I really couldn’t ask for more!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mouthymamadesigns?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MouthyMamaDesigns

Image Credits
Brittany Rose Photography Kathy Ross Denise Enriquez My roots photography Tidy Nooks

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