Today on the blog, we're thrilled to talk with the founder of Kids on 45th, Elise Worthy! She's an entrepreneur, software developer and mom of 2, who’s on a mission to make shopping for the young girl in your life easier. We chat about all the ways Kids on 45th is changing how parents shop for their kids, and of course you can count on us to ask how she uses self-care to balance it all.
Your company, Kids on 45th, sends out boxes of pre-loved clothes to busy moms around the country. What inspired you to start this service?
I was running a kids’ clothing store in Seattle, and realized that my kids were in high-water pants. Despite being around kids’ clothes all day long, I didn’t have a second to grab clothes for my own kids! I started dreaming about how nice it would be if their basic everyday clothes would just appear on my doorstep without me having to put in a lot of time shopping online or visiting a store. I realized if this was something I was thinking about, there had to be other parents out there who wanted a way to get clothes for their kids without spending a ton of time and money to do so.
It’s such an interesting concept and we’re loving that it’s a delivery subscription that’s affordable and accessible to all, and intended to make life easier for moms. What are some of the other ways you think women could be supporting other women?
I think we’re at our best when we’re helping each other. The first company I started was a nonprofit software coding school for women, where we got companies like Microsoft to sponsor women who wanted to change careers.
Looking back at Elise in high school, would your classmates have predicted you’d launch a start-up?
Ha! I’m not sure if my classmates were thinking about start-ups back then, but I was always ambitious and enthusiastic about exploring life’s opportunities.
With so much on your plate, how do you find time to check-in with yourself and practice self care?
It’s tough for sure! My husband, who is the CTO of Kids on 45th, and I try to be very conscious about scheduling breaks for ourselves to avoid burnout. We like to pack up the kids and hop on the ferry for low key family getaways around the Pacific Northwest. I also love to work in my backyard garden and try to make things grow. Powering down and spending time away from it all is essential!
What do your mornings look like? If they differ from day to day, describe your ideal morning.
I have two young kiddos, and I work and travel a lot, so I try to spend my early mornings with my boys. They’re usually up by 6, so we like to play and eat breakfast together before kicking into high gear. I’m lucky to have my parents around to provide a lot of childcare, so they get to spend their days with their grandparents when I head out to the office.
If you did have an hour to yourself with nothing on the to do list, how would you spend it?
Sleeping :) I think that’s the best way to recharge and there are precious few moments to snooze, so I grab onto any I can.
Anything else you want to share?
I’m just so inspired by the women in this world of ours, and feel so lucky to be building a product that supports many of them. We want to be a mom’s best friend, saving them a bit of time and a lot of money on clothes shopping. I’m sharing $10 off with BLUME customers -- see the code below! Would love to have you try us out.
Get $10 off your first Kids on 45th Box -- just use the code BLUME at checkout (by July 30)
