By Kathryn Peck
There were a host of reasons for selling my retail shop in Boston. I loved everything about that little boutique, so selling it wasn’t an easy decision. But managing a business and trying to keep a growing family unruffled while juggling the needs of a newborn was an impossible balancing act for me. There were piano lessons, bath times, meals to make and school lunches to pack; there was homework to do, babysitters to pay, and diapers to change. Throw a business to run on top of that and each day felt like an unstable volcano just waiting to erupt.
Managing a business and trying to keep a growing family unruffled while juggling the needs of a newborn was an impossible balancing act for me
It was time to slow things down and just focus on family for a while.
But when you’re used to going 100 mph, slowing down isn’t that easy. I made a promise to myself that, for at least one year, I would not think about a next endeavor. I would focus on only my family’s needs in the present.
A year came and went a little too fast, as it always does. What have I done this past year? I helped transition my family into a new home with new schools, new friends, and new activities. But there are also a handful things I can add to a very personal and ever-growing list of things accomplished that I purely never had the time to do while running a retail shop.
- I made adorable Hershey Kiss-sized chocolate acorns for my son’s first birthday cake.
- I sewed on a slew of Boy Scout and Girl Scout badges that were earned.
- I renovated my daughter’s dollhouse kitchen and made teeny tiny window boxes for the house.
- I water skied (the last time I did this I was … 22!?).
- I volunteered at my children’s schools making gingerbread houses, serving ice cream, and chaperoning field trips.
- I canned pickles and tomatoes that I actually grew in my garden.
- I conquered my fear of yeast and perfected making homemade pizza dough, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls.
- I rode in a helicopter.
- I learned how to play hopscotch.
- I coached my daughter’s field hockey team.
But I am entrepreneur at heart, and those wheels in my head quickly started turning again at the one-year mark. Bicycle Pie is a perfect blend of everything I hold true: my love for family, a bond of motherhood, a love for the business environment, and a passion for writing; all rolled into one.
I do hope you will enjoy this next business venture as much as I will. Stay tuned.
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About the author: Kathryn is the owner of Bicycle Pie and mom of 4 little ones. Also a writer, editor, and former owner of one of Boston's premiere baby boutiques, she continues to write about motherhood, children's products, family life, and all other things that test our skills and patience as parents.
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