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Erika Wilde, Stop Dirt


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Name Erika Timm Wilde

Hometown Orem UT

Current Residence (City, State) Springville UT

Education BS in Communications

Professional Background (brief, please) Contributing Editor for Warehousing Management magazine; SUU School Relations director; Owner, Wilde Mats and Matting Inc

What you wanted to be when you grew up: Writer

What you are: Writer (if you count my blog and my journal) and Business Owner

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I sell door mats, garage matting, and safety and anti-fatigue matting online through four websites.

Company Website? StopDirt.com, GarageStyle.com, HeavyDutyMats.com, WorldBestMats.com

What inspired you? Making those first online sales

How long have you been in business? Since 1998

How did you fund it? Boot strapping and savings

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? I have many mentors in different aspects of my life, but none who have walked me through my business start up. I learned a little here and there from different people. Mostly, I just figured things out myself!

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? I mentor at BYU Center for Entrepreneurship. I plan to re-join the Chamber of Commerce when my babies get a little older.

Current Business Challenge? Babies! They ransack with wild abandon.

What are you doing about it? I have a baby sitter who comes every day for three hours so I can work. I have a cleaning lady. I don’t get stressed about poop or play dough.

Favorite motivational quote. Ugggh, am I the only one who can’t remember anything past 10 minutes ago.

Family? Great husband Ryan, 8 yr old boy Rex, Twin toddlers Georgia and Thomas.

If so, how do you balance family and business? Lots of Dr. Pepper. I hire a baby sitter. I try to “turn off work” for certain times of the day. I gave up on getting enough sleep a loooong time ago.

Favorite book? Just read, “Love is the Killer App.” Not my favorite book, but the last one I read. I honestly don’t have time to read.

What do you do to relax? I run or bike or swim. Yes, it really is relaxing to me.

What do you want to change most about your world? I need a 27 hour day. I’d love to sleep all night. A personal shopper. Time travel. I’d like to run faster. Full moon every night. A flat belly like I used to have before it was stretched to a four-foot circumference with two humans growing inside.

What are you most proud of? My babies. My business. My triathlon racing. I’ve been married ten years and still like my husband. I am a positive person and genuinely enjoy helping others.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Embrace imperfection. Let your house be a sty. Don’t plan on watching any TV. Forget about shopping. Just streamline everything so that you can be an awesome business woman and an awesome mom. Nothing else will really matter in the long run.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? The internet. Of course!
If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Rubies. Definitely Rubies. I had a daughter named Ruby who died as an infant. I’ll always love that stone.

Would you be interested in being a Fairy Godmother to another woman entrepreneur? (I am working on a secure system to do this, any ideas?) Yes, as much as I can. I can only “give” so much at this point in my life with the twin babies. But I am willing to share what I can.

What business subjects would you feel comfortable mentoring in? Choosing a product to successfully sell online. Beginner Internet marketing.

Would you be interested in going to lunch with other women entrepreneurs for a “networking tea party”? Sure. That sounds great. I will wear a crown.

  Startup Princess is an international network committed to empowering Women Entrepreneurs by offering resources for women in business to support, mentor, collaborate, learn from, and inspire one another. In 2006, after struggling to raise funding for an initial startup business venture, Kelly King Anderson recognized an important market niche existed for reliable resources educating women desiring to start and grow successful businesses, thus Startup Princess was developed.

Successful women entrepreneurs understand that for every business venture, they are in charge of creating, organizing, developing, managing, and assuming all the risks associated with their enterprise. That can seem quite intimidating but as other women business owners will tell you, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it! Success is within your grasp and Startup Princess is here to help.

First, join as a member of Startup Princess and start building a solid foundation. Membership entitles you to a listing in the Startup Princess Online Directory where we list women owned businesses. You’ll also access exclusive content like articles, videos, and audio straight from your email inbox. Coupled with feature interviews, discounts on events, networking connections, and press opportunities, your Startup Princess membership will give any woman entrepreneur a great start for her business!

Then, take advantage of Touchpoint, our annual business conference for women entrepreneurs. Practical planning meets sky-high inspiration at this high-impact event for women business owners to network and develop their approach to business with wisdom and creative direction from other women entrepreneurs across the country.

Need a little help taking your business to the next step? Wish you had a fairy godmother like Cinderella offering you a helping hand? Now you can! Startup Princess is the home of Fairy Godmother Consulting, volunteer mentors sharing tips and insights to bless the lives of other women entrepreneurs.

Startup Princess can offer many benefits to women in business from future women business owners to successful women entrepreneurs. Please call or fill out our contact form with questions, concerns, or general interest and let us help you by giving you full access to everything Startup Princess has to offer!