Featured Interview: Cristy Clarke of TableTopics

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This week we’re pleased to introduce and feature Cristy Clarke of TableTopics, a 3 year–old company that’s experienced serious growth and creates products designed to generate great conversations.  TableTopics are available in every state and on the internet and have been featured in many publications and television including Real Simple, Ladies Home Journal, and The Today Show .

As I visited with Cristy I was impressed by the manner in which she prepared to become an entrepreneur. Once her youngest was in school she knew it was the right time to create a “Room of Her Own”, a place where she was neither wife or mother, a place to create and build her dreams. She wasn’t sure what her business would be, but she would soon “give birth” to one of her ideas, so Cristy went to work making an office for herself. She wanted to create a business that could be a home-based business, one that she could “wedge into the space” of school hours and fill this time with something beautiful, something to share with others. After refining her business ideas, “TableTopics” won out and as the obvious choice. She was passionate about deep conversations and wanted to help facilitate meaningful discussions for families and parties.

Cristy’s husband, David, a financial planner helped guide Cristy into the next stages—research, developing a budget, a strategy, and helped her to only focus on what was necessary each day so that she could take each step necessary and not be overwhelmed by the task of product development. She says that he helped her “manage her anxiety” by breaking it down into bite sized chunks.

The Clarkes decided that they would use savings to fund the business and that they were going to do everything first class, since they had already answered the question that they were willing to invest in this business, that it was their family’s business…that it was going to be the “big dream” all the way…so part of this included hiring outstanding designers since design was very important to them and the brand. She knew that it needed to look good enough that families would want her cube on the table long term and not put it away as if it were a game. In order to hire excellent designers from San Francisco, Cristy and David had to enroll them in their big dream and convince them, apparently it worked because they were willing to take on the project with royalties as part payment.

Cristy’s success story has not only made me want to succeed in business, but also become a better mother. She’s an example of how to balance both—she’s absolutely clear about when it’s time to work and when it’s time to focus on her three girls. Although it has been a family business from the get-go and she enjoys sharing the business with them. In fact, before the Real Simple feature came out Cristy enlisted her daughters to fill orders after school from the website, but then it became too much work and they convinced Cristy to hire help!

What’s the future for TableTopics? Cristy’s quick to say that once this company outgrows it’s position as a home-based business and she needs to move into an office that it’s time to turn it over to a larger company who can benefit from the brand and help to grow it successfully. When Cristy talks of this she sounds like she’s raising one of her daughters…and preparing to send her off to an ivy league. She looks forward to high school graduation, yet she’s quick to say that she’s enjoying each day with her “baby.”

For more tips by Start Up Princess Cristy Clarke, please see her profile page!

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