Meet Carrie Lundell Founder of This Is Me Journal

Carrie Lundell is one creative and talented Startup Princess. Previous to creating her artistic journal for kids, Carrie was a top baby girl clothing designer in NYC for Old Navy and traveled the world seeking the latest treasures and trends for apparel. She literally got to shop for a living. How cool is that?? She loved her job, but after having her first baby she decided it was time to shift her career and she became a stay at home mom.

Inspired from a “prompt journal” she made with her own mom as a child she decided to create the This is Me Journal “A Kid’s First Keepsake Journal” so her own children and others could benefit from a special, customizable art/memory journal. Each page has space for kids to write and draw to make the pages “their own” and dream/create/respond in their own fun way. One of my favorite pages is the one about “what my hair looks like in the morning” and the holiday entries are very fun too.

This is Me Journal has been raved about by Design Mom, Mommies with Style, and others since its release early in 2008. This Is Me Journal is available in some hip California retail stores and also online.  The journal is an ideal product for children’s bookstores, boutiques, and gift shops.

Carrie just recently attended the first Startup Princess event in Orange County and we’re thrilled for her success and for all the budding artists and authors (my son included) who will treasure their keepsake journals in the years to come.

Enjoy Meeting Startup Princess Carrie Lundell!

Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA

Current Residence: Orange, CA

Education: BA from BYU ’98 Major: Fashion Design

Professional Background (brief, please): I worked as an assistant designer for children’s clothing designer Rosetta Millington (LA). Then, I became a Designer of Baby Girls clothing for Old Navy (NY). Once I started having children, I became a freelance designer. Now, I design and create clothes for my own kids while trying to get my start-up off the ground.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A Wild Animal Trainer

What you are: A designer, a mother, a spider catcher, a wardrobe refashioner, a PTA member, a gardener, a journal-designer, a blogger, a mountain-biker.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I independently published This is Me – A Kid’s First Keepsake Journal. It’s an easy-to-use, prompt journal for kids ages 3-8. It’s designed to not only act as a record of a child’s life, but also to promote creativity, imagination, and self-esteem.

Company Website? www.thisismejournal.com

What inspired you? One of my most cherished keepsakes is a “prompt” journal my mom helped me keep as a young child. No matter my age, I have always loved flipping back through those pages to look at my childhood self, and I have always been thankful for the time my mom spent helping me capture that childhood in my own words and drawings. When my own daughter became old enough to have a journal of her own, my search for the perfect “first journal” came up surprisingly unsuccessful. There just wasn’t anything on the market that was quite right. That’s when I decided to create my own journal full of inspiring and age appropriate writing and drawing prompts for young children.

How long have you been in business? Since January ’08

How did you fund it? Personal Savings

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? Nope. But I do have a lot of multi-talented girlfriends I like to bounce ideas off of. And just a few weeks ago, I was able to meet some women from Startup Princess. And all of them have proven to be amazing sources of information.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? The Visa Small Business Network. Startup Princess.

Current Business Challenge? Getting the word out and finding the courage to approach retailers.

What are you doing about it? Networking, marketing, press releases.

Favorite motivational quote: “You can do it!” (but you must say it with the accent of Rob Schneider, the :”You can do it” guy in all the Adam Sandler movies).

Family? Husband, 2 daughters and a new son.

If so, how do you balance family and business? I wish I only had to balance family and business. But like so many other women, I have to throw in heavy involvement in our local public school, church responsibilities, and making time to take care of myself (which for me means finding time to design and create—my first love). It’s always a tough juggling act. It usually means there are days when I am not a good mom and other days when I am a terrible businesswoman. I just try my best and that’s good enough for me and my family.

Favorite book? Like Water For Chocolate

What do you do to relax? Design, sew, create, sketch, dream, imagine. I also like to catch up on Project Runway.

What do you want to change most about your world? More Love, less paperwork.

What are you most proud of? Just a few weeks ago, I crashed trying to ride a really technical and scary part of a trail on my mountain bike. I’m just glad I tried.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? “You can do it!”

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Friends

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? I’m not really the “tiara type’ but I am picturing a vintage looking tiara where the metal has oxidized and the diamonds are dirty. A tiara with history, that’s one I could love.

Carrie blogs at:

http://www.thismamamakesstuff.blogspot.com

http://www.talesfromthecrib.net

Thank you, Carrie for inspiring us!