Career

Solo Profile - Melanie Notkin - Savvy Auntie

Who doesn't have a favourite Aunt? The one that spoils you, let you get away with things your Mom will never hear about and takes you on fun little adventures you will never forget? SavvyAuntie.com founder Melanie Notkin has found a way for women who love children to celebrate the fun and benefits of being a great Aunt! Savvy Auntie is a lifestyle brand heralded by fabulous kid-friendly women everywhere as a celebration of modern, cosmopolitan Aunthood.

Now SavvyAuntie.com is a thriving online business with a rapidly growing community. So how did Melanie decide to make a business out of her passion?

SM: How long ago did you start up your business/website?
SA: I started the business four years ago and launched SavvyAuntie.com three years ago.

SM: What were you doing at the time you decided to start your own business?
SA: I was thinking about what to do next with my career. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and as I looked 40 square in the nose I thought there was no time like the present.

SM: Do you have any events or incidents you would consider you 'lucky break'?
SA: I don’t really believe in luck but I was fortunate that exactly 23 minutes after I launched SavvyAuntie.com I got my first advertising inquiry – from Hasbro!

SM: What were some of the risks involved when you decided to take a risk and make a living as an entrepreneur?
SA: I also don’t believe in risk. If you think you are taking a risk then you may have doubts about your business idea. I had no doubts. I’m not trying to sound arrogant – it’s just that if you dwell on what might go wrong, you’re wasting time not focusing on what could go right and how to get there.

SM: Are there any lessons you learned that you'd like to share about your experience?
SA: Be kind and generous to everyone. You never know how, when, where or why they come back into your life, but even in a city as big as New York, some of my most valued business relationships are ten or fifteen years old.

SM: How did you know your venture would be a lucrative business worth taking the risk for?
SA: I looked at the US Census data on women without kids. Not only were the numbers very high (44.6 percent when I started the company and 45.7 percent now ) but they were growing. The market was there, as was the emotion desire to be recognized and valued for their role in the Family Village. The market in America is very “mom-opic” as if all women are moms. Or if not moms, then it’s as if women are only concerned with fashion and celebrities. There was a need to show that (just about) every woman has a heart. Even those who are childfree by choice – meaning they have chosen not to be moms – most often love someone else’s child. Savvy Auntie is wedged right in there, serving women with the discretionary income and time to spend on the children in their lives, and on themselves.

SM: How important was networking in creating success for your business?
SA: You don’t start a business alone, even as a solo-entrepreneur. It takes a village, as they say. But I don’t go to traditional networking events, per say. Lately, many of my most meaningful business relationships have come from Twitter and related ‘in-real-life’ events. Good people find each other and then share their good people.

SM: What is the single most important piece of advice you received that remains true today?
SA: My late mother told me when I was four years old, greatly anticipating turning five, not to wish my life away. At the time it was kind of a bummer (because FIVE is a very BIG number!) but as I grew older, and saw my mother pass away at 52, I realized that this *is* life. And so I took it by the horns and live it to my fullest potential. Every single day.

SM: Any personal anecdotes or valuable experiences you'd like to share?
SA: If you have a dream, realize it. If you’re not sure, listen for it. If you don’t, wait for it. It’s coming.

Melanie is the founder of the Webby Award nominee, SavvyAuntie.com and the author of the best-seller: SAVVY AUNTIE: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids (Morrow).

It's a National Bestseller!
SAVVY AUNTIE: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids  William Morrow/HarperCollins

Find Melanie on Twitter @SavvyAuntie and join the Savvy Auntourage at Facebook.com/SavvyAuntie.

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