Amilya Antonetti was a mom whose son’s violent allergies to common household cleaners led her to develop a line of natural cleaning products - and from there, an entrepreneurial empire.
SheKnows:
Amilya’s journey from neighborhood soap maker to one of the country’s top entrepreneurs featured on Oprah and A Big Idea with Donny Deutsch may seem like the American dream, but the journey was anything but easy. She talks to SheKnows about going from mom to entrepreneurial rock star - and how her new venture, Lucky Napkin, can help other women bring original ideas to life.
What was the biggest risk in starting your own business?
Starting out, I took tremendous financial risk: I maxed out credit cards, invested every dollar I owned, sold my car and closed out savings accounts to compete with some of the largest manufacturers in the world. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that business model.
What would you have done differently?
I was asking all the right questions of all the wrong people. When women need advice, they frequently turn to family and friends, who have all the love and good intentions in the world, but aren’t always the best resource for advice on birthing, building and selling a business. Ask experts, not loved ones. Mentorship is key.
What advice do you have for Mom-trepreneurs?
Women need to be financially independent, but owning your own business is not the only path to financial freedom. At every speaking engagement, women come up to me and say, ‘I have this great idea, but I have to raise my kids.’ I say, raise your kids. Lucky Napkin shows you how you can birth ideas without giving up life as you know it. Read more.
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