We’re currently at the St. Charles TNNA marketplace getting some great feedback on the Namaste line!
Mama Toni loves to pose for the camera, and here she is sporting the black Hip Holster, in front of many a Hermosa…..
We’re having a great time here!
Namaste….
Hip Mountain Mama
Hip Mountain Mama is a small family business founded in 2008 by Suzy Hawbaker. HMM is a web-only store that strives to offer the best Hip and Natural Products for Babies, Kids, and Mamas. Suzy at HMM has been a prominent retailer of Namaste products for the past 2 years.
After the birth of her first daughter, Suzy began searching out organic and natural products and parenting techniques to connect closely with her strong passion for living naturally. Suzy’s commitment to preserving the Earth, raising her children in a conscious and natural way, and promoting other small family businesses are the keys to her success and that of Hip Mountain Mama.
As a stay at home mom of two daughters, Suzy spent a lot of time online searching for (and helping others find) the hippest products. She discovered that there were many natural toy and baby websites but that there was an opportunity to start a store that sold the best natural products for babies, kids, and women. Namaste and Hip Mountain Mama have shared a serendipitous junction since the beginning of HMM in 2008. We share Suzy’s vision of creating a product for that is animal-friendly, 100% vegan, and PVC-free. Our like-mindedness has been the foundation for a fantastic relationship over the years.
Recently, Suzy was willing to answer some questions about her story as a Namaste retailer, and what being a Hip Mountain Mama is all about…..
Kelly (Namaste): When did you open the doors for your store?
Suzy (Hip Mountain Mama): We opened our shop to the public on August 1st 2008.
Namaste: What did you previously do before opening your store?
Suzy: Before starting Hip Mountain Mama I was a stay at home Mama and my husband was a loan officer at a bank.
Namaste: Can you tell us a bit about what made you start your own business, and what your business is all about, in general?
Suzy: I started the business 2 years ago as a way to work from home and help out with the family income. My little part time job turned into a family business and we are so grateful my husband and I are both able to work for Hip Mountain Mama. Hip Mountain Mama is a fun shop where women can come to find a variety of fun and unique products for them and their little ones. We have a lot of products that are hand made, one of a kind, made with natural materials, and from small family businesses.
Namaste: What is your favorite thing about your store?
Suzy: My favorite thing is my customers. I love meeting new people and corresponding with like-minded folks on line.
Namaste: What is your favorite Namaste piece?
Suzy: The needle binder…it gets used a lot and is such a great way to organize my knitting needles and notions.
Namaste: Why were you attracted to the line?
Suzy: I LOVE knitting! Namaste bags offer a cute and hip way to carry and organize your knitting stuff. I also love that Namaste is a small family business!
Namaste: Can you tell me a bit more about who is involved in running your business and what everyone’s role is?
Suzy: Hip Mountain Mama is run solely by my husband, Andy, and I. Andy primarily takes care of marketing, packaging, and web site stuff and I take care of customer service, product research, and our blogs. Of course there is so much more that goes into it and we just do what needs to be done given the time we have. We have a 6 year old and 3 year old, so we also spend a lot of time hanging with the kids and they help us with the day to day duties of the business.
Namaste: How does the Namaste product line fit in overall with your store?
Suzy: We offer a variety of hip products for women. We wanted to make sure to include a knitting and crafting section in the shop because we are so passionate about crafting. Namaste bags are not only great for knitters, but are very popular with our new mom customers as well as tons of non knitting women who just want a cute and functional bag.
Namaste: From a “Mama” perspective, what’s your favorite Namaste product to tote your kid stuff in?
Suzy: My all time favorite bag is the Newport. I really like the size of it. I am also really excited about the new Messenger Bag and this is a great bag for Moms (in fact my friend just purchased a Messenger Bag to be used as a diaper bag and she is loving it)! I do have to say that any of the Namaste Bags are perfect for Moms…there are so many pockets which works great for organizing all your Mommy stuff…toys, snacks, diapers, etc.!
Namaste: Who are most of your customers?
Suzy: Really they are all over the board. We have teenagers on up to Grandma’s ordering from us.
Namaste: What would you say is the key to the success of HMM?
Suzy: The key is really listening to our customers and staying true to our vision. When our customers asked for more eco friendly women’s clothing, we listened and just added several new clothing items. By listening to our customers we are really allowing them to really help us shape what the store looks like and this is a lot of fun. By staying true to our vision and carrying items from small companies our customers know that they are not only supporting us, but also other small businesses around the world….and this feels good.
Namaste: How does a Hip Mountain Mama spend her days?
Suzy: A typical week day for me looks like this…take my 6 year old to her Nature School, take the dog for a walk, meditate, hop on the computer, have lunch, hang out with my 3 year old and finish up work, pick up my 6 year old, hang with the girls outside, dinner, bed time. I know it’s not very exciting, but we do enjoy sneaking in hikes each week and trips up to the mountains. This summer we did a lot of camping, going to festivals, and taking day trips to awesome places.
Namaste: If you have a motto, what is it?
Suzy: “A Natural Attitude at any Altitude”
Basically we want people to understand that it’s all about the attitude, not the altitude. Whether you live in the mountains, at sea level, or anywhere in between you can be a Hip Mountain Mama. It’s an attitude of taking life as it comes, enjoying nature and natural products, living simply, and having a blast.
Wow, thank you Suzy for you message and your interview. One especially compelling statement that sums up the philosophy and guiding principles for HMM include the following:
“We are the parents of two beautiful children and we believe it is our duty to raise our children in a safe, healthy, natural, and environmentally conscious way. To us Hip Mountain Mama is not just a business but a way of life and our little way of making the world a better place for our children and for future generations.”
Family values, functional products, having fun, and showing love to our Mother Earth. Thank you for spreading your vision Suzy, and thanks for letting us all get to know you just a bit more. We at Namaste aim to have even more “mommy” and “earth-friendly” products in the future; and we share your vision that we should all do our part to love our earth and have fun while doing it! Namaste….
Family. Tradition. Joy. These qualities make up the motivation behind The Loopy Ewe; a family owned, web-based and brick and mortar knitting store located in St. Louis, MO. The site and physical location allows shoppers to purchase and browse through their fun and colorful collection of yarn and accessories. With such a huge variety of knitted patterns and textures, everyone can find something that fits their needs. At The Loopy Ewe, a combination of the best quality of products and amazing customer service makes the customer experience fun and easy.
Since we (Namaste) started doing business with owner Sheri Berger at The Loopy Ewe a few years ago, we instantly connected with her and her crew with regards to our shared commitment to customer service, creatively growing our businesses, and smiling while we do it. We’ve truly enjoyed these past few years of working together and look forward to what’s to come. We asked Sheri the following questions to learn a bit more about the background and inspiration for The Loopy Ewe.
The Loopy Ewe Interview
Kelly (Namaste): When did you open the doors for your store?
Sheri (The Loopy Ewe): August 1, 2006. We’re celebrating our fourth anniversary this summer!
Namaste: What did you previously do before opening your store?
Sheri: I was a remedial reading teacher for three years (before my husband and I had kids) and then I was a scrapbooking consultant for 15 years. The Loopy Ewe was just going to be a small side business for fun, because I really liked my scrapbooking job. However, it grew quickly and I soon retired from scrapbooking to put all of my focus on the shop! (It was a good decision. I love having this shop.)
Namaste: What do you think sets you apart from other (knitting) stores?
Sheri: I think there are a lot of great knitting stores out there, and all of us are working hard to keep our businesses going and growing in this economy. No doubt we all stand out in different ways. I can tell you what is important to us at The Loopy Ewe – we focus on providing excellent customer service, getting orders shipped quickly, and bringing in new products and re-stocks every week to keep things fresh. And we really love our customers!
Namaste: What is your favorite Namaste piece? Why were you attracted to the line?
Sheri: My personal favorite is the Hermosa bag. I have one in black and one in red. I love the size and shape, and in addition to using it for knitting, it’s also the perfect carry-on bag when I travel.
I was first attracted to the line because it was such a top quality product at such reasonable prices. One of my customers from Italy told me that when she carries her Namaste bag, all of the Italians ask her where she bought it. (And you know, Italy has really good leather!) I also love how Namaste is constantly updating colors and coming up with new products. They are great at listening to input from shops and knitters, and their customer service is amazing.
Namaste Hermosa bag in black
Namaste: How does the Namaste product line fit in overall with your store?
Sheri: It’s our biggest bag line. We have a big piece of furniture that my husband made, just for storing all of our Namaste products. It works well and customers know just where to head, when they’re ready for a new Namaste bag or accessory.
Front of the Namaste product showcase at The Loopy Ewe.
Namaste stock at The Loopy Ewe- a skilled craftsman's work indeed!
Namaste: What do most of your customers look for when they come into (the store)?
Overwhelmingly beautiful!
Namaste: What encouraged you to open up a knitting store?
Sheri: Knitting was something that my daughter and I enjoyed doing together, when she was in her early teens. When we moved from “fun fur scarves” to socks (because one can never have too many socks), we couldn’t find much variety in sock yarns at our local shops. That led to a lot of research, and then eventually led to us opening up an online shop that specialized in just sock yarns. Within a year, we had moved to a brick and mortar location and expanded way past sock yarns. It has been a lot of work, but we’re having a ball!
One of the factors that links Namaste with The Loopy Ewe is that we both built our business with and around our families. At Namaste, Mama Toni (Dawn & Clint’s mother and my mother-in law) is our warehouse manager and has been with us from the start. Joe (my brother) manages packing and shipping as well as a host of “front of the office” tasks. Papa John (Toni’s husband) does our accounting and bookkeeping. Clint does all of our photography whether it’s abroad in Istanbul or on the streets of LA. We’ve also “adopted” Nancy as our own, and she’s responsible for secretarial tasks. Dawn and I (jokingly referred to as “chief” and “bosslady”) run the show, so to speak. Within the past 6 years, we’ve formed an unbreakable bond of family and friendship that goes hand in hand with our creative process for new products. We’re not businesswomen by trade, we see ourselves as regular people who were willing to take a journey towards something we believe in. Within the Namaste workplace, positive thinking, positive energy, fun, and fur (our dogs), are all invaluable factors to the overall success of our business.
Joe, Mama Toni & Nancy (& our fur friends) at the most recent Namaste party.
The Loopy Ewe has also been a family effort from the start. Everyone in the Berger family is able to contribute their individual skills into this project. Sheri’s husband helps with the graphics and photography, while her son puts his skills of web design to use. Sheri’s daughter is in charge of stocking up products for inventory, while Sheri focuses on keeping the business up and running. With a contribution from the entire family, the company has come to be a very well known and well respected business in the crafting community.
The Berger Family
Additionally, the staff at The Loopy Ewe are lovingly referred to as: The Elves. Sheri told us that there are 10 gals who work there, all part-time, so that they can still keep up with mom-responsibilities and keep their schedules flexible. She started with one gal (who was actually her assistant in my scrapbooking business, before Loopy) and then she just kept adding in more people as they grew. One day, early on, one of her customers was in shopping and he commented on “those Loopy elves, scurrying around, packing orders”. Well, the name Loopy Elves just stuck, and they’ve been calling them the Elves for the past 3 years now. All of their customers call them that, too! (And then ask if they can BE a Loopy Elf.) Please make sure to stock up on the best quality of sock yarn and Namaste accessories at Loopy Ewe’s online shop at www.theloopyewe.com.
The Loopy Elves
The Loopy Ewe & Namaste both believe in doing business with a smile. Sheri and the Namaste team agree that “Life’s too short not to enjoy the simple joys of each day”. We both believe in using our platforms to do good and to help others. To Sheri & the gang, thanks for being a bright ray of light in our days since your family came into ours. Namaste.