rosieMADE: How Alicia Vanderschuere Started Her Own Company to Help Other Female Entrepreneurs

Alicia Vanderschuere’s energy is infectious. Her company, rosieMADE has a mission to inspire others to be “stronger, bolder, and better.” By featuring the products of other female business owners across the United States, Alicia has not just started her own company; she’s started a revolution. Through the rosieMADE shop and community, women can get together to inspire and encourage each other, whether through purchasing products or soaking in resources about female leadership.

Read on to learn more about this innovative company and the woman behind it all. To learn more about rosieMADE, visit www.rosieMADE.com.

Can you tell us a little bit about rosieMADE and how you got started?

We are an online gift retailer, focusing on USA Made products from women-friendly companies. Our goal is to point the power of consumer spending towards women in business. We also run features and giveaways to help build awareness of women’s businesses and offer a free business directory.

My background is in corporate buying, where there is still a surprisingly few female executives in most companies. Since consumer spending is so powerful, it seemed like the perfect way to help women business leaders become more influential. Our company focuses on the US economy, since it is the most powerful in the world. We expect a trickle-down effect to the rest of the world’s women by elevating women here.

How did you secure the start up funds in order to start your company?

We have bootstrapped thus far. I squirreled away money while in Corporate America and have been blessed to have my husband’s income to rely on now for all household expenses. Securing additional funds is an ongoing debate for me, since there are so many pros and cons of each option. Hopefully I will make the right decision when the time comes.

What financial struggles did you overcome during the company’s early stages?

As a start-up, it’s difficult to know the best use of funds, especially when these funds are limited. It’s also difficult to project sales and expenses accurately. For us, we focused on trying a variety of marketing tactics to figure out what works best and focused especially on low-cost or no-cost options. We also did our best to control the right expenses, understanding that a company has to spend money to make money.

What advice do you have for other women who want to be entrepreneurs?

It’s important to be passionate about your business. That’s the best way to onboard customers, team members, and media sources. As an entrepreneur, you have to LOVE your company, its mission, and products since you will be thinking about it 24 hours a day.

Seek out advice and support for your business, whether that is the local SBA, WBC, SBDC, SCORE, local networking groups, or friends and family. It is really important to know the resources available and to utilize them.

Be realistic. The big businesses or brands that are part of everyday vocabulary have been in business for years. Very few businesses are an overnight success, and the few that are aren’t always sustainable. Set small goals that will help you achieve larger goals and give yourself credit for accomplishments.

Dream big. Statistically speaking, women’s businesses tend to be smaller. We need to recognize this and then we need to consciously create bigger, bolder dreams.

Did you ever envision that you’d end up where you are today?

I had always thought entrepreneurship sounded interesting, but I would have never expected to have become a social entrepreneur with women businesses and leadership as my focus.

How do you try to achieve a work/life balance?

Right now, work/life balance doesn’t come easily for me. I have a baby business, a 17 month old, a husband who travels regularly for work–all on top relocating less than a year ago. My husband is a wonderful partner (and much better cook than I am), and we share household responsibilities. We try to stay as organized as possible, with tools like shared calendars and menu planning. I have also learned to let things go (i.e. the perfectly clean house, being the perfect parent, etc.). Asking for help is essential for me in managing work and family.

What are some of your favorite products that rosieMADE sells?

That’s tough! I’m an avid tea drinker, so I’m a huge fan of our gourmet teas from Octavia Tea. Our chocolate is also wonderful with all organic ingredients. It’s the perfect splurge. The salted caramels are the perfect combination of sweet and salty. I’m also really excited about one of our newest vendors, Green Toys. All of their products are made from recycled plastic.

High quality ingredients, artisanal craftsmanship, and social consciousness are an underlying theme of all of the products we carry.

What are your future personal and professional goals?

Right now, my biggest goal is to get rosieMADE out of the starting gates and become a well-known and respected brand. I’m big on evolving, so I look forward to learning each day, and helping others learn. Ideally, I’d like for rosieMADE to become irrelevant by having so many women achieve their dreams, that our mission is no longer necessary. From a personal standpoint, I’d like to expand our family in the coming years.