Is there a way to invest minimum effort and achieve maximum output as a stay-at-home mom? After hearing the story of Lisa Kuntze, we’re pretty convinced there is. Few stories are as motivating as that of Kuntze, who was a brand-new mom when she began noticing that she could follow her entrepreneurial instinct from the comfort of her very own home. It wasn’t long before she was reaping the benefits of her online business – all of that while doing the amazing things mothers do.
If you’re also a mom who is craving financial independence and a steady, passive income while being a full-time parent, this article is a must-read for you. Lisa Kuntze is a full-of-life serial mompreneur, digital (s)hero and is currently working on bringing women’s confidence back with her newest venture Lovable Curves. After giving birth to her children, she decided to venture onward on her own, from home. As if being a full time, hard working mom isn’t enough, she’s also passing her knowledge of mompreneurship to other motivated and determined mothers through her online courses and videos. In this article, Kuntze shares her story and her secret to achieving efficiency in life as well as business.
1. What inspired you to start working for yourself (how did you start your first business and how did you sell it?)
When I gave birth to my son, I knew I wanted to work from home and make my own hours so I could be present as a Mother. I had some experience in digital marketing, so I started a digital marketing agency. When I realized I could market other businesses, I decided I should create an online business to market for myself. I found the business model of dropshipping and launched my first site, mindfulbohemianshop.com quickly. In the first month it hit 5k in sales, the next month I doubled our numbers and began to outsource the workload to an overseas team. I decided if I could sell low margin items, why not learn to sell high ticket items? I started two other dotcoms (Calgolfstar and relaxandridebikes) and had massive success in the first quarter. After that I realized, well, other moms need to know how to do this. I created MommEComm and started the Mompreneur Mentor YouTube Vlog/Instagram for Mompreneurs starting out, so they could hit the fast track and learn from my experiences. I should have sold my sites right away because I wasn’t able to manage the workload of so many projects and personal life. They were my babies and it was a tough choice, but if I was honest with myself, I was losing my passion for dropshipping. I wanted to continue to grow as a Mompreneur and challenge myself and I felt I had conquered dropshipping and learned all I could from it. I realized if I could sell other people’s products so well, why not invent and create my own? So, I patented one of my ideas and sold off the dotcoms so I could go all in on my first product.
2. What is MommEComm about and what inspired you to start this?
MommEComm is a digital MommECommpreneur Course for Mothers who want to learn the step by step proven method of starting and executing a successful high ticket dropshipping shop online. The Dropshipping business model is where you never have to touch the product, the suppliers fulfill the orders for your online store and high ticket products have higher margins and are therefore, better to sell. I was inspired to start this after I perfected my method to success in dropshipping, because it became a source of passive income for me and my family. I know Mothers need passive income the most, so they can work their lives around their children without falling into poverty. That is what inspired me to create MommEComm, the hope that I can help alleviate the stress of creating income outside of the home, as a Mother. I wanted it to be by a mother, for mothers from the perspective of a mother. The titles of my lessons are very fun, as I used the analogy of birthing a baby to structure the course. It is extremely comprehensive and I truly hope to change lives with it. If you’re readers are interested they can learn more at MommEComm.com/free-training and get a free vacation for attending the training, on me.
4. What is Lovable Curves about?
Lovable Curves is the name of my new venture. It is based on my first patented invention, one of many, many ideas… The inspiration came from my desire to look in the mirror and love my curves. As a mom, getting your body back after two kids is tough. I was considering the BBL surgery, but when I found out how risky, painful, expensive and life threatening it could be – I yearned for another solution. I actually wasn’t sure if I would even like my body after a BBL, even if it was successful. I thought, “Gee, I wish there was a way to try on the butt and hips before I risk my life, spend lots of money and endure a painful surgery and recovery”. I am sure many other women feel the same. I’m not saying everyone should have Kim Kardashians figure. But if a women wants curves because it boosts her confidence, makes her feel sexy and love her reflection in the mirror, she should be able to get them without risking her life, spending 1000s of dollars and enduring a long painful, permanent recovery. Then I realized my invention had so many other applications, especially for people exploring their gender identity who want to avoid a permanent decision right away. We take the pain, permanency, cost, risk and recovery out of certain medical cosmetic procedures. You’ll have to learn more after we launch, or follow us @lovablecurves to be the first to know more!
7. Busy startup entrepreneurs have lots of demands on their time and are often pulled in lots of different directions, do you have any tips for effective time management and what to focus on?
Multi-task. My favorite multi task trick is working while I workout at the gym and my kids play at kids club. The kids are getting wiggles out and socializing. I am taking conference calls and answering emails, plus burning calories and staying healthy! I often have my VA taking care of tasks for me at the same time, as well. It is a big help, get an overseas VA as an executive assistant if you’re bootstrapping your start up. There is a direct correlation between exercise and entrepreneurial success, I workout at 24 hour fitness. The team at my local club has become like a family to me, I even recorded my podcast feature with Barbara Corcoran at the club! The manager let me borrow his office space for the call! I have so many tips and tricks for this I could go on forever, especially as a Mother! In fact, I am being published as a co-author in the soon to be launched highly anticipated amazon book, Air Fryer Secrets, from Kevin Steven Quinn (it has nothing to do with air fryers, it is a collection of chapters over 50 highly successful digital entrepreneurs) and my chapter is Parentpreneur Lifestyle Hacks! In my chapter I give the BEST advice on how to tackle time management and how I make all the magic happen. It launches on Amazon November 19th, 2019. You can also snag my favorite resources for time management and creating a great work life balance at mommecomm.com/entrepreneur-resources for free!
3. When scaling a company, what do you focus on first and why? How do you determine the best time for scaling?
I scale in three step: Technology Automation, Outsourcing or Hiring. First I focus on what I can automate with technology (as to avoid paying for employees or outsourcing) to streamline the work efforts, automate easy tasks and organize infrastructure. You can automate your retargeting and thank you emails, etc… After this foundation is set and I have automated everything possible (including my vacuuming), I will see what can be outsourced with little management on my part. This is repetitive tasks that do not dramatically effect the bottom line or one time tasks that take up too much time. Customer service is one of those repetitive tasks that can easily be outsourced to an experienced customer service company, but it should not be taken lightly or skimped on by any means. It should, however, be one of the first things you outsource and automate. Lastly, I will look at hiring. Do we need an adspecialist in house or should we hire an agency? Ads have a drastic effect on the bottom line. Outsourcing to an agency or freelancer isn’t reliable because they are not directly invested in the company and the brand and it wastes a lot of time with the back and forth communications. Agencies get lazy if you don’t stay on their back. Adspend is easily burned, ad fatigue happens fast! I hire a dedicated in house person and work directly with them, instead. I have tried to hire ad agencies in the past and it has cost me thousands with their “best practices” and old outdated tactics in the adspace. They make boring adverts, poor adcopy and can’t get your customer to stop scrolling. They are lightyears behind the algorithm and money making tactics and they are busy juggling many clients. They burn cash and have a high cost. With an in house person I can keep a quick eye on adspend, be a part of the ad creative and make sure that ad efforts are up date or ahead of the curve. So, after I have scaled effectively and cost efficiently in these areas, I rinse and repeat the process to continue growth.
6. What traits do you look for when building a team?
This may sounds sexist, but I like to employ women. I find that women multi-task better and I have found that they work harder and respect me. I have found male counterparts and team members to power struggle with me. I have felt dismissed by men because I don’t have a serious communication style but I demand to be taken seriously. Just because I ask nicely and say please, doesn’t mean you can put the task off for a week. I don’t think men like to be told what to do by a woman. Women are collaborative and men seem to be competitive. Women understand me better, because I’m a woman. Also, if I get moody men have called me crazy in the past, with women I can just apologize and say I was PMSing and they get it and we move on. I also try to create a team with diverse strengths and talents so I have a well rounded team that leaves no area of the business vulnerable.
5. How would you describe your leadership style and what makes it so effective?
I’m high energy, appreciative, strategical and efficient. When I have a plan I can’t keep myself from wanting to execute it as fast as possible and it often requires my team. This doesn’t click with everyone. So, I let go of people who are not working at the same pace or who do not have the capacity to be available and execute as needed. If I have to ask multiple times to get a project done, I need to let that team member go. I also go out of my way to be extremely appreciative of hard work from my team and I go overboard with thanks and praise, but I tell you it motivates people a lot! I recognize my team members passions and skills and put them on projects they enjoy and excel at naturally. I play to my team members strengths as part of my strategy and recruit team members who have strengths we are lacking. I keep my mind on the big picture and create a strategy for the company – then I lead the team according to that plan and instruct, as well as motivate them to embrace their role in our success. I am all about efficiency, I don’t like to waste anyone’s time or resources and that is very effective for forward momentum in business.
8. Any advice for entrepreneurs on moving beyond failure?
Perspective. Change your perspective on failure and you’ll never fail, you’ll just move on. Most often than not failure has been great for me. Failures have given me valuable lessons, they have given me valuable skills I learned while failing. I don’t even see my failures as failure. Most often it is just a sign from the universe that I was not going in the right direction and I am just being put onto a better path. No matter what, do not give up and never consider yourself a failure. Instead, see failure as fortune and find the good in it.
9. What sacrifices have you had to make during life?
A lot of people would say I sacrifice sleep, I sacrifice volunteering for PTA, I sacrifice time I could be investing elsewhere… but I don’t even see sacrifice at all. I see myself aligning with the person I want to become. But lets look at this definition of sacrifice ” The act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important”…. The person I want to become doesn’t value being at PTA, she wants to be building massive billion dollar businesses. The person I am becoming doesn’t want to waste time hanging out at a bar watching sports on television, she wants to invest her time in growing a company. I guess you could say I sacrifice my old self again and again, I shed my old skin and constantly strive to become a better version of myself. The one thing I don’t sacrifice is personal development and growth and if that cause requires sacrificing other things, so be it. But, I don’t believe it is really a sacrifice if I’m giving up something I no longer value, want or need anyways, is it? So, I would say I don;t make sacrifices, I just change my values as needed to grow.
10. To what do you attribute your success?
I have profound spiritual practices. I meditate, I visualize, I affirm, I get downloads in flow state and I am clairaudient. I follow the processes of Dr Joe Dispenzas life work to bring my desired reality to fruition in a way that requires the least amount of effort on my part. I know this may seem way down the rabbit hole, but it is all quantum physics. It is how the universe works and these practices allow my consciousness to organize and work with the universe in a way that my mind and my soul can comprehend. Dr Joe has basically proven how the law of attraction works on a scientific level. Mindset is huge, because of this mindset, inner work and outlook, I am able to work smarter, not harder. I am able to accelerate my growth and success this way. Its hard to explain, it’s the magic of the universe. I accomplish everything by doing nothing.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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