Motherhood, it changes you.

While there’s a whole list that involves sagging and wrinkled, exhausted and emotional that can be wrapped in there, for many women becoming a Mom takes life to a whole other level.

It brings out our genuine loves, forces them into places creatively and personally that reveal talents and ingenuity unrealized until that point.

It inspires.

Moms see a need and create the solution.

So, with this monthly series we celebrate the genius of Comox Valley women who turn the lessons of parenthood into a resource for the community.

We celebrate local mom entreprenuers.

Name: Diane Kyle
Age: 38.
Business: Nearly New Books, 1761-B Comox Ave.
Town: Comox
Tell Us About Your Business: Nearly New Books is a used book store carrying all sorts of titles from board books to fiction and educational reading.

I had been a Dental Assistant for 17 years in Victoria, and was wanting to move up-Island to be closer to my parents in Parksville, and brother’s family in Comox, so I had been keeping an eye on available jobs in the area for some time.  One day my husband, Dan, spotted this used book store for sale right in downtown Comox, and, as having a book store had also been a long-time dream of mine, we came to see it.  Dan sold his line painting business, and in less than 2 months we were here!

There’s no question that this is the toughest part:  what do I do myself and what do I delegate (bookkeeping).  As it is, I work a 6 day week, about 60-70 hours, which is twice what I had done as an employee, so I am always trying to have family time around my hours of business.  On Saturday’s my daughter, Madeline, comes in to help, so we have a bit of fun, and lunch.

Well, walking on the beach or laying in the sun with a good book would be hard to beat!

Without a doubt, word-of-mouth is vital.  We love to make sure our customers are happy, and get many compliments each day on our store.

I had a great deal of experience prior to this in making sure I connected with the people I was dealing with, but if I hadn’t that would certainly have been a steep learning curve.  I read a couple of other Mom-preneur’s comments where they said that they had to learn not to be taken advantage of, or to offer valuable parts of their business too cheaply.  Those are both excellent pieces of advice.

On the whole, I feel that my customers are what makes my business, and an enjoyable day, so those interactions should be pleasant for both of us.

Well, as I had not owned my own business previously, I looked to my husband’s experience with the highs & lows of self-employment.  The biggest eye opener was realizing that my income wasn’t going to be a steady bi-weekly paycheque.

I do, and always have, spend each evening lying on my daughter’s bed and talking as long as she wants, usually a few hours.  My husband and I have time together earlier in the day, or sometimes will go out for a drive together – get ice cream – since Madeline is old enough to be by herself at home now.

None.  I am very happy to finally be in Comox, and hope to be here forever, running my book store, and then retiring in a few decades.

You can do it!  I still have butterflies most mornings thinking “what is today going to be like?”  It’s okay, your pride will shine through.

I would love a personal chef, since deciding what to make for dinner after a long day is always a challenge.  Originally, when I thought about my own business a few years ago, I had considered one of those places where you go to make up your meals for the week in freezer bags – ready to cook – where they have all the ingredients.  They have been popular in larger centres in the U.S., but I haven’t seen on up here.  Perphaps a Mom out there could look into doing that?

Facebook.  I’ve also been going on CanSpell for a few months, as Madeline won the Regional Spelling Bee, and we both just got back last week from Washington, D.C. after travelling to Ottawa in April for the finals.