July 17, 2009
Forbes Column 2009: Mompreneurs
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Angelica Menefee has a unique entrepreneurship story to tell. This successful mompreneur ventured into this business as a problem solving technique—which quickly worked for her. Her story begins after the birth of her first son when she decided to quit her teaching job and become a full time stay at home mom. A couple years after, the need to help financially surfaced and she needed to find ways to earn money while staying at home with her children. “I came up with a format for creating enrichment curriculum that schools could implement using teachers already on staff to present subjects that are generally outsourced (foreign language, etiquette, art, sports). Creating the curriculum meant that I could work from home and that the schools would not have to pay another salary,” she tells me. Hence the creation of Trampoline!
Menefee is the founder and president of Trampoline, which offers educational programs in four divisions; Explorer (foreign languages, world cultures and geography), Scholar (art history, classical music and etiquette), Competitors (sports), Advisor (consulting services), and Tutor (instructional aids). The company was initially funded with limited capital in 2005—an inventory based upon sales was built which kept expenditures low. In the early establishment of the company, Menefee had to wear many hats, from marketing to billing, eventually she hired a director of marketing and PR, an editor and a writer among other employees—all former stay at home moms.
The business was first advertised in ads of local publications and also by contacting local schools. Most of the awareness however, came from national conventions on early childhood educators, that Menefee attended. Customers can now find Trampoline not only through its website, but through the conventions on childhood education, which have proven to be a success for Menefee. Total revenue for Trampoline is between $700,000 and $800,000, all to having no debt, careful planning, client value, and providing worthwhile products at reasonable prices.
Menefee’s transition to becoming a mompreneur was a bit tricky and with many challenges. It became overwhelming at times. “There was the feeling that you weren’t succeeding on any front; you weren’t doing enough to be a good parent or enough to be a good business woman. There just wasn’t enough time in a day. Working from home blurs the lines between home and workplace. I had to stop switching over the laundry in between business calls and taking one more call at dinner time,” she says. Her family had to also make the transition from having a full time mom to one that had full time work to do from home. It was difficult maintaining balance at first, yet she tells me she enjoyed the intellectual challenge.
This mother of three and successful entrepreneur sees her experience as a humbling journey, in which she has learned what she is good at by making her business stronger. “I have learned that stay at home moms are an invaluable asset to the workforce. Many were successful business women who have learned a lot about patience, humility, and the importance of balance in their lives. They make great employees!” Menefee says.
