The Mogul Mom Features…Renee Wood of The Comfort Company

A few months ago, Renee Wood of The Comfort Company emailed me to see if I would review the sympathy jewelry she designed. Underneath her signature was her company’s slogan: Gifts of Hope for the Healing Heart. That slogan touched me very deeply.

I have suffered loss in my life and last year, watched two friends mourn the tragic loss of their babies. I have also watched these two women on their slow journey of healing and so, Renee’s slogan just struck me as powerful and right on.

When someone loses a loved one, it’s always difficult to know what to say or do to comfort them. It’s hard to convey to them how sorry you are or to let them know that the pain will ease in time. The Comfort Company helps you do that in unbelievably beautiful ways. Renee’s company offers ornaments, jewelry, trees, garden benches, flag cases and so much more. The Comfort Company sells sympathy gifts for adults, children and even pets.

Renee sent me the “Forget Me Not” Teardrop Pendant and with it, came a card with these words:

There will come a day when the tears of sorrow
Will softly flow into tears of remembrance…
And your heart will begin to heal itself…
And grieving will be interrupted by episodes of joy
And you will hear the whisper of hope.
There will come a day when you will welcome
The tears of remembrance…
As a sunshower of the soul…
A turning of the tide…
A promise of peace.
There will come a day when you will…
Risk loving…
Go on believing…
And treasure the tears of remembering.

I was so moved by these words and by Renee’s company and knew I just had to interview her. I hope you are as inspired and awed by Renee and The Comfort Company.

Q: What is your name & how many children do you have?

A: My name is Renee Wood and I have four daughters, Mackenzie (16), Delaney (13), Olivia (10) and Ellie (6).

Q: What is the name of your company and when did you start it?

A: The Comfort Company is an online sympathy gift store that was founded in 2001 with a mission to simplify the difficult task of expressing sympathy.

Q: What was the inspiration behind your company?

A: My sister-in-law lost her father and I became frustrated when I couldn’t find a meaningful sympathy gift for her. Ultimately I sculpted a pendant for her out of play-doh. I had the design carved into wax and then cast into silver. The process of creating and giving this gift of remembrance was so fulfilling I decided to pursue it. Because I had young children at home, creating an ecommerce business seemed like the perfect way to be a full-time mom, yet still use my experience as a social worker to encourage others to acknowledge loss rather than to minimize it.

Q: How long did it take you to earn a profit from your business?

A: Because I worked from home, I saw a profit pretty early on. I grew the business slowly, using only a modest startup allowance and relying on the profits of the business to support and expand it.

Q: What obstacles (if any) did you face along the way & how did you overcome them?

A: My greatest obstacle was my tendency to go into “What if” paralysis. I wanted to know the answer to every question before starting the business. I wanted to anticipate every possible scenerio, know the pitfalls and have all of the answers before I took each and every step. Finally I realized that I was going nowhere fast and decided that even a wrong decision was better than no decision.

Q: Did you ever feel like quitting? What kept you going?

A: I can’t say that I ever felt like quitting, but no doubt about it, trying to grow a business and a family at the same time was a challenge! I relied on visualization to get me through the rough patches. Being able to close my eyes and imagine the road around the bend definitely fuels my tank and keeps my engines running overtime!

Q: What quality/qualities (i.e., tenacity, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a mom entrepreneur?

A: As moms we are multi-taskers by nature. I think this is the secret ingredient to being a successful mom entrepreneur. Also, It is absolutely necessary to learn how to accomplish major tasks incrementally because we rarely have the luxury of uninterrupted time.

Q: What one thing (book, website, coach, tool, blog, service, etc) was VERY INSTRUMENTAL in your success?

A: My computer in general has been most instrumental to my success. I use the internet to research every aspect of starting, running and growing a business. I also depend on the support of other mom entrepreneurs through the mompreneursonline.com forum. And I use Profnet and HARO to keep my finger on the pulse of the press.

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A: “Leap and the net will appear” I love this quote!!!

Q: What advice would you give to a new mom entrepreneur?

A: The best advice that I could give any mom entrepreneur is to ask alot of questions and listen to anyone who is willing to share their thoughts and experiences with you. I have found that people are generous with their advice, both good and bad. So listen to what they have to say, but in the end…let your own voice be the loudest.