Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Have you ever been in a situation where someone doesn't get your reference? Well, I have, and it's awkward at times. I'm starting to slowly run into people younger than me that don't know the reference when I mention the classic movie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I know, horrifying. But it's true, so I'm coming to terms with that fact that I'll just have to dive in a little deeper in my explanation when people ask me, "Where did you come up with your business name?" So for those of you reading this, there you have it, Truly Scrumptious was derived from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or at least heavily inspired by the classic movie. If you're still confused then go rent the movie. I promise you'll love it, and you're welcome. :-) It's truly a classic! The movie is one of my Dad's all-time favorites, so naturally, I grew up watching it A LOT! When the time came to come up with a name for my new endeavor well, it just fit.

Photo: Living Radiant Photography

The second most common question I get when networking or meeting someone new is, "When did you start designing candy and dessert tables?" I officially started my business in 2014 right after my first daughter was born. Before then I was casually doing it as a hobby for family and friends. My husband and I both knew early on that we wanted one of us to have a more flexible schedule while we raised our kids. We all know the days are long but the years are short. It was important to both of us to have one parent home during those so-called "young years". So fast forward to a lot of planning and nerve-racking changes, I was the best fit to resign from my then Service Director position at a financial firm and take on my new role as a stay at home mom.

So first things first, I LOVE being a stay at home mom. I love it and I can't imagine my life any other way. But I did quickly discovered that I needed and wanted to keep my own identity in some capacity. I needed something other than being a "Mom". My Mommy hat would be with me for the rest of my life, that didn't mean I wanted to completely lose the original Allison. I've always been a busy-bee, go-getter, fit more in your schedule than you have time for kind of gal. So sitting back and raising my child just didn't seem like enough to me at the time. Launching my side hustle seemed like the perfect balance to accomplish this identity crisis I was experiencing.

I was fortunate enough to develop a business around the Mommy duties that didn't take time away from my husbands important 9-5 gig. After all, he was supporting us until I got my feet on the ground. I've also been fortunate in that my business has grown with my daughter. In the early days, she was the perfect sidekick to coffee meet-ups and client introductions (who can resist a sweet baby with a contagious smile). Now she's four and is my little social butterfly heading off to school 3 days a week developing herself as I continue to tackle my piece of the world. We meet up at the end of each day and have our Mommy daughter time and all is well. I'm incredibly grateful that it's worked out as well as it has.

So to all my Mom's or soon-to-be Mom's out there that are thinking or pondering about a side hustle or passion of yours, I can't stress enough that I whole-heartily agree you should go for it. Yes, at times, it is a hard balancing act and you'll hit some rough patches where you feel and think about all the bad stuff! BUT those lows make you gain perspective, grow, and ultimately make the struggles and uncertainties worth it. You have to do what makes yourself happy. If that means creating some kind of new career that meshes better with your "Mom" schedule, well than, so be it. There are no limits. Trust me when I say your kids will thank you, your spouse will thank you, and you'll thank yourself if you just GO FOR IT!

(Below are a mix of images of my business name inspiration, the early motherhood days and some first few gigs I did as a new business owner.)

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