Grace Welch, Branding Expert and Mompreneur  

Grace Welch and I met in February at the GeekGirl Carrots NYC Chapter launch. She has one of those “how does she manage to do it all” resumés: she is the inventor of the patented, award-winning patemm diaper pad and Principal / CEO of {g}Collaborative,  a boutique marketing + publicity agency. She’s also an educational advocate and avid supporter in finding a cure to end Type 1 Diabetes.  Not to mention that she’s a wife and mother of four, and she has contributed to 2 books:  Late-Blooming Entrepreneurs by Lynne Beverly Strang and Moms Mean Business:  A Guide to Creating a Successful Company and Happy Life as a Mom Entrepreneur by Erin Baebler and Lara Galloway.  In the latter, she shared her personal and professional experiences being a successful entrepreneur/mompreneur.

In 2012, Grace was listed in the Top 20 Mompreneurs by iVillage. She is a frequent guest speaker with Big City Moms in New York City, a member of NYU’s Mentor Program, and currently advises and coaches aspiring entrepreneurs with their ventures. Grace is passionate about helping others develop skills and knowledge and always demonstrates interest in serving as a teacher and advisor to others.

Define “entrepreneur.”
A person who starts, organizes, and manages a business/enterprise and works crazy, unlimited hours to fulfill their dream job…and LOVES every second of it.

Who are your heroes? 
My parents. 

What is your current challenge? 
Taking a break from technology, being more in the “present” without the distraction of technology.

What are you curious about? 
What would it be like if technology (my iPhone, my computer, my iPad mini, no access to email, etc.) was taken away from me for more than 24 hours?

Your greatest achievement?
Being a mother of four amazing children.

What is your motto? 
Work hard. Stay Positive. Never give up. Be a doer, not a slacker.

Why are you an entrepreneur? 
I always wanted to call my own shots and be in charge of my own destiny.  I also love being able to spend as much time with my family as possible.

What problem are you solving?
Finding enough hours in a day to maintain and strengthen a business that has been around for over ten years and building a new one…and balancing motherhood.

What problem would you like solved? 
I would like to find a cure to end Type 1 Diabetes. 

Item you wish you had invented?
The iPhone. 

Biggest regret?
Not pursuing/integrating Social Media earlier with my first business. 

What mobile device do you presently use?
iPhone 6. 

Essential app(s)?
Gmail. 

Which productivity tools (app/software/office supplies) do you use most often? 
Gmail and notes on my iPhone. 

Best discovery? 
Uniqlo’s* HEATTECH by Uniqlo, a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer– it’s a clothing technology that retains heat and moisture.  It’s anti-microbial, anti-static, and has excellent stretch and shape-retaining properties. 

Which talent would you like to have?
I wish I were more of “a numbers person.”

Best pat on the back you’ve ever received? 
When I was featured in People Magazine in 2006 and when I was as a guest on Oprah in 2007 for my award-winning invention, the patemm pad. 

Advice you wish you’d had (or had followed)? 
Outsource work sooner!

Your pitch in 140 characters? 
Mom. Inventor. Entrepreneur. Doer. PR and Marketing Consultant. My motto in Business: Ideas + Collaboration = Results. 

Your bio in 6 words? 
Mom. Entrepreneur. Mentor. Doer. Educational Advocate.

Are you on Twitter?
Ye — @graciemwelch, @patemmpads, @gcollaborative

The Twitter follower you can’t live without?
Too many to list! 

What’s your hashtag?
#patemm #iamatotalslowpoke (refers to my training for the NYC Half and the NYC Marathon)

The J.O.B. you’d actually like?
I LOVE exactly what I am doing now – being a mom and running 2 businesses. 

Biggest misconception about being an entrepreneur?
That you have a sexy, glamorous life and you have a lot of free time on your hands!  NOT.

Inc. or Rolling Stone or…? Which magazine cover? 
Working Mother Magazine.

What are you reading? 
The Ivy + Bean Series by Annie Barrows with my 7- year-old daughter Lucie.

What is your must-read? 
StyleWatch in People Magazine! 

If I wanted to do what you’re doing…what’s your advice? 
Find the right formula to balance between family time and work.

What conference would you like to keynote? 
The Multicultural Women’s National Conference.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Online window-shopping at kamalikulture.com, farfetch.com, iosselliani.com and uniqlo.com.

Short cut, long route, road less travelled? What’s your roadmap? 
A little bit of everything. Whatever works at the moment!

Podium you’d like to stand on?  
The gold medal podium at an Olympic games.

The memories of a chef are tastes and smells, what would you say are the memories of an entrepreneur? 
Failures and successes. 

What makes you LOL?  
My husband Marty!

Who or what inspires you? 
My parents and my family: my husband Marty and our 4 incredible children:  Patrick, 14, Emma, 12, Jack, 9, and Lucie, 7, all inspire me.

What’s the most important startup / entrepreneurship lesson you’ve learned? 
Work hard, never give up on your dream, be flexible, and believe in yourself.  Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. 

What would be the title of your biography? 
The Successes and Failures of a Mom Entrepreneur 

Your Ferris Bueller moment: if you could goof-off/skip out for a day, what would you do? 
A fun day in NYC: get my hair done at DryBar, go to lunch at Balthazar or Blue Ribbon, and go shopping!  Then, meet up with my family and go to the movies at AMC Theatre Loews at 84^th Street with the reclining seats!

One place in time you’d like to visit?
I would like to go on a fishing trip guided by River Monster’s host Jeremy Wade in the Amazon River with my family. 

Part of the trick to staying focused is?
Take time for yourself and exercise.

You take a 3-hour ocean tour and get stranded …what 3 items do you have with you? 
Water, Dramamine, and my iPhone fully charged. 

One last thing: what’s the question I should be asking you?
What is your legacy?

Answer: for my children, I hope to instill the importance and value of family and hard work. Life is a journey of failures and successes and lessons learned along the way.  You have to be a doer in life.  Life is short – go out and explore and make a difference for others.