"How It's Done" Part 2 - with Cecilia Leibovitz of Craftsbury Kids and the Handmade Toy Alliance

Thanks for joining us for Part 2 of our interview with Cecilia Leibovitz. Cecilia is President of the Handmade Toy Alliance (HTA) and owner of the popular online children's boutique, Craftsbury Kids, which offers a vast variety of handmade items for kids, home decor, gifts and even adults!

Today, our interview focuses in more detail on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), the Save Handmade effort, and more about how the HTA continues to work toward amending the CPSIA.

~Can you give us a quick overview of the Save Handmade movement, your role in the Handmade Toy Alliance, how it all started and where it is today? (Including a brief overview of the CPSIA issue).

In November of 2008, I joined the HTA after receiving an email invitation from Dan Marshall, co-owner of a children's store called Peapods. He had started this small group for the purpose of discussing the new CPSIA and how to deal with it as a small business owner specializing in small batch products for children.

The CPSIA had been written in reaction to the 2007 lead toy recalls. After millions of mass-produced toys were recalled due to the presence of lead in paint, it had become painfully clear that the United States needed to take a closer look at the way toy safety was being handled. Alarmingly, the CPSIA was written in such a way that it lumps together all makers of products produced for children, including not just toys, but clothing, art, bicycles, books, CDs-literally everything under the sun made for kids.

Each and every producer of children's products --from the mom at home sewing dresses for toddlers, to the retired senior citizen carving wood toys from his garage, to the multi-million dollar multinational corporations pumping out millions of toys in huge factories -- is treated exactly the same by the CPSIA, as currently written.

The law was not written in a manner that is friendly to micro businesses and handcrafters. Rather, it was designed to work for extremely large companies, manufacturing in huge factories. A producer of children's products must have the wherewithal to invest many thousands of dollars for testing, technology, and equipment, in order to comply with this law.

The newly formed HTA group was painfully aware that CPSIA--only weeks from being enacted-- was poised to destroy thousands of small businesses, without helping children to be safer. It was evident that changes to the CPSIA were needed if we were all to remain in business.

When I first did a "CPSIA" search back in November, Google yielded little more than two or three results linking to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website and documents associated with the CPSIA. The number of people who knew that the CPSIA even existed was next to zero. A search today, just five months later will bring up 1,280,000 results.

This is largely due to the work of the HTA and its supporters. This tiny group of people rallied thousands of overnight activists, devastated by the cold reality that CPSIA could soon ruin the handmade and small batch children's industry. We needed to convince Congress to recognize the so called "unintended consequences" of the law.

When I became a member of HTA there were just 3 or 4 members. Today there are over 300 members. The HTA recently incorporated as a non-profit organization, and I currently hold the title of President.

Our members are multi-talented, and have made huge progress in communications with Congress, and the public. We have introduced a proposed bill to amend the CPSIA in such a way that child safety is preserved, and small businesses are allowed to remain in business.

The HTA mission is "Supporting small batch children's apparel, toy, and accessory makers." An unexpected and happy side affect of CPSIA has been the banding together of many, many like-minded businesses. Up until now a trade organization for the smallest among small businesses who serve the children's industry has not existed. It is our goal to continue to help small batch producers succeed in the children's marketplace as we work toward improving the CPSIA, and move beyond this hurdle.

We welcome new members to join, and benefit from our collective experience, and perks such as a profile page on the HTA website, future cooperative advertising opportunities, and guidance from fellow members. Anyone who is interested in joining can email me at ceci@craftsburykids.com to request complete membership details.

~How have you balanced your role in the Save Handmade effort with your roles as Craftsbury Kids owner and mom?

Who do you have helping you with keeping everything running smoothly? To be honest, it's been tricky! There are just two of us running the business. During the 2008 holiday season (always our busiest time of year) my husband and partner Michael, took care of virtually all Craftsbury Kids business while I focused on CPSIA related work. He did this as well during a trip I took to DC for a CPSIA rally and Congressional briefing this April.

We have our 2 1/2 year old with us all day, and we tend to trade off childcare and work duties throughout the day. Michael does a good deal of driving the kids to and from school, as well as helping with meals, and managing our customer service. I would not be able to get half the work done if it wasn't for Michael's help, and I'm very grateful for it.

~What are your goals for both the Save Handmade effort and with Craftsbury Kids now that the CPSIA is in effect? What changes are you hoping will occur and how will they be reflected at Craftsbury Kids?

Now that President Obama has named a new Chairperson to the CPSC, I'm expecting we'll see more rapid forward movement with implementation and any changes to CPSIA, though there is still much work to be done. I'm hopeful that the "Risk Based Reform Bill" being introduced by HTA will be carefully considered by both Congress and the CPSC.

I'm hoping for commonsense implementation, if not amendment to the law, so that Craftsbury Kids and other businesses focusing on small batch production are able to affordably remain in business, and continue to offer the amazing range of safe beautiful handmade items currently available to children in the USA.

~Can you tell us a bit about your vision for and how you started Craftsbury Kids? What has been the most rewarding thing that has come outof your work with Craftsbury Kids? I started Craftsbury Kids out of a desire to celebrate the amazing talent of artists and crafters who carry on the quality of old world craftsmanship in our modern age.

Many people aren't aware of the beautiful and impeccably made toys, clothing, and other items that are still out there for children today. You can literally feel the love that went into the making of these things. The emails and letters we receive from pleasantly surprised customers are the biggest reward my work brings.

~Can you provide some of the most important links for folks wanting to learn more about or get involved with the Save Handmade effort?

http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
http://www.cpsia-central.ning.com/

http://www.amendthecpsia.com/

http://www.coolmompicks.com/savehandmade

And that's "How It's Done." Thanks again, Cecilia! (All of the photos of handmade and small batch toys in today's post are courtesy of Craftsbury Kids and are available at www.craftsburykids.com)

"How It's Done" with Cecilia Leibovitz of Craftsbury Kids and the Handmade Toy Alliance

This Mother's Day weekend, we have the amazing privilege of spending time with Cecilia Leibovitz, owner of Craftsbury Kids and President of the Handmade Toy Alliance.

Many of you probably recognize Cecilia's name from her work addressing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) issue in her role as President of the Handmade Toy Alliance (HTA). Cecilia played, and is still playing, a huge part in bringing the Save Handmade movement and the problems with the CPSIA to the public's attention.

In fact, if it weren't for my relationship with Cecilia through Etsy and Craftsbury Kids, I would not have even been aware of the incredible impact the CPSIA would have on handmade artisans, like myself.

Cecilia is an excellent example of how you can accomplish huge business and personal goals while at the same time, thriving in a relationship and raising a house full of children!

Plus, she's honestly a really nice person who is also driven, well-spoken and just plain smart. Basically, she's the woman you're raising your daughters up to be! She's not afraid to stand up for a cause, and when she does stand up, she isn't likely to sit down anytime soon.

Due in large part to Cecilia's efforts, just about every Etsy shop proprietor or other small business owner that makes and/or sells children's products is most likely aware of the CPSIA, how the changes it requires has already affected their business and the potential effects it could have in the future.

Cecilia's efforts with the HTA have gained national attention, including numerous Internet, television and other media appearances, including a huge response to the Amend the CPSIA Rally held in Washington D.C. on April 1, 2009. Members of the HTA played an active role in the rally, along with groups from various other sectors affected by the CPSIA.

Since Cecilia fills two enormous professional roles (in addition to wife and mother) I thought it would be best to divide our time with her into two parts. Today, let's get to know Cecilia as an entrepreneur and owner of one of my favorite places to browse and shop for handmade children's products - Craftsbury Kids.

Tomorrow, we'll learn much more about her role in the Save Handmade movement and position as President of the HTA.

~When people ask you what you "Do" how do you respond? (i.e., work,business, blog, mom, etc.) I retail and promote the work of artists who create items for children.

~How old are your kids? My son Anton is 15, daughter Talia is 11, son Liam is 6, and my youngest son Jasper is 2.5. I have two step-children, Jessica who is 21, and Alexandra, 15.

~What are your top goals for your business & career? To continue to shape Craftsbury Kids based on my vision that children have the innate ability to play, to have fun, and to be amazing. Rather than offer products that result in their passivity, I want to encourage children to have an active role in their play and everyday decision making.

When we ask children to mold their personalities to limited ideas, activities, and products created in response to fads, or the latest blockbuster movie, we hinder their growth. When we show children that there is so much more out there, they can develop a confidence and a realization of their own ability to create and achieve incredible things, whether paintings or doctorates.

I would like for Craftsbury Kids to continue to develop as a source that offers parents and children choices that allow them to express themselves.

~What are your top goals for your family and marriage? To always try my best to keep the lines of communication open. To respect that we are each individuals with our own ideas.

~What are the top 1 or 2 things you do to keep your life in "balance" while you work toward these goals? Try to have a sit down family dinner as often as possible (the goal is every night but this doesn't always happen).

~What is the greatest obstacle or challenge you face in reaching these goals? Balancing my time between self, family, and business. I can often get swept up with work, and have to remind myself that there's always tomorrow.

~What resources do you use (books, blogs, websites, people) to help encourage and educate you? I read lots of blogs. There are so many great ones out there. These three business books that I read years ago have influenced and been helpful to me over the years: Soul of a Business, by Tom Chappell; The Ecology of Commerce, by Paul Hawken; Price Wars, by Thomas J. Winninger

~What do you feel is your most important characteristic in helping you live your life well and keeping things in balance? I'm pretty good at accepting change, and I'm willing to try a different approach if the direction I'm going in doesn't work out. It's not easy to let something go when you've invested so much time, effort, and energy, but I feel it's an effective way to keep things balanced. Once I recognize the need for change, I'm able to move forward much more easily.

~What advice would you give to another working/blogging mom if they asked you for it? Don't let anyone tell you that "you can't." If you enjoy and have passion for your work, then you're doing the right thing, and you will succeed!

Now, to give you a taste of what to look forward to tomorrow, here's one of my favorite quotes from Cecilia's interview about the Save Handmade movement:

"When I first did a "CPSIA" search back in November, Google yielded little more than two or three results linking to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website and documents associated with the CPSIA. The number of people who knew that the CPSIA even existed was next to zero. A search today, just five months later will bring up 1,280,000 results. This is largely due to the work of the Handmade Toy Alliance and its supporters."

Thank you so much to Cecilia. Please come back tomorrow for Part 2 of our time with Cecilia Liebovitz in our ongoing series, "How It's Done."