People (myself included!) often say it is a small world ... this blog feature is a true testament to this.
If you know me well, you know I absolutely *love* historic homes. Years ago, my mother in law invited me to tour a magnificent one: a turn of the century Antebellum farmhouse in Alcova Heights, Arlington, Virginia. Her good friend Alice lived in it and was a master gardener; I remember vividly the day Alice graciously gave us a tour of her beautiful home and its surroundings. It was a house and garden to remember.
A house to remember: the front door of this historic grand home with its welcoming front porch, haint blue porch ceiling and yellow door. Photo courtesy of its current homeowner, Moley Evans.
Fast forward about fifteen years ... and I found myself back in the home's dining room with the new owner, Founder & Director of EverWonder Moley Evans, talking about fabrics for her newly remodeled kitchen. My friends, this is the Universe at work.
The view from Moley's dining room table, looking into her beautiful new kitchen (pre- roman shades)
Moley is an amazing business owner and entrepreneur. A fellow mom of two, she launched an after school enrichment and summer camp program, EverWonder about ten years ago -- and it's been growing ever since.
Moley was kind enough to sit down with me this winter and share her thoughts and advice for fellow women entrepreneurs, below are excerpts from our conversation. She also selected my watercolored Aquafern textile design for roman shades in her newly remodeled kitchen(!!). Check it out:
Do as the romans do: Moley and I collaborated on custom roman shades for her new kitchen in our Aquafern watercolored textile design on linen & cotton canvas.
I am honored to have some of my Mira Jean Designs textiles in this historic home -- a home that is such a thoughtful blend of old + new. Even the coffee table in Moley's family room honors the home's past: it was custom made, from an old tree that had to be taken down on the property:
The Evans' family's coffee table, custom made from an old tree formerly on the grounds.
The Evans' family's coffee table, custom made from an old tree formerly on the grounds.
Thank you for following along (and p.s. if you're a fellow mom and entrepreneur, would love to hear your $.02 on running a business, too ... what advice would you offer? Do you have a 'to do' list when you're on vacation, too? Tell me!).
xo, Kate
A Conversation with Fellow Entrepreneur Moley Evans:
Tell us about your business - what is your role, and how did it start?
I am the Founder & Director of EverWonder Camps. I taught for six years, and then when I had my second child started tutoring ... which in turn sparked wanting to launch my own after school enrichment programs. Today, EverWonder offers camps across Arlington and Northern Virginia.
What advice would you offer fellow business owners?
You write a business plan and think it's one thing -- but don't be afraid to make changes and get advice from other people. Brainstorm with others! Don't be afraid to say, "I was wrong about that." Do stick up for yourself and your product. Most importantly, celebrate your successes. As women and moms, we often do a lot. Don't be afraid to ask for help - and know it's okay to say no.
It is also very important to give back to the community. This is a big part of what we do at EverWonder. We sponsor the Jennifer Bush Lawson Foundation's Annual 5K Run, donate to Doorways for Women and Families, and more.
What's the best thing about running your own business?
I love love love being able to give people jobs! I also love mentoring employees, creating incentives for them that help them grow, and providing teachers with work when schools are out of session. I also love that I have a viable business that I could hand down to my kids.
What was the biggest surprise in running your own business?
How much work it takes! It's hard to stop working -- even when I'm on vacation. There's alway a 'to do' list.
Tell us more about your beautiful home.
It was built in 1836. The house has a spiral staircase, windows everywhere, pocket doors and a screened in porch. Douglas Wallop and Violet Lucille Fletcher ("Lucy") lived in it, in the 1950s. He wrote "The Damn Yankees." She was a writer, too, used to throw parties and played the piano ... I love that she is a part of at the home's history.
What other updates have you made to the home?
Paint, paint, paint! When we first moved in, rooms hadn't been painted in 25 years. We also turned a back porch that was added in the 70's into a mudroom. Upstairs, we kept the same window line to keep the integrity of the house.
To learn more about Moley Evans' EverWonder camp classes and programs and ways they give back to the community, visit their website at: everwondercamps.com
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