My company, Lilolme, sells cute, colorful, quality kids' clothing and accessories. I have a teen line, also, called LOM. While I'm very excited about all our wonderful products, my true passion lies with the charity side of my company, lilolmemakingaBIGdifference. Its focus is on kids helping kids, especially kids with autism. I want to raise awareness and raise money to help discover the cause, the cure, and to help families who are dealing with this condition. I want to help kids learn the joy of getting outside themselves and helping other people.

EDUCATION | Two years college, business classes.

HOW TO GET STARTED | One of the best books I've read is Mommy Millionaire by Kim Levine. It gives you step-by-step instructions for how to start a business. Do your research before you start. Also, your local government has free help available for small businesses. For women, you get all sorts of help from Ladies who Launch. They have been an amazing support group with valuable business meetings.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Patience. Persistence. You have to be willing to take a risk. You need to be a people person. You have to admit your strengths and weaknesses, use your strenghths and ask for help with your weaknesses.

how I got started | I've worked in daycare for more than 25 years. Over the past five years, I've seen more and more kids with autism. Too often the other kids are intolerant of a child with autism. I have worked hard to help the "healthy" kids become more accepting of those who are different, one little girl in particular. I told her parents I saw signs of autism at the age of two, so they had her evaluated and discovered she was autistic. Through early intervention and treatment, she made a lot of progress and is now mainstreamed into a regular kindergarten class. That's why I chose autism as the focus for my non-profit. Previously I did a fundraiser for a child with leukemia in the town I lived. The child's mother had to quit her job to take care of the child. I thought, what can I do to help? It was just me- lil' ol' me. So I made bracelets, sold 650 of them, and raised 00. I read an article about a corporation that raised ,000, and thought, wow- just lil' ol' me. Well, I did have some help- I enlisted a local Girl Scout troop to help out and the wonderful feeling they had by helping is the one I wanted all kids to feel. I realized if everyone does a little, we can create something big.

why this job?| I have done many different types of work- I've been a flight attendant, real estate agent, daycare provider, interior painter, and the manager of a chocolate shop- what I'm doing now incorporates all the skills I've developed over the years. I'd been thinking about this for four years and decided now is the time.

why I love this job!| I get to help raise money for children with autism. I get to work with children AND adults- while I loved doing daycare, it's nice to have a conversation with an adult now and then! I get to use my creativity and be my own boss. Most of all I get to help raise awarenes for children of today to help others and become caring, generous adults of tomorrow.

my typical day| I get up in the morning and get on the computer, do research, spend time sourcing my products and working with producers. I make lots of phone calls and spend a few days a week networking at events or social settings.

what they are | Sourcing- trying to find quality products and packaging, such as organic onesies and tee-shirts made in the USA. Designing the logo has been a challenge- I wanted something that will really reflect what the business is all about. Financially it's been a challenge, and it's been a challenge to get to the point where I was ready to take that leap of faith.

all about growth | There's a huge potential for growth. When it comes to kids' clothing and accessories, people are always looking for affordable quality. As for the non-profit end of the business, there's not only a huge demand for help for families dealing with autism but a lack of awareness among children that so many other children need their support, help and understanding.

my website| http://lilolme.com/