What makes me happy? I’m lucky, lots of things make me happy, not the least of them being my work. I get a real thrill out of watching Holden & Co. grow and prosper, creating and making things up as we go along. I get a kick out of working with Gail (my Mom) and our wonderful customers.

When I first started working with Gail, she dreamt up that crazy "work = play" logo we use. It has sort of become our mantra. Not that there haven’t been times when the business got the best of us, but we always try to stay clear on our mission statement: to have a successful business and to have fun doing it.

Our goal was simple, we wanted to have the business be successful enough so that we could afford airplane tickets, but not so successful that we could not afford the time to use them. And we wanted one more thing: we wanted work to be fun; something we looked forward to being a part of. And we wanted the same for our customers.

When I got pregnant with Emery Rose, we both wondered how we would work it all out. But we have managed to fold her in, albeit sometimes more elegantly than others. I get such a kick out of watching her and Gail play together while I work on the newsletter, our web site, or some other Holden & Co. extravaganza.

Out of necessity, I am becoming the master of time management - working fast and furious during Emery Rose’s three hour nap. But somehow, we have managed to keep her with us, and I think we are all better off for it.

I feel very lucky that I spend my work day with people I enjoy so much, and doing things that I enjoy and are rewarding to me. It makes me happy.

There are moments; like when we are rushing around before the show, trying to get everything together in time. These times drive us crazy, but really, if you asked either one of us, we would have to admit we were having fun. There is something magical, at least for us, in creating this whole business out of nothing. What a comical notion.

So when asked what makes me happy, I am lucky to say not only my family, my husband, my daughter and my Mom, but also my work, which I am lucky enough to do with at least two of them. It makes it more challenging, but ultimately more fun. Our work is our play, and our play is our work. How happy that makes us.

xoxoxox, Karen