THE MOTHER NATURE

THE FAMILY GROOVE’S PROFILE OF A MOM WHO’S MAKING IT HAPPEN

Life twists and turns, takes you here and there, hither and yonder, but, ultimately, all roads lead to
the groove. Case in point: Penelope Stipanovich, an old FOG (Friend of the Groove) from back from
our much more colorful Manhattan days (and by colorful, we mean skinnier with better clothes). Her
road took her from the NY hipster high life back to Toronto, where she grew up, and back again to a
height-of-hip NYC neighborhood called Williamsburg. We caught up with Penny, now a mom, married
to another old FOG, marching to the beat of her own groove in a big way. As the proud owner of
Smoochie Baby (www.smoochiebabynyc.com), a chicporium of drool-worthy kiddie clothes; a luxury
condo real estate agent; a budding online entrepreneur; a wife; and a mother, Penny’s living her life less ordinary—but she’s still as calm, cool and collected (and ambitious!) as she ever was.

What we’re loving about Penny is that she proves that you don’t have to trade in who you are, what you want or what you’re made of when you become a mom. In fact, your latest and certainly greatest role can serve to push your further, make you work harder, and help you achieve more personally, professionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.

Here, this on-the-go-go-go mom talks about the importance of pursuing your own fulfillment, finding a place that fuels you, letting your passion drive you and why you have to go slow to get there fast.

Penny and Max 1. Who are you?
Penelope Stipanovich

2. How old are you?
37

3. Where do you live?
Brooklyn, N.Y. (Williamsburg, to be exact)

4. How many children do you have? How old?
One boy, Max. He is 4 years old.

5. What time do you get up?
7 a.m.—closer to 8 on weekends

6. What daily rituals must you do to feel normal?
Shower, coffee, my Matt Lauer

7. What do you wish you’d do every day, but haven’t been able to incorporate into your routine?
Read more books. I only seem to find time to read on the subway these days.

8. Do you work?
I sure do.

9. What do you do?
I own and operate Smoochie Baby (www.smoochiebabynyc.com), a children’s boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I am also an on-site sales agent for a New York City real estate developer selling luxury condos. And I am currently developing an Internet start-up with a friend.

10. Tell us about it.
Smoochie Baby was born shortly after my son. It really is like my second child. When I was pregnant with Max and living in the East Village, I immersed myself in the whole baby world. I became obsessed with seeking out the cutest clothing lines, toys and gear. Shortly after Max was born, my husband and I decided to move back to Toronto, where we could raise him around family. I immediately decided that I would open a children’s store and import all the wonderful things that New York had to offer for babies. It was a niche waiting to be filled in Toronto. Smoochie Baby opened in May 2007 and was an immediate hit. However, Che and I missed New York terribly, and after giving Toronto a good 18 months, decided to move back. Our families were devastated (my mother-in-law threatened to kidnap Max several times), but we had to follow our hearts. In May of this year, we opened Smoochie Baby NYC in our new neighborhood, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This is a neighborhood exploding with new babies. Not only is our family very happy here, but Smoochie Baby could not have asked for a better home. Our first five months have been fantastic and we are getting ready to launch the online store this month…just in time for the holidays.

Real estate is another passion of mine (I have many). I adore New York City architecture, I am a natural-born saleswoman and I love interacting with people. Naturally, I found myself selling real estate in New York. I have been doing it for almost nine years now.

As for the Internet start-up, I can’t say much about it as it is still in its infancy. I only mention it because I am over-the-moon excited about it. If it comes to fruition, it will be an incredible resource for parents everywhere. Stay tuned…

11. What’s the best thing your mother ever told you?
My mother will find every opportunity to use an old adage. As a kid, I would roll my eyes at her, but now two of her favorites have really stuck with me:

“Stand by your man.” My mom is very old-fashioned in many ways. She supported my dad through his many entrepreneurial ups and downs and they had a solid, loving marriage until the day he died.
A literal translation from the Greek is “Go slow to get there fast.” I hear her voice in my head saying this every time I get too stressed out or feel overwhelmed.

But all adages aside, the very best thing she ever told me is that she loved me—every single day. I am secure in who I am today because of that.

12. What does being a good mother mean?
I think a good mother is always working on her own fulfillment. When she is happy, her children are happy. I also think that supporting them and loving them unconditionally (as my mother did) is the best thing a mother can do for her kids.

13. What’s your mantra/personal philosophy?
Do what you love and feel passionate about. Life is way too short to live in any other way. Really following this philosophy in my life has always involved a certain level of risk, but it has made for an adventurous ride so far with absolutely no regrets.

14. What do you tell other mothers?
I tell all the new moms I meet in the store to enjoy every precious moment with their babies because each phase passes so quickly. We are all so busy, but we must above all make time to be with our children.

15. Finish this sentence: I want my child to know…
…that life is never boring. There is always something new to learn about and explore. If he knows this, he will always be excited to get up in the morning, and that is a great thing.

16. Who inspires you?
My handsome, strong and talented husband. He recognizes my true potential and is always inspiring me to be the best I can be. The other man that inspires me is Richard Branson. As an entrepreneur, he is my idol. Not only is he an absolute genius at business, but he also manages to have lots of fun with what he does. I love my life, but I wouldn’t mind stepping into his for a day or two.

17. What are you passionate about?
My family, New York City, education, good food, travel and fashion!

18. How do you balance your life as a woman, a mother, a friend?
It’s a constant struggle, but I do the best I can and I always remind myself that I am human. I don’t sweat the small stuff, and when I feel myself getting overwhelmed, I slow down and take things one step at a time. My family always comes first and my friends understand that.

19. What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
Ha! That I did not know it all then.

20. How do you get into your groove?
I put on my iPod and go for a run across the Williamsburg Bridge. There’s nothing like a good dose of car exhaust to get your juices flowing. No, seriously, seeing my favorite city skyline from the perspective of the bridge while listening to my own soundtrack makes me feel like I can go out there and do anything. It’s an amazing way to start my day.