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You hear the term “life-changing moment” bandied about quite a bit nowadays—especially in the
context of discussing parenthood. Well, there are life-changing moments and then there are
life-changing moments. For Cristi Flencher and Tammie Novosad, a fatal car crash was their
life-changing moment—and because they were granted the grace of living, these two moms knew
that they had to begin to live, to really live, the life they were truly meant to live.
With a goal of living for the day, relishing their blessings, and going for what fueled them mentally, physically, spiritually and career-wise, Cristi and Tammie parlayed their prowess for putting together the perfect children’s outfits into a boutique so chic, you’ll wish they’d pick out a few looks for Mom, too. Yes, Little Sassafras (www.littlesassafras.com) was born out of a passion for life and the boundless spirit of two women who nearly lost theirs. Their joy is palpable—and it makes the shopping experience that much more special.
| This month’s Top Shop: |  |
Here, we talk to Cristi and Tammie about their new lives as the co-owners of Little Sassafras. So, to all you women (and men!) out there who want to make a change, who want to make a mark, who want to follow their heart and, of course, to everyone looking for the next hottest place to shop for the kiddos, take a cue from Cristi and Tammie and start living your in the (high) fashion that suits you best.
THE FAMILY GROOVE: Extraordinary circumstances inspired you to open Little Sassafras. Tell us about them.
CRISTI FLENCHER AND TAMMIE NOVOSAD: On Nov. 18, 2007, we were struck head on at about 65 mph by a driver under the influence while traveling home after a weekend getaway. The crash killed the people in the other car instantly. Our combined injuries included a broken back, legs, hand, foot and ribs; a shattered shoulder; a ruptured spleen; a head injury; and a concussion. Needless to say, there was a slim chance at survival. After weeks in the hospital followed by weeks of rehab, we found ourselves thinking how we were going to live differently. How could we cherish what we had been blessed with and stop getting caught up in the rush and rhyme of the daily office routine? We wanted to do something that allowed us more time cherishing what really matters while still allowing us to maintain the personal independence we were accustomed to. We love shopping for our girls and nieces and always received so many positive comments on the outfits we would find. We found ourselves sitting in our wheelchairs saying, “Let’s buy children’s clothing; everyone always wants to know where we find such stuff—let’s give them the place.” And from that, Little Sassafras was born. Very simple, we know, but when you get a second chance at life, it’s euphoric—we had to go for it.
TFG: Do you think you would have opened the boutique had it not been for the accident?
CF/TN: No, we might have always had an itch, an inner desire, to do more and be more but probably would not have acted on it. The accident definitely gave us the courage to live life…to the fullest!
TFG: What were you doing before the store?
CF/TN: We both worked for a title company as escrow officers/closers—same company, different locations. It is a very stressful and demanding industry, and at times would require many hours of overtime.
TFG: What’s the meaning behind the name Little Sassafras?
CF/TN: We wanted something catchy and cute, a little vintage, and a lot of sassy! Tammie at times used this phrase when referring to one or the other of her girls, and it stuck.
TFG: You have a quote from Psalm 45:3 on your site that says “...clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.” What does the quote mean to you, and how does it drive your mission?
CF/TN: This scripture actually refers to putting on the full armor of God. About clothing yourself with all His splendor and majesty so you may go forth victoriously. Victoriously doesn’t indicate the lack of a battle but the mere indication that when the battle hits, you will arise in victory. We know we have come forth victoriously. Without the Lord, we are nothing, and therefore we strive to share this joy and peace we have found with others.
TFG: So, you went from wives and mothers to entrepreneur wives and mothers. How are your lives different now?
CF/TN: Every day is a balancing act—husband, kids, business, life. The good thing is we do it with a smile on our face because we are truly doing the things in life we love. It is just so much fun going through the clothes and packaging them up for customers, hoping they will get as much joy from opening them as we had wrapping them. The joy makes the juggling all worth it.
TFG: How do you manage to balance it all?
CF/TN: Ask our husbands! Thankfully, we both are blessed with very supportive husbands who are also extraordinary dads. They quickly fill in the gaps when we are pulled elsewhere for the store. Fortunately, this usually only comes at the beginning of each new season.
TFG: What’s the absolute best thing about owning and operating Little Sassafras?
CF/TN: The shopping, of course! What woman wouldn’t enjoy buying in mass? But more importantly, the sense of accomplishment we received by taking that step, something we may have never done if not for the accident. It’s almost like conquering a fear.
TFG: You offer so many cool, drool-worthy items, from baby gear to clothes to maternity wear to jewelry. What do you look for in the lines that you carry?
CF/TN: We look for a wow factor, something that jumps out at us. We wanted to fall absolutely in love with everything we carry and so we do. There is not anything we carry we wouldn’t put on our own children. We strive to find items that stand out in a crowd. We want every remark to be: “That is the cutest thing I have ever seen; where in the world did you get that?”
TFG: You talk about being “small-town” moms, but most of what you carry is very cosmopolitan, very modern and very chic. What influences your urbane taste?
CF/TN: We have always had a sense of style; you could say it’s in our blood. We have never wanted to be followers but trendsetters. We strive for that with our children’s clothing.
TFG: What’s surprised you most about yourselves now that you’re businesswomen?
CF/TN: How well we balance each other out—we make a great business team. Where one of us falls short on a talent, the other excels in that particular area. Where one is frivolous, the other reins her in; where one can’t balance a checkbook, the other happens to be great with numbers and bookkeeping—in the end, it’s the perfect combination.
TFG: With a year-plus under your belt, what’s your advice to other moms who want to start a business?
CF/TN: There is so much more to owning a business than one can ever possibly think about until getting knee deep in one! What may seem like a flexible schedule is actually many late nights and early mornings and, of course, the in between. Realizing this first, we still say GO FOR IT. You will never know if you don’t and will always wonder. If it doesn’t work, at least you gave it a try. Tomorrow is never promised.
TFG: What’s in store for Little Sassafras next year?
CF/TN: Nursery! We are in the process of scouting for the most sophisticated and chic baby and toddler room furniture and bedding. We will be incorporating this division within the next year.
TFG: What’s your ultimate goal for the boutique?
CF/TN: Success, of course! We would like to be successful enough to hire more employees to handle the day-to-day duties, freeing more of our time to spend with our families. We, of course, will always do the shopping and search for the latest and hottest items.
TFG: What do your families say about the two of you and your booming business?
CF/TN: Our families are very proud and supportive. After the accident, I believe they expected something big from us; they just had no idea what it might be. On a personal level, the “protective daddy” husbands think our girls are way too young to look this stylish but can’t help but gleam when they are constantly complimented when out and about. We’ve even overheard them asking the girls, “Which Little Sassafras outfit are we going to wear today?” It’s so adorable.
TFG: What do you want your kids to take away from your experiences as momtrepreneurs?
CF/TN: We want them to love the Lord first and foremost and to know that with Him, all things are possible. We hope we are instilling in them the importance of family and living life with as few regrets as possible. We also want them to learn to embrace what it means to be a woman and to follow their dreams with courage (and make sure they are stylish and fabulous throughout the process!).
LITTLE SASSAFRAS LOVES
CRISTI AND TAMMIE’S TOP SIX OF THE SEASON
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Hannah Banana Most Desired Beaded Crown Shirt and Pleated Skirt “We love that the skirt has beaded sheer ribbon trim!” |
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Le Pink Sparkling Diamond Dress “Sequins around the neckline, black sheer overlay with pressed sequin underlay—it’s beautiful for that special holiday party.” |
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Blessed Mama Multi-Strand Pearl Necklace “The pearls are a soft pink and the medallion has crystal glitter inside, giving it that perfect sparkle.” |
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Baby Sara Sprinkles Poncho Set “The picture says it all!” |
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The Dean Boys Blazer by DMo Baby “Style for the little man.” |
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Baby Sara Urban Chic Skirt Set “It’s all about the details. How gorgeous are the appliqué and beading?” |
What the heck does "Special Section" mean? Well, it means that these businesses paid a small (like, pretty darn small) fee to be included. THE FAMILY GROOVE strives to support mom and pop businesses by giving them a venue for their super cool sites, ideas and products—and, quite honestly, we strive to pay our bills, too. So we've taken seven articles a month (out of 25+) and made them fun and exciting ways to promote the next best thing, much like in the way a publicist would. We believe in the companies we feature. We research, vet, scrutinize, analyze and obsess over every single solitary company that is included in this section to bring you the grooviest of the groovy. We're all in this brave new world together, right? And so we've got to support each other in any and every way we can. We hope you dig our finds as much as we do.
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