Moms on Monday :: Alison & Debbie of ECHOage

Have you heard of ECHOage? I am eager to try it for my son's 2nd birthday. As a family, we have been trying to make more conscious decisions about where our money goes and trying to buy only what we truly need. These choices become much more difficult when it comes to toys and items for our son - you only want the best for your kids, and it's hard to know where to draw the line. Really...how many toys does a 2 year old really need? He doesn't play with most of them anyway. And, we live in Southern California, {read: we have limited space}.

So - to explain it simply, you send an ECHOage invitation to your family and friends - and your guests are asked to replace a gift with a simple donation on the website. After deducting a small administration fee, ECHOage sends half of all donations to you, so you can buy ONE meaningful gift for the birthday girl/boy and sends the other half to a charity you have selected from one the fantastic prescreened charities that have partnered with ECHOage. Great idea, right?



Here's more from Alison Smith & Debbie Zinman, founders and mompreneurs :

i know a mom :: How did the idea strike for ECHOage?

alison & debbie :: Like many other women, my partner and I witnessed the current trend in birthday parties: plenty of fun, friends, family and due to a societal expectation – a heap of presents. Before ECHOage, the typical process went something like this: Parent rushes around between errands to find the perfect gift for her child’s classmate. Parent searches for something special to give but typically is not aware of the birthday child’s interest. Parent chooses something hoping that it will please the birthday child. The parent writes a card, wraps the gift and with minutes to spare, she passes the present to the parent of the birthday child, who in turn, places the gift on a heaping table full of other gifts. Fortunately, the birthday child is having a wonderful time on her special day, surrounded by friends and is not even aware that a gift has arrived, nor will she open it at the party or possibly even open it all. And so we knew, there must be a better way: to use our time, to show appreciation for our planet and each other and help convey the positive feelings that one receives from giving.

i know a mom :: You are right on - you have created a simple solution to a real problem. What was the biggest obstacle in your launch of ECHOage and how did you overcome it? Did you have to deal with naysayers?

alison & debbie :: Our biggest obstacle for the launch of ECHOage was ensuring that the experience was fast, simple and fun. Moms are busy, kids have short attention spans and people in general want convenience. Marrying all of those requirements in a package that delivered the true meaning of the program was our guiding principle. We are very fortunate to have the support of mothers. We always say that once you know about ECHOage – there is no turning back. We liken the experience to recycling. Once you put your bottle in the blue/green bin, you never throw it in the regular trash again.

i know a mom :: What was the best piece of advice you received when you were beginning?

alison & debbie :: The best piece of advice we received was to ask a lot of questions from the experts but trust and rely on our gut. Or, in our case, a mother’s instinct. We also constantly talk to mothers and children (our own) and others to inform the solutions that we develop.

i know a mom :: What has been the best way to get the word out about ECHOage?

alison & debbie :: We have found that once our mother’s hear about ECHOage either by invitation to a birthday party or through word of mouth or sites like “I Know A Mom”, they want to share the idea with their friends. I think women, in particular, are proud to share ways to add meaning into their children’s life. We are all striving to do the best we can as parents and we recognize that we can learn a great deal through each others experiences.

i know a mom :: Can you suggest any valuable resources that helped you along the way?

alison & debbie :: We read anything and everything we can get our hands on. New information fuels and informs us to constantly improve and provide the most relevant services to moms everywhere. Keeping up to date with online innovations through web resources has saved a tremendous amount of time as vast amounts of information is available at the click of a button.

i know a mom :: What is your favorite way to take a break from the business?

alison & debbie :: Taking a break from the business is not an easy thing for us to do. We feed off of each other’s energy and enthusiasm. When you love what you do, it is truly hard to “turn off”. We are trying to get better at that. Maybe you can help us.

i know a mom :: I hear you! It is definitely a challenge to maintain a balance and take breaks from the business, especially when it is at home. I continually have to ask myself when I think that I absolutely have to do something important, whether or not it truly is. Will anything fall apart if it doesn't get done right this second? That helps me - just remembering that the earth will not stop spinning on its axis if I don't email someone....even though it might feel that important at the moment. How about your favorite indulgences?

alison & debbie :: An end of week toast with our favorite cocktail.

Thanks Alison & Debbie! You have most definitely filled a void when it comes to planning kids birthday parties - keep us posted on any new developments at ECHOage.