Chinaberry’s winning combination: soft on the outside, savvy on the inside

By Reported Donna Loyle

6. Know that this won’t be easy. Ann Ruethling, now vice president of creative and merchandising, says many women have told her they’d like to do what she did: start a business from home. She always asks these women: Do you really want a full-time job with your children at your feet?

“In the beginning of our company, yes, I was home. But I was filling orders, answering calls, signing for UPS packages—and sometimes not paying full attention to my kids, who ended up plopped in the sand box because I was so busy.”