Andrea Thomas, the mom behind the company Short Stacks that makes the PTPA (parent tested, parent approved) winning product, ScratchMeNot, talks to Marcie Mom at eczemablues.com about her passion and mompreneur journey. ScratchMeNot is an eczema clothing innovation that Andrea created to help prevent her daughter from scratching, and has since grown into a thriving business.
Marcie Mom: Hi Andrea, we know that you first created ScratchMeNot to prevent your daughter who has eczema from scratching. What motivated you to decide to make ScratchMeNot for sale?
Andrea: Yes, I first created ScratchMeNots for my daughter who was scratching non-stop! Before she was born, I knew very little about eczema so I was blindly searching for anything to help her. There seemed to be an endless supply of creams and ointments available, however I needed something for the immediate act of scratching. I went to brick and mortar stores & I googled like CRAZY to find anything to stop the itching. I tried the tradition baby mittens, but they did not solve the problem, as my daughter would rub or pull them off. Not being able to find a product out there to fit our needs, I decided to create my own, that would help my daughter immediately. Since I had such a hard time finding the right product, I thought maybe other parents were too. ScratchMeNots followed soon after, a product that is an all day solution for a scratching child’s needs.
Marcie Mom: Tell us more about your passion. Were you already into sewing before making ScratchMeNot?
Andrea: To be honest, the most experience I had in sewing, before ScratchMeNots were a pillow and a pot holder! Thankfully, I knew a friend who had the time, energy, and great skills to help me bring my visions to life. She taught me how to sew beyond pot holders. It was exciting to go from a thought to a finished product. It’s amazing how much parents can learn, when the driving force is meeting a need that allows their children to feel better, and helps other parents at the same time.
Marcie Mom: How do you find time to make the product, sell the product, manage a business and parent your children?
Andrea: Thankfully, we have a manufacturer that I work closely with to create our ScratchMeNot inventory. This is a great help to free up more time for me to focus on managing Short Stacks, family, and parenting! It is not easy to balance working from home, while my little one is here with me needing my attention. I’ve learned to plan ahead, to create a schedule, and to stick to it. Each portion of my day is dedicated to specific tasks, learning and/or quality time. I’m still trying to master our routine! A lot of work usually occurs early in the morning and late at night. It is challenging, but it’s worth every moment. I have learned to accept that everything I planned to do might not get done, and that’s okay. I also have come to understand the importance of networking with other companies that have an expertise in areas that I don’t. Especially with other moms, it helps all of our companies succeed!
Marcie Mom: Thanks Andrea, and we certainly look forward to more products from your store! p.s. To readers of eczemablues.com, I asked Andrea for the interview because some of you have feedback to me that ScratchMeNot works for your child. I did not receive any money from Andrea or Short Stacks for this interview.
One reply on “ScratchMeNot – A PTPA Winning Product for Eczema Children”
[…] Andrea’s full review of the book here. Andrea had shared on EczemaBlues.com (Meis’ blog) on Mom E-votional series: No Longer Allergic!, Someone Managed Eczema series: On Childcare and Mompreneur interview. […]