Imagery courtesy of Bambinos
My personal mission is to love God and love others. Hanging above the register at my boutique are the words from Proverbs, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
–Karen Saunders
The defining moment that set me on my second career path was the birth of my second child, though, I didn’t know it would define my future in business at the time. My daughter was premature, arriving 10 weeks early, and that changed me. The challenge of that experience gave me courage I didn’t know I was lacking and ultimately the courage to leave a corporate career in banking and take on business ownership.
What makes you unique in your industry?
Bambinos is a small, family-owned boutique, and we design and manufacture a clothing line for both our own store and other children’s shops. This gives us a custom created product designed for and based on client feedback, and also an avenue to collaborate and build relationships with peers in our industry. While this might seem like a largely creative job, I believe what sets me apart in my field is that I started my career in banking. My corporate management experience has been invaluable in understanding how to use data to drive results in business. The discipline we have around buying, budgeting, throwing events, and analyzing daily, weekly, and monthly results are all based on how I managed business units in the corporate world.
What is one way you hope to impact your community in the future, either personally or professionally?
If you could sit down with any woman in the world–either from history or who is currently living–who would that be and what would you discuss with her?
I would love to visit with Corrie ten Boom, a woman who helped hundreds of Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust. Her story of faith and gratitude — even in the most horrific situations — has inspired me since I learned of her in high school. She made it a habit to give thanks in ALL circumstances, and at one point that meant giving thanks for the fleas in her concentration camp cell. In time, it was revealed to her that those fleas at Ravensbruck kept abusive guards away and gave the women in her ward complete freedom to speak, share, pray, and study the Bible that one of the women had hidden. Many times I’ve muttered the words, “Thank God for the fleas” in my own challenging circumstances.
Connect with Karen Saunders at Bambinos.com, on Facebook and on Instagram @lovebambinos and @bambinosclothingco.
This profile was (Em)powered by Bambinos.
Edited from an interview by Eleanora Morrison.