May 24, 2012

Every Day Is Mother’s Day For Local Mompreneurs

Amy Ballon (left) and Danielle Botterell, with kids in tow, co-founders of Admiral Road Designs, which specializes in custom-made kids blankets.

Amy Ballon (left) and Danielle Botterell, with kids in tow, co-founders of Admiral Road Designs, which specializes in custom-made kids blankets.

THE LUCRATIVE BAY Street salaries thrown at MBA graduates Amy Ballon and Danielle Botterell were tempting, but the two best friends realized their passions lay in more entrepreneurial ventures. Out of Ballon’s basement, they developed Admiral Road Designs, a personalized baby blanket company located on that leafy Annex street. Just how did they get so wrapped up in the blanket biz?

WHY DID YOU GIVE BAY STREET THE COLD SHOULDER? Danielle and I both came to the realization that corporate life was not going to be the best path for either one of us. We were both thinking about our own families. I had just been married, Danielle was about to be married, and we had babies on the brain. We realized that we wanted more than to just work downtown.

SO WHY BABY BLANKETS? We were very methodical about it. We didn’t have a dream to have a baby blanket company. We were looking for a way to not have to go back to Bay Street. We matched up the criteria [of what we wanted] against the options and came up with this.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TURN AROUND AN ORDER? As soon as possible. Typically, it won’t take more than seven days for us to get it in the mail.

YOU PUT A NAME ON EACH BLANKET. WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST NAME YOU’VE COME ACROSS? Last week we had an “Atlas.” I thought that was a bit strange, like putting the weight of the world on your child’s shoulders.

HOW DO I GET ONE? We don’t have a showroom. We do local shows throughout the year, but it’s by and large on the web.  We’re at www.admiralroad.com.

WHAT ARE YOUR MOTHER’S DAY PLANS? Gosh! I don’t know. I usually make lunch for my mother-in-law.

IT’S NOT JUST TO BE PAMPERED? [Laughter] Oh, that would be wonderful. Maybe if my husband took the kids to gymnastics that day — now that would be perfect!

This article appears in the May 2009 issue of Post City Magazines

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