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Community Highlights: Meet Lidia Yancey of Savvy Mom
Today we’d like to introduce you to Lidia Yancey. Hi Lidia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Savvy Mom & Co. is an online stationery shop where we design unconventional greeting cards that are funny AF for many occasions. You may have a friend that’s reserved, and another that’s a little spicy. Well, we have the card for you! We strive to create greeting cards that empower and encourage women to show love, kindness and encouragement to their badass friends and family, just the way they want. So, instead of telling your friend, “Good job,” at Savvy, we prefer to say, “bitch, you’re doing a good job!” or perhaps, “You’re a total badass, keep that shit up.” We believe people should express themselves just the way they want, and our greeting cards are here for it all! To honor my mother, who is extremely funny. I recently launched funny Spanish greeting cards. They have sayings that many Spanish speakers could relate to.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A challenge that I experience and still working on is finding a healthy work/life balance. I want to work non-stop to grow my business, but still need to be present for my children and husband. Also, within all that, finding time for myself.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
A vivid childhood memory is when my siblings and I migrated to Brooklyn, NY from the Dominican Republic. I was 6 years old and didn’t speak any English. We lived with my grandmother in the Dominican Republic, while my parents came to the USA a few years prior to create a better future for their kids. I remember leaving a warm and sunny country for a cold and rainy day in November in 1985. It was quite a shock! As I got older, I learned my immigrant experience was very similar to other families. You come to this country, get an education and work hard to provide a better future for your family. I am extremely proud to be an immigrant. It’s a badge of honor. It means that I overcame. When I worked in NYC, I worked in a school with many first-generation students, just like I was. It was a wonderful experience to help children and families that shared the same experience as me.