profile by Maureen Curtis Windows Open Up in an Entrepreneur's Life Delbrook t w o cameras and a t r i p o d , w h e n I d e c i d e d . "I can't d o this any m o r e , " she recalls. So she began t o search f o r ways of earning m o n e y f r o m h o m e . " M a d d i - B e a r s t a r t e d as a joke. I t i e - d y e d s o m e diaper-shirts f o r a baby shower, and e v e r y o n e at t h e party w a n t e d t h e m . " O r d e r s f r o m friends p o u r e d in, and M a r a began t o e x p e r i m e n t w i t h t e c h n i q u e s and c o l o u r s . A l t h o u g h tie-dying is a t e c h nique a s s o c i a t e d w i t h the hippie era, M a r a s e l e c t e d h e r o w n , unusual, palette of purples, blues, pinks, and yellows. W h e n mail o r d e r s f o r M a d d i Bear's c o l o u r f u l baby c l o t h e s increased, M a r a began t o buy w h o l e sale the w h i t e c l o t h e s she n e e d e d . T h e d e l i v e r i e s p r o v e d t o o unreliable f o r the pace o f h e r business, so she p u t ads in the paper l o o k i n g f o r seamstresses. M a r a d e c i d e d t o hire N o r t h S h o r e w o m e n , many of t h e m single m o t h e r s , w h o , like herself, w a n t e d t o earn m o n e y at h o m e . M a r a b o u g h t fabric in C o q u i t l a m and used skills she l e a r n e d in a highs c h o o l design and t a i l o r i n g c o u r s e t o create t h e patterns f o r h e r c l o t h i n g line. Erica Bluhm, a professional designer and seamstress w o r k s along w i t h M a r a t o create the finished garments. T h e n M a r a sits d o w n of an evening t o w a t c h videos w h i l e " t y i n g " the items in various ways w i t h elastic. D o w n s t a i r s in h e r h o m e . M a r a c h o o s e s f r o m a large s e l e c t i o n o f dyes b o u g h t at G r a n v i l l e Island and California to create the colour c o m binations and p a t t e r n s she has f o u n d t o be m o s t p o p u l a r w i t h h e r c u s t o m e r s . ( G a r m e n t s can also be c u s t o m - d y e d . ) T h e t i e d g a r m e n t s sit f o r 24 h o u r s b e f o r e being r i n s e d several t i m e s , t h e n hung t o d r y o n bright racks f r o m the c e i l i n g . T h e s o u n d of t h e r a d i o and running w a t e r can be h e a r d in t h e b a c k g r o u n d . W i t h a c o t t a g e i n d u s t r y such as this, it is e x t r e m e l y difficult t o d o m o r e than pay f o r t h e c o s t of m a t e r i als. M a r a has managed t o d e c r e a s e these c o s t s and maintain a high-quality p r o d u c t . H e r f u l l - c o l o u r catalogue s h o w s off a s e l e c t i o n of dresses, hats, leggings, bibs, r e c e i v i n g blankets, r o m p e r s , T - s h i r t s , pajamas, and s w i m suits. M a r a also w o r k s hard at m a r k e t ing h e r wares. M a d d i - B e a r c l o t h i n g can be f o u n d at n u m e r o u s s t o r e s in the L o w e r Mainland, Francis Hills in G a s t o w n , T h e K i d s ' Place in Squamish. and Bobbits in Vancouver. She also sells t o s t o r e s o n V a n c o u v e r Island and in A l b e r t a . M a r a says she w o u l d like t o get away f r o m selling at craft fairs a l t o g e t h e r and so is w o r k i n g t o A t the pre-Christmas C r a f t Fair last year, o n e b o o t h was an island of sunny pastels b l o o m ing in a sea of red and green. K i m b e r l y M a r a , the p e t i t e y o u n g w o m a n s h o w i n g off h e r wares, w a s n o h o b b y i s t but t h e 1999 w i n n e r of the " E n t r e p r e n e u r of t h e Year - Be Y o u r O w n B o s s " a w a r d given by the B C Self E m p l o y m e n t P r o g r a m . M a r a s u p p o r t s herself and h e r daughter and e m p l o y s several local w o m e n w i t h her M a d d i - B e a r line o f children's c l o t h i n g (named after h e r daughter), w h i c h can be f o u n d at many of the N o r t h S h o r e craft fairs. T h e c l o t h i n g is d e c o r a t e d w i t h a w i l d variety of t i e - d y e d p a t t e r n s in c o l o r c o m b i n a t i o n s that s h o u t , " B e i n g a kid is f u n ! " In c o n t r a s t , M a r a , at 29, is u n d e r s t a t e d , usually d r e s s e d in d a r k c o l o r s , h e r shiny r e d - b r o w n hair f r a m i n g h e r a n i m a t e d face. O n the table, a m o n g t h e c o t t o n g a r m e n t s o n display, an a l b u m of b l a c k - a n d - w h i t e p h o t o s speaks t o h e r o t h e r life as a photographer. M a r a , a s she puts i t , " p a u s e d " h e r c a r e e r w h e n h e r daughter Maddison c a m e into h e r life. "I was seven m o n t h s pregnant, up a ladder w i t h m i h < create the quantity of c o n s i s t e n t quality items necessary t o gain e n t r y into a " b i g - b o x " s t o r e . In a d d i t i o n to h e r self-taught m a r keting strategies. M a r a l e a r n e d a great deal w h e n she e n t e r e d a provincial s e l f - e m p l o y m e n t p r o g r a m in 1997. T h e p r o g r a m is funded t h r o u g h u n e m p l o y m e n t insurance and supplies each participant w i t h a m o n t h l y living allowance. S o m e of the subjects in t h e p r o g r a m , especially t h o s e dealing w i t h cash flow, w e r e difficult f o r M a r a t o grasp; " B u t o n c e I g o t it, it was like p o t t y training. I g o t i t ! " Kids just want to have fun! Mara friends ful and Kimberly wee model some of her cheercreations.