The traditional narrative looks something like this: start work in your 20s, spend your 30s raising a family (while also working), and ramp up even more at work in your 40s as your kids grow more independent. But what would it look like to flip the script, spending your 20s traveling, your 30s building a business, and then your 40s scaling back at work to focus on a young family? That’s reality for Maureen Fetscher, founder and Managing Partner at Mata Traders, an ethical fashion company whose products I love. Maureen started the company at 28, had her first child at 35, and then when she added twins in her early 40s, was able to scale back her involvement in the business in order to focus on her busy family. In this episode Maureen and I talk about her life as a mid-40s mom of young kids including twin toddlers, the growth of her business, Enneagram and personal development, and what “ethical fashion” means to Maureen and at Mata Traders.
About Maureen Fetscher
Maureen Dunn Fetscher is a social entrepreneur, textile-phile and mom of 3. In 2006 she founded Mata Traders, a design-driven fair trade fashion company. Mata’s colorful, craft-forward clothing and accessories are designed in Chicago and produced in India and Nepal by fair trade organizations. For the last decade and a half, Mata has been a pioneer in conscious fashion, with a focus on worker well-being, gender equality, and handmade artistry. For Maureen the work has always been about creating connections to the places where our goods are made and the people who make them.
These days Maureen is most busy chasing around her twin toddlers (quite a feat in the mid-40’s!). She’s had the unique opportunity to grow a social enterprise business from the ground up, and currently oversees a talented team taking Mata Traders into its next phase.
Episode Links:
Meagan’s Mata Traders design-inspired tattoo
Instagram- Mata Traders (@matatraders)
Facebook- Mata Traders
Twitter- Mata Traders (@MataTraders)
Pinterest- Mata Pinterest
Website- Mata Traders: Consciously Crafted Ethical Fashion
Blog- Ethical Fashion Blog – Explore the Fair Trade Movement | Mata Traders
Meghann McNiff Coaching: https://www.athenaplace.com/