Meet Kate Stice Stewart | Founder, Bauble Stockings

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Stice Stewart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
As an entrepreneur, it feels every new adventure is a risk, but that’s a lot of the fun. Figuring out new products and then how to launch them, investing in making products even better, and even asking people to collaborate- it’s all a risk both financially and personally. I still get butterflies before making leaps- I sometimes find myself holding my breath waiting for a reply or feedback from a launch. While I’m sure some things haven’t worked out, or people have told me “no”, what has worked out has gone in my favor 150%- and that would never happen if I didn’t take the risk.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
A family tradition, Bauble Stockings are handstitched needlepoint stocking ornaments. A Bauble Stocking holds, or contains a clue to, each family member’s final gift of Christmas. A grand finale to the holiday, it’s not the most expensive gift, but the most thoughtful- the one that makes you feel warm, and fuzzy, and thought-of. They are 100% hand-stitched in Jacmel, Haiti, where I help employ just over 500 women for fair trade.

Sold in over 200 local stores and online, I love hearing how families make the Bauble Stockings tradition their own. Scavenger hunts, vacations, jewelry, love notes, you name it- I love how families get creative! I also love watching our team in Haiti grow- in 2018, we started with 82 team members, and now have just over 500. Working with a certified BCorp, the same certification as Patagonia and Ben and Jerry’s, I’m extremely proud when I hear stories of our team members buying their own land and their children being the first in their family to graduate high school and go on to college.

Bauble Stockings create wonderful memories in your home, while creating meaningful work in another– and for me, that’s why I love what I do because it’s always a win-win.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’d head to Chattahoochee Coffee Company within Walton on the River, followed by hiking at Cochran Shoals. We could either head to Lee’s Bakery for Bahn Mi sandwiches followed by shopping at Marguerite’s on Dresden, or perhaps lunch at Henri’s in Buckhead to stop in at Lucy’s Market. Still in Buckhead, I’d definitely want to take them to Abbey Glass to shop her latest collection. For cocktails and dinner The Garden Room at the St. Regis designed by Atlanta’s own Johnson Studio would be a fabulous way to cap off the night.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Peter, for without a spouse who undoubtedly believes in my abilities, often takes orders to the post office, makes countless dinners and washes an endless amount of dishes, has Daddy Saturdays while I go to markets, and also managed a full-time job to keep a roof over our heads while I started my company, Bauble Stockings simply would not exist.

Website: baublestockings.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baublestockings/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katesticestewart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaubleStockings/

Image Credits
Kathryn McCrary