Bathrobes can set you free

Publication Northwest Herald
Date February 12, 2006

"Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day" symbolizes the freedom of being an entrepreneur for work-at-home moms, said Kristie Rimmele, event founder and Gurnee resident.

"You are empowered to set your own hours and agenda, choose your own clients, and you're in charge of your life," said Tamsevicius, who in 2003 launched WebMomz.com, an Internet site for work-at-home parents. It gets 100,000 unique visitors a month, she said, and has been recognized as one of the top work-at-home Web sites by Dr. Phil McGraw.

"In corporate America, they tell you what to wear, what to do, when to show up, and who to do it for, all of that," she said. "[Working at home is] just about taking charge of your life."

"Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day," now in its fourth year, is Monday and features contests and prizes through WebMomz.com. Five lucky participants can win bathrobes with monogramming from sponsor International Robes, or home-business books.

Moms with home-based businesses are invited to wear their bathrobes Monday to exhibit pride; the Web site also features a news release that can be customized by participants and sent to media outlets.

Tamsevicius said she did not wear a bathrobe very often while working, and in fact had received some grief about the holiday. To those who think it's unprofessional to wear a robe while working, she says to lighten up.

"I'm not saying it's professional to eat bon-bons while wearing a robe and getting your work done. It's tongue-in-cheek," she said. "You can wear a bathrobe if you want, while everyone else is wearing power suits and ties. You can wear your bathrobe, cuddle your kids, and have a more balanced life."

Tamsevicius' reality check came when she was pregnant with her second child and hospitalized for 10 weeks. She knew she would not return to corporate America, and instead would stay at home with her children.

She started a Web-design business, wrote the book, "I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working from Home," and then founded BrandingOnTheNet.com, a niche branding company.

"Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day" has attracted attention from people in Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

"We've got five countries celebrating this day," Tamsevicius said.

"Who knew one mom with an idea [and] in her bathrobe could change the world."

* * *

- Stacey Lohman is business editor of the Northwest Herald and editor of the McHenry County Business Journal. She can be reached by e-mail at slohman@biz-journal.com.