Boss Mom of the Week: Veronica Staudt
Veronica Staudt is a stylist for women yearning to feel beautiful, glamorous, and memorable through the smallest details, jewelry.
Bejeweled! Her shop Vintage Meet Modern is a virtual wonderland of coveted and curated designer and vintage jewelry will leave you feeling like Audrey Hepburn on Roman Holiday, Grace Kelly vacationing in Monaco, or fit for tea at the Plaza with Iris Apfel. It gets better though, through her vibrant personality, beautiful stories, and the belief that every client deserves a personal shopping experience, she is here to show you how to feel and look your best every day by dressing in details. Whether you wear yoga pants and tees or dress in haute couture, Veronica’s love affair with designer and vintage jewelry will inspire your own accessories addiction.
When she is not busy spreading jeweled sparkle dust, you can find her at home with her three children, rumor has it her children have the best dress up trunk on the block. She blogs and blabs about how to blend vintage and modern glamour into your everyday wardrobe and home even with three rambunctious children and on penny pinched budget, her secret tips for hunting down designer attire and accessories, and how she is a glutton for a great glass of proscecco, of course, accompanied by some prosciutto and parmesan.
Inspired to find your inner sparkle and shine every day? Read about Veronica’s Vintage Meet Modern Adventures here. Want to see more of Veronica’s coveted and curated collection of to die for jewels and accessories, visit here.
Tell us a little bit about your family and your Boss Mom Journey
I am the owner of Vintage Meet Modern, an online boutique specializing in designer and vintage jewelry. I guess you could say I was born with sparkles in my eyes because I have been attracted to all things bright and shiny since I was four years old and playing in my grandmother’s jewelry box. I have been sharing my love of jewelry and vintage ever since.
The days of dress-up have not ended. I have been told more than once that we have the best dress-up trunk on the block. I am the lucky mom of three: Victoria, 12; Valerie, 10; and Michael, age 3. I am married to my wonderful husband, Chris, who is my biggest cheerleader and also the stock photographer for our business.
Vintage Meet Modern was actually born out of my entrepreneurial passion and my desire to relive my “golden years” as a personal stylist and sales associate specializing in designer jewelry at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. In 2004, I left to start a family and raise my daughters. Several years later, I found myself a single mother and needed to embark on a new journey, and at the same time I was presented with an opportunity to consign some designer jewelry pieces from a previous Neiman’s Client. At this time, eBay was just getting started so I ventured out into the world of online selling; I have not looked back since.
We have grown our little business steadily since 2008, and have sold to all 50 states and over 50 countries internationally. We have also sold thousands of pieces in person around Chicago at different markets and personal sales events. It’s nonstop, but I would not have it any other way. It means a lot to help connect people to special things from the past. We are also proud to carry jewelry by Ciner, which is the oldest costume jewelry company still making jewelry from start to finish in New York City. This is an opportunity I only dreamed about not long ago.
What are some of your favorite meals when time is tight and dinner MUST get on the table?
I like to nerd out on Saturdays and watch America’s Test Kitchen on PBS,and thankfully I tuned into the one skillet recipe episode. Those recipes have been on repeat ever since! My go-to meals are Skillet Baked Ziti (my picky toddler’s favorite) and Skillet Chicken and Rice with Broccoli and Cheddar. Both of these recipes are great because you can sneak veggies into them, and you can easily swap out veggies for what you have on hand or what’s in season. The best part is, most of the ingredients are ones that I keep stocked in my pantry and I love that it’s all made in one pan—so it’s easy clean up! Yay!
Where do you go for inspiration?
Everywhere! Honestly, I am inspired by current fashion trends and past fashion styles. I love looking at vintage fashion advertisements. I love watching old movies and studying the set design and costumes. I also love reading modern day current fashion blogs and seeing how people style themselves. It’s refreshing to see real, attainable style on women of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ethnicity. Some days you’ll see me reading Women’s Wear Daily, the next a copy of Vogue from the 1930s. For Boss Mom Inspiration, I turn to Crystal Paine’s “Money Saving Mom” Blog, and I enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey Radio for financial and business advice.
What are you currently reading or listening to?
I’m reading At Home with Madame Chic: Becoming a Connoisseur of Daily Life right now.
And listening to the 80s! I love 1980s music and frequently enjoy embarrassing my twelve-year-old while blasting out Journey, Bon Jovi, Tears for Fears, and Aerosmith.
What is one piece of business advice that you would give to a mom just starting out?
Trust your gut—if you believe in yourself and have the passion to proceed, you have overcome one of the greatest obstacles to starting on our your Boss Mom journey. It’s hard to silence naysayers and those who don’t see your vision the way you do, but your intuition is strong and will help guide you even when you are unsure of what lies ahead. Trust in that.
In one word, sum up your life as a Boss Mom.
Blessed.
What are some of your favorite quotes or words to live by?
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ~Dr. Seuss
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” ~Rachel Zoe
“You can be gorgeous at thirty, charming at forty, and irresistible the rest of your life.” ~Coco Chanel
“When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.” ~Iris Apfel
“Don’t be like the rest of them, darling.” ~Grace Kelly
“I stopped feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere, and realized that I actually belonged anywhere I wanted to be.” ~Sophia Amoruso
What are three core values of your business and how do those values relate to your motherhood?
- The Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would have others do unto you.
- Honestly is the best policy.
- It’s OK to color outside of the lines.
We try to fill our home with love and respect. Because our business is a family business, and I work from home, my children and I are constantly interacting. They see the importance of treating others with respect and dignity. We talk a lot about how roles are often reversed and that you should treat people the way that you want to be treated.
Working in sales, a lot of people believe that it can be pushy. But my philosophy is the opposite; I try to be honest and genuine with my customers. I remind my children of that important principle in all they do: it is best to be honest with friends, teachers, parents, whomever you meet. Being honest and genuine gives you the opportunity to shine brightest, and people are most attracted to that. It’s better to be honest and not to force things, which have a natural way of working themselves out.
It’s ok to color outside of the lines. You know what? That is actually one of the fun and challenging parts of owning your own business. It won’t be perfect, so it’s important to lend your own creative spin and personality in all you do. You might find a little bit of a guide, but you have to color your own story. It won’t be perfect, it won’t be easy, and sometimes you have to trust that the end will be more beautiful than when you started.
Connect with Veronica Staudt and Vintage Meet Modern
