Adrienne Alitowski’s Clipped: A mom invents a new way to hold her life together just as the world falls apart, details her journey with entrepreneurship, motherhood, fertility, economic and financial struggles, and product invention, all in one humorous but engaging memoir that carries a light, upbeat feeling despite the challenges faced throughout the story
Clipped is a memoir about a new mom whose desperation for a sleeping baby catapulted her into becoming a small business owner, just before the world fell apart in 2008. She unearthed reserves of passion and humor as she leaped into the adventure of a lifetime. And in the end, the riches that awaited her far surpassed her wildest dreams.
“My story is about how I went from being a sleep-deprived mom to a momtrepreneur just as the world was falling apart during the Great Recession. It’s unique in that we haven’t heard what that time was like for a small business. We’ve read about the housing crisis and what banks were doing but we haven’t heard from one of the small businesses that were affected during that time,” says Alitowski.
The non-fiction author may be a familiar face to some, as Alitowski previously starred on Broadway, and has an abundance of TV credits to her name, including Beverly Hills, 90210, and Will and Grace, to name a few.
However, her priorities shifted upon becoming a new mother, and Alitowski decided to focus her energy on motherhood. Amidst that, she found a dire need for a simple product that is almost essential for parents, both new and old.
While on walks with her firstborn son, Eli that were intended to help him fall asleep, Alitowski noticed that quite the opposite was happening because his blanket would not stay up on his stroller. This gave her the idea to launch blankyclip.
Alitowski then decided to solve the problem, and that is where her journey with blankyclip began. Clipped is a story about womanhood, endurance, and motherhood all in one and showcases the true authenticity of being a business owner and a mother during tough economic times, like the ones we are in now.
“No one has heard about the challenge of being a new mom and having a small business all at the same time, which is something many women can relate to,” says Alitowski.
A simple solution led Alitowski on the journey of a lifetime during the Great Recession. blankyclip quickly became patented, and Alitowski sold them nationally in stores like Buy Buy Baby and many boutiques across the U.S. and worldwide. The product was recognized as a ‘Top Pick’ in Fit Pregnancy and LA Parent Magazine publications.
“All that fabulous glory aside, I also learned what it’s like to pee through a hole in the floor of a Chinese factory. And to be pregnant and throw up on the street just before an investor meeting. That’s something that Michael Lewis and Alan Blinder will never understand. These experiences led me down a path to write this memoir about sticking to your vision and being open to finding gold in the muck,” says Alitowski.
Alitowski braved each challenge that was suddenly thrown her way and consistently maintained a positive attitude, despite being unsure of the future of the product at some points due to economic and financial implications that were far beyond her control.
Clipped is a firsthand account of how the Great Recession impacted small businesses and how small-business owners were forced to better the situation with limited resources.
Alitowksi details what it looked like as stores shut down every day and its impact on vendors. The book is peppered with news flashes that tell readers precisely what was happening in the world of big business but were entirely unbeknownst to Alitowski and about 7 billion other people.
Resilience, bravery, and risk-taking are each at the forefront of Clipped.
“The important thing in life is to not be stopped and to follow your dreams because you never know where they will take you. I’m happy I have a story to tell and maybe I can be helpful to other moms who have ideas and don’t know how to move forward with them,” says Alitowski.
Clipped is available to shop on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
