Small Business Spotlight

"Hi! I’m Nicole Shearer, the mama behind @athomemontimama. I have a BA in English Literature, have done post-Bacc work in Religious Studies, and have completed most of the coursework toward a MA in Folklore and Public Culture. I am passionate about handwork, music, and making Montessori more accessible for lower income families. I have been married to my husband Nathan for 5.5 years and we have 3 amazing kiddos: S (our only girl) will be 5 this spring, A is 3, and baby AJ will be 1 this spring. I started this account when S was around 2 and A was just a baby because I was looking for a way to hold myself accountable for actually doing things with them and was hoping to build connections and make friends along the way. We’ve been through alot of changes since then: 3 moves, a short term working at a Montessori school, and a baby added to say the least. But I still enjoy coming back to this space (Instagram) as a way to connect with other like-minded caregivers and educators."

"I found Montessori as many of us do, after I had my first baby. Around the time S was 10 months old I really started to dive deeper into what Montessori was and the more I learned about it the more I enjoyed the philosophy. I read books, watched Youtube videos, and consumed content on Instagram to learn more about the philosophy. Near the time S was turning 2, my husband and I discussed the potential for homeschooling our children and we decided to enroll me in Angela’s (@angelamomtessori) homeschool preschool course. I devoured it and began to teach S at home. But when we moved towns, our new town had a beautiful Montessori school that we passed each day. I dreamed about sending my children there until one day a job opened up. I applied and armed with the knowledge from Angela’s course I impressed the staff enough to be hired on the spot and at a pay grade higher than advertised! I worked in the toddler room (walking-3 years old) and then in the Elementary room (6-11), but subbed in every classroom along the way. Our school went from 3 months to 15 years, and it was incredible to get a chance to work with such a range of ages. During my time there, I also was able to take the Orientation to Elementary AMI training (previously called the Assistant’s course). 2 months before baby AJ’s due date I started my maternity leave. I am currently still on an extended maternity leave and will have the opportunity to decide my next steps for the 2023-2024 school year. Until then, I am happily snuggled home with my babies, homeschooling S and A and getting a chance to develop a secure attachment with AJ."

"I currently hand sew materials that will aid in teaching young children. As of now my business model is very informal, but I do enjoy getting to share my handmade items with other families while helping my family make ends meet. Some of my best selling items are alphabet rolls, Land-air-water sorting mats, and color sorting mats. My favorite items to create are celebration sun mats and land and water forms. "

"For now, I'll be having flash sales in my stories on Instagram (@athomemontimama). In the future, that format may change. The best way to stay in the loop is to follow my Instagram."

"I started sewing simply for my own children to use. But when there was quite a response to the things I was making, I realized I could make these items for others as well. I started selling items because we were moving houses (again!) and had some extra bills we needed to cover. However, I truly enjoy creating with my hands and hope to be able to continue for quite some time."

"My future goals include continuing to sell hand sewn items for other families or educators to use. However, I plan to make items ahead of time and sell only ready to ship items from now on. I also hope to use the funds I earn from these sales to begin and help support a homeschool pod for other like-minded families in my area. I hope to be able to include low-income families in the students served by my pod."

"I truly enjoy the community growing around my Instagram lately and I hope to be able to continue to create in that space as well. Thank you so much for giving me the space to be featured here, Gloria! And I can’t wait to be back to create more fun content for you here in the future! :)"

Below, I have added photographs of some of the resources Nicole has created! 

Thank you so much Nicole for sharing with us and we can't wait to hear more from you soon!