Maria Curtosi on mother-daughter business ownership and advice for other women entrepreneurs
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Young Women in Business Toronto (YWiB) aims to provide our diverse community of young, self-identified women with genuine career advice, encouragement, and examples of local role models. That's why, for the next few months, we’ll be interviewing both career professionals and entrepreneurs our community can be inspired by and learn from.
Maria Curtosi, Co-Owner of The Knitting Loft
Maria, hey there! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! I’m the daughter half of The Knitting Loft, which is a mother-daughter owned yarn shop and knitting café based in Toronto. On the simplest level, we supply knitters and crocheters with the materials and tools that they need to create projects with.
We’re specifically focused on natural fibres, which means that we have very few yarns that are synthetically produced, and we put a lot of attention on modernizing the industry, from our shop aesthetic, to the projects we make ourselves, it’s our dream to break the stereotype that’s typically associated with knitting.
How did The Knitting Loft come to be / How did you get into knitting?
This all started with my mom, Bruna, when she was pregnant with me. She wanted to learn how to knit so that she could make me cute baby clothes and accessories.
After taking a couple classes, knitting quickly turned into a deep and unwavering passion, which eventually led into her dream of opening a yarn shop. She was so certain that she was going to make this happen that she actually incorporated the name, “The Knitting Loft,” years before it even became a reality. She didn’t know the how or when yet, she just knew that she would make her dream come true one day.
In 2017, my dad came to us with an opportunity to rent out his friend’s retail space, but the problem was, I didn’t know if I wanted to open a yarn shop. In fact, I was pretty sure I didn’t want to open a yarn shop! Although I had learned how to knit when I was about 11 or 12, I always maintained a basic knitting level, and only ever knit over the holidays for little handmade gifts.
After talking a lot about it with my parents, and thinking about it on my own, I realized that it made me really excited to think about doing what I did love on a daily basis – which was business strategy, digital marketing, and even event coordination. So, we decided to take my expertise and combine it with my mom’s in finance and craft knowledge, to create what is now The Knitting Loft.
What happened next was really surprising to both of us, because I quickly and madly fell in love with knitting. I was suddenly exposed to all of these modern and stylish designs that truly inspired and excited me. Since then, it’s become one of the most important parts of my life, and I always say that without it, I don’t know how I would have made it through the emotional ups and downs that come with starting a new business.
Very cool! So, can you tell us when and how you finally decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship?
I actually come from a family of business owners, starting from my grandparents (on both my mom’s and dad’s side). Because of this influence, I’ve always had my sights on business ownership.
However, when I was in between jobs in 2017, exploring a complete career change, but not jumping at the opportunity to finally open my own business – I knew something was off. I had so many doubts and insecurities about saying yes to such a big commitment and investment – with no guarantees of success.
What made me take the official plunge was realizing that I can’t avoid taking risks, and that eventually, I’d have to step out of my comfort zone to make my own dreams of being my own boss come true.
From your company YouTube channel and Instagram account, it looks like you and your mom have a ton of fun together! What is it like to work so closely with a family member? Any advice?
Haha, I love this question. Although it’s definitely difficult to work with family and friends, I’m so grateful to be partnered with my mom. We complement each other so well and both bring our own important areas of expertise to the table. We have such a similar mentality on what hard work looks like, which really helps to avoid work-related resentment for each other.
My advice for anyone thinking about working with a friend or family member would be to make sure that your values and vision aligns, and also, that you set expectations for the new relationship you’re about to create. When you go into business with someone you’re close to, the relationship you know is a familiar one – likely built on comfort and love, over professionalism and objectivity. As amazing of a team that my mom and I are, we are constantly working on the equal partnership side of our relationship, because what naturally comes to us is the role of mother and daughter.
What has the pandemic taught you about business and about yourself as a business owner?
COVID has reminded me that you really need to be prepared for anything. That’s not to say that you need to be able to predict the future, or every possible risk, but it is to say that you should not only be prepared for everything to change instantaneously, but also, willing to change when you need to.
Whether it’s a global pandemic, shifting customer preferences, or new industry trends, you have to be flexible, especially as a new business – nothing stays the same for long.
The Knitting Loft has a brick-and-mortar location as well as offers online shopping. What advice do you have for other women entrepreneurs who are considering e-commerce for their business?
E-commerce is essential to adding an additional shield of protection to your business. Speaking on COVID for example, being setup for online shopping is what truly allowed us to navigate the pandemic, and keep The Knitting Loft in business.
Without our online shop, we would have been extremely vulnerable, and I don’t think that we would’ve been able to make it through the months of shutdown.
My advice? Even if you have a business that requires you to physically be in front of customers, try to find a way to add this extra source of revenue, (complimentary products, subscriptions, consultations), there are so many creative options to explore and it will be well worth the effort.
Read more: Entrepreneurship and COVID-19: Ekta Amarnani launches Mom's Kitchen to bring dignity to food charity
Wow, that’s really important advice especially as we continue to go through the pandemic. Maria, what (if anything) would you do differently in your business if you could go back and make changes?
One big thing that continues to come up for me: be realistic about how much you can take on alone. It is SO easy to trick yourself into believing that you can do everything yourself, to ultimately “save” on team costs.
The problem is, even if you could do everything yourself, carrying an overwhelming workload has severe emotional and physical affects – and this isn’t just bad for you, it’s really bad for business. Understanding this is crucial for entrepreneurs who struggle to self-prioritize.
I’ve finally started taking weekends off, even though there’s still some guilt attached to that - because I know my business needs me - I have to remind myself that what my business needs is me at my best, not at my worst.
The truth is, in being over-extended, you’re not really saving much, in fact, I’d argue that you’re losing – time, new opportunities, quicker growth, fresh ideas, and so much more. So, you have to ask yourself, can you really afford that limitation?
I feel like every entrepreneur needs to hear that! Maria, I noticed you have your business values clearly displayed on your website. Do you find these are values your family (especially your mother) instilled in you as a young person and business owner?
Definitely. Especially ‘humility’, ‘learning’, and ‘integrity’. These were hammered home by both of my parents at a really young age. It was always really important in my family to remember that no matter how amazing you may be at something, there is always room to learn and grow. When we were building The Knitting Loft’s brand, we wanted to make sure that it was consistent with our personal ones too.
I’m not personally a big knitter (at least not yet… let’s see how long the pandemic lasts!). Tell us, in your opinion: Is knitting a hobby, a lifestyle, a community? What do you think draws your customers to this activity?
Honestly, knitting is whatever people need it to be. That's what I love most about it! For some, it’s a hobby to fight boredom, for others, it’s about creating a space for relaxation, or even working towards that sustainable lifestyle, with a handmade wardrobe to match.
For us, and what we’ve found from many of our community members, is that knitting is more than an activity, it is very much a lifestyle, and even a holistic treatment, which addresses so many areas of our lives:
It facilitates our mental health goals,
Gives us a sense of authentic belonging and acceptance,
Allows us to be creative and playful at every age,
Creates physical relief,
Is a mindfulness practice,
And so much more
It really has, and continues to have, a profound impact on our lives.
What is the best advice you’ve received that you’d like to pass along to our community?
I have to pass along the advice I got from my parents when I worked my first job ever. As a teenager, I had somehow convinced myself that I should already be in a leadership role - before I had even learned to walk as an employee. (I definitely lacked that sense of humility to believe that I, of all people, might have something to learn).
When my parents realized that the problem wasn't my boss, but actually, my own attitude problem, they had a really sincere conversation with me about how important it was that I not take for granted this opportunity to grow.
The moral was, you have to follow and learn, before you can lead.
If it wasn't for that piece of advice, I do believe I would have missed out on what became the foundation of my business knowledge today. My boss, who at the time I had a really bad relationship with, became one of my greatest mentors, and is still someone I rely heavily on for both business and life advice.
So, I guess the advice I’d pass on is this… no matter where you are – whether exploring the idea of starting your own business, or you’re already running your own amazing company – pay attention to those learning moments, because they’re everywhere, always. Give yourself room to grow, to be a lifelong student, and to just enjoy the journey.
Connect with Maria: Website Instagram Facebook YouTube
Maria Curtosi is Co-Owner of The Knitting Loft, a mother and daughter-run knitting shop and café in Toronto, which combines a modern aesthetic with a fun and social shopping experience. Focusing on natural fibre, indie-dyed, and rustic yarns, The Knitting Loft’s unique selection has inspired the most avid of fibre lovers. Described as the "candy store" and “yarn heaven” that you don’t have to die to go see, The Knitting Loft is a must visit yarn destination.