Meet Autumn Elmazi, a local mom of three who stumbled upon a business idea after creating a summer activities calendar for her children. A friend saw a draft of the calendar and encouraged her to offer it to other families. Autumn’s friend told her, “This is a mom’s dream—sell it.” Today, Autumn produces calendars through her company, byAvanly. Read more about Autumn, what advice she has for other entrepreneurs and her upcoming plans for new products.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have three children: Everly 3, Ava 22 months, Ethan 5 months
What brought you and your family to Connecticut?
I was born in Bristol, CT, and have been a native to Connecticut ever since. Our residence is now Watertown, CT, which is where my husband is from originally.
What’s your favorite aspect about being part of the community?
Being a mom in today’s society has brought such anxiety with the need to “fit” in. When I find a community that makes me feel normal and accepted for who I am as a mom, that’s where I’ll spend my time.
What’s your favorite family activity to do in the area?
Maritime Aquarium has always been a favorite of mine. Showing my children wildlife and seeing the “aw” on their faces makes these trips all worth it.
Can you please tell us a bit about your path to launching byAvanly?
I originally was working on this project of a Fun Summer Activities calendar for my 2 girls and a friend saw a draft of it and loved it saying, “This is a mom’s dream—sell it,” so here I am.
Your company name includes 2 initials from each of your children’s names. How did you come up with this?
Yes, that’s correct. When I was coming up with the name, I knew I wanted my kids’ names to be involved, but didn’t want the name to be super long. So I sat there for 3 weeks making list after list of potential names, posted in some moms’ groups to help out and finally the name clicked. Avanly. Av for Ava, an for Ethan, and LY for Everly.
We are big fans of your Kids Summer Activities Calendar, it’s perfect for active families. Can you share your plans about other calendars that are currently in the works?
Of course! The next two calendars to be released will be a Kids Fall Bucket List and a Mommy Me Do Calendar, which is a calendar for moms to get done what they need for themselves, taking into count moms need TLC too.
As a busy mama, is there something you do each day to support your own needs?
I can’t say that it’s every day I make time for myself, but I do try to fit in 1 hour to myself each day if possible. Within that hour it would consist of anything from exercising, showering (haha), taking a drive “alone,” going for a walk, getting nails or hair done.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
Be patient with yourself. I constantly found myself in the past being over-stimulated by all of the “social media.” Moms who make it seem like they have it all figured out when they don’t. I had to take a step back and realize that everything I do is best for me and my family and not to compare myself to others. If I don’t get something done today, it’s okay…there’s always tomorrow.
Do you have any advice for other moms considering entrepreneurship?
Go for it!!! Don’t let anyone damper your sunshine. We’re all here to be something, want something for ourselves and need one another to lift each other up and cheer each other on. Get a group of like-minded moms who can help keep you on track and push yourself in whatever aspect of life you need it.
How do you unwind when you need some “me time?”
Exercising or taking a nice bubble bath is where I find the best mental clarity.
We love supporting local businesses. Favorite places in town nearby to…
Have dinner with/without kids: Bar Zorro rooftop Evaritos
Grab a drink with friends: Pinstripes
Spend time together as a family: Maritime Aquarium
Spa/salon (or anywhere you go to treat yourself): Greenwich Med Spa
ABOUT byAVANLY
The Summer Kids’ Activity Calendar from byAvanly is now available for purchase. The calendar is 20 x 30 poster size, comes in black and white and is lightweight to hang. It features more than 50 activities to fill those long summer days.
To purchase your calendar, Venmo $24 (includes shipping) to Autumn-Capurso along with your address. Send a message with your address to @byavanly on FB or Instagram. If you have any additional questions, email Autumn at [email protected]. Orders are typically sent out the same or next day.
