Who are you? Tell me a bit about yourself.
Hi! My name is Arron Neal and I am Founder of ModTod, a marketplace app for used kids clothes. I am also mom to Robert (7 years) and Aiden (5 years), and wife to an incredibly handsome film editor who stole my heart 20 years ago with a peanut butter kiss. We’ve lived in Montreal’s Old Port for six years but called Los Angeles home for 12 years before that. I’m originally from Washington, D.C. When I’m not fulfilling one of the above roles, I enjoy walking, running, yoga, crossfit, baking and sleeping. 🙂
What is your business?
I help families sell their children’s good quality, used kids clothes. Our app lets moms and dads share photos of their kid’s outgrown clothes, shoes and fashion accessories. Parents can browse items as they’re listed, search by keyword, or filter by type, size, brand, season, gender, color or condition. We email a shipping label to every person that makes a sale. They can pack their items, print and tape on the label, then drop their box or bag into a mailbox. We want to help parents earn back some of what they invest in their kid’s wardrobe and help extend the life of things that might otherwise become waste.
Can you name the biggest lesson you’ve learned in running a business?
The importance of resilience is the biggest lesson that I’ve learned, and that I continue to learn, as I grow ModTod. It’s great when things run smoothly, but there will be unavoidable road bumps, hurdles, mountains and more - some you’ll see coming and others that you won’t. Resilience is learning not to let those challenges discourage me and understand that taking time to focus on getting over the hurdle is part of the process, not a failure.
If you were magically given 3 more hours per day, what would you do with them?
If I were given three more hours per day, I’d spend one hour sleeping, one hour doing something fun with my kiddos and the last hour coming up with something creative to delight ModTod families.
Can you name your greatest success (or something you’re most proud of) in your business experiences?
One of the things I’m most proud of is having made my first customer sale in 2020. We made many test transactions earlier in the year to make sure everything would function as planned once ModTod was live, but when the first customer sale came through, I literally screamed with joy. My husband and I celebrated with a bottle of champagne.
What’s the first app, website or thing you open/do in the morning?
Google Podcasts is the first app I open in the morning. I wake up an hour earlier than my family, so once I’m out of the shower I use that quiet time to listen to my favorite news, business and culture podcasts.
What’s the hardest thing about being your own boss that isn’t obvious?
Setting and sticking to boundaries is one of the hardest things about being my own boss. Working from home means there’s no physical boundary to where work ends and home life begins so it’s easy to let the two mix. In order to be the best mom and wife, I have to be focused and present. The same goes for building a business, it requires focus and being fully present. I’ve learned that trying to do both at the same time means that neither gets done well.
You can learn more about ModTod or download our free app for an iPhone or Android at Modtod. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ModTodapp or email me at hello@modTod.ca.
Thank-you Arron!
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