We recently connected with Amanda Hauser and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Hi, I’m Amanda, the creator and writer behind Impish the Elf. Before you learn anything else about me, you must first understand that I’m a devoted wife and mother of eight children (yes, eight). And though my professional titles and experiences include “educator, children’s author, parenting blogger, curriculum writer, and business owner,” they are not how I identify. My children, and the preservation of their childhood, is the basis of everything I do. My mission is to keep magic a part of childhood, and to do that, I create meaningful and memorable experiences for our children. What began as a desperate mother’s attempt to protect her children from a potentially challenging world has now come full circle with the creation of the Impish the Elf business.

When our oldest child went to kindergarten, one of my biggest fears was that a bully on the bus would try to destroy his belief in the magic of the world. I remember my own childhood, growing up on a farm in Indiana. It was a life marked by boundless imagination and countless adventures. I honestly remember feeling anything was possible. I felt happy, safe, protected, and relatively invincible. And, more than anything, I wanted my own children to feel that too. They didn’t have the luxury of a secluded, rural life to protect them from influence. Theirs was a world of evolving technology, social media, and challenges. As we navigated parenthood and I coached and guided hundreds of children through school, it was increasingly evident that the stresses and influences of our world were robbing our kids of their childhoods. They were growing up too fast, and they were missing out on a critical stage of development. A healthy childhood was one in which they saw everything as possible, they lived in their suspension of disbelief, and their imaginations were limitless. That open-mindedness would allow them to think and see and understand their possibilities instead of focusing on their limitations. To that end, I knew I had to do whatever I could to preserve that magic and wonder in their lives. And because I couldn’t control their outer-worlds, I had to control their experiences in our home. The easiest and most logical way I could think to do that was start with the most magical parts of childhood: holidays and celebrations… the best of all was Christmas. That was the birth of a pivotal and intentional Christmas tradition. We knew there would be outside forces at work, forces aimed at extinguishing the magic of Christmas and Santa and the North Pole. Therefore, Christmas had to be so magical that our children would never question its authenticity. That is when Impish the Elf first came to visit our home. At first, she played simple games with the kids, leaving sneaky clues and clever or creative puzzles on presents for them to solve on Christmas morning. Once they solved the puzzle, they discovered whose gifts were whose under the tree. The schemes and gimmicks were simple, like matching an ornament in their stocking to matching wrapping paper under the tree, but as the years went by, Impish’s handiwork became more magical and complex and creative and engaging. One by one, we witnessed our children’s peers and neighbors lose their belief. And yet, our children’s spirit and belief grew. Our plan was working… when our kids looked for magic in the world, when they believed in its possibilities, they found it. Not only did they find it in Christmas, but they found it everywhere. They embraced a world where everything was possible.

Fast forward nearly twenty years, and Impish is still at it. I realized that the months of preparation and planning elaborate, magical Christmases was my truest passion. Nothing brought (or brings) me as much joy as truly happy children, and almost two decades of Impish the Elf was making it all possible. Our story spread, and other mothers began to reach out, asking me to share the magic with them. It became evident that I could make magic my business… literally. I began by writing stories about Impish, and from 2019 – 2022, I wrote three stories about three separate Impish adventures, self-publishing them all. Then, in late 2022 I realized, as I wrote the fourth book, that it wasn’t the stories families wanted. It was the experience. So, I created the first Impish the Elf kit, giving parents a toolkit with everything they needed to pull off a Pinterest-perfect Christmas. That is a gift… Impish keeps magic a part of childhood. We share that mission. Through thematic, discovery-based traditions for the whole family, Impish brings us together, promotes problem-solving, and lets us truly experience the feeling that anything is possible… especially on Christmas!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

If you asked me, as a child, what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said, “a big deal.” I was convinced I could do just about anything, and I was going to do it in a big way. But even then, I had no idea that I’d have a family as big as this. We are ten strong. And nothing, not even a graduate degree in education prepared me for life as a mother of eight. Motherhood is not just an education; it’s a complete metamorphosis of body, mind, and soul. And like any metamorphosis, the result has been beautiful growth and change, albeit two-and-a-half decades in the making. We all begin parenthood with ideas, and we all scrap them within weeks. All the life that happened and continues to happen in the meantime has been the foundation of my business, Impish the Elf.

With over twenty-five years of experience as an educator, writer, parenting blogger, and curriculum designer, my professional journey has been fulfilling – even more so now that I’ve been personally invited to join Shark Tank’s Daymond John’s educator team, contributing to his latest initiative to improve financial literacy for children through his new children’s book. It is with these experiences, coupled with my passion to keep magic a part of childhood, that I jumped to make it my business.

Most parents don’t realize until it’s too late that childhood is fleeting. We all face the challenge of juggling life’s responsibilities and maintaining presence in the lives of our loved ones. We must prioritize, sacrifice, and make choices. When you have eight kids, it is all exponentially more challenging. Impish the Elf is the result of one of our steadfast commitments. We intentionally chose to keep magic a part of our children’s childhoods, to preserve their innocence, to encourage their wonder and curiosity of the world. What began as a family Christmas tradition when our oldest left for kindergarten, has grown into a beautiful business, supplying families with one small tool to keep their magic alive too.

Crafting enchanting memories for my kids is the ultimate reward of parenthood. Driven by the fleeting nature of childhood and the desire to preserve its innocence and wonder, we cling tightly to our cherished moments together. It was this deep-rooted love for creating magical memories that inspired me to turn childhood magic into my business venture with the Impish the Elf book series and kits. Though I began writing about Impish the Elf in 2019, it was a glorified family hobby and passion. And, after lots of thought and prayer I decided I was ready to launch a business. After all, the books were fun to share, but the entire Impish the Elf thematic Christmas tradition was the experience that drove so much curiosity and inquiry from others. It was with this informal market research that I designed the first Impish the Elf kit in 2022, Impish the Elf: Secret Agent. In this kit, families are transported into an imaginary investigation and all secret agents (family members) wake to find evidence in their stockings. Secret codes are solved using the included Impish decoder ring. Once solved, the codes reveal Christmas words that match presents under the tree. Mystery solved! The hardback book, codes, decoder ring, top secret folders, and so much more are packaged inside a fun holiday box. Each year, the theme changes, so each year, families can collect the new book and new kit to pull off a magical gift scavenger hunt. You see, Impish is Santa’s number one gift-wrapping elf. While she helps wrap presents for Santa, she doesn’t put names on any of them. Rather, she leaves thematic clues in the families’ stockings. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Each kit is filled with fun supplies, tools, and enrichment ideas to pull off a memorable and magical holiday. The Impish tradition encourages problem-solving, family-based discovery, togetherness, and imagination. The rush-rip-and-tear frenzy of Christmas morning is replaced with an experience that engages the entire family.

In the end, tradition forms the cornerstone of my magical memory-making. Traditions provide a sense of safety, predictability, comfort, and security, ultimately bringing happiness to our lives.

On a personal note, my passion for writing led me to win numerous scholastic awards as a child. I went on to graduate as valedictorian with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from St. Joseph’s College. In 1997, I married my sweetheart, Joshua, and we welcomed or first son, Jakob, in 1999. As our family expanded rapidly, my teaching career blossomed. While raising our children, I pursued a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction at Indiana Wesleyan University. Along the way, I developed a comprehensive yearlong homeschool curriculum that immersed our children in diverse experiences across the United States. As our children transitioned back to public schools, transitioning my focus to teaching and writing, I embarked on the creation of the beloved Impish the Elf series, along with writing parenting blogs for Indianapolis Moms, public speaking engagements, and active participation in local women’s groups to support fellow mothers. Recognized as a featured virtual teacher on the Today Show, I gained the confidence and momentum to further expand the reach of Impish the Elf. In a momentous milestone, Daymond John of Shark Tank showcased Impish during a personal unboxing of Instagram in 2022, solidifying its position as a major presence in the world of magic and wonder. Impish continues to thrive, making a significant impact on the lives of families everywhere. I cannot wait to share her with you too!

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Though I’m just beginning, I have had a few wildly important break throughs that have created marketing reaches far beyond just my local market to a national market. Prior to this, I had not gotten any business exposure outside of our local media markets. Like many American want-to-be entrepreneurs, I was an avid Shark Tank watcher. I tried to learn from the shows, take mental notes, imagine myself on the stage. And, as I began talking about my business plan with others, interestingly many people told me I should, “take it to the Sharks.” I started following some of the Sharks on social media – LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. Occasionally I would interact with their posts. Then, one day, late in 2022 I came across a post by Daymond John. He was seeking educational professionals to apply for a position on a teacher roundtable built to support his newest adventure, his first children’s book aimed at increasing financial literacy among children, Little Daymond Learns to Earn. My husband had been encouraging me to jump, to take an opportunity to do something big, and I considered this was a relatively risk-free move. I filled out the online application, showcasing not my new business, but my skills as a curriculum designer, educator, and fellow children’s author. To my surprise, I was selected for the roundtable. Having nothing to lose, I poured into the opportunity, making sure to interact and comment on all Daymond’s ensuing posts. He followed me back. Win #1. It started to work. He recognized the effort, and when we had our first roundtable Zoom, I was sure to give thoughtful feedback. On our second zoom, I took the opportunity to reference my books, and Daymond encouraged me to send them to him. I knew this was my chance. I spent days crafting the perfect prototype of the product I hoped to scale to a business. Every detail, down to snowflake confetti and red and green QR codes, was crafted with care. I sent it off. On Christmas Eve, as our family played board games and cuddled in our matching pj’s around the tree, one of my older children popped up out of his seat with his phone in his hand. “Mom! Check this out!” Daymond had done a live unboxing of my product on Instagram, tagging me in the process and praising creativity. I could not speak. This could be my big break. In the weeks that followed, I continued my active involvement in the educators’ roundtable, doing my best to pour into supporting the initiative. Daymond hadn’t even realized, at first, that the product he unboxed belonged to a teacher on his roundtable. But when he did, he got back on Instagram and promoted it again. In the meantime, Daymond had ordered more kits for his team, and I was connecting with these experts, gleaning everything I could from their experiences. I continued to jump. Though it was far from my typical, “don’t ask for help, don’t take a risk” mentality. I asked hard questions, adopting a “what do I have to lose” and a “why not” approach. Now, seven months from that Instagram post, I have continued to grow in my relationship with Daymond and his Little Daymond project. I have attended a live event with him, and I am now serving in an official capacity on a smaller, more intentional team. This all started because I filled out the application, and I took the chance to show not only a skill set beyond my forward facing business, but that I also genuinely cared for his project and wanted to support first. That incredibly valuable relationship and coaching is far more valuable than financial backing. I learned that the best way to grow is to give with authenticity. I haven’t asked Daymond to publicly endorse my product, but he did. Genuine and authentic relationship building is by far the most valuable marketing tool anyone can invest in, and it doesn’t cost a thing. Find your gift and share it with people who need it. It always comes full circle. That’s how a kindergarten teacher in Indiana ended up serving a world-famous entrepreneur. It’s a little surreal. But I have also learned that people are people, no matter the size of their bank account. We all have value and underestimating that is a huge mistake… especially when it comes to yourself!

Approaching Daymond gave me the confidence to reach out to other influencers and share the momentum of my new journey. In May, I attended the Mom 2.0 Summit in Arizona, connecting with other mom-preneurs looking to grow and share. The women I met that week have become genuine followers and supporters. It was during that conference that I listened to another mom, Danielle Cabral, from Real Housewives of New Jersey. I recognized her immediately, but I hadn’t watched her shows. After listening to her speak, it became obvious that the screen version of this women didn’t do justice to the real woman. She was a mom, a new business owner, just like me. And, like all moms, she loves her kids and wants to protect them. I chose to view her through that lens. After she spoke, I approached her and introduced myself. From there, we connected. She followed me on Instagram, and she has asked that I send her my product personally. It was another moment of bravery that led me to a conversation. It was the willingness to see someone who shared a common core value (motherhood) that allowed me to even make a connection. Once again, authenticity and coming alongside another woman who was balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood proved to be a marketing win, though unintended.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

I am a one-woman business right now, but it was years and years of other professional experience that gave me the skill set to grow my product line. At the root of all I do is a genuine desire to make kids happy, but I am also a mom, teacher, and writer who is educated in curriculum development and design. Intentional creativity aimed at engaging and teaching children had been my paying job, and it would prove to be a springboard for my leap into entrepreneurship. Not only that, but it would also fund it. I didn’t have an investor. I was completely self-funded, which proved challenging considering the size of our family and my career background. Teachers are notoriously under-paid. Still, I had value outside of teaching. I began to write curriculum for those both in the educational realm and those out of it. I contracted to write an article for a local magazine. I was commissioned to write a children’s book for a small town wanting to showcase its charm. I offered my expertise for free and that has circled back to paid contracts. All these opportunities feed the business. My skills are marketable, and one day I won’t have to rely on them to sustain the growth of Impish the Elf. But, for now, these revenue streams are allowing me to make strategic growth moves.

Contact Info:

• Website: impish-the-elf.myshopify.com
• Instagram: @impishlyamanda
• Other: @amanda_mcilwain_hauser (personal instagram) https://www.facebook.com/amanda.hauser.3323 (personal facebook)

Image Credits
Some images provided by Heather Vizino