Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/542735
52 Mighty Motivation Mom worked hard in those early years, originally just wanting to make something she wished she'd had for her own babies and remain the stay-at-home mother that she had always wanted to be. "All stay-at-home moms, whether they have businesses or not, have times when they need to get things done," she says. "So the whole idea was: How can I keep my baby engaged and entertained and happy in a way that was going to be fulfilling?" she says. Now 48, Aigner Clark would go downstairs after the girls were asleep and work on the videotape, putting toy and music to narrative. She drew the company logo with Aspen's crayons at the kitchen table, and eventually began using the girls and their friends as actors. "If you consider putting on a dress and saying 'purple' acting," says Aspen, who has memories of a long table stacked with shiny toys tucked in a back room of the basement. "I really wanted to play with them, but they said I couldn't." The success of their idea shocked even her and her husband of 22 years, whom Aigner Clark credits for reaching their goal. "I couldn't have done it without him," she says of Bill Clark, who had founded a successful educational-focused business before the two met that Aigner Clark began working for, teaching teachers about his product. One day, she spotted him at a corporate picnic. "He was throwing a boomer-rang, which I'd never seen before, and I was like: What is this magical thing?" After creating their own business magic and taking Baby Einstein from a $15,000 investment out of their own savings to almost $25 million in sales in the fifth year, the couple decided to sell. "We saw the time flying by," Aigner Clark says. "We actually stopped and said, 'Wow, these girls aren't babies anymore. They are like 6 and 8, and in a minute, they are going to be 16 and 18. And in another minute, they are going to be gone. So we just saw the perfect opportunity to really enjoy that time you can never get back." Walt Disney Co. bought Baby Einstein in 2001 for an undisclosed amount. Mommy-Made Lessons But Aigner Clark never stopped working completely, going on to start other parent-focused projects at MommyMade. com, including a videotape called The Safe Side, created with America's Most Wanted host John Walsh. All proceeds go to the National Center for Missing Children (about $250,000 to date). And Aigner Clark recently partnered with a Denver-area mom in launching a new venture: The Soft Skin Co., which makes non-oil-absorbing undergarments and oils for pregnant women wanting to ward off stretch marks. The girls say they've learned a lot from their mom and are glad she became a businesswoman. "I feel like her working at home was actually the best option," says Sierra, who will join her sister at DU this fall, both on academic scholarships. "She was there for us and always willing to talk to us and spend time with us, but she also was able to demonstrate that you can be a mom and a business person, too." Mom gained national attention, invited to everything from Oprah to the Today Show. But one television appearance really stands out. Aigner Clark and Aspen (because, as she likes to jokingly point out: "I am THE original Baby Einstein) were invited to President Bush's State of the Union address, something the whole family will never forget. "We saw the time flying by. We actually stopped and said, 'Wow, these girls aren't babies anymore. They are like 6 and 8, and in a minute, they are going to be 16 and 18." Bright and cheery describes both Julie Aigner Clark and her Centennial-home office, which boasts children's books alongside literary classics. Aigner Clark created a multi-million-dollar business in her basement (Baby Einstein), striving to remain a stay-at-home mom.