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nex t door donna travis o ccu pat i o n ? owner of party time h u s b a n d ? michael c h i l d r e n ? monty, 23, and claire, 21 h o b b i e s ? cooking, traveling, and spending time with family
a t just nine years old, donna travis began working at party time?which started in the family?s garage?as a way to help her parents. after she would get off the bus from school, donna would work the cash register, helping to make sure that each customer found everything he or she needed. now, she?s at the head of it all as the owner of the 30,000 square foot party store
in baton rouge. although she has followed in her mother?s footsteps, donna is paving her own way. her hands-on approach to life and parenting are just a few of the reasons as to why she?s such an excellent mother. tell me about your children. d: claire is more like my husband. she?s a great student, and she?s also in delta gamma sorority, so it?s fun getting to share those traditions with her. monty is more like me. he?s more extroverted, and he loves duck hunting. what do you do together as a family? d: we love to fish. we?re also into sports. i enjoy football and baseball; i?m an sec fan. my nephews play football, so i go to the games. in the fall, we watch football. what?s the greatest thing about being a mom? d: watching them become independent. you worry so much when they?re toddlers, and then your relationship changes, and you become best friends who enjoy being together. it?s great to know we raised good people. how has parenthood changed you? d: in every way. you always want the best for them, and it?s fun to see them figure out their passions. you think that you?re going to mold and shape them into the people you want them to become, but really you mold them into who they want to be. what do you love most about your job? d: helping people celebrate life?s special moments and picking the merchandise to go in the store. how do you balance work and family time? d: when i am working, i?m very efficient. i want to get the work done. as a business owner, you never really get to leave it, but i?ve gotten very good at separating work and family life. what are some things you learned from your mom about business? d: if you watch the pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves. and, we are always rearranging the store to keep things fresh. by amanda miller what makes party time special for you and your mom? d: the length of time, seeing it grow, and the relationships we?ve made along the way. i love working in the store because i get to see so many familiar faces. what?s your favorite aspect of the store? d: i love the balloon department and seeing what they can create. i also enjoy running the cash register because it allows me to talk to people. what kind of mom are you? d: hands-on. my son calls me every day and my daughter texts me everyday. we rarely go without talking to one another. what advice do you often give your children? d: do what you said you were going to do. what?s the best parenting advice that you have ever received? 3 2 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | j u l y 2 0 1 9
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