ellen hamilton: critter leg stilts ~ green mountain

Walking on stilts is one of our family traditions. My father, a Florida lumberman, made stilts for us kids 50 years ago. About three years ago, I asked my dad – then 80 years old, “Why don’t you make stilts for your great grandkids?” Out of that request, “Critter Leg Stilts” has evolved. During a family visit in Florida, we women decided we should paint the stilts bright colors with animal designs, add tags with safety tips and educational information about the animals, and sell them and a new business was born for me to manage!

But at age 58, I felt overwhelmed. I decided to take a business planning course and looked at several different classes and books. Three different people suggested MMF! Going through MMF’s Foundations program was very empowering for me. It gave me the confidence and backbone to feel as though I could make this dream a reality. The course helped me focus on all aspects of the business, giving me a blueprint for all the detail. It helped me recognize my strong points and my weak points, where I needed help from others.

While I was taking the Foundations course last year, my husband Bill began treatment for lung cancer, after being cancer-free for six years. Bill passed away last spring. I must have faith and go on. This business is a way for me to have something to look forward to, a creative outlet and purpose. Every time I hit an excuse or a roadblock, something would unfold. I know I couldn’t do this without the help of family and friends. Four generations are involved in designing and creating Critter Leg Stilts. My grandsons are the “junior zoologists” who picked out the designs and researched the animals we are depicting. All of the children in the family have tested the stilts for size and safety. My sister helps with marketing. My brother is helping with the patents. My son coordinates production.

Fortunately, toy manufacturers seem to value going “back to basics” these days. We have recently signed a contract with a major toy retailer and moved into local manufacturing space. We are hiring local craftspeople to do the mass manufacturing. The tags will be made by developmentally disabled folks who attend the local “sheltered workshop.” Our family tradition has now become a community effort. It requires a circle of people to make something happen and to sustain it. Thank you MMF, being a vital part of that circle!

Ellen Hamilton
Grandma’s Toy Chest
12855 NC 197
Green Mountain,NC, 28740
828-837-9173