How This Super Mom Is Changing The Name of Kids' Shopping

Marie Tillman wears many hats. She’s a mom of 5 (yes 5!). Board chairwoman of the Pat Tillman Foundation. Occasional political op-ed writer. And founder of Mac & Mia, a beautifully curated kids shopping service that ships stylish clothing for little ones to your doorstep.

Sound like an impossible workload? That was the impetus for launching Mac & Mia. “When my son Mac was born in 2012, I was looking to outsource as many tasks as possible to simplify my life,” Tillman said. “And that’s when the light bulb went off!”

The idea came at the perfect time. She had founded the Pat Tillman Foundation 10 years earlier when her NFL-turned-Army Ranger husband Pat died while serving in Afghanistan. Raising $15 million and providing more than 500 academic scholarships for active duty service members, veterans, and their spouses, Marie knew it was the right time for her to take a step back.

“I was a representation of Pat and felt a little like America’s Widow, which was heavy as an everyday focus. My life had changed a lot too— I was remarried and pregnant with my second child. And the foundation was in a really great place.”

So she shifted her focus to launch Mac & Mia, a business that helps style-conscious but time-constrained parents shop for their kids. Below Marie shares all the details on her service that will have your littles looking adorable daily (without a struggle!) and give you hours and hours of time back.

How It Works

Signing up is a fun, simple process. You start by filling out an online profile and taking a style survey (think color preferences, outfits your kids like, and more importantly, things your kids dislike). Then you’re paired up with a stylist who will reach out with additional questions and hand select 7–9 pieces just for your child. The whole process—from taking the survey to receiving a box—generally takes 5–7 days.

The Cost

You’re charged a $20 styling fee when you request a box, which goes towards your purchase if you keep two or more items. The average price per item is $35 for clothing and $12 for accessories. Keep what you like, send back what you don’t, checkout online, and give feedback on the box selection. You’re charged for the pieces you keep once any returns arrive in our warehouse in Chicago (free shipping, of course). If you keep everything, you get a 15% discount.

The Cute Clothes

We currently carry clothes for girls and boys in sizes newborn to 6T. Our collection includes about 100 brands, a mix of about 50% established boutique brands and 50% new, up-and-coming lines. Our selection runs the gamut from preppy and classic to sporty and trendy. Always on the hunt for those new, undiscovered collections, we head to New York for a kids’ market twice a year and also keep our eyes on Instagram and Etsy (such good resources!). Our boxes have a mix of the two, so you’re always discovering new things.

Current Faves

It’s hard to pick favorites because I really love them all, but Mayoral, a well-priced Spanish line, is great quality with a good depth of different styles in each collection. We have carried it since the beginning, and it’s a real crowd pleaser. DL 1961 makes great jeans for boys and girls in classic and trendy styles.

In the emerging category, I’m especially drawn to Tiny Whales and Ice Cream Castles—they both have a funky West Coast vibe. I’m a California girl, so I skew towards a laid-back beachy style.

A Box Full Of...

We listen to the customer, so if you only want very specific things, we will happily oblige. The assortment includes multiple outfits for each piece that are easy to mix and match. You can expect everything from play clothes, athletic wear, and school clothes to special occasion outfits, swimwear, and fashion outerwear. Oh and accessories! Belts, socks, hair bows, necklaces, sunglasses, purses, backpacks, and hats. We just began carrying pajamas. We basically have everything except for shoes.

Behind The Stylist Curtain

Our stylists are the personal connection to our customers, so they are deeply important to the business. We currently have about 80 stylists and tend to get 300–400 resumes a week! It’s a flexible, remote option that’s great for moms who want to take a step back from a day job but want to be engaged in something and contribute financially to their family. Each stylist chooses how many hours they want to work (anywhere from 10-40 per week) and receives a list of customers based on that. They work on commission, so it’s important to also generate business on their own and continuously nurture relationships with their customers. There is growth potential to become a manager of a team of stylists, so it can be a career if you want it to be.

Coming Soon

• We have a brand-new website that our customers are going to love.
• We are really excited about some upcoming partnerships and exclusive products with Petit Peony, Emerald August, Lali Kids, Bit'z Kids, and Blu & Blue.
• Come March, customers will be able to schedule when they receive boxes (monthly, quarterly, on demand)—one more thing to put on autopilot!
• We are continuing to expand our stylist team, which means more people joining our family and advocating on our behalf.

On Success

I’m in the thick of the day-to-day all year long—the highs and lows of trying to meet goals and solve problems as they come up. It’s not until I take a step back and look at the previous year as a whole that I realize how much we have achieved. We grew three times over last year. That’s the pinch-me moment for me—it’s such a sense of pride and accomplishment. But I can never ride that for too long because there is so much more to do!

Learn more about Mac & Mia.

Images courtesy of Erin Konrath Photography