Growing a Brand with Growing Kids with Keri Szachacz
If you've ever watched a baton twirler and thought, "How are they dancing AND catching that thing in the air at the same time?" — first of all, same. Second of all, this episode is for you.
This week on The Chaotic Middle, I sit down with Keri Szachacz, the founder of Showstopping Designs, a high-performance apparel line built specifically for dancers, cheerleaders, and baton twirlers.
Based out of Long Island, New York, Keri is a mom of two daughters (ages 10 and 12), a lifelong baton twirling coach, and a work-from-home entrepreneur who has been figuring it all out since 2017. Sound familiar? Pull up a chair.
Sequins, Structure, and a Dream That Wouldn't Quit
Keri's path to launching Showstopping Designs wasn't exactly a straight line. More like a perfectly timed toss in the air that somehow landed exactly where it was supposed to.
She'd always dreamed of fashion design, but when college came around, she pivoted to product marketing and took the "traditional" route. The dream didn't disappear, though. It just waited patiently in the back of her mind while she built her skills, started a family, and continued coaching baton twirling (something she's done since she was 16 years old).
The spark? Noticing a glaring gap in the market.
"There are brands for dancers, there are brands for cheerleaders, but baton twirling is so niche that it really doesn't have a lot of representation in mainstream media or sports," Keri explained.
So when her kids got a little older and she had a few more pockets of time to breathe, she did what any passionate, slightly chaotic, deeply driven mom-entrepreneur does. She built the thing herself. Showstopping Designs was born: handmade in the USA, ethically manufactured, and made to order by a team of seamstresses who are also — you guessed it — work-from-home moms.
"It was important to me to give back to that same community I came from," she said. "Having a talent, having a skill — I wanted to be able to keep women employed and providing an income for their families in those small pockets of time."
Let's just say the brand has the same energy as a baton routine: intentional, powerful, and kind of breathtaking.
Working From Home: The Baby Years vs. The Big Kid Years
Here's the thing nobody tells you about working from home with kids: it doesn't get easier. It gets different. Keri said it first, and honestly, it deserves to be stitched on a pillow.
When her girls were babies, she had routine on her side. She knew when they'd wake up, when they'd nap, and when she could sneak in a focused work block. She was — in her words — "never in control of her children," but she was in control of the structure of the day. There's something almost comforting about nap schedules, even when they betray you.
But now? Her kids' social calendars are basically running the household.
"There are school schedules, homework, after-school activities, competitions, parties… All of these different things that I'm now managing for them and fitting into the household schedule," she said.
Her solution? Stop grading herself on a daily report card and zoom out to the weekly view instead.
"Some days are heavier on the business and some days are heavier on the kids. If I look at it day to day, I'm still really bad at this, but I'm getting better at looking at it over a week's period rather than each individual day."
This is the kind of perspective shift that sounds simple and is actually revolutionary. Not every day is going to be a business win. Some days the win is showing up for your kid's emotional meltdown with patience and a snack. That counts. That absolutely counts.
The Screen Time Strategy (It's Actually Genius)
One of the most practical nuggets from this conversation? Keri's approach to screen time as a tool, not a default.
Rather than letting her kids have unlimited iPad access throughout the day, she intentionally saved it. Screen time became the signal that mom needs to focus. It went from background noise to a special event — something they actually looked forward to — which made her work blocks feel less like abandonment and more like a trade-off everyone could get behind.
She also had a version of this system when she was employed by someone else. Her boss was based on the West Coast, which meant Keri had the first chunk of her East Coast morning to pour into her kids — take them outside, do an activity, give them her full attention — before she had to switch into work mode.
"They reciprocated that a little bit better because they didn't feel like they were being left behind," she said. "They didn't feel like they weren't valued."
Fill the cup first. Then ask them to be patient. It works.
"Someone Else's Admission Is Your Permission"
One of the recurring themes in this episode — and honestly, in everything The Chaotic Middle is about — is that we're all doing this hard thing and pretending we have it together better than we do.
Keri brought up something that resonated deeply: our generation is raising kids who are more emotionally aware and emotionally intelligent than generations before. And with that comes more emotional labor, more presence, more pivoting. But it also comes with more community. More moms sharing their experiences and saying, "Hey, is this normal in your house? Because it's normal in mine."
As Amanda put it, quoting a previous podcast guest: "Someone else's admission is your permission."
Sometimes you just need to hear that you're not failing. That it's actually just really hard. That the chaos is universal. And somehow, that is enough to keep going.
What's Next for Showstopping Designs
Keri and her team aren't staying local for long. This spring and summer, Showstopping Designs is hitting the road for popup shops, expanding from the Northeast down to Maryland and even out to Iowa. The goal is as clear as it is beautiful: make Showstopping Designs the brand for baton twirlers. The Nike of the rhinestone-and-routine world, if you will.
"When people see baton twirling grow as a sport, I hope they recognize that this is the brand that is outfitting athletes and making them feel strong and powerful," Keri said.
And the cherry on top? Her daughters are her models. So not only is she building a business. She's building it with them. They're in it. They're part of it. And somewhere between the photoshoots and the competition fields, that's probably teaching them more about entrepreneurship, confidence, and showing up than any classroom ever could.
Answering the Chaotic Questions
If you could go back and talk to your 2005 self, what would you tell her?
"Trust your gut more. Things are working out in your favor. And don't quit before the miracle happens."
A new mom comes to you for advice. What's the first thing you tell her?
"Keep your head where your feet are. This stage will pass and another one will come. These moments are fleeting — some are good, some are bad — but just try to stay right where you are."
What do you hope your kids remember about this time, about you as their mom?
"I hope they remember that mom was always there — physically, emotionally, by the phone. I hope they don't feel like they were second best to the business. I hope they feel like they were a part of it, too."
Where to Find Keri & Showstopping Designs
You can find Showstopping Designs on all social platforms at @showstoppingdesigns and visit their website at showstoppingdesignsneny.com.
Want to see the polished side? Head to Instagram. Want to see the real, unfiltered, who-is-this-woman-and-why-do-I-love-her side? Get yourself over to TikTok. Keri said so herself.
Ready to Hear More Stories Like This?
As a fellow dance/movement artist mom, I absolutely loved talking with Keri and wish her nothing but the best for her brand. Here’s to growing businesses right alongside our growing kids!
If this conversation inspired you, you're going to love The Chaotic Middle podcast, where we feature real stories from real people navigating the beautiful mess of work, life, motherhood, and everything in between.
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Because the world needs more voices. More stories. More humanity. And maybe yours is next.
