Follow Margaret Steiff’s Example

Born 1840, Margaret suffered from childhood Polio at the age of One.  She could not walk and had limited use of her right hand.  There was no “social safety nets” – no welfare or disability programs - and her mother lamented she would have to care for Margaret the rest of her life "because she had no chance for a bright future".

But Margaret decided she would have a bright future and at age 16, she begged her parents to let her go to sewing school.  If you know anything about sewing, you know that you have to be able to feed and control the fabric with your right hand and sewing machines were operated with foot peddles.  She had no use of her legs and her right hand was useless too.  But she wouldn't give up on the idea and she convinced her parents to let her try.  I don't know how she managed to work the machines, but after a few years of school, she became an expert seamstress and opened a little dress shop in her parent’s home. 

One day she saw a pattern for a cute elephant-shaped pincushion so she made 8 of them to give away as Christmas presents.  At the family party, she noticed her nieces and nephews playing with the pin cushions like toys, and she got an idea.  Margaret started selling these elephants and many other animal creations in her dress shop as toys.  The toys were soon outselling her dresses and she couldn't keep up with the demand.  Her business started growing fast and she hired many of her family members and neighbors to work for her.  This "no chance for a bright future" woman was now employing friends and family and running a successful buisness.

In 1902, a big celebration was being planned for the President, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.  Teddy had a reputation as a rough-n-tough outdoorsman.  One of his campaign posters featured him holding his rifle and standing with one leg propped up and a large bear he had shot (my, how times have changed in politics, eh?).  In honor of the celebration, Margaret got the idea of selling a new design - a "Teddy" Bear.

That year, her company sold over 3,000 Teddy Bears.  Popularity and reputation spread and by 1907, her company sold 974,000 stuffed animals!  Today, the company is still going strong, selling high priced, high quality stuffed animals, all with the trademark button sewn in one ear.  Old ones sell at auctions for hundreds and thousands of dollars, one recently fetching $125,000 at an auction!

Margaret's Motto:  "Only the best is good enough for children".  "Only the Best" is a great way for you to approach what you do for a living too.  You can never be faulted when you continually provide "only the best" in whatever you do.  And people notice - they really do.

Margaret Steiff decided that in spite of her circumstances, she had the option to chose something better - to have a great life - to create something beautiful and live a life of meaning and purpose.  If she could do it, so can YOU!

- Photo by Dierk Schaefer