Q+A: Home And Family With Cheryl Hickey

Q: You recently re-launched Cheryl’s Home And Family, what drove you to create this brand?

A: Family! We started this company with just one product, and early on I realized I wanted to grow Cheryl’s Home and Family by hiring talented people and creating a real team. I have five incredible business partners in manufacturing, distribution, and a specialist in our senior products department. The five of us really make up Cheryl’s Home and Family so we relaunched the company with the whole family in mind. For someone like myself who is in the midst of caring for my parents, my children, pets – this company is designed for everyone who is taking care of their loved ones, whoever that may be.

Q: You recently partnered with Bring Health Home, especially as proven during the current climate, there is nothing more important than health and family. Why is this partnership so important to you?

A: It’s so important to me, in talking with my mother the thing that saddens her most is that she can’t be with my dad every day, as he lives in a long-term healthcare facility. You work your whole life to build a loving home and when you grow older you can’t afford to stay in it, if you can’t afford to hire healthcare at home. When this initiative came up I thought it was a beautiful idea to raise more funding so that couples and families can stay together in their older years. Long-term facilities have such a burden on them especially right now, if there is any way for us to ease that burden and allow people to live at home longer, that’s definitely something I want to be fighting for.

Q: You started something really special here, compared to many other retailer brands, Cheryl’s Home And Family doesn’t have one single target audience – it’s for the whole family. Tell us more about the reason for including products for ALL family members? 

A: A lot of our products are multigenerational, products not only for one member of the family. Our weighted blanket The Huggler comes in different sizes so you can use it for your child, or for a lap blanket. The Arm Here For You isn’t just for seniors in their wheelchair or for assistance with breastfeeding, it can be for toddlers or young children who need a good snuggle on the couch after school. We wanted to make products for everyone, including dogs! We will be expanding our pet line in the near future as well. We also realized there are a lot of great other brands that we love and want to support, so we created a program to feature these products on the Cheryl’s Home and Family website.

Q: Obviously, your day to day routine at ET Canada has changed from studio and camera crew to filming the show at home. How has it been navigating that shift?

A: Being able to multitask has been most important during this time, and luckily that has always been a big part of my job! I’m a good multitasker, it’s kind of in my wheelhouse! One minute I’m working on school work with the kids, then I’m interviewing Kristen Bell for ET Canada, then one of my kids walks in on the interview… you just have to roll with the punches and manage it! Not to say everything always runs smoothly and I always have it in check, because I don’t. But if I look on the bright side, I’ve been able to spend more quality time with my kids than I ever have before and I cherish that our family has grown even closer during this time. Our viewers have also been able to see us in a new light, hosting the show in a more vulnerable setting and welcoming them into our homes!

Q: How has working from home impacted your life as an entrepreneur and mom?

A: It hasn’t really changed me as an entrepreneur, as that aspect has always occurred after my hours spent at ET Canada – after hours, or in the evening when the kids go to bed, everything has always needed to have it’s own pocket of time. You just have to be flexible, entrepreneurs know that flexibility can be the most important factor.

Q: Many of us have school aged children, not to mention our full-time jobs (at work and home) to manage. What has helped keep you sane over these past months?

Meditation! That, and a good day planner, great communication, flexibility… and a good sense of humour!