Mompreneur: Jeanette Griffiths and Delfryn Rocking Horses

Many mompreneurs have managed to take a hobby and turn it into a successful business. Jeanette Griffiths started carving rocking horses in Australia, and took her family and her business, Delfryn Rocking Horses, with her to Marin, where she creates one-of-a-kind, handcrafted, wooden rocking horses. Too learn more about Jeanette's heirloom rocking horses, visit www.delfrynhorses.com.

Please tell us a little about yourself. What's your background?

I was a support worker for many years in Australia working for a number of different government and public organizations, mainly involved in the support of adolescents, some with special needs, and later with kids in crisis, at risk of being runaways due to problems at home and such. I was involved in putting together school-based programs to address some of the issues that I guess the schools were not equipped to handle. It involved liaisons with other organizations and professionals that I utilized to run various parts of the program, such as drug and alcohol awareness, nutrition and right through to communication problems. About four years ago I was funded out of my position within the organization I worked for and continued to work voluntarily for about six months to finish off the program commitments I had made to the school and, most importantly, for the kids I worked with.

I had actually been to a workshop near Sydney in Australia to do a rocking horse carving weekend class and really enjoyed it, so I had started to play around with this as a form of hobby and even I would say a therapy. So when I found myself without a job in a small rural country town I just kept making rocking horses for family and friends and it grew from there.

What was the inspiration for creating your artisan rocking horses?

I have loved horses for as long as I can remember right back to being say three or four years old. I had my first horse when I was five when I lived on farm in the north of England (where I was born), and for some reason I have found such peace when I am around them. I used to carve small versions of horses, but I wanted to do something with more "guts" in it I think—something I could put some energy behind, maybe that’s why I find it very therapeutic. I started off just making the traditional style of rocking horse in what they call the gallop pose (legs stretched out front and back, and I just wanted to do something different from what anyone else was doing, so I began sketching ideas of what I wanted my horses to be like, more realistic I guess, so I added new designs to my "stables." I am always thinking of different ways to carve or different ways to position my horses and I love to hear other people’s ideas, too. So I guess what inspires me is, the beauty of the horse and how I can work that into a wooden rocking horse that is going to be friendly looking and loved by not only children but by adults, too.

What's the most fulfilling thing about what you do?

I get a huge amount of gratification when I make a horse for someone and it’s something they have had as much input into how it looks as they can, and to know that it’s going to be loved and cherished by its new rider/owner. I get lots of pictures after Christmas from parents who are so thrilled with how much their children loved their rocking horse, and it makes me feel good that what I have spent so much time and thought in creating is not just a wooden horse, but has a name and is part of someone’s family hopefully for generations to come. There is nothing more rewarding than to see those pictures of children hugging and loving something I made.

What do you like best about living and working in Marin?

I first came to the Bay Area in 2008 to catch up with some friends, and the minute I saw the Golden Gate Bridge my heart leapt, I have been coming backwards and forwards since then and each time I came it was harder to leave. On that first visit I came with a friend to look around in Marin and we took a day trip out along the coast and went to see the redwoods at Muir Woods, and I have been in love with Marin ever since. It took my family and I three years to work our way back here to live and we moved here at the beginning of the year and I fall deeper in love with Marin and its people every day I am here. It’s wonderful to live and work amongst so many smiling, happy, and positive people in the most wonderful part of the world. Thank you Marin for welcoming the Australians into your family.

What do you and your family do for fun in the Bay Area?

We love the outdoors so we try to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather whenever we can, going hiking, walking on the beach, barbequing, or picnicking. Then of course I like horses so I go trial riding whenever I can over near the coast. The city is wonderful too so we head down there when we want a culture fix and take in all the galleries and walk around Golden Gate Park; it’s just beautiful. One day we want to enjoy the water activities too on the Bay and do some kayaking, so yeah what can’t you do really in the Bay Area?