SuperMoms | Charlotte Haynie and Emily Roy
-Liesel Schmidt
Much like the sisters Brontë, Charlotte Haynie and Emily Roy have an extremely close relationship—so much so, in fact, that the pair live right next door to one another and co-own their very own business together. Working under the moniker Raney Co., Haynie and Roy work from their kitchen tables, creating “Read and Play Kits” for children of all ages, which include a children’s book, story and character props to act it out, and a Play Smarter Activity Card which serves as a guide to the caregivers or parents. Designed to promote early literacy skills, boost language development and increase imagination, the kits are both fun and educational—and a great departure from screens.
As much work as their home-based business is, the sisters still each have another very important job: being moms. A full-time mom to three-year-old twins named Garner and Winnie, Roy also works as a Pre-K teacher. Haynie, meanwhile, has a two-year old son named Baird and a seven-month-old daughter named Merritt in addition to working as a sales account manager for a consumer goods company.
With so much going on, there are, of course challenges. “When I look back at my career before I had kids and compare it to now, my life is completely different,” Haynie admits. “It is hard having work responsibilities and also having to be responsible for another person’s life. I am a planner but having two jobs and kids requires way more planning than I ever imaged. I feel like I am constantly thinking ahead and planning everything, from our day-to-day schedules and meal planning to making time for myself. I am really blessed to have a very supportive husband who is amazingly helpful. We both put in equal work when it comes to kid duties and house duties. If it wasn’t for him, I think I would be way more stressed and exhausted!”
