| Mumm's the Word | |
|
Two years ago I saw my first Debbie Mumm cookie jar and fell in love!
The warmth of Debbie's renowned country designs that "celebrate family, home, holiday and garden themes" are fast making her jars very sought after.
To date, I have been able to add ten of Debbie's wonderful jars to my collection.
Debbie's business, Mumm's The Word, is based in Spokane, Washington only 120 miles from my home.
I didn't realize the scope of Debbie's business -- I was only thinking of cookie jars. Good thing too, if I had known that Debbie Mumm was a multi-million dollar, international business, I would probably have chickened out and never called for the interview!
I spoke with Kris Clifford, Debbie's able, helpful, executive assistant.
She scheduled a one-hour face-to-face
interview for me with Debbie, in October 1999 for an article for the American Cookie Jar Association. She told me that she would send some material about
Debbie to help me prepare for the interview. Meanwhile my friend Melba Brewer who not only collects cookie jars, but also
makes exquisite quilts, brought me some books that Debbie has written on quilting. Then I got the information from Kris and I
started to realize that Debbie's marvelous cookie jars are only the tip of a very large iceberg of designs that Debbie and her
staff of 29 have created and sold to over 40 licensees.
I compiled a list of questions; this would be a first for me I have never interviewed anybody before, never mind the
President/Creative Director of a company the size of Mumm's The Word.
Melba accompanied me to the interview. When we entered Mumm's The Word's beautiful office, I felt like we
were honored guests in someone's home. That feeling never left me during our visit there. As you can see from the
picture of the front entry, the whole office is decorated with the warmth and charm that are so typical of Debbie's designs.
Kris greeted us and took us to the boardroom. My eyes riveted to a china hutch that displayed an array of Debbie's cookie jars.
I later found out they had put the display together just that morning for our visit. There was even a plate of cookies on the table for us!
Then Debbie entered the room. After introductions, Tom Harlow, one of her staff members started taking pictures of us.
(Tom, thanks for taking such great pictures!) Debbie is on the left holding the plate of cookies and I am on the right.
Debbie allowed me to take all the pictures I wanted and was very warm and gracious during the entire interview.
Debbie mentioned that she hadn't realized how many cookie jars had been produced from her designs until they put up the display for our visit.
She was surprised by what a large body of her work they had become.
Next page > What's Debbie's favorite jar? Page 1, 2,
3 , 4 ,
Debbie Mumm and Sandi Phillips
|
|
|
