As small enterprise homeowners, we regularly put on extra hats than we will rely — designer, marketer, accountant, customer support rep, and all the things in between. Balancing creativity with the calls for of working a enterprise can really feel like strolling a tightrope with no web. I do know that feeling firsthand, and it’s one cause I used to be drawn to my latest dialog with Amanda Stewart, the founding father of Mochi Youngsters. Amanda has constructed her model from a handful of handmade T-shirts right into a beloved youngsters’s clothes firm recognized for its minimalist design and inclusive themes — all whereas managing operations, manufacturing, and advertising largely on her personal.
Throughout our dialogue at Adobe MAX 2025, Amanda opened up about how she developed from promoting on Etsy to working a brick-and-mortar retailer and the way instruments like Adobe Acrobat and AI-powered assistants are serving to her handle the much less glamorous facet of entrepreneurship — contracts, timelines, and content material calendars — with the identical creativity she brings to her designs. What stood out to me most was how she’s utilizing expertise not simply to streamline her work, however to broaden her capability to create.
For any small enterprise proprietor attempting to steadiness inventive imaginative and prescient with operational actuality, Amanda’s story is each inspiring and instructive. Beneath is our full dialog, the place she shares how creativity and productiveness intersect in her enterprise — and the way expertise is quietly serving to her do all of it.
Leland McFarland: Amanda, for individuals who might not be acquainted, are you able to begin by telling somewhat about, uh, Mochi Youngsters and what impressed you to remain, begin the model?
Amanda Stewart: So Mochi Youngsters is, it began as a youngsters’s clothes model virtually 10 years in the past. And we’ve developed to incorporate a brick-and-mortar retailer. I began my enterprise tremendous organically. I wanted um, an a artistic outlet and I needed to create some tees for my son that matched his pursuits. He’s all the time been fascinated about issues like science and house, however I couldn’t discover although t-shirts with these designs at an aesthetic that I additionally preferred, and so I used my design expertise and began creating my very own t-shirts. Um, and I offered them to family and friends, finally strangers on Instagram began asking for them, and I opened an Etsy store, after which an everyday web site, after which, um, a brick-and-mortar retailer. So.
Leland McFarland: Nice. Um, how has design and creativity formed the way in which that Mochi Youngsters connects with prospects and builds its group?
Amanda Stewart: I’d say design is like central to what I do. We have now a really distinct aesthetic and, uh, lots of people are are attracted to love our minimalist, um, cute designs. And our group is, um, very inclusive and we attempt to replicate that in our designs that we do. So we’ll, um, design primarily based on themes that, um, make individuals really feel included and represented. We have now a whole lot of Asian-American themed designs after which designs which are somewhat extra like on the nostril selling variety and, um, issues like that.
Leland McFarland: That’s nice. So that you’re right here at Adobe MAX. Uh, what does this occasion imply to you as a artistic entrepreneur?
Amanda Stewart: Yeah, that is my very first 12 months at MAX and I’ve already… at present’s the primary day, proper? We’re like midway by the day and I’m already simply type of blown away by all of the issues that I’ve realized right here. Um, I got here to this convention with one objective in thoughts, which was how I can study extra concerning the AI instruments that there are to extend the productiveness in my enterprise as a result of I’m, , as a small enterprise proprietor, I’m certain you’re conscious, we’re simply usually like one-woman reveals and we don’t have full groups of, um, copywriters and advertising professionals and, um, manufacturing managers. It’s all type of me. I’m sporting all of the hats and so. Um, I’ve been studying much more about Adobe Acrobat this 12 months and I knew that coming right here I’d have the ability to discover extra instruments to make use of to extend my productiveness. In order that… I like to only have one objective after I are available in someplace, one thing that feels attainable. And that was it for me is attempting to determine tips on how to enhance my productiveness as like a one-woman present.
Leland McFarland: So how do you employ, uh, Adobe Acrobat in, , your day-to-day?
Amanda Stewart: I exploit it just a few other ways, uh, and I’m certain there are different methods to make use of it too. That’s one cool factor about coming right here is I get to see different individuals discuss how they’re implementing it into their workflows. However for me, I like to make use of it as a spot to maintain all of my contracts. So our model, um, we not solely promote our personal merchandise, however we regularly will license our artworks to different, um, corporations who wish to use our designs. And that includes like a contract and deliverables and timelines and all of that may be a lot to maintain monitor of for one particular person when that’s simply one of many many obligations that I’ve. So, um, I like Adobe Acrobat, um, PDF areas, which is the brand new characteristic that they’ve, as a result of I can add all of my contracts there. I also can add my e-mail transcripts there and simply any correspondence or something I’ve relating to to the undertaking. After which I can ask the AI assistant there like, “Please create a timeline of deliverables for this undertaking,” and it’ll give that to me. In order that’s one, a method I exploit it’s like as a spot to maintain all of my contracts and to have the ability to talk with these and get fast solutions for what I’m in search of, versus having to return and scroll by my emails and be like, “I do know they stated one thing about this right here someday.” Um, after which type of like the subsequent step that I exploit it for is like, let’s say I would like, I now have a timeline of my deliverables. I can ask it to create like a content material calendar round it. And since it’s like an, uh, chat-based like AI assistant, I can actually ask it no matter I would like. Um, it’ll even provide you with like content material concepts. So generally it’ll give you like, okay, right here’s a content material calendar after which I’ll say, “Are you able to write me like a script for the primary one?” and I’ll go in like larger element to get precisely what I would like from it. So, um, utilizing it for content material planning is nice. After which one other factor that I exploit it for is my manufacturing administration. So I can go and say, like, , my spring launch, I do know it’s going to be a sure day. After which I understand how lengthy the turnarounds are for every factor. Sorry, that is like so particular.
Leland McFarland: Go for it. Go for it.
Amanda Stewart: And I can simply write precisely what I would like, like, , “Please make a, um, manufacturing calendar for our spring launch.” Like, I, I do know like manufacturing is 2 weeks, um, I’ve to order my supplies like three weeks earlier than that and simply map out the entire 12 months of like deadlines. Okay, I must order my material for spring today. I must have gadgets in hand by today for my picture shoot today. And, um, , all year long. So it’s quite a bit to handle as one particular person. Like how do you, how would I be on prime of that? And earlier than what I did is I had a paper calendar on my wall after which I’d, yearly, fill out the entire calendar. After which I get behind, then my complete paper calendar system is tousled. Proper? However this, I can very simply be like, “Okay, we acquired to maneuver all the things by two weeks. Transfer all of the spring launch dates, all the things.” So.
Leland McFarland: So it’s type of develop into type of a secretary, , like assistant, uh, total.
Amanda Stewart: That’s like what the AI assistant is, I feel is like, you possibly can ask it to do issues like that, like administrative, like planning type of issues and it does it for you. So. And I’m nonetheless, , studying tips on how to implement all of this into my workflow, but it surely already it’s been altering my productiveness and serving to me to really feel like extra environment friendly and extra organized.
Leland McFarland: Had been there any type of rising pains when it got here to implementing this and and studying tips on how to use it or was it pretty clean?
Amanda Stewart: So, I’d say, I feel Adobe places a whole lot of time into just like the consumer expertise and attempting to make these intuitive. So I really feel like on that entrance, it was actually good. For me, personally, I’m not like a tech-savvy particular person, proper off the bat, however um, I, I don’t suppose it was, prefer it was a lot simpler than I used to be anticipating it to be.
Leland McFarland: That’s good to listen to. Yeah, it’s not.
Leland McFarland: How does Adobe, uh, match into the broader, um, artistic toolkit, uh, alongside or Acrobat. How does Acrobat match into the broader, uh, artistic toolkits together with different Adobe apps like Illustrator or Photoshop? Do you employ these as nicely?
Amanda Stewart: Yeah, so I exploit Illustrator and Photoshop on a regular basis, like each day. And after they requested me to be an Acrobat ambassador, I used to be like, “Oh, I assume I exploit Acrobat too,” however I I wasn’t as aware of the software program and all the capabilities. So, however I used to be somewhat stunned. I used to be like, “Oh, wouldn’t like Illustrator be a greater match for me?” However, um, yeah, I exploit Adobe Illustrator, um, Adobe Categorical, Photoshop, and, um, now Adobe Acrobat on a regular basis. I’d say like as a artistic particular person, I, I had this response that I instructed you about that I used to be like, “Oh, you need me to be an Acrobat ambassador? Okay.” However as a small enterprise proprietor, it makes a lot sense. I wasn’t seeing it from like a productiveness and like workflow standpoint. I simply type of seeing it as like a design artistic standpoint, however each like artistic person who I do know struggles with the protecting deadlines, planning, managing contracts, managing information. So that they actually do go hand in hand, like so far as creatives additionally want this device to administratively have the ability to preserve up to the mark.
Leland McFarland: I see. Good reply on that.
Leland McFarland: Do you employ, uh, the, uh, options in Acrobat reminiscent of e-signatures, commenting, um, reviewing PDFs along with, uh, groups or prospects or something like that?
Amanda Stewart: I positively use e-signature on a regular basis. Um, earlier than I began utilizing that, I would really like paint my signature on utilizing Photoshop. However now it’s like far more legit and I can ship it securely and I can ask for somebody’s signature in a far more like official method than identical to, “Okay, right here’s the JPEG, like signal it and ship me a photograph again.” However this fashion, , it has an digital signature and so they can’t the doc can’t be altered after it’s been signed. So yeah, I’ve been loving that device. Um, I don’t use as very similar to workforce collaboration as a result of like I discussed, it’s largely me doing all the work, however, um, hopefully sometime I’ll get to that time.
Leland McFarland: I’ve bumped into that too. Uh, I used to have a salesman who would ship an Excel file, not a PDF or something like that, an a uncooked Excel file, and one time it got here again in another way. So, I, yeah, and somebody had modified the contract of their favor and…
Amanda Stewart: Ooh.
Leland McFarland: Yeah, so I I get it. You recognize, I I like the age of those digital signatures and , glad that Adobe has that as nicely.
Amanda Stewart: And one good factor about PDF areas is you can add each of these contracts and you can say, “Please discover me any variations between these contracts” in case somebody does, like by their revision course of, sneak a change in.
Leland McFarland: Sure, that that might be good.
Leland McFarland: Um, many, uh, artistic entrepreneurs wrestle to steadiness, uh, artistry and uh, enterprise paperwork. Um, how has Acrobat helped you bridge that hole?
Amanda Stewart: For certain, that’s positively a wrestle. Um, I like just like the PDF areas like I discussed to maintain all my contracts organized. And I additionally suppose the Artistic Cloud is a good device. Um, so I can entry, , designs that I’ve been engaged on on my desktop on my telephone if I must. And, um, yeah, I I’m virtually choose that to my Google Drive, which is what I I’ve been utilizing earlier than as a result of it’s like, um, it’s simply simpler to search out issues, I really feel like. Just like the searchability is best and I can see just like the picture preview of no matter I’m engaged on, as a result of generally in Google Drive, it’s identical to, , a file seems to be like a file folder and like, generally it’ll present the picture preview, however not on a regular basis. So then I simply have to love click on on the picture picture until I get to the one which I’m in search of. So.
Leland McFarland: Um, do you discover, do you discover that, Acrobat makes administrative duties like invoicing, authorized types, or proposals, uh, really feel a bit extra manageable, uh, even artistic?
Amanda Stewart: Sure. Um, so I do have Acrobat on my telephone and I like that I can edit PDFs from my telephone. I didn’t know I may do this till this 12 months. So what I used to be doing earlier than is like, generally I’d even like take a JPEG after which I would really like Photoshop like a field over it to filter out no matter was there after which a brand new textual content field, which was like such a, it’s such a clunky option to do it. However yeah, I do love like on my telephone, I’ll edit PDFs and ship invoices that method, or I I’ve to ship buy orders as nicely, like after I purchase um material or no matter we’re making. And I like doing that on my telephone. Numerous old-fashioned individuals will like require you to have a purchase order order out of your model along with your header, with the all your firm data earlier than they’ll promote you one thing. So.
Leland McFarland: Yeah. Nicely, it helps, make these of, these official orders somewhat bit simpler, proper?
Amanda Stewart: Yeah. Mhm. I can simply, I simply have the it in my artistic cloud and I can simply edit it actual fast to what I would like on it to say.
Leland McFarland: Good.
Leland McFarland: Um, what recommendation would you give different small enterprise homeowners about, uh, bringing the identical creativity they put into design into their enterprise paperwork?
Amanda Stewart: Okay, let me ask you that once more.
Leland McFarland: Okay. Please. Sorry. What recommendation would you give different small enterprise homeowners about bringing the identical creativity they put into their designs into their enterprise paperwork?
Amanda Stewart: I really feel like a whole lot of, um, artistic small enterprise homeowners that I do know, we have now, like I stated, the same wrestle of like staying organized and being on prime of the executive issues. And a whole lot of the occasions this stuff are like, for me, it’s like a weight on my shoulders somewhat bit and it’s like a factor on the again of my thoughts that is sort of a nagging that I would like to love do or repair. And I really feel like simply beginning a brand new system of like protecting issues organized and, um, it’s like actually liberating and will help you in your artistic apply to really feel like you could have extra like psychological house for that and also you’re not as like involved as a lot. Yeah, I’d say that’s positively been true in my life. Just like the duties that I don’t love to do as a artistic at the moment are really feel like somewhat extra attainable.
Leland McFarland: It’s simpler to be artistic once you’ve cleaned your room first, proper?
Amanda Stewart: Yeah. Yeah.
Leland McFarland: Slightly extra order, organized. You don’t have that hanging at the back of your head going, “Oh my gosh, that sock over there. It’s bugging me.”
Amanda Stewart: Yeah, I’m somebody who has to scrub like my whole home earlier than I can get any work achieved. So, I can relate.
Leland McFarland: I’m I’m the precise reverse. I’m extra of the I’ll do the executive, I’ll do the paperwork. Creativity isn’t essentially my forte, so.
Amanda Stewart: Oh, yeah.
Leland McFarland: So, I I could make processes, I can do paperwork. My spouse although, she’ll she’ll deal with the artistic half.
Amanda Stewart: It’s humorous, everybody has like their strengths and struggles and yeah.
Leland McFarland: All proper. What are a few of your takeaways from what you’ve seen so removed from Adobe MAX, uh, this 12 months? Um, have have you ever gotten into just like the Adobe MAX or uh, the Acrobat uh, demonstration? Have you ever, is there something there that you simply’ve uh, seen that has piqued your curiosity?
Amanda Stewart: Um, I’ll say I didn’t know something about Firefly till at present. And, um, as somebody who has a clothes model, I feel it’ll be tremendous useful for me to love mock up my designs, um, with Firefly, as a result of I, I exploit Photoshop, , to usually like transfer my design from Illustrator onto like a chunk of clothes. And I’ll do it manually, Photoshopping it over, and with Firefly, I can identical to “eye drop that, eye drop that” after which it places it collectively for me. So it’s going to be method simpler to make mockups and do any type of Photoshopping. So, that was an enormous takeaway for me. Um, yeah, I feel I’m going to avoid wasting a whole lot of time Photoshopping issues. After which, I, I, I used Premiere like possibly a pair occasions, however I’m not like tremendous versed in it. And, um, the Premiere app seems to be prefer it’s going to be superior, too. Did you go to the keynote this morning?
Leland McFarland: I did.
Amanda Stewart: Yeah. In order that… there’s simply so many issues. I’m like…
Leland McFarland: I used to be impressed. Is that how it’s yearly? There’s identical to, oh man.
Brian Domingo: So, yeah, peek backstage. Uh, , being PR, we work on these bulletins, , clearly collaboration with our product groups and engineers for months. So like, simply type of the keynote is a, it’s very celebratory for us PR individuals as a result of it’s like, we introduced it to life with with the product engineers and with the product entrepreneurs, and we put their improvements to phrases and introduced it to the world. So, yeah, it’s it’s like that yearly. We have now like a whole lot of bulletins and it’s simply so the labor of affection over the course of a whole lot of time.
Leland McFarland: Is it Is it onerous to take a seat on these superior new options?
Brian Domingo: Not for me as a result of I get to play with it internally earlier than you guys. However, um, , like, I’ve mates who’re additionally entrepreneurs and small enterprise homeowners and creatives and so they inform me concerning the stuff they’re engaged on. I’m like, “Wow, I want I may let you know about this, or want I may get you on the restricted beta for this,” however, , that’s that’s type of the enjoyable a part of it, too.
Leland McFarland: All proper. How do you see instruments like Acrobat evolving to assist artistic small companies within the subsequent few years? I imply, what would you prefer to see?
Amanda Stewart: I really feel like Adobe Acrobat is heading in the right direction so far as, um, like I discussed, making it simpler for us artistic individuals to remain organized and the AI assistant. Um, I’ve been telling so lots of my mates concerning the PDF areas. Um, yeah, I’ve a good friend who runs a nonprofit in Uganda and she or he has like a case file on each baby in her, um, college that she runs over there. And it’s like a paper, it’s a paper case file. And so I’m like, “You bought to get, , on this in order that when you’re emailed stuff about this child, you possibly can simply file it in there.” So I’d say simply extra instruments for like productiveness behind the scenes, type of contracts. I feel that’s what Acrobat is type of recognized for is, um, doing like a paper path, however electronically. So all that type of like file administration. I imply, if I knew the reply to this, I may in all probability be wealthy as a result of I’d give you an unbelievable software program. However yeah, I’d like to see simply extra instruments to assist with that.
Leland McFarland: All proper, last query. What’s subsequent for Mochi Youngsters and the way does expertise, particularly instruments like Acrobat, play in your future plans?
Amanda Stewart: Hm, that’s a superb query as a result of I all the time stated that opening a retailer is like my previous woman job. So after I get like burnt out of doing my clothes model, I may be like a shopkeeper and work in my retailer. And that also sounds very interesting, um, to type of, , retire however like nonetheless personal a enterprise and work. Um, however I feel I wish to get again into doing extra attire. Um, it’s been, like we’ve been type of going up and down with creating our personal customized types versus shopping for like clean sweatshirts and t-shirts which are already made. And, uh, yeah, we we’re creating some new clothes types proper now. We simply developed a brand new t-shirt sample that’s actually cute. And we have now sweatshirts which are being made proper now in LA. After which we have now pajamas on order. After which we have now like a cute woven like unisex child pant that hopefully subsequent 12 months will come out. So, simply getting extra into doing extra clothes types. I feel, um, a whole lot of my opponents have gone out of enterprise, which could be very unhappy, in the previous few years or stopped making clothes as a result of it’s a problem. And a whole lot of the manufacturing within the US in attire has gone abroad. And, um, and now abroad producers, like with the tariffs, it’s a lot extra money to create issues. So I’ve seen a whole lot of my fellow clothes model individuals shut, different fellow clothes manufacturers. So I I do see like a spot available in the market for, um, made within the US clothes for kids.
Leland McFarland: Nicely, right here’s right here’s hoping, , you may get into that market and proceed to develop.
Amanda Stewart: Thanks.
Leland McFarland: Nicely, that’s all of the questions I had for you.
Amanda Stewart: Superior. Thank…
Listening to Amanda Stewart discuss her journey with Mochi Youngsters jogged my memory how a lot small enterprise success is determined by each ardour and adaptableness. It’s one factor to have an excellent concept; it’s one other to maintain it over a decade whereas evolving with expertise, market shifts, and inventive calls for. Amanda’s capacity to maintain her model recent — from creating new attire strains to integrating digital instruments like Adobe Acrobat and Firefly — is a testomony to her resilience and willingness to study.
What resonated most was her sensible perspective on utilizing AI and Acrobat as a part of her artistic workflow. She isn’t changing her artistry with automation — she’s augmenting it. For small enterprise homeowners, that’s the actual takeaway. Instruments that when appeared designed for giant enterprises at the moment are turning into indispensable companions for one-person operations. They will help us reclaim time, cut back psychological muddle, and refocus on what we love most — whether or not that’s design, storytelling, or constructing group.
Amanda’s perception that group fuels creativity struck a chord: when your digital workspace is obvious, your thoughts is free to discover new concepts. It’s a precept many entrepreneurs overlook till they expertise the distinction.
For me, this dialog underscored one thing easy however highly effective — expertise isn’t simply altering how small companies run; it’s altering how we predict, create, and thrive. And as Amanda’s journey reveals, one of the best creativity usually grows from a basis of order and innovation.
