Just after giving birth to the first of her two children, Megan Tamte went looking for new clothes. She returned empty-handed and frustrated by the dearth of stylish offerings befitting her curvy “new mom” body, but the shopping trip was not a total waste. It gave birth to an idea: a place where moms could find contemporary, modern and, yes, “hot” clothing in a kid-friendly environment with aisles wide enough to accommodate strollers and an activity area to occupy young minds and hands. Don’t look for mom jeans at Hot Mama, but there’s a $225 pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans that delivers the long, lean look young moms want. And moms-to-be are welcome at Hot Mama, too. Megan and her husband/business

partner, Michael Tamte, learned early on that maternity (which now accounts for 25 percent of their merchandise) was a natural fit.

The couple opened the first Hot Mama store in Edina, Minn., in November 2004 with a small-business loan, some of their own money and investments from family and friends. They quickly developed a loyal customer base – as well as a new partner, a mom-to-be with considerable retail experience.

Later this month, Hot Mama will welcome its ninth store (in Wayzata, Minn.).

Retailing is notorious for its high turnover rates, yet Hot Mama’s website features photos of each store’s team. Why?
Our passion for what we’re trying to do – the concept of making moms look and feel great – has purpose and it has meaning. I believe people want to work for a company that has a mission and has a purpose. Hot Mama has that. That’s why we’ve been able to attract a really great team of people who believe in what we’re trying to do.

Did you ever envision working with your husband?
It was never part of a plan, but we’ve always been entrepreneurial. Talking about business and about creating businesses has always been part of our attraction to each other. Early on when we were dating I do remember we would just dream and create things together. I didn’t know what that would look like; I just knew it was something we had always enjoyed.

What are you learning from Hot Mama customers?
We definitely listened to our customers. We learned a lot about sizing and about the style and the look they’re going for. They want clothing that makes them look and feel “hot.” So our clothing is definitely contemporary and meant to make women look and feel great.

Do you have non-mama customers?
A lot of non-mamas shop our store because they like our product and the culture we’ve created.

What’s the last movie you’ve seen in a theater or at home?
Part of Hot Mama’s success has been the fact that I don’t watch any TV. I would much rather spend my time reading or working on the business. I rarely see movies, but the last one in the theater was “I Am Legend.” The last movie I saw at home was “Enchanted,” which I saw with my kids.

Speaking of your kids, do you take family vacations?
We do. The four of us are off to Puerto Vallarta. We will read, snorkel and play with our kids. We’ll swim and just relax.

What music is on the iPod?
Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keyes, James Blunt, Maroon Five ... I could go on.

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing from Hot Mama?
There’s a shirt by James Perse that’s an all-time classic. It’s a simple tailored cotton shirt with a collar. It’s beautiful.

Anything else you’d like to accomplish?
As Hot Mama grows, our mission is to make better moms, so I get very excited by the thought of developing a non-profit organization [through which] we can get women and moms in our local communities to become involved in giving back to moms in need.