A quick nod of heads - how many of you are working Moms? How many of you feel overwhelmed, unsupported, misunderstood, exhausted and discouraged? And, simultaneously, as you work in your own business, how many of you feel elated, passionate, 'on purpose', celebrated, validated and rich?
I want to salute you! I really do! In North America, on the second Sunday of May, we celebrate Moms.
I want to share some of the lessons I have learned from my own Mom - and lessons that, as an entrepreneurial Mom, I want to pass on to you. Some of these tips are so very basic and fundamental that it hurts to read them when you know that you aren't implementing any of them. But you could! There are also some great suggestions here that you just need to re-visit and bring back to life.
1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU.
Some basic advice? Yes, I know. However, in the last few months of my Mom's life, we talked about this over and over again. She kept reminding me that, in the last years and months of your life, it won't be your work colleagues who come to see you. Mom also kept saying that she admired how I keep my girlfriends close - that inner circle of women who know me and love me for......ME. It's a small room 'in the end' - who will be there with you and for you? Take time now to nurture those relationships. Get rid of the toxic people in your life and in your business - and watch the energy change with respect to your success and prosperity!
2. BE KIND AND 'SHARE THE WEALTH'.
In the past few years, since I moved to this part of the country, I learned that my mother was a generous woman with a quiet spirit. She told me of the times she would go to the coffee shop, after a meeting at the Senior's Center, and quietly pay for the lunch of a struggling college student. That was just one example of her generosity. She didn't have much - but she often shared what she did have. It's a universal principle. Give often - give quietly - be generous of spirit. When I started out in the speaking business, I began the practice of 'tithing' a keynote presentation to non-profit organizations - groups who, typically, could not afford my services. We are always in a position of being generous and, strategically, can share our expertise.
3. TAKE RISKS AND TRY NEW THINGS.
Anyone who knows me knows that I live my life this way. I give credit to my Mom - I am a 'chip off the old block'. I always admired my mother's appetite for growth, for learning, for trying new things. My Mom used to be a DJ at the radio station on one of the military bases we lived on. Pretty cool! She took a computer course when she was in her '80's. She was always fascinated with learning. Women in business tend to be risk-avoidant. Take a page out of my Mom's book and go try something new today - your business will grow because of it.
I want to salute you! I really do! In North America, on the second Sunday of May, we celebrate Moms.
I want to share some of the lessons I have learned from my own Mom - and lessons that, as an entrepreneurial Mom, I want to pass on to you. Some of these tips are so very basic and fundamental that it hurts to read them when you know that you aren't implementing any of them. But you could! There are also some great suggestions here that you just need to re-visit and bring back to life.
1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU.
Some basic advice? Yes, I know. However, in the last few months of my Mom's life, we talked about this over and over again. She kept reminding me that, in the last years and months of your life, it won't be your work colleagues who come to see you. Mom also kept saying that she admired how I keep my girlfriends close - that inner circle of women who know me and love me for......ME. It's a small room 'in the end' - who will be there with you and for you? Take time now to nurture those relationships. Get rid of the toxic people in your life and in your business - and watch the energy change with respect to your success and prosperity!
2. BE KIND AND 'SHARE THE WEALTH'.
In the past few years, since I moved to this part of the country, I learned that my mother was a generous woman with a quiet spirit. She told me of the times she would go to the coffee shop, after a meeting at the Senior's Center, and quietly pay for the lunch of a struggling college student. That was just one example of her generosity. She didn't have much - but she often shared what she did have. It's a universal principle. Give often - give quietly - be generous of spirit. When I started out in the speaking business, I began the practice of 'tithing' a keynote presentation to non-profit organizations - groups who, typically, could not afford my services. We are always in a position of being generous and, strategically, can share our expertise.
3. TAKE RISKS AND TRY NEW THINGS.
Anyone who knows me knows that I live my life this way. I give credit to my Mom - I am a 'chip off the old block'. I always admired my mother's appetite for growth, for learning, for trying new things. My Mom used to be a DJ at the radio station on one of the military bases we lived on. Pretty cool! She took a computer course when she was in her '80's. She was always fascinated with learning. Women in business tend to be risk-avoidant. Take a page out of my Mom's book and go try something new today - your business will grow because of it.