Being a mother has made me be a better person, a better version of myself. It forces me to look at what I want to teach my daughter, not through books and stories, or life lessons on the playground.
Being a mother makes me look at how I live my life and what my actions teach her. What I hope being an entrepreneurial mother teaches my daughter…
#1: Loving what you do is more important than what you do – Life is far too short to hate your job. A fancy title, big paycheck and the corner office with a view aren’t worth your happiness.
#2: Dreaming big is not just possible, it’s necessary – Often people shy away from what they really want in life because it scares them. Follow your dreams, no matter what – it’s what keeps us alive!
#3: Celebrate your victories – Big or small…all victories are worth celebrating (double worth it because you are celebrating with your family).
#4: You can make it happen! – Never hand over your power to someone to do the doing. You, and only you, can make it happen so put your big girl panties on and go for it.
#5: If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it – Trust your intuition and if it doesn’t feel right, regardless of the intellectual reasons for it, don’t do it. Call it mom-sense, but it will never let you down.
#6: It’s not what you do, but how you do it – People who believe in “Success at all costs” usually end up in jail (or probably should). How you achieve your success is as important as achieving it.
#7: Not to be afraid of challenge – From challenge comes growth – one should never shy away from that opportunity, but embrace it (even if sometimes it really sucks).
#8: Work smarter not harder isn’t just a saying – It’s a mode of living and doing business and a necessary one at that.
#9: Kindness has no limits or boundaries – As mom entrepreneurs and leaders it’s our duty to give generously to others, and that kindness is both the easiest and yet most difficult gift we can give someone.
#10: All work and no play makes mommy a grumpy girl – The life of a mom entrepreneur is one of the most challenging and all work and no play makes mommy grumpy. Playtime is vital!
Wishing you success on YOUR terms!
31 Comments
These are FANTASTIC life lessons Carla! I, too, have become closer to the person I was created to be through the active parenting of my two daughters. It is so important to have your goals and priorities clear while engaged in the sacred task of guiding children to independence and self-sufficiency. While decisions you'll be faced to make in the years to come will not always be easy ~ arriving at your decision and standing behind it with Integrity, Purpose and Confidence that it's for a higher end than 'hoping for the best' will make it all worthwhile. Your daughter is very lucky indeed.
Love all of these, esp 2 and 5.
Thank you!
xo Alli
Oh my goodness, Carla – these are fantastic! You've even made me cry 🙂 Thanks for this wonderful list and a reminder of what we entrepreneur-moms can pass along to our kids.
Love and light
Carolyn
Carla – this is my first time here, and I'm so glad I found you and MOMeo. I am a mother to two young children and caregiver to my elderly mother who lives with us. As a result, I have a unique perspective on how a mother's actions and lifestyle choices affect (especially) a daughter.
You hit the nail on the head for me with every point you make in this post. Being raised by a woman of the “silent generation,” my mother fought for women's rights, often battling for equal pay, and rebuilding her credit after her 30-year marriage to my father collapsed (even though she was the primary earner most years and built the family's credit herself), but actually always seemed to settle – professionally, personally and emotionally. I agree with you wholeheartedly that her actions spoke far louder than her words in setting an example for me. As a parent myself, I realize that she did the best she could, but she worked way to hard for far too little and never felt like she deserved to take the time to dream, relax or play. Now 78, she realizes she missed so many opportunities for happiness, abundance and fulfillment. Today, she's mostly bitter and resentful. Someplace I DO NOT want to be…
As I embark on building my own business, I tell people that one of the driving factors for me are my kid's watchful eyes. I want them to see, by my example, that if they want something badly enough and can dream it, they can achieve it. Bravo to you and thanks for a great post. I'll be following you and MOMeo from here on!
This is just beautiful and inspiring. I'm sharing with my kids … they usually see #10, so thanks for the wake up call! These are great life lessons for anyone, entrepreneur or not.
Thank you, Carla!
Love these!! I can't help but smile when my 7 year old drags out my old laptop and sits at her table and declares to everyone at home that she's “working”.
And I'd be happy if some of the adults I know would learn these lessons too. 😉
Outstanding Post Carla! Many of these are not easy, but every single one of them is true, true, true!! Thanks so much for the wonderful inspiration, Luvs
The thought of having a daughter is what inspired me to go back and finish the university degree I'd abandoned in an academic hissy fit because I didn't want to tell a future daughter that she had to go to university when I hadn't done the same.
Parenting, like building a business, is the best personal development training out there.
I would love my daughter to learn that lesson too – that nothing worth doing is easy, but that everything hard is worthwhile (even if it doesn't seem it at the time).
My daughter calls her playroom her office and loves playing entrepreneur. It's so sweet and yet I hope she's learning that she can create whatever opportunity she desires for herself.
#10 is the reason Family Fridays are on Friday so we remember to take the time for our families and ourselves because it's so easy to let work bleed into family time when we work from home!
Leah, I'm delighted that you found us and honored that you shared your mother's story with us.
I often think about what actions I will value and which ones I will regret at age 70 and let that be my guide for how I live and build a business.
Thank you, Carolyn.
Watching my daughter mirror me in her actions makes me realize everyday how we teach them powerful lessons – intended or unintended. I'm hoping to be more intentional with my living and teaching.
Trusting our instincts is a big one for us as mompreneurs. So often we think we need to follow logic or what other people tell us makes sense when really if we'd trusted what our gut instincts said, we'd be far better off!
Fantastic post Carla! You are so very right! These lessons are the reasons why I have been moving towards doing what I love. I want her to know these lessons now instead of when she's 40 like me! Thanks for helping me see that I'm finally doing the right thing for her!
Hi Carla: Great Post! I'm a mompreneur and I just love your insight. I, too, try to teach my daughter to dream big and love what you do. She is only 9 1/2, however she acts like she is going on 20! So, we have a lot of heart-to-heart talks. I never want her to be afraid of what's out there. I always tell her that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and work hard to get it. So, these were precious points you made. Thank you!
Best regards,
Carolyn Berg
Hi Carolyn,
Isn't it amazing what we as mompreneurs can share with our daughters? If I had to make a list of what I want for my daughter, right at the top would be the ability to stand on her own two feet.
Thank you for sharing your story about your daughter.
Carla
You are so welcome, Shawna! You are absolutely doing the right thing for your daughter by being an example to her.
Go mompreneurs!
April my kids do the same thing with my old laptop. Carla this is exactly what I want to teach my kids. When my kids go somewhere, they've been going to a lot of Vacation Bible Schools this summer the first thing the adults tell me is that my kids are independent. This is the first quality I wanted to instill in my kids, obviously it worked as they are only 2, 3 and 6 and they are “independent” according to adults. I think this is an entrepreneur quality and one that I am proud of.
Exactly what I mean by “independence” the ability to stand on your own two feet. My dad ALWAYS told me he wanted me to be able to “stand on my own two feet”. When I would ask him for help with a math problem he'd make me look in the book for the answers first, of course he'd help me after I did but he wanted me TRY to do it myself.
fantastic! thrilled that shelly posted so i could connect with you
janice
Though I don't have any big girl panties, I have to say this is excellent advice for Daddy entrepreneurs to their kids, too. Great piece.
If ever someone wanted to grab the essence of your character in 500 words or less – this is truly it. So amazingly inspiring, such a tremendous reminder…
So proud of the work you do, friend….and of the person (and mother) you are….
Danielle,
Thank you for the truly thoughtful comment. I’m forever grateful that my journey connected me with amazing mompreneurs like you!
Carla
Danielle,
Thank you for the truly thoughtful comment. I'm forever grateful that my journey connected me with amazing mompreneurs like you!
Carla
Thank you, Janice. I’m thrilled you found us!
Okay…big boy underpants! 😉
Dadpreneurs are always welcome to join us Mompreneurs…I guess this makes us Parentpreneurs!
Okay…big boy underpants! 😉
Dadpreneurs are always welcome to join us Mompreneurs…I guess this makes us Parentpreneurs!
Thank you, Janice. I'm thrilled you found us!
Isn’t that the best feeling when you see your kids stepping out and stepping up on their own? Thank you, Alyssa for sharing your story!
Isn't that the best feeling when you see your kids stepping out and stepping up on their own? Thank you, Alyssa for sharing your story!