When The Universe Throws A Curve Ball

I’m so pleased and honored to announce that the winner of this year’s Mom Entrepreneur of the Year award is Dr. Susan Wilder, founder of LifeScape Premier, mother of three beautiful daughters, wife of Robert Wilder, and perhaps one of the kindest doctors you’ll ever meet.  If you’ve had a chance to watch her video and The Mom-e Club’s finalists for 2012, you’ll notice that each of them have such a unique story to tell – of overcoming challenges to find their true passion, of never giving up on themselves when giving up sounds like such a good option, of finding their pursuit of happiness in a world when negativity surrounds us all, and being an advocate for women-owned businesses and vowing to support them in their endeavors.

All of our finalists – April Goff, Bridges Conner, Dana Wright, Jami Lindberg, Kim Saks, Kimmie Noe, Mary Metzger, Maria Wojtczak, Shauna Murphy and our 20102 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Dr. Wilder, are all winners in my book and the women you look up to and strive to be.

Congratulations, ladies!   I’m so very proud of you for sharing your story!

2012 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year finalists, winner Dr. Susan Wilder, Tisha Marie Pelletier, founder

Can you guess it?

Nope, it’s not Valentine’s Day.  Not St. Patty’s Day.  Okay, I’ll give you a little hint.  It’s not a holiday, but it really ought to be for how hard all mom entrepreneurs work.  We NEED a day off without any interruption.

I guess you can tell I’m a true entrepreneur at heart when my most favorite time of year involves one of my businesses, The Mom-e Club, a few months of planning my signature event (now in year 3, woohoo!) and revolves around recognizing so many deserving mom entrepreneurs for their talents and achievements.

Yep, you guessed right.

It’s The Mom-e Club’s Annual Mom Entrepreneur Celebration!

Every year when February settles in, I get uber excited knowing that in exactly three months (May 10, 2012 right before Mother’s Day weekend), I get to stand up on stage with 10 fabulous women, crown (tiara, sash, roses and all) and award our next Mom Entrepreneur of the Year.

Our 2010 top 10 finalists and I (I'm the short one in the middle.)

I just love watching the videos of real women who share their stories with the world; who aim to inspire others to take that leap of faith; who stand up after experiencing failure and tell the world, “Hey, I’m not done until I say I’m done!”  (Gees, just writing that makes me feel a surge of motivation inside.)

If you are a mom entrepreneur, then I encourage  you, “PLEASE, DON’T HOLD BACK!”

This is your year to shine.

Let us help you spread your message that you are, without a doubt, a mom entrepreneur that DESERVES to be recognized by her own family, friends, and even complete strangers for all the wonderful things you do!

So, how do you spread that message?

Easy.  By investing three minutes in yourself and submitting a video entry before our March 26 deadline.  That’s it!  No catches, no gimmicks, just three minutes of your time.

Not sure what to say?  Just speak from the heart.  Tell us why you love being a mom entrepreneur and wouldn’t trade it for anything else.  Tell us how you got where you are and where you plan on going.  Introduce us to your kids, the hubby, your dog, your goldfish.  Whatever you like.  It’s about being the real you.

Shannon Rozas, our 2011 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year

Still not certain you can do it?  Watch our 2011 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year finalists and our lovely winner, Shannon Rozas, share their stories of hope, fear, failure, triumph, and success!

Still not convinced this award has your name on it?  Well, then I’m guessing this blog post didn’t do justice, and you’ll now have exactly one year and three months to put together your video entry for 2013. No pressure though.  We’ll accept entries next year, in 2014, in 2015, you get the idea.

To enter our 2012 Mom Entrepreneur of the Year contest, which I certainly hope you do as it’s open to all mom entrepreneurs nationwide, check out the contest details here.

Best of luck to you!

We announce our winner the evening of May 10, 2012 at the Ultra Luxe Lounge in Scottsdale, Arizona and invite you to join us for this truly unique, over-the-top, inspiring, can’t touch this, happy tears, joyful, event!  (And for the record, that’s what the husbands in the audience have to say!)

See you then!

Easy. 

I wish I had a big red Staples button right about now to tell me life was getting to that point very soon.

After having Ellie exactly 10 weeks and 6 days ago, but who’s counting, I finally felt the overwhelm set in.  So much in fact that Caleb’s teachers started commenting on my recent tardiness in dropping him off 10-20 minutes late.  Yeah, still haven’t yet mastered how to get out of the house on time with he and Ellie and cook breakfast for him that he doesn’t have to scarf down in the car on the way.  Nutri grain bar, anyone?  I’m notorious for saying that lately.  Hey, easy, right?

His teachers ask me, “Are you having a rough morning?”

To that I reply, “Is there ever a morning that isn’t rough?”

When the teachers ask you that, you know everyone notices, including Caleb’s 3-year old classmates.  They try to be polite, but you know deep down they’re thinking, “Poor girl.”

I’m sure every mom feels that way, especially when another kiddo enters the mix.  Complete and utter overwhelm.  If there’s not a button, there without a doubt needs to be.

I remember the week I had Ellie saying to myself and friends, now THIS is a piece of cake.  Who says I can’t manage two kids, three businesses and a household?  Of course, no one corrected me.  Friends and family nodded politely, smiled and muttered under their breath, “Oh, you just watch.”

Let’s say I’m eating my words every day trying to settle into somewhat of a routine.  And while I’m figuring out how to manage it all with a certain grace and style, life challenges me yet again and throws another twist into my already crazed, lack of time, morning…administering two sets of breathing treatments to Caleb to prevent asthma from creeping up every morning until the end of May.  Wowzer.  Better make that a double wowzer.

I almost asked the doc yesterday if he was for real.  It’s not like getting a toddler to sit still for 20 minutes while he holds a mask over his face is going to be a walk in the park.  I can barely get Caleb to take cough syrup that’s over in 20 seconds!

Now, what the heck to do?  I can’t very well be an hour late to drop Caleb off.  What would the teachers think then???

All I can do is get through it.  It’s what moms do, right?  We wake up an hour earlier.  Take a quicker shower, or maybe just sport the baseball cap and ponytail look.  Make sure the kiddos don’t roll back into bed, or that I don’t myself.  Get them up and feed them breakfast that’s not eaten while driving in a car.  Be out of the house by 8:30am and on our way.

Sound easy?

Better ask me in a couple weeks.  I have a feeling I may need a bit more time to adjust to my new life.  One of these days though, we’ll get there…and the easy button.

It’s been a long while since I’ve written my thoughts here.  Not because I haven’t wanted to, but because I just haven’t had a chance to, which probably isn’t entirely true.  Can I just blame it on my extreme fatigue and lack of not wanting to do anything except sleep?  It’s 100+ degrees in AZ and the sun is literally beating me down.

Since my last post, things have been pretty crazy around here.

I planned and completed yet another Mom Entrepreneur Celebration on May 7, awarded and crowned our 2011 winner, Shannon Rozas.

Found out one month before our big event that  feeling somewhat fine and drinking to relax were completely out of the question now that I was 7 weeks pregnant (who knew?).  Dealt with some serious morning sickness and fatigue, but somehow managed to still get on stage at the event, smile and emcee it.  (If you happened to read my blog about some certain requirements I had given my husband on “when” we could conceive, it went completely out the window.  Who was I to think I could plan a pregnancy???  Duh!! You don’t plan pregnancies.)

Went on vacation with my family to CA and promised myself I wouldn’t even look at my email (I didn’t, so I’m very, very proud of my accomplishment to not work), came back to jump start my event planning business, Details Event Management, expand and host meetings for The Mom-e Club, and work on projects for Simply Put Marketing.

Life’s busy.  Not to mention with a toddler tugging at my hip, telling me no one minute, then asking me for help the next.

So is life.  It’s going to get a lot more exciting this month when I found out what we’re having and I have the urge to redecorate the house in my nesting period.  I can already feel the temptation coming on!

My blog writing has taken a backseat, so to speak, but is however, on the forever to-do list I have to keep my sanity on days when I feel it spinning out of control, my belly continues to grow before my eyes and I can no longer see my toes, and my son continues to test his poor mama, especially on days like today when he decides he wants to run out in a crowded parking lot when I have my hands full.  Fun, fun.

Do you write to keep sane too?

Climbing out of my accounting mess.

Tax time. Accounting. Reconciling statements. All things I completely despise. When you run a business, it pretty much comes with the territory. No real way around it. Sorry.

I’m not sure when I decided I didn’t want to do any of it (maybe January 2010??), but it happened and now I’m buried in accounting HE**, literally buried, by bank and credit card statements, copies of all my client invoices and checks, and it’s a completely chaotic, dreadful situation.

And who do I have to blame? Just call me Mrs. Procrastination if you will.

Today, I just had to get out of my home office to a place where I could be left alone to focus with my massive stacks of paper. So, I went to the cafe at Mission Community Church.  Great place by the way with complimentary coffee and WIFI.  Beats the pants off Starbucks.  No loud music, no one in the room, just me and my stacks.  I managed to get through reconciling one and a half of my businesses before it was time to pick up the kiddo. Looks like this afternoon I will be heading straight back to the cafe to complete my mission…at Mission.

My point is now that I’ve seen what “shoving things under the rug” really looks like at year’s end, I’m a little, make that very, disappointed in myself that I let it get this far.  I wasn’t always like this, but as my businesses tripled, accounting just didn’t seem as fun to me anymore.  I’m normally pretty organized, but give me something I hate and I’ll avoid it to no end. By procrastinating on something as simple as balancing my business statements month to month, getting my files ready to hand over to the accountant has become a two-day process…without bathroom breaks.

I’m so thankful that today’s Mom-e Club speaker, Angela Sticca Snyder of Your Accountant’s Office, is hosting a webinar titled, “Organize Your Piles to Files in Time for Tax Season” with me and all accounting procrastinators to set us straight in 2011. Her talk could not have come at a better time.  If this sounds like you too, I hope you’ll join in.  Starts at 12pm MST.

So, what situation has procrastination gotten you into lately, and has it changed your thinking for 2011? I can definitely say it has mine.  Quickbooks, you and I are going to get to know each other extremely well this year!  You can bet on it!

Rule of Life #30 (page 128)

“It’s perfectly natural to question your business model and change your course of action if your original plan just isn’t working for you.  Many business owners do and their business is healthier and more profitable because they’re now doing something they love.  The key is to believe in yourself and set your mind to it.”

Marketing.

That’s what I thought I was going to do for the rest of my life.  Even went as far as to start calling myself the “Mommy Marketeer.”  Too many mouseketeers and Mickey Mouses in my house these days.

If you would have told me I’d be the founder of a mom entrepreneurs’ networking organization and the creator of the Mom Entrepreneur of the Year award six years ago when I dove head first into entrepreneurship, I would have smiled and laughed, and asked if you were for real.

Life has a funny way of telling us what direction it wants us to go in.  You never know where you’ll end up.  For me, marketing just ain’t it anymore.  Sure, I still do it, but it’s not what gets me excited in the morning.  Helping mom entrepreneurs see their worth does.  Putting on extravagant events on a very tight budget thrills me.  Did I mention that chaos, not calm, is my middle name?

Last Tuesday I spoke to the Arizona Small Business Association about overcoming and preventing obstacles.  Several aspiring entrepreneurs and some already established ones asked me whether this path they were on was the right one.  Well, only you can determine if you like what you’re doing in life.  And if not, maybe it’s time to dig deeper into what you’re truly and utterly passionate about.  Might surprise you just as it did the heck out of me!

The key is this – once you find that passion of yours, take action, deep breaths and keep on moving your dream forward.

Rule of life #27

“Many adults go through life never learning how to forgive their parents for their faults.  They harbor painful memories that eat away at them every day, but are never willing to pick up the phone or stop by for a visit to remedy the situation.  Before they know it, it’s too late, and they will never be able to tell their mom or dad how they really feel.  People are human.  We all make mistakes.

Life’s too short not to forgive others for their actions.  Sometimes it takes you to make the first move, even though you disagree.  It took my dad time to realize we didn’t have a strong relationship, and it took me time to realize I had it in me to forgive him.  When I did, I found I could rest easier, be happier and move on with my life.”

I’ve heard from a few of my readers that this rule of life lesson resonated the most with them.  They had been holding such a grudge over something that happened so long ago that it kept building, eating at their soul, and never got any better.

One reader told me that after reading this particular chapter, it encouraged her to reach out to her mom and spend one last Mother’s Day with her before she passed away that week.  The very last memory she had was dancing with her mother on the dance floor at a Mother’s Day dinner.  Although she missed her, she was grateful she had this special memory to remember her by.

Broke my heart and made me smile at the same time to think that I may have encouraged her take that next step.  I could never imagine losing a parent before getting the chance to reconcile with them, which is why I personally chose forgiveness.

In the past couple weeks, I’ve written more confrontational-type emails to family members, clients and even my home builder telling them how I really feel.  I definitely used the “don’t hold anything back” approach in all emails.  And you know what?  I got a timely response back from each and every one of them…good, actionable ones, too.

Why?

Because I was honest.  I told them exactly how I felt.  I stopped blaming myself and letting it control my life.

Many of you know I don’t sleep as it is.  Heck, I’m writing this blog at 2am.  I’m a mom entrepreneur.  Who needs sleep?  But when something bothers you so much it keeps you awake at night, you know it’s time to fix whatever is broken.

As we enter into a new year, I urge you to think about your relationships.  What’s keeping you up at night?  What’s  constantly on your mind making it hard to focus?  Who in your life could really use your ear and your forgiveness, but is too scared to come to you?  Don’t wait for them.  Instead, take the initiative and do it for yourself.

Reconciling with my dad was the best decision for me to make.  In doing so, he now has a relationship with his grandson – something that may have never happened had I not stepped up and forgiven.

Rule of life #29

“It’s the little things that matter.  It’s not the fancy jewelry, flowers or gifts, but the sweet and utter simplicity of words that show how much you care.  No matter how redundant it may be, it’s always a nice feeling to be noticed (and appreciated) by the ones you love most.”

Sean, Caleb and I spending family time together in San Fran last summer.

Every now and then, my husband Sean has the power to surprise me.  It’s always when I least expect it, too.  To others looking in, his actions may not seem like such a big deal, but to me and without sounding too lovey dovey, it reminds me of why I married him in the first place.

Sure, there are times when he does something so insane that it makes me want to pull every last strand of my hair out (who doesn’t, right?), but then he does something so out of the ordinary and it makes those “other” times more tolerable, more forgettable.

I believe what they call that is MARRIAGE.

Take Friday for instance.  Caleb was sick and I had meetings all morning – my Mom Entrepreneur Celebration planning committee meeting followed by my channel 12 Coffee Talk segment on AZ Midday which lasts all but a few minutes, so Sean stayed home with Caleb.  On my 45-minute drive into Phoenix, I received a text from Sean with these few words…

Go get em movie star.

Yet another text I saved in my phone.

Here I was thinking that Sean really could care less about the projects I’m working on, but he really did support me, in his own quiet way.  And even though he missed my segment by an hour (I tivo’d it just in case), he truly was proud of me.

The next day I received yet another big surprise.  An unloaded dishwasher.  Yep, I’m easily excited, especially by completed household chores.

No gifts exchanged.  No money spent.  Just words and action.

In church over the weekend, the pastor challenged us this holiday season to do one thing – give more by spending less.  He said, “Instead of giving your family unneeded and unwanted presents, give them your presence.”

Think about it.  What is your child going to love most this Christmas?  The gift that will either break, become too small on him or lose his interest by spring?  Or the fact that you took time out of your chaotic day to make cookies with him and take him to the park?

You already know what’s on my to-do list.

What little things are you doing to create a big impact on others’ lives?  Please share.

As parents, we tuck our kiddos in and tell them every night, “Sweet dreams.” 

Our parents did that with us.  Their parents did that with them.  It’s tradition.

But as we get older, does our ability to dream go away?  Do we constantly need that reminder from our parents that it’s okay to dream, and that sometimes dreams really do come true?  Cue the song from Cinderella here.

Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend who told me flat out that she didn’t know if she had it in her to dream anymore.  She was exhausted.  She was unmotivated.  She was tired of hearing all of the “no’s” before she could get to that “yes.”  She didn’t want to go home after being rejected by client after client and tell her husband that the money she was counting on wasn’t coming.

Nothing saddened me more than to hear her talk this way.  It literally broke my heart.

It’s true things are harder than they were before, especially if you’re an entrepreneur struggling to make ends meet.  Can’t speak for all, but for most.  The economy is lousy, our homes are worth less than what we paid a few years ago, and that client you’ve come to depend on?  Hate to break it to you, but it may not happen.

Brace yourself.

No one ever said that living your dream would be easy.

But if we don’t have our dreams, what do we have?  We have nothing to look forward to.  Nothing to motivate and challenge us.  Nothing to pick us back up to try and try again.  Just a bunch of empty days.

It was then that I conducted what I call a “dream intervention” on my friend.  She needed to be reminded that her dream WAS well within reach, but that she had to work hard to get there.  She needed to know that there would be some, or several, road blocks along the way to try and stop her, but that she could and would overcome them.  And she needed to know that having more than one dream was okay.

Hey.  Who says you can only have one dream?  I have plenty of them.

We left our lunch meeting and I could tell that the dream intervention had done a complete 180 on her.  She was smiling.  She was confident in her own abilities.  She was ready to make her next move.

Yep, sometimes a friendly reminder is all we need to hear we’re headed in the right direction.

So I ask, are you living your dream? And if you aren’t, what can I do to get you back on that road?

Rule of Life #8 (pg 39) says:

“Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew.  When you take on too much, you suffer, and your work suffers because you’re spread too thin.  Instead, ask for help and look for other like-minded (I’ll also add enthusiastic) individuals to share the workload.  Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses and find others that can fill in the gap.  Your health, your sanity and your client will thank you for it.”

How many of us do this?

We think we have superhuman powers to take it ALL on without any help.

A fellow mom entrepreneur was planning a big event in October.  I asked her how things were going and she said, “It’s going,” which led me to believe that things could have been going much better if she just had a helping hand.  And so, I offered mine.  She seemed surprised that I had stepped forward.

Being an event planner myself, I know that creating an event, especially its first year, can be a logistical nightmare.  Last year while planning the Mom Entrepreneur of the Year event, I literally would sleep an hour on our sofa next to my laptop, get up and work, go back to bed for another hour and get up again to check proofs my designer Erin was sending me.  My health was affected, I was running on caffeine, and I was irritable to my husband for six months.  But why?

Because I thought I was superwoman.

I bit off way more than I could chew.  I was juggling more balls than I needed to.  Here I had some wonderful volunteers willing to take things, even little things off my plate, but I just couldn’t let it go.  True, the event was successful, but it would have run more smoothly had I delegated tasks I didn’t really need to do.

Fast forward to now.

I’m planning the event again this year (set for May 7), and already have a group of seven very capable women to hand tasks off to while I take care of what I need to do for it – connecting with potential sponsors and marketing the heck out of it.  This is my strength.  Figuring out what hors d’ oeuvres to serve at the cocktail hour?  Not so much my priority.

As you think of projects you’re working on, figure out what tasks you’re passionate and good at, and what you can afford to pass off.

Your weakness will always be someone else’s strength.

To read more rule of life lessons, view blog posts and download chapter 1, please visit When the Universe Throws a Curve Ball – How a mom entrepreneur went from disappointment to living her passion.