Now if you are reading this blog because you want to start a business alongside your daughter – you are going to love this post!
This is the second year of the Mom Grows a Business Conference and I was tickled pink recently when the founder, Patty Lennon, agreed to share more about the event and take-aways for any women who wants to start their own business. And after you read this post (and only after!), google Patty and learn how she crowdfunded her first project at the $45,000 level.
We definitely need spaces for women to explore the idea of entrepreneurship and learn from experts. What gave you the idea for Mom Get a Life conference and what do you hope women will gain from attending?
When I launched my first business four years ago, I immediately immersed myself in the world of entrepreneurship. I subscribed to every entrepreneur magazine out there. I listened to every teleclass I could get my hands on. I attended conferences that left me feeling like I could take on the world….
But that feeling soon morphed into total and complete overwhelm. I couldn’t keep up with everything I “should” do to be successful. I was sitting in a hotel conference room listening to a celebrity entrepreneur tell me to “go hard or go home” when a sickening thought hit me:
Maybe I can’t be successful AND be the kind of human being I want to be!
You see when I launched my business I had this crazy idea that I could be successful AND be there for my kids.
But everything I heard challenged that belief. I listened to the “gurus” talk about going “all in” and “doing what it takes.”
I actually started to believe that the fact that I wanted to spend time with my family (and sleep on occasion) was an indication that I was not as committed to success as the people I was learning from.
I’m grateful to report I found mentors that showed me I could have what I wanted. From there I learned how to succeed on my terms. I now have two thriving business AND spend time with my family AND sleep AND have time for myself. I want the same for every other woman.
This conference brings together thousands of dollars of mentorship, coaching and skills training in a single day event with a ticket price that is far more budget friendly than if our attendees hired our speakers privately.
How does the conference help the Mom who has a ton of ideas and no business experience?
Our conference is built around three concepts – Mission. Money. Magic. If you understand your mission (aka have loads of ideas), the next step is to learn how to make money bringing that mission to life and invest money in a way that will make it grow. Our speakers will share how they did that while still keeping their personal life a priority.
We also offer opportunities to have small conversations with mentors at lunch so basic questions can be answered at the business development stage each attendee is at. Additionally attendees can learn actionable skills in workshops throughout the day.
What about the Mompreneur who is seasoned and already has a successful business? What would she gain?
No matter how far along in business you get one challenge faces all of us – how to go bigger with the time and resources we have. Our keynote speakers are women who have grown their businesses to the 7 & 8 figure mark. They will share how they found the courage and resources to do this while maintaining their relationships and sanity along the way!
Can you share your background and how it helped you start a business?
Prior to launching my two businesses I was a VP of product development at Citigroup. I spent 15 years in banking. I helped every level of business in my 15 years from small mom & pop stores to Fortune 100 companies. During my career my work always focused on answering the question: “How do I help my clients grow their work in the world?”
Today my work as a business coach and mentor remains the same except now I my clients are women entrepreneurs who are doing really good work in the world, understand money is their ally and want support conquering the fear that holds them back and going bigger in the world.
What advice do you have for women who want to start their own business?
1. Know your mission in the world. Understand why you are doing this business. You were put on this planet with a mission. When you are in alignment with that mission the Universe will send you amazing amounts of support to fulfill it.
2. Embrace money. Having a business is about making money and you must invest in your business to help it grow to the level that it can support you. Many women launch businesses but refuse to invest in themselves or their business until that business makes money. That equation doesn’t work. Women owned businesses are the fastest growing segment of business startups yet we contribute only 6% of revenue. We need to move the dial on this number and that starts with learning how to help a business grow.
3. Own your worth. You deserve to be paid for what you do. Ask for what you are worth.
What steps should women take before they attend a conference like this to get prepared?
A woman could show up without any preparation and have an incredibly productive and fulfilling experience. However, if you really want to juice up your experience..
- Set a strong intention for what you want to receive. Our intentions create our experience of the world. Know what you want to receive and write it down.
- Create an outline for your business that will highlight where your growth opportunities are. You can use my template here: http://www.momgetsabiz.com/plan/
- Come well rested and hydrated. Get a good night’s sleep and drink plenty of water.
Where can we find out more about this year’s conference?
