I was in a store a few days ago watching a young Mom juggle three small children.  The woman ringing her up at the check out counter smiled and said, “Don’t worry, it’s a phase, it will get easier.”  Watching this scene, I wondered if I should tell her the truth.

I have come to realize the unspoken truth of motherhood, it gets harder, not easier.  The challenges are just different.  When my kids were babies, I thought if I could just get them in school it would get easier.  Once they were in school I thought if I could just survive the teenage phase it would get easier.  Once they were in high school it was all about hanging in there until they went to college.  They are adults now.   I am no longer in denial.

The fact is, when you put your whole heart and soul into it, parenting is never easy and the older your kids get the higher the stakes become.

Each age and “phase” comes with it’s own nuances and challenges.  I am convinced the reason our babies (think adorable puppies) are so cute is simply so we won’t send them back when they are keeping us up all night. I am also convinced that the reason they turn into teenagers (think dogs) is so when they leave us for college we are ready to let them go.

I am hearing and reading a lot lately about how difficult it is to balance, juggle or lean in to having both a career and children.  However, the subject seems to focus on when the kids are little.  How will we manage when they are infants, or deal with soccer practice and back-to-school nights.  While those times are difficult, those are also the years we are in charge of the schedule.  What I find much less discussed are the college and beyond years as a working parent. I didn’t stop being a Mom when my kids got a degree.

As the wonderful mother and CEO Jane Fonda once said, “You know, you’re only as happy as your least happy child.  So if your kids aren’t okay, you’re not good.”  I think every mother can relate to this.

Raising children raises a lot of questions. Why don’t instruction manuals come standard issue with children?  Will a mothers vast amount of love and dedication be enough to help make their hopes and dreams come true?  How do you keep them safe?  It is an awesome responsibility, one I have never taken lightly.

I am enjoying this “phase” because it comes with Sunday Funday family brunch and picnics in the park together.   Every mother thinks her baby is the cutest and her kids are the most amazing, but mine really are!  And if you doubt me, take a look at my adorable grand-dog Fiona…

Cheers!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I love watching the popular TV show Shark Tank. I am inspired by the innovation of the entrepreneurs and always gain business insight from the savvy sharks.

As an entrepreneur I know all too well how important it is to be passionate about what we do. However, when pitching to investors it is also key to stick to the facts. Although we started our companies because we are wildly passionate about our jewelry and our widgets, the VC’s are simply looking at the bottom line.

It is painful to watch the entrepreneurs enter the Tank and tell the Sharks that the reason they should invest a half a million dollars in their companies is because they have mortgaged their house or because they really, really love their BBQ sauce. That is not a reason to invest in a company. Now an outstanding order for 2 million dollars you can’t fill because you don’t have the capitol you need—that is a reason to invest. ROI.

Watch the show, swim with this wise school of fishes and learn.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I may be the only woman I know with an autographed 8 x 10 framed photo of Dick Vitale in her office.   March Madness is a national holiday in my home.

I have gone to the tourney for over 25 years, and I have learned a few things along the way:

Teamwork Is Triumphant

One of the greatest games in history taught us just how magical teamwork can be.

When the Villanova Wildcats upset the Georgetown Hoyas in 1985 it was because they united as a team and beat the odds.

“The best teams are team in any sport that lose themselves in the team. The individuals lose their identity. And their identities come about as a result of being in the team first.” — Mike Krzyzewski

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

This Valentine’s Day I would like to suggest the radical notion that you are the special occasion and that the big night you have been waiting for is right now.  And I am guessing you won’t have to spend a dime to give yourself a little something nice.  I am betting there are plenty of wonderful things right there in your own home you have been holding on to.

My Grandma Ethel was always “saving” things for a special occasion too. She never used any of the gifts we gave her over the years.  They were too “special”. So there were many candles she never lit, pretty soap she never used,  luxurious towels she never wrapped herself in, elegant robes she never wore, and many other things she thought were too nice to use. It made us all sad after she passed to see of all the gifts we had given her with love over the years just sitting in her heirloom chest… waiting to be used and enjoyed.   Perhaps the old adage “you can’t take it with you” is around to remind us that life is short no matter how long it is.

So get out the good plates! The special occasion is now. Use that pretty china tonight.  Wear that beautiful necklace you have stored in your jewelry box. Take a bath with that fancy bubble bath you have been saving. Uncork that bottle of wine you have been hanging on to.  Stop waiting, do it today!

YOU are the special occasion!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

A new year is a chance for a fresh start.  It is my tradition every New Year’s Eve to make a list of anything I want to release from that year—and then burn it.

Some years my list makes it’s way to the fireplace, some years we have a fire pit in the back yard, and some years I am lucky enough to be at the beach with a bon fire.

It’s a symbolic way of making sure I let go whatever isn’t working for me so I can head into a New Year with a clean slate ready for a new beginning.

Try it!  It’s liberating!

Happy NEW Year!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

Best stocking stuffer ever…

22 years ago I was in labor– well 21 years and 353 days ago to be exact since his marathon labor went on for 3 days—and here I am celebrating my son’s 22nd birthday today.

Here are few things I have learned about the adventure of parenting…

1. Before your kids hit double digits you know everything, for the next decade you don’t know anything, after that I find you start getting smarter the older your kids get.

2.  What applies to one child, won’t apply to the next.

3.   I  agree with Maya Angelou—whom I admire greatly— your child wants your eyes to light up when they walk into a room.

4.  If children are cranky put them in water.

5.  If their parents are cranky put them in water too. There isn’t much a warm bath can’t cure.

6.   To quote Erma Bombeck, “I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: “Checkout Time is 18 years.”  However, in this day and age they may show up again for a few months every now and then- even after they have left and that is okay too. As long as it’s temporary.

7.   Show up, and just keep showing up.

8.   Don’t say it unless you mean it.

9.   Whatever childhood memory you are worried has scared your child for life—you can stop worrying about—it is something you haven’t even thought about.

10.  There isn’t a manual, so we can all stop looking for one.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

So you didn’t win Power Ball?  Me either.  However, as my dear friend Carolyn reminded me, it gave us all all good chance for what I like to call my “Lottery Litmus Test”…

It goes a little something like this…I ponder what I would do if I actually won the lottery.

Over the years there have been times I wouldn’t change a thing.  There have been times I would make radical changes.  And there have been times I would only make slight modifications to my life.  But what I have learned about myself is that this Lottery Litmus Test actually has merit.

Life is too short to wait for our 100 million dollar ship to come in!   Whenever I mull over my Lottery Litmus Test I inevitably end up course correcting and adjusting the sails on the ship of my life.

So what changes would YOU make if you won the Lottery?

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

The running joke in our family for years was, with two kids and two businesses, there was surely too much of something!

My daughter was old enough when the first company arrived on the scene she remembers it.  Our son was young enough he probably doesn’t recall a time when his parents weren’t running their own companies.

Turns out, the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree. In part this was by design, and in part I think it’s in the genes.

Our daughter started her first company when she was just 12 years old.  She launched a successful company selling empowering products to inspire girls when she was barely in double digits.  When the day to day operations of running the company got in the way high school she went on to sell the line to a national company and enjoyed the benefits of her royalty checks for many years.

What can parents do to instill the entrepreneurial spirit into their kids?  Here are my 5 tips:

1. I Don’t Know Isn’t an Answer.  Growing up our  kids understood “I don’t know” was never going to fly.  My response would always be something along the lines of, “Lucky for you we have Google”, or “Yay, another opportunity to learn and expand your horizons!”
2. Travel Trumps Education. Whenever given the choice between an extra class or seeing the world, pack their bags.  The time my son spent traveling in China and volunteering in an orphanage there was invaluable.  His graduation gift was a Semester at Sea. I have always felt my children gained a lot more by seeing the world and experiencing other cultures than by anything they could have learned in a classroom.  One of the most important things you can ever get your children is a passport.
3. Lead by Example. Get your kids involved.  Bring them to work with you. We always encouraged our kids to be hands on. Letting them into your world is a great way to spend more time together and the teachable moments are priceless. We not only saw more of the kids, they saw more too.  They saw exactly how business works.   My daughter says the time she spent at the office growing up has helped her with her career far more than her college degree.
4. Give Back. My kids know that making a difference is my passion.  We have always done charity work as a family and that continued with my business.  Let your kids see that your priorities will remain consistent as an entrepreneur.
5. Encourage Curiosity.  My motto: Life is a buffet, try it all!  Expose your kids to different experiences, places and people.  Be willing to try new things.  You never know whom you will meet, what you will find, or where it will take you.  A sense of adventure is a must!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

When I started my first company I should have been too scared to get out of bed in the morning.  There was a lot to fear.  I was in over my head in every conceivable way.  Yet, I couldn’t wait to get started in the morning and worked around the clock.  I was so filled with passion and excited about what I was doing there wasn’t time to be afraid. I was a woman on a mission!  I was very clear about my WHY—fear didn’t stand a chance.

After years of saying I would never bungee jump, when it came time to raise money for charity, I couldn’t let a little thing like fear stand in the way.  I am willing to do anything for a good cause, especially a cause as worthy as Grameen America.  My WHY was far more important than my fear of bungee jumping.  However, those who know me knew I wouldn’t settle for just jumping off a building somewhere.  It had to be amazing if I was going to risk life and limb.  I decided a tandem jump with my hubby across the fourth longest river in Africa would do.  When we took that leap of faith across the Zambezi river it was pure joy!

Whether starting a business, building something, or raising funds for charity, when we tap into WHY and make our purpose the focus, our fears will often take a back seat allowing us to accomplish so much more.

Audre Lorde said it best, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

Most worthwhile things take time, effort and commitment.   The “overnight success” story is usually years in the making.   We all want to succeed, but are we all willing to commit to success?

“I don’t care what my clients want – everybody ‘wants’ a thousand things.  I care about what they’ll commit to.”  ~ Tony Robbins

I recently wrapped up a discussion with friends who are at the top in their fields who “want” to bring in much needed new management.  Yet none of them are actually taking concrete steps to resolve the situation.   Just wishing it would happen.

Have you ever heard a single friend say they “want” to meet someone special?  But then they won’t get out and mingle or engage in any activities.  Unless their delivery person is special, this probably won’t work.

We all “want” to feel great.  I hear people say they want to feel better all the time—as they wash down a handful of chemicals with a sugary drink or hit the drive-thru for the third time that day.  Saying we want to feel better is meaningless. Wanting something doesn’t make it so.

Wanting less stress, better health, more clients, a new way of life or whatever change we expect to make, takes more than desire.  It takes commitment and effort.

Are you willing to accept a challenge?  Pick one area that has been all “Want” and give yourself a Commitment Challenge. List 3 things in that area that you are truly willing to commit to.  Set a deadline and follow through.

I can’t wait to hear about your Commitment Challenge successes!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®