The Mom Mogul Breakfast (AKA the #MomMogulBreakfast, as it was a hot trending topic on Twitter and Instagram) was one of the biggest DivaLysscious successes the DivaMoms team has ever experienced! The breakfast was unbelievably incredible, inspiring, and empowering! Hearing what business moguls and FabuLyss mothers Rebecca Minkoff, Jennifer Fisher, June Ambrose, Alexandra Wilkis-Wilson, Ruth Zukerman, Mary Alice Stephenson, and Veronica Webb had to share about how their businesses got started and how they juggle it all — the corporate world, motherhood, marriage, family, social life — was so exclusive, rare, and incredibly special.
I have to say: I expected to be blown away. I anticipated that I — and all of our guests — would be impressed. I was prepared to be enlightened and surprised. But, I did not expect to feel such a connection with more than 200 women at one time, and to feel so emotional. It was such a pleasant surprise, and I think I speak for everyone when I say it started that DeLysscious event off with the utmost motivation and sense of strength. I swear, at some moments I couldn’t believe the absolutely golden quotations — worthy of books or some inspirational website — that were coming out of the mouths of our panelists! They are such hard-working, intelligent, educated and — above all — endlessly curious women and members of society who are leaving huge, impossible-to-fill footprints.
“It’s so much about being passionate about what you want to do,” explained Ruth Zukerman, co-founder of Flywheel, a chain of indoor cycling locations. “I got divorced when my children were 6 years old, I had to start all over again. I was like a fish out of water. I had found spinning, and it had actually helped me through my divorce. I got hooked and knew it was something I wanted to build a career in. I started out carrying my spin shoes from gym-to-gym just teaching spin classes, I believed in it, and it happened.”
This hit so close to home for me and, even got me a little bit teary-eyed. FlyWheel Sports changed … my … life. Just like spinning helped Zukerman through her divorce — a detrimental event that caused her so much stress — it has helped me through work stress, hard times, anxiety over my ridiculous fear of not being able to be in 12 places at one time, and more. For her to speak to such feelings of passion, stress-release, and turning around the horrible feeling of not belonging was so honest and real, and I will always remember it. I’m sure everyone else in the room — guests, panelists, and, hey, maybe even waiters alike — will, too.
“I had a different experience. My business started because I was told I would never have children. I ended up getting pregnant naturally, and I decided to keep the baby,” said jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher. “That’s my son Shane. And, he’s the reason the company started. When he was born, it was such a big deal. I wanted something to represent him … something that felt really, really important and special. And, that’s how my company started.”
I felt such a connection to this beautiful, moving image because my first son, 9-year-old Jackson, is the reason my company began. To this day, DivaLysscious Moms represents the lives of both of my sons. My boys continue to inspire new events, projects, and more, and I am so grateful for their existence giving me another baby I cherish: my company.
“I wake before the quake,” said stylist and author June Ambrose. (I love this. June described how she gets up an hour before her two children, ages 11 and 9, so she can center herself, meditate, and get herself ready for the day ahead.)
What mother — whether she has 10 kids or one — wouldn’t understand and crack up at this? Even if it means waking up at 3 am, I am going to have a “calm before the storm.” Bring on the green tea, erotic novel, and dog-cuddles before the “Where’s my orange juice?” and “Do I HAVE to go to school?” starts.
“I will always remind myself that I said this, and that I ‘CAN do it!’ ” shared fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff. “Growing up, I was raised that if I wanted something, I had to make it. So, my mom would provide me with fabric, and she would teach me how to sew, but she wouldn’t buy me the dress … And, that’s the lesson I’m going to try to teach my son.”
This made me say, “YES!” in my head; one thing I always consider to be of utmost importance is teaching my boys to be hard-workers, take nothing for granted, and be self-sufficient. Just last night, my son wanted chicken nuggets. Instead of taking him to his favorite place on earth (Johnny Rocket’s, of course), I showed him how we can make chicken nuggets at home, together, side-by-side, and how we don’t have to spend money every time. We can do a project together. He even said that the chicken nuggets “tasted even better because we made them!”
“If your dreams don’t scare you, then they aren’t big enough,” Mary Alice Stephenson told the audience.
I SO agree with the advice from this style and beauty expert; if you’re not dreaming beyond the stars, if your dreams don’t sometimes want to make you question your abilities, if your visions don’t suffer moments of being seemingly impossible, ridiculous, or outlandish — then they aren’t dreams!
“If we can raise children, we can start a business,” explained model and TV personality Veronica Webb.
All I have to say is something I say every day: Motherhood is the hardest job. Motherhood is the most rewarding job. Motherhood is impossible. Motherhood is incredible. Motherhood IS a job.
“Don’t be shy. Ask for help. Those are two really important skill sets … being able to ask for help and not being shy about it,” Alexandra Wilkis-Wilson said.
Hearing the advice of the co-founder of retail website, Gilt, immediately brought me back to one of my college summers when I was an intern for the Joan Rivers show. I remember being so intimidated at the time; if I was unsure about something, if I didn’t understand something, if something genuinely puzzled me, I was always too scared to ask for help. If I could go back and tell myself something, it would be exactly what Wilkis-Wilson shared with us. People have so much more respect for your abilities and mind if they see that you can admit to not knowing everything. Nobody knows everything, and admitting it makes you nothing but intelligent and one step closer to understanding and being more effective. This is why I always tell my assistant and all of my interns to come to me with anything and ask questions in an upfront, straightforward manner, and why I am able to have open, successful business relationships.
#MomMoguls!
xoxo,
Lyss
Follow Lyss Stern at www.divamoms.com or on Twitter @divamoms.
