This post is part of the Global Mom Relay. Every time you share this blog, $5 will go to women and girls around the world. Scroll to the bottom to find out more.
My mother is an incredible woman. She has raised six children and managed her family and career, as well inspiring us all with her ability to get so much done. Her example of hard work and setting clear boundaries for us gave me both the confidence and freedom I needed to start my business at 16 years of age.
Not every parent can wrap their minds around their teenage daughter starting her own company. Her support and of course my Dad's, helped me maintain the drive and focus I needed to move my ideas forward.
The best advice my mother gave me was to never quit -- we were never allowed to quit! I've always worked hard for my dreams and much of that drive comes from watching my mom. She didn't just teach me life lessons, but ideas and concepts I use in my business every day. One important thing I've learned from her is that your dreams don't have to have an expiration date.
I have five younger siblings and a large extended family. Family is everything to me. We love being together as much as possible, especially when there is fabulous cooking involved!
Coming together around a table is an important part of my life. We always had our meals together and the dinner table was a lively place for conversation. My mom is very well known for her baking. If my mother had a stick of butter out on the counter, we always knew something special was coming! We take any opportunity we have to turn it into an excuse for her to bake. I'm a part of the Global Mom Relay today, so other families around the world have the chance to share good food and conversation together.
Each time you share this Global Mom Relay piece on Facebook, Twitter, or Email, or donate $5 or more through clicking on the above graphic, a $5 donation (up to $62,500 per week or $125,000 every two weeks) will be donated by Johnson & Johnson and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to theGlobal Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Join us by sharing it forward and unlock the potential for women and children around the globe. For more information, visitwww.unfoundation.org/globalmomrelay. The United Nations Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, BabyCenter, The Huffington Post, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the Global Mom Relay, a first-of-its-kind virtual relay with a goal of improving the lives of women and children around the globe.