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OK, here we are.  The moment of the summer I’ve been waiting for.  Drum roll please… Oh just a sec.  So as not to seem like the worst, most insensitive, workaholic mother in the world, let me first say that nothing gives me greater joy, emotion or excitement than the thought of seeing my son and daughter today (yes, today!) after them being gone at camp for 7 weeks.  But it’s because of the time they spent on their “vacation” that I’m even able to make my announcement.  So back to it.  Drum roll one more time… We’ve just released our COOL FOR SCHOOL, HIP FOR HOLIDAY / AUGUST 2010-JANUARY 2011 CATALOG!!!  Items won’t be up on www.likewear.com until the end of this week, but for now, you can download the new catalog here http://www.likewear.com/LikeWear-Collection-8-hirez.pdf.  And the crowd goes wild.  Well, at least it does in the LikeWear office.

Each time we design a new Collection, it definitely gets easier.  But it continues to amaze me how many hours go into catalog layout (let alone all the creative development, art time, photography and Photoshop work that goes in before even getting to print time).  We’ve established somewhat of a “look” to our catalog pages and our graphics and clothing styles but we always try to keep it fresh and interesting.  Last week, our summer intern looked up from the catalog pages she was proofreading and asked Ken and I if we were ever afraid we’d run out of ideas.  We both answered simultaneously, “Never.”

We’re not concerned about coming up with new ideas – only with the limit on our time to make them all a reality!  Maybe it’s because we’re both somewhat “creatively obsessive” – meaning our brains never seem to shut down (and that’s an entirely different topic fit for its own post) so we’re always throwing out ideas – always.  But the key to always having new ideas is to feel confident in dreaming them up AND throwing them out there.

Was I forever this way?  Well, I think I’ve always had a creative side or streak in me that was never fully exercised until starting LikeWear.  But I was not always as self-assured (or comfortable is probably more accurate) in launching out new ideas that could potentially be denied, dismissed or laughed at.  Let’s face it, no one likes to feel rejection – even if it’s only for an idea.  Interestingly though, I’ve learned that those of us not born with the creative confidence trait can actually learn to develop it.  As you create (with whatever it is in your life that you’re doing – new recipes, interesting outfits, a unique fundraising idea) and those “creations” are positively received, that positive reinforcement seeps into your soul to make you even more confident to continue to keep trying new ideas.  And so the inspirational cycle goes…

I’ve experienced this kind of development in my own creativity and I’ve watched it firsthand with my kids over the past few years that we’ve had LikeWear.  They’ve witnessed a constant barrage of new ideas being tossed around and even more importantly, they’ve seen the open-minded way that Ken and I usually receive each other’s brainstorms (actually, Ken will say I’m not always so open as I usually already have my own distinct vision for things.  But that too is a topic for another time!).  As a result of living in this kind of environment, I’ve noticed my kids unabashedly offering up ideas, suggestions and creative solutions in ways they never have before.  I get a warm feeling inside every time I hear one of them start to say, “How about we try something like…”

So what comes first?  The ideas or the “creative comfortability”?  Fortunately I think it can and often does work both ways.  If you believe in what you do and what you create, others will see the value in it too and you’ll feel confident to continue thinking outside your box.  And if you are a good, constructive, open-minded listener you will not only help others to have the confidence to keep on keepin’ on in the creative department, but you will likely also spark additional ideas for yourself.  Kind of like creative karma.  We all have more good ideas than we think.  Throw ‘em out there!  Oh yeah, and when you’re done, don’t forget to check out LikeWear’s new catalog!

Tags: Back To School, Being Creative, Cool School Clothes, Direct Sales, Work At Home

I am fortunate enough to be able to send my two older children to sleepaway camp.  It is a fantastic learning, growing and maturing experience - for me and them!  My kids learn that the world still turns if they wear clothes that don’t match or the same shirt 4 days in a row, or what it’s like to meet new people, watch themselves become independent beings and experience things they never could at home (we don’t have a lake in our backyard or a kiln in the kitchen).

That said, there’s a lot of waiting involved with camp.  It all starts with the waiting-to-pack time period.  It’s incredible how much stuff needs to be stuffed inside of the trunks that are taken to camp.  Ok, first off, let’s not date ourselves to when they were actual black with gold rivet trunks – they’re really just duffle bags.  Granted, huge, enormous, can hold at least 4 grown men duffles, but duffle bags nevertheless.  And these duffles sit in my bedroom for weeks until they are actually picked up and taken away (given that we don’t have an extra bedroom and my husband and I’s room has the most space).  So I wait as long as possible to unearth them from where they are stashed all winter to reduce the number of nights I can possibly slip, roll and kill myself on an errant battery or sunscreen stick that has escaped the double layered ziploc bag in which it was stored.  Aside from my general safety, I have to wait to pack because nothing pisses me off more than putting items inside the bags and crossing them off my checklist, only to be asked the next morning by one of my chidlren if they can wear that shirt, jersey, soccer cleat, you name it, one last time.  So, although I have a few friends that are happy to feel organized starting this process in February for a June pick-up, I’ll stick with the wait-until-the-last-minute crunch time way that seems to work best for us.

But the waiting doesn’t end with the pick-up of the bags.  No siree.  Then there’s the parking lot send-off where the parents stand in the middle of an open parking lot in midday.  Blinking, shielding their eyes in the glaring heat (even behind the giant black Jackie-O glasses bought for the occasion) at a tinted window to try to catch a last glimpse of their child while trying to choke back emotion to “put on a good front”.  Inevitably, there’s a late-comer who was stuck in traffic so us parents are left standing like beauty pageant idiots waving and waiting, waving and waiting.

Once the bus pulls away then the wait for the first online picture begins.  Can you say refresh button?  You never know when new pics will be posted… And of course, the first letter (hopefully with no circled tear droplets or talk of homesickness and hitching a ride home) and the first phone call.  Visiting Day can never arrive quickly enough and as soon as you pull away from camp, the countdown to their homecoming begins.  And then there’s the the daily wait for the mailman in the hopes he brings some small tidbit of a literary connection.

Key thing to note (and I learned this the hard way the first summer my kids were away), is that my summer life is what happens in between all this waiting.  So although I miss them terribly each summer and usually have several countdowns going at once, I also recognize that the countdown to the hectic long days of the school year with homework, carpooling, sports practices and coordination of schedules is also going on during these precious and fleeting summer weeks. 

So I’m trying to appreciate the waiting.  And dare I say, enjoy it.  Because before you know it, we’ll all have to endure the longest wait of all… when summer ends and we wait until next summer to do it all over again.

Tags: Camp, sleepaway, waiting

“You what?  Work with your husband?  And you work out of your house??  Are you serious?!?!” I’ve been asked these questions countless times over the past 3 ½ years since my husband, Ken, and I started LikeWear.  These questions are almost always followed (once the asker has been able to close their mouth from the incredulity of the idea) with the statement, “My husband and I could NEVER be in business together.  It just wouldn’t work.  And neither would our marriage.”

Sometimes I’m even surprised myself at how Ken and I have been able to work together and that our marriage seems to be stronger because of it.  But, it definitely hasn’t been easy.  No siree.  Managing a business with your spouse introduces all kinds of additional financial pressures and responsibilities on top of those that already exist with maintaining a household and raising children.  It takes a lot of time, money and work to get a new business going – and even more to keep it going.

The hardest part of working together inside the house has been separating work and personal life.  The lines are always blurred.  And although I think we both do a pretty good job of keeping that work vs. family line in focus, there’s always room for improvement.  The challenge comes in because there is never a natural end to the work day as most of the work is being done literally out of our house.   And as owners of a new, entrepreneurial business, there’s always more to do than the two of us can physically accomplish.  So, it’s often a conscious, planned effort to pull away and focus on our kids, our outside interests and even ourselves.

So, just how do we make it work?  What advice would I give to other couples looking to work together? 

• First and probably foremost, if you don’t have a strong relationship and/or don’t truly enjoy being with each other, don’t go into business together.  The issues and stresses of running a business together are often too much for a marriage/relationship to handle.  That said, if you do have a stable base upon which to build, the combined focus and connection you share for the business can actually increase your bond.
• Time management is critical.  But, try to be respectful of what’s important (both personally and professionally) to your spouse.  What’s significant to you may be very different than what’s significant to them.
• In addition to being committed to each other, make sure you are both equally committed to the business.  In other words, you both REALLY have to believe in it and be prepared to share the workload.  Equally.  That includes housework and homework.
• Do your best to separate business and personal life when you can.  Both are very important and need dedicated time - particularly if you have kids.  It may help to “schedule” personal time if you never seem to be able to get around to taking time off.  And definitely don’t forget those date nights!
• Remember that you are “co-workers” (at least during office hours) and it’s not always appropriate to treat each other as significant others - particularly if you have other employees working with you.  I’m referring to both PDA as well as personal jabs or insults that don’t have a place in a work context.
• When things get tough (and they will) try to remind each other of what you have been able to accomplish as opposed to all that still needs to be done.  Being supportive means being there for each other.  Everyone can’t operate at 110% all of the time, so help to gather each others “slack”.

 
Admittedly, working with your husband or wife is not a typical scenario.  And working alongside each other out of your home makes the situation even more unusual.  So, even if you follow the tips above, a shared working /home scenario is not always a smooth reality.  But I’ve never been one to shun hard work or take the easy way out.  Things that come easily aren’t as meaningful as those that require effort.  And I plan to keep reminding myself of that over every bump we hit on our uphill climb – but not, of course, during date night.

Tags: Marriage, Running A Business, Work At Home

Help!  My kids are hoarders.  Ok, it’s out there and I’ve said it but it doesn’t make me feel any better.  Dr. Phil, Oprah, Dateline – someone please rescue us from all the clutter!!  I need professional help – either for helping us to say good riddance to the random refuse or for helping me to buck my bare-essential neatnick upbringing.

The minute school ends and the summer officially kicks in – so do my obsessive organization neuroses which I’ve forced myself to ignore all year long.  But like any addict that has denied their compulsion for too long, the desire eventually reaches a boiling point and can no longer be ignored.  So, straight from dropping my two older children at the bus for sleepaway camp, I practically sprinted up the stairs to their bedrooms armed with garbage bags and a determination to be pragmatic in my purging.

I started in my son’s room - my disorganized son’s room.  This was the kid who couldn’t find anything he needed all year long in his school notebooks when it was time to do homework or look up an assignment.  Maybe he should have checked on the desk in his room.  Mind you, I don’t think he sat at this desk once all year to study or do any work (that was done in the kitchen, of course, so he could snack at the same time and have the most chance for distraction as it’s always the busiest room in our house).  However, the desk was certainly being put to use in some way – as a paper landfill!  There were stacks of old school work each piled 2-3 feet high.  He had taken very little interest in these papers when they counted, but now they were all apparently too important for him to dump in the trash.  Not for me!  But, interspersed in the ripped, dog-eared unkempt piles were a few fabulous art projects and a couple of creative essays that were definite “keepers”.  So, like most excavation projects, I had to carefully sift through what was mostly rubble to uncover a few gems worth holding onto before returning his desk to its regular full, upright, unencumbered, and unused position.

Then I tentatively marched into each of my daughters’ rooms.  My 12 year old’s dresser and desk were easy – some old rubber bracelets, books that have long since been read, clay figurines made in a random art class, a couple of Chuck E. Cheese coins and some old candy wrappers (though I’m not sure if it was her who ate the candy or the dog who just left the plastic behind).  Easy because when it comes to her stuff – the nick-knacks – everything seems to have its place.  Not so much in her closet.  Overall it seemed as though she had taken every article of clothing she owns out of each shelf, rolled them each up in a ball and thrown them back in carnival-style as if she was trying to see how many she could get back in the area from which it originally came.  It didn’t look like she had won any prizes.  Definitely not as far as I was concerned.  And then there were all the clothes that were obviously too small, too juvenile or too “unfavorite” to have been worn this year but that she just didn’t want to part with.  Let’s just say I helped her with some of the tough decision-making.  Anything that involuntarily disappeared will likely never be missed or even asked for again.  Out of sight, out of mind really applies here.

Not so much with my younger daughter.  In fact, her room is the hardest for me.  She’s home for the summer.  And like a jackal at my side, she rifled through her older brother and sister’s stuff with me scavenging for treasures.  Before I knew it, I had a real mess on my hands.  And, I’m not even talking about what her room now looked like.  I’m talking about having “the talk”.  No, not that one.  But one that is even more difficult for me to discuss with her – the talk about how we just can’t save everything we find, buy or are given - for the rest of eternity.  If she could, that’s just what she would do because “you never know when you might need the scratched gold sequin found in the movie parking lot from 2 years ago”.  And, sometimes I have trouble denying her.  Because she knows exactly where she’s put all these little (and sometimes big) things and she almost always puts her “finds” to use.  But, when the top of the dresser can’t even be seen anymore, it’s time to start dishing out the tough love – while she’s not looking of course.  And all that while start thinking up excuses and explanations as to where the items I’ve tossed have gone.  Because this daughter will definitely ask.

So overall what’s a mother to do here?  Compromise of course!  I’ll let my kids accumulate, build up and save whatever they want all school-year long while turning a blind eye under the guise of nurturing creativity and a sense of self for each of them.  But, just like Jekyll has his Hyde, I’ll try to summon my alter ego to resurface each summer to tip the scales back and re-establish our household organizational balance.  That is, at least, until one of Oprah’s “hoarding specialists” show up to show me how it’s really done.

Tags: clutter, hoarders, hoarding, organization

Inevitably it happens to the best of us.  Us cool moms that is.  You still feel young and hip – not at all like the middle aged mother that you’re not quite sure how you’ve become.  So, you feel no crime being committed when your youthful attitude is expressed in your wardrobe and accessory choices.  What’s wrong with wearing flip flops, leggings, Abercrombie sweats, hair clips and ripped jeans - if it makes you feel good and you put yourself together tastefully?  Well, for one, if you have a tween daughter she’ll probably have a few choice words for you about how you’re trying to look like her and its embarrassing.  Embarrassing for her, of course, not for you.  And this type of comment is almost always followed a scowl and an eye roll.  But I digress.  At some point, we all do have to start – if not acting the part – then at least dressing the part of who (and how old) we actually are.

But, sometimes a trend comes along that seems to defy all age barriers – like Silly Bandz.  Most adults are not wearing several dozen on their forearms like their kids; however, look around.  I bet you’ll see one or two choice Bands gracing the wrists of contemporaries.  Are they good luck charms?  Do they provide sentimental value because of the giver – maybe their child?  Or are they simply a fun, harmless reminder that you’re only as old as you feel – so feel young by wearing something juvenile?  Who knows.  But the fact is, usage of Silly Bandz by adults has become so prevalent, even the NY Times took notice and wrote an article about it: “Older Audience for Child’s Bracelet Is Not a Stretch”

And at LikeWear, we’ve experienced the same surprising fascination among adults for our silly rubber bands t-shirts.  Sure kids love our shirts as much as the actual rubber wristlets themselves - though in a whole new way as our LikeWear silly rubber bands shirts have been recognized as a whole new wave to the craze.  But, adults love the shirts too.  In fact, our silly bands t-shirts have been spotted by some of the coolest moms out there.  They were selected by Liz Gumbinner and her team of CoolMomPicks.com as one of her cool picks and they were also chosen to be featured in her newsletter for noteworthy items for the month of July.  They’ve even shown up on the wrists of some famous celebs like Mary Kate Olsen and Sarah Jessica Parker according to this SHEfinds article entitled, “Should Adults Wear Silly Bandz?  Sarah Jessica Parker Thinks So”.

The LikeWear silly bands shirts are exactly what a printed T-shirt is supposed to be about - a way to wear your inner voice and express yourself and the things relevant to you through clothing.  Ya know, a way to “wear what you like”!  Silly rubber bands may be a craze, a trend, and a passing phase.  But right now, they – and the LikeWear T-shirts that feature them – are totally cool.  Regardless of the age of the wearer.

Call me a Twi-hard, Fanpire, Cullenist, Team Jacob and Team Edward member, Twerd or Twi-maniac.  I’m all of the above and more.  That’s right.  And I’m 40 years old.  And I’m not afraid to admit it.  The 40 part and the Twilight part.

Truth be told, I was first introduced to the book series by my daughter’s friend.  Her mom (a good friend of mine) decided to read the first Twilight book to make sure it was appropriate for her then 11 year old daughter who was insistent upon reading it.  Soon after my friend began, she dropped off the face of this earth (and landed in the middle of Forks, Washington!) as she obsessively finished each of the four books in the Twilight series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.  She whipped through them all in about a week.  Seriously.  I barely saw her.  And when I did have contact with her, it was quick and brief communications mostly centered on how fabulous the books were and questioning why exactly it was that I wasn’t reading them yet.  Well, aside from the fact that I considered the novels written for an age group two decades younger than me, I also have never been keen on the whole fantasy or vampire genres  But, I couldn’t deny her persistence, so I decided to give them a go.  After the first page, I too, never looked back - or ahead for that matter.  I seemed to be walking and reading at the same time - bringing the books everywhere with me so that I could read in whatever few free moments I had – wherever I had them.

Oh yeah, and not only did my friend and I devour the books but so did my friend’s daughter as well as mine.  And then, it became a three generation bonding Twilight-a-holic frenzy as my mom read and loved the books too. What a concept!  Hard to believe that in today’s day and age of being “plugged in”, a mother, daughter and grandmother can all be excited about, discuss and most importantly, connect and bond over a book!  But, that’s exactly what happened.

Yes, all the chaos and hoopla over the books, movies and the actors involved is a bit over the top.  And certainly, the rescued woman who is protected, loved and swept off her feet by the man (or men in this case) that is seemingly not right for her is not an original storyline.  And it’ a shame that so many men, as a result of the Twilight series, have inferiority complexes because they can’t shape-shift into wolves or be ultra-protectors who live forever.  But all that said, my tickets for the 5pm showing of Eclipse are already bought.  It’s opening day and I know I’ll be in the center of the “fandemonium”.  But, what can I say?  I’m hooked – no glamouring required.

Tags: eclipse, twilight, twilight moms, vampires

Yup, that’s right.  Just like The Wave at a sporting event, there’s always a creeping, moving flow to trends like animal rubber bands (a.k.a. Silly Bandz, Silly Bands, Animal Rubber Bands, Silly Shapes, Goofy Bands, Zany Shapes, etc.)  Though they have been around for a while, like a spark at a dynamite factory, the demand for this innocuous, seemingly ridiculous novelty item, has literally been spreading like wildfire.  But believe it or not, it hasn’t even made its way to some areas of the country yet.  Oh, but it will.  So if you don’t know what I’m talking about, be prepared.

Many cities have been stretched to the max (pun definitely intended) with the rubber animal, sports, snacks, princess and you name it shapes molded into thin bands which kids just can’t seem to get enough of.  Several school districts have even banned rubber band wristlets because they are such a distraction in the classroom and a source of angst and competitiveness on the playground.  But, as has always been the case (and I mean always – just ask Adam and Eve), restriction makes the “wanter” want the forbidden item even more.  And these rubber bands are no exception.

So, what’s a kid to do?  They love wearing them, but their school won’t let them!  Some parents have even put a ban on them too – a “buying ban” (I mean how many can one kid really have?).  Recently even the major news organizations have jumped in to try to answer the question like Time whose headline queries, “Silly Bandz Banned… What’s a School Kid To Do?”.  Well, have no fear, LikeWear is here!  And we have the answer to this burning question…wear your rubber bands on a t-shirt!!

LikeWear helps people to ‘wear what they like’ by creating images and in turn clothing and accessories of popular trends and things, not only relevant, but incredibly desirable to our target market.  As I write this, I don’t know of anyone else who has super-colorful, fun-shaped silhouettes on apparel besides us.  So kids everywhere can now continue to wear the bands without getting banned.  They just have to do the wearing on their chests instead of their wrists.

I’ve been doing a lot of interviews lately.  Most of the questions I’m asked, although very good ones, have been pretty much the same.  But this week during a Q&A with a blogger, I was asked something that no one had ever inquired about before:  “What was the best business decision you’ve made so far since starting LikeWear?”  My answer was spontaneous as we were on the phone and I was not prepped ahead of time with what I would be asked.  Without so much as a split second thought, my response was: “keeping my business run from my house.”

When my husband Ken reads this answer he will surely be shocked as I’m constantly complaining about how each day LikeWear seems to take over another square foot of our living space.  Not to mention the concerns I have over our lack of privacy with the parade of employees we have in and out of our front door each day.  And then there’s the havoc caused to my type A psyche with all the clutter, noise and general disarray as a natural result of so many operational functions operating out of my home sweet home.

But, the idea of moving the business out of our house into its own home, just doesn’t sit well with me right now.  We’ve been able to stay very lean and cost conscious because we don’t have additional overhead, maintenance and extra staffing to worry about, which an outside office would demand.  And yes, our in-house warehousing space is limited but it’s forced us to maintain modest inventory levels so we don’t end up with overruns and large quantities of unused merchandise at the end of each season.  And certainly, we have lots of people in and out of our house on a regular basis, but that has required us to only hire people we really trust and can rely on.  And last but definitely not least, as a mother, having my business run from my house has meant being able to physically be around for my kids.  LikeWear’s birth originated from my small time hobby and rather quickly became a part-time job which then blossomed into a full-time job and which has now evolved into what often feels like an all-the-time job.  But, I’m at home while I’m doing it.  Working “all the time” outside of the house is not something I’m mentally prepared to do at this stage.

So for now as I grumble about the chaos, clutter and claustrophobic working conditions, I’ll continue to remind myself that when it comes to running a business, for me, there’s no place like home.

Many have said that the key to success is doing what you love. And, if not love, then at least like. It really makes the “doing” part so much more enjoyable.

My initial reasons for blogging were driven by the business. It was recommended that I have a blog as a way for those potentially interested in joining my company, LikeWear (a direct sales clothing company) to “get to know me better”. And, it’s great for SEO (search engine optimization) which helps to flow traffic to our website. But as I began to blog my motivation became more selfish. This blog became a way for me to have a journal of sorts - to document my life and the trials and tribulations during the construction and growth of LikeWear. Surprisingly, as I started to get into it, blogging was a way for me to slow down my very fast world a little by focusing on some of the smaller details of my day-to-day, be they business or personal. While I’ve never thought of myself as a “writer”, blogging was something I looked forward to doing… I really enjoyed it.

I say this in the past tense because aside from my Monday Messages (weekly commentaries to our independent rep force offering sales ideas, business building suggestions and an occasional motivational thought), all the business building I was doing and all my efforts dedicated to growing LikeWear to each next level (not to mention my family life with a husband and 3 children), relegated time spent blogging to a burner so far in the back that it’s like it hasn’t even been in my kitchen. In many ways, I feel as though I’ve been mentally blogging for this past year. Though never putting my thoughts down on paper (er, on screen), I’ve gone through dozens of rough drafts in my head. But it’s not the same. Though the desire was there, making time for it wasn’t.

Blogging is like an old friend that I miss spending time with. A therapeutic “friendship” I am excited to get reacquainted with. It’s time to get back to doing more of what I love. Blog restarted. Check.

Summer is finally here!  It’s a time to hopefully relax a bit, and even if you have a job aside from LikeWear, take a break from all the sports practices, carpooling and kid chaos so that you can recharge the “mom battery” before school starts up again.  As a mom, I feel like my “year” begins when school does.  As such, I find the summer is a perfect time to not only reflect back (usually on how fast the year went by!) but also to plan ahead for what I’d like to change or do differently – and most importantly, what I’d like to accomplish – during the upcoming school year.  And the best way to accomplish something is by setting goals.  I liken goal setting to driving to a particular destination… if you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t get there.  But if you do know where you want to go, it’s pretty easy to map out some directions J.

With this in mind, I encourage all of you to join me over the next few weeks to set some goals for your LikeWear business.  Whether it’s to save enough money to pay for camp tuition for next summer, earn enough to cover a car payment each month, add 3 members to your team, use social media to drive sales to your web site, etc., I’d like to map out a plan with you to make it happen.  Communication, in any business, is so important.  We are in touch with many of you but  I’d like to be in touch with MOST of you regularly.  No pressure, of course, but over the next few weeks, Ken and I would like to try to help you turn your goals into an achievable action plan.  In other words, you tell us “what” you want to accomplish and we’ll help you to figure out “how”.  We’ve got a lot of learning as to what works best and we have some VERY exciting stuff coming for Back-To-School.

And, don’t ever feel that what you’d like to accomplish is not doable – with the right planning, it is.  I recently watched the remake of Alice in Wonderland with my kids (ya know the bizarre one with Johnny Depp) and I immediately identified with a particular line the Red Queen says to Alice: “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”.  I’ve seen the original animated version no less than 200 times as it was one of Samantha’s favorite movies when she was a toddler, but never even “heard” the line before.  I guess that’s because when she was a toddler it was hard for me to think about anything clearly before breakfast, let alone something seemingly out of reach!  But now, after starting LikeWear (a seemingly impossible business idea) and seeing exactly how many women have been positively affected and motivated by it (a still shocking number to me that grows each month), I have been forever changed to continue to not only dream up the impossible but continue to make those dreams a reality – and try to help other women to do the same.

I invite you all to join me in doing some thinking, financial planning and/or soul-searching so that when we talk we can best strategize to help you make your dreams a reality.  I look forward to talking with each of you soon (and in the meantime, don’t hesitate to call me first!).