From Mompreneur to Glammapreneur - Time Flexibility Is Always Important!

When I started my Mompreneur journey over seven years ago, I had the vision not only of having flexibility to be with my kids when they were little but also of being that grandma who could be with my grandkids at the drop of a hat, have the time to help out whenever and wherever and have the financial means to do so. This week I had the privilege of connecting with a woman who showed me exactly how wonderful that vision will be for me as she has lived it.

Dori DeCarlo and I connected through one of the various ways the universe has of bringing wonderful people into your life, a site called HARO (check it out if you haven't heard of it). Dori's Mompreneur journey began when her kids were small and she was newly divorced. She learned about a direct sales business opportunity while waiting tables and although her time and finances were limited, she knew that the time and financial flexibility were exactly what she was looking for and jumped right in.

Several years later, Columbine happened and Dori saw a great need for a full line of clear bags, backpacks for schools, sports, travel, offices and sports arenas. So what did she do? She started a product-based business. Did she have the knowledge of how to run a product-based business? Of course not! Did she let that hold her back? Absolutely not! And then, as if she wasn't busy enough, she started Word of Mom Radio, a service-based business, to give women like herself a voice. During that time, she recognized that timing wasn't right for her clear bag business, so she put it on hold. That teachable moment did not deter her, however, and she relaunched it a few years later to great success.

What is most impressive to me about Dori's entrepreneurial path is that she had a vision of a flexible life for her and her family and has not veered from that. Her lack of time, money and knowledge did not keep her from doing what she knew was right for her life vision. She started a direct sales business, she used the knowledge and training she got from that and started a product-based business, and then saw a gap for a voice for women and started a service-based business. She learned from her mistakes, persevered and has helped support and inspire so many women along the way. Throughout all of this, she has never missed a ball game with her kids and now has the flexibility to be with her grandson when she wants as well. For more of Dori's story and to hear about the benefits and challenges of her glammapreneur life, click here.

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