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 ®

I don’t golf.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  I have golfed about 18 holes total in my life.  And most of those were at night under the cover of darkness—but that’s a different story.   The point I am trying to make here is golf comes in handy for business.

Since I am not an avid golfer, I had to be a bit more creative when it comes to the art of the deal. Turns out a lot of women don’t golf.  However, we all have feet, and most love getting pedicures.   And that is how I got my foot in the door…

I have brokered many a deal over the pedicure bowl.   Whenever I have a really tough negotiation I head to the spa.  After a nice lunch, stop by the salon and while your chatting away with your captive audience (she can’t go anywhere without her shoes) you have the perfect opportunity to make your pitch.

Society may still be much more okay with guys heading out of the office for the links than with women heading out for a round of pedicures. However, when it comes to getting the deal done, I think red wins out over the greens!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

They say the first step is admitting you have a problem… My name is Lisa, I am a multi-tasker.  Is there a rushing rehab? A retreat for multi-tasking mavens?  Or do you just have to go cold turkey?

I have taken multi-tasking to new and embarrassing heights.  I knew something had to give the day my daughter discovered me getting ready one morning with a blow dryer in one hand, iphone in the other and my laptop on the counter.  The look of horror on her face told me reviewing spread sheets, conducting a conference call and drying my hair simultaneously was not normal. I decided enough was enough, and I was actually going to make changes.

They say if you want something done, give to a busy woman. Well, let’s stop saying that!

Women can do it all, and far too often we do. I have learned to delegate, and learned to say no–the hardest thing for women to do.

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

Soon Moms across the land will be waking up to receive their Mother’s Day gifts.  I can’t help but  smile when I think back over all the years of finger paint art and sticky pancakes in bed.

I recently read that 91% of Moms would rather get an iPad than flowers this year.  While I highly doubt many Moms will be asking for a spendy iPad, I do think the article was spot on about just how few Moms really want flowers.

In lieu of expensive electronics here is a run down of what Mom’s are probably getting and what they might actually like instead…

The new Mom who hasn’t slept in months is probably getting roses.  What she’d really like is a long leisurely bath and an even longer nap.

The Mother of toddlers is probably getting a bathrobe from her kids.  What she’d really like is her own time out – tell her she is going to be sent to her room alone for the day and she will jump for joy!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention.   I want to honor some of our unsung sheros who invented things we use everyday.

Marion Donovan was a young mother in the post-war baby boom era. Tired of the leaky cloth diapers she invented the disposable diaper. Marion made her first prototype using a shower curtain.

Manufactures said Marion Donovan’s product wouldn’t work. Undeterred, Marion went into business for herself.  Many years later she was able to sell her business for $1 million dollars.

Next time it rains you might find yourself thinking of May Anderson.  Back in 1903 she was granted her first patent for a window-cleaning device that could clean rain, sleet or snow from a windshield using a handle inside the car.  By 1916 windshield wipes became standard equipment on all cars.

Bette Nesmith Graham is one of my favorite stories.  She never intended to be an inventor; she wanted to be an artist.  After World War II ended, she was a single mother with a child to support.  As an executive secretary she took great pride in her work, and sought a better way to correct typing errors. She recalled that artists simply painted over their mistakes, so why couldn’t she?

Bette used tempera water based paint and colored it to match the stationery she was using.  With a small watercolor brush she dabbed that on any typing mistakes she made.  He boss never noticed.  Soon another secretary saw the new invention and wanted a bottle.  She called it “Mistake Out”.

In 1956 Bette started her homed based business, Mistake Out, which she later renamed, Liquid Paper. By 1967 it was a multi-million company. Bette Nesmith Graham believed money to be a tool, not a solution to a problem. Graham sold her corporation for $47.5 million. She set up two foundations to help women find new ways to earn a living.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

I just heard that internet searches for “spring cleaning” are up over 183%.  I am not surprised.    I think a lot of us are ready for a fresh start.  And our closet is a great place to begin!

I’m a gal that loves order and organization. For me the bliss of spring cleaning is not just about getting to organize my home, but also donating the things we don’t need. I am a firm believer that as we let go of the old, we open the door to receive the new. Try giving away things with an abundant attitude and watch what happens!

Whenever I clean out my closet I do so with a happy heart, because I know each and every piece of clothing and pair of shoes is going to be put to good use.  No need to cringe when deciding whether or not to give up that perfectly new sweater you never wear.  Find a great charity in your area and spread the joy.

Free yourself of old baggage—literally and figuratively—that may be hanging around in your closets.  I promise you’ll find it liberating!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®

Several years ago I was talking with a woman I considered invincible. She was an athlete, a woman who ran marathons, went backpacking alone, and climbed mountains most of us only view from the ground. I was telling her how much I envied her courage and lack of fear. She looked at me and smiled, and then told me something I have never forgotten; she was afraid too.

It was an amazing revelation to me. The people we admire for daring such courageous feats are really no different than us. The difference isn’t that they aren’t afraid and we are–the difference is that they move forward anyway.

I keep this quote hanging on my bulletin board, “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.” Audre Lorde.

Go ahead dare to be powerful!

Lisa Hammond
The Barefoot CEO ®