Winners of the Winter 2019 High Five Grant for Moms

We are pleased to announce Laura Borsky, a mother of two boys and owner of SaferSit, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the $5,000 grant winner for the Winter 2019 High Five Grant for Moms competition.

A Judging Panel of seasoned executives selected Laura as one of eight finalists out of 175 applicants. In the second phase of the competition, out of more than 4,600 total, her business received 1,503 votes.

Laura not only receives the $5,000 grant, she also will be sent to Mama Spring Break, a business and adventure retreat for mom business owners to learn in workshops, valuable business coaching, a $100 gift card from the grant sponsor, Belly Bandit, and a promotional interview on Talk Radio NYC.

More about SaferSit

SaferSit serves busy parents who need reliable childcare with just the push of a button. SaferSit is an on-demand service that connects highschool and college students with babysitting jobs in their area. 

More than 1,500 families have used the service, and SaferSit has over 100 5-star reviews on Facebook from moms. The company has booked over 10,000 jobs since starting in 2016. 

”We are the only child care service that background checks both the parent and the sitter making it safe for both parties,” Laura says. “We are also the only service that is started by a mom and a sitter so that our team understands both sides of our business.”

The future of SaferSit

"We are planning to expand to multiple cities in 2019,” says Laura. “We have hired "mom managers" in Louisville and Lexington and hope to add a note tracking system for parents to communicate needs and allergies with their sitter.”

In her application, Laura wrote that she plans to use the $5,000 grant to add the notes system to the SaferSit app so that the sitter can have more safety information and the parent would be able to trust the service even more. This note system will include emergency contact info, allergy info, and additional notes. 

First Runner Up - Lion Latch

Lerin Jane Lockwood, mama of a two-year-old daughter who lives in Burnet, Texas, owns Lion Latch. Her invention, Lion Latch is a small container that does not come unscrewed, to store wedding rings on-the-go, earrings, necklaces, pills, and hearing aids.

After knocking out the diamond in her engagement ring while playing softball, she knew she needed a solution. “I want to help more people prevent losing the jewelry they love! Jewelry is so sentimental, and can be passed down generations. You don't realize how much you love it until it's missing/damaged.”

After creating her own solution, others wanted one too. She raised $14,000 on KickStarter to have her invention manufactured. She’s shipped over 10,000 Lion Latches and recently received a call from Good Morning America. See how to protect your jewelry on the go at www.lionlatch.com.

Second Runner Up - EATABLE Inc

Mother of one, Charlene Li, co-founded EATABLE with her husband in 2018. Based in Ontario, Canada, EATABLE creates luxurious, refined snacking experiences for millennials and the young professional demographic who values quality and unique experiences. Their 100% all-natural gourmet popcorn features alcohol-infused flavors inspired by classic cocktails, wine, and spirits.

“The mission behind EATABLE is to create products that are part of people’s everyday celebrations,” says Charlene. “Whether you’re celebrating everyday wins at the office, at a gathering with friends, or spending quality family time at home, we want our products to be a reminder to celebrate those everyday wins, big or small. We are looking to partner with local charitable organizations that promote self-love and personal achievement.”

Pop over to www.eatable.com to find creative new flavors for your #everydaywins.

High Five Grant at Mama Spring Break

The Mama Ladder, in partnership with sponsor Belly Bandit, will award a giant check to Laura at Mama Spring Break this March (and a bank-friendly-size too!) at a special awards luncheon. We welcome mom entrepreneurs to join us and climb to greater heights in your business. 

Why It's Time to Pay Yourself In Your Business

I know too many women who don't pay themselves in their business. 

So today's message is my declaration: You absolutely deserve to pay yourself, and if you are your own boss, IT IS YOUR JOB.

Otherwise, you've got an expensive hobby. 

You see, hobbies don't pay you. Business does.

Being compensated is not selfish. It’s actually loving yourself enough to recognize what your ideas, effort, and creative energy are worth.

If you’re not paying yourself yet in your business, read on for why you need to start … this month.

Why entrepreneurs don’t pay themselves

The reason you’re likely not paying yourself is fear of not having enough in your business. Maybe you’ve been told that sacrifice is the only way to make it as a startup. Maybe someone advised you to wait until you have a certain amount in your business bank account--and then it’s safe to pay yourself. Any of these sound familiar?

Fear of scarcity and limiting beliefs around money are a very real thing. Holding on tight to every dollar and cent that comes into your business might seem like the logical thing to do, especially according to an accountant, but it can actually do damage to your mental power and how you see yourself as a business owner.

The fearful action of not allowing yourself to be paid is the opposite of abundance mentality, or the belief that there will always be enough. And the truth is, when we allow ourselves to receive, we open the door to receiving more.

Do other founders pay themselves in the lean, early years?

While I can’t speak for all start-up founders out there, I do have a mentor who shared with me the details behind his seriously successful entrepreneur story. I wrote his biography and learned about how he approached his own compensation wisely and with a long-term vision in mind.

The outsourced marketing and sales company he started grew slowly, despite his valiant efforts to scale. It took time, persistence, and conservative protection of funds. In the first two years he only took home $5,000 to support his wife and six kids. They lived on food storage and hand-me-down clothes. But you know what? He had a vision, and grew that company to be $200-million+ revenue business with thousands of employees around the world, still thriving 30 years after he started it.

Let’s break this down: The first years were rough. Really rough. He hardly took home anything. His family didn’t make much to live on. But he did take SOMETHING home! And that something grew and grew, until it was much more than where he started.

Why you need to pay yourself, starting TODAY

Whether you have a desperate need for funds in your family finances or you can hold out for years, you need to be compensated for the work you’re doing in business.

There’s something really important that happens in your head when you pay yourself. By cashing in that paycheck, you are declaring in a physical way:

• I am a real business owner

• I am making money

• I value my time

• I am rewarded for the efforts I’m making

• I welcome money into my life and invite more!

These messages are really, really important because they empower you to make MORE money. The truth is business is mostly a mental game, and paying yourself is one way to increase your capacity to attract more of what you want.

So whether you feel comfortable paying yourself $25, $2,500, or $25,000, I invite you to set up a recurring payment through your bank. Within the next six months, mark my words, you will start seeing more money flow into your business. Then it will be time to give yourself a raise!

Want to make more money in less time? I’d love to help you. My passion is passing forward what I’ve learned in my six-figure business to other mom entrepreneurs. Reach out to me for 1:1 PowerStep Sessions™ here and I’ll help you take power steps towards your business dreams in ways that fit your family.

Interview on Plaid Radio: Why I traded the corporate ladder for The Mama Ladder™

After several good years in the corporate world, when my first baby came along, I felt super torn. I'd worked hard at my career, earned a master's degree, won international awards for my work ... but this new precious person was (and still is) my proudest achievement. I refused to miss her babyhood.

Although I'd negotiated to work from home two days a week (thanks to a great manager), I felt constantly torn between being an employee and being a mom. I wanted to make a change, but wasn't sure how. Sometimes when we deeply desire something, surprise doors open.

I was unexpectedly laid off, due to corporate downsizing.

My girl was one and I was 15 weeks pregnant with my second baby at the time. Fast forward a year later, after having my baby, chipping away at self-doubt, changing my mindset, investing in mentors/training, and taking bold action ... I got a business license.

Now, instead of climbing a complicated, full-time corporate ladder, I’ve created my own ladder that fits my mamahood. My talented team of writers and I help remarkable people and organizations tell their story. We have a lot of freedom to work when and how we want, and deliver high-quality content for our growing list of world-class clients.

Listen to my recent interview on Plaid Radio to hear: 

• How I work less, enjoy better compensation, AND enjoy the privilege of motherhood
• My daily mamapreneur routine and why it makes me so happy
• What I tell myself when things get tough in business (spoiler alert: it happens!)
• My experience working with a business partner
• Why shifting from employee to business owner puts you in the power seat

The Mama Ladder™ International is all about mamas helping mamas. Want help translating your corporate world skills into your own business? Let's connect.

Much love, 

Crystalee

On being BOLD as a Mamapreneur: Lessons from a Tech Summit

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY YOU MEET SOMEONE WHO’S TRANSFORMED AN IDEA INTO A $1.8 BILLION BUSINESS.

Earlier this year I did, and we shook hands.

Josh James, Founder and CEO of Domo, gave me a compliment every female entrepreneur wants to hear. Here's what he said and what I learned from it.

We were at the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit, a two-day event for Utah’s booming technology industry. The inaugural event was held at The Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, and nearly 5,000 attendees heard from tech and business experts. 

I walked in wearing an emerald green dress and new boots, ready to find new clients. I came prepared, with a curated target list of potential clients and business cards at the ready. I told myself, “I’m getting three new clients out of this. Ready, go!” 

Looking at the crowd, I’d guess only 1 in 10 were women.

THE PERK OF BEING A GAL IN A SEA OF DARK-SUITED MEN IS YOU STAND OUT. WITH THE GOAL OF MEETING NEW CLIENTS, I DIDN’T MIND BEING NOTICED.

In my first five minutes there, I practically bumped into Domo’s Josh James, a visionary business leader who took his company from inception to IPO to $1.8B sale. I knew his face from Twitter and had seen him in the news. He's something of a legend in Utah. Later that day I would see him on the main stage, interviewing the President of Pandora, but this was our 10 seconds together. I wasn’t going to miss it.

“Oh, it’s you. Hi, Josh James. I'm Crystalee,” I said, trying to sound brave as I extended my hand. 

“Well, that’s a bold dress,” he smiled at me.

It was such a simple sentence, but I walked away feeling as if he’d handed me a $100 bill.

How’d he know that’s the word I was going for?

BOLD.

That interaction spurred me to approach a CEO of another big company, one on my target list, letting him know about my services. I passed my card out to potential collaborators, clients, and old friends. It felt good.

More than a year in, business ownership is still a brave new world for me, but I believe in being fearless, even when fear may be bubbling under the surface. I believe we’re stronger than what frightens us. I believe that conquering fear is where the real fun starts in life.

Last year I decided I was done with letting fear stand in my way. It was time to spread my entrepreneurial wings.

 Letting go of fear leaves a wide open space for freedom. I’ve never been more excited about my work. I wake up on Mondays looking forward to helping my clients. I love what I do. I love the challenge of learning new things, the variety in my schedule, and living on my terms. I love that because I manage my time and talents, my kids get the best of me.

BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR HAS LIT A FIRE THAT LIGHTS UP ALL SORTS OF SPACES IN MY SOUL.

By no means do I have business ownership all figured out. I'm making mistakes and learning new things every day. I think that's part of the fun.

I DO believe in myself and my ability to help others creatively tell their story. I do this through the written word and strategic celebratory events. I feel confident about that, and others are noticing. Even a billion-dollar-company leader. 

So that’s the lesson for the business-owning ladies out there:

BE BOLD, GIRL.

Dress the part. Act the part. Show up like you mean it. Fake it for now if you have to.

You got this. And know that you don’t always need to feel bold. Sometimes it’s scary starting a business. We wrote an eBook to help you with that! Check it out here.