Parenting

MOMpreneur®, Where Two Passions Meet...

In addition to our special Parenting articles listed below, all our cover stories and many of the Q & A's contain parenting information. 

Parenting Power, Gail Bell and Julie Freedman Smith

http://www.parentingpower.ca/

Q: When and why did you start your business?

We started our business about nine years ago. We had been co-workers and friends, and had recently watched an episode of Oprah in which women had started successful businesses based on their passions. We loved the idea of working for ourselves as we knew we wanted to be at home with our children as much as possible. We knew that our strengths were in helping kids and parents with behavioural difficulties and figured out a way to make that work.

 

The moment we had the idea, the company was born. It was very exciting and has continued to be. We started slowly and grew the business on a very part-time basis. Four years later, and some children later, when our youngest kids were each one, we started in a more determined way and have never looked back.

 

Q: Has it been hard working in a partnership? Any tips to offer other women considering doing the same?

Our partnership works well because we share the same values. We knew from the start that we wanted to be moms first and business people second. We have different strengths and they compliment each other really well. One thing we have learned through our partnership is this: you are basically getting married to your business partner (without the sex, of course). You must put your trust in this person – you share a bank account, you share the reputation of your business. You are together for the good and the bad, in sickness and in health. We are very fortunate because we have an extremely solid friendship, which is much more important to us than the business is. We are brutally honest with each other and expect the same in return. It is wonderful having two of us because we share the excitement and the angst. We bounce ideas off of each other constantly and keep each other in check. However, if you are considering a partnership with someone and you can’t trust them or don’t want to “marry” them, they might not be the right person.

 

Q: As parenting consultants who are often in the public eye, is it ever embarrassing when your child has a meltdown in the supermarket? Do you ever lose your cool?

Initially it was very embarrassing. But when we started this company, we agreed that we would never put pressure on our kids to have to be perfect. We know that our kids’ behaviour is not a reflection of us as parents. What truly reflects on us as parents is our behaviour in response to the child’s misbehaviour. So, as a parent, if I don’t want to be embarrassed, I have to respond to my kids with respect whether things are working well or are going down hill. I can only control my own behaviour. Thankfully, we have a lot of tools in our back pocket!

 

Julie: Do I do it right every time? NO! I lose my cool at home quite a bit. Everyone does. When we work with parents, we help them to see that there are no perfect parents. If you are losing your cool over the same thing every day, then it is time to make a change. That’s what we help parents to do – Parent with a Plan.

 

Q: What have been some of your biggest challenges, some of your largest successes?

One of the greatest challenges has been the feeling that we will miss a wave that could be great for our company, but knowing we had to turn it down because of our commitment to our families. The great thing about waves is that they keep coming, so we wait for the next one and climb on when we can. We have said ‘no’ to a lot of opportunities, and that was hard. But if we were staying up all night working, our health would suffer, as would our relationships.

 

Another challenge is finding time to do what needs to get done and not getting too stressed by everything. We work together to support each other through this and we are constantly learning new ways to be more efficient and to simplify the entire process.

We have had so many successes and we are so grateful for that. We have daily successes as we help parents to feel confident, capable and calm. It is such a great feeling knowing that we have helped a couple feel like they have hope for the future. We are so lucky to be able to feel those successes on a regular basis.

 

Our husbands are a huge part of our success. They have never pushed us to do more, nor said that we are doing to much. They each have different areas of expertise and share them with us to help the business grow. This year marks a huge milestone for us. Those little babies who were the impetus for us to start our company and stay at home have now entered full time school. We did it! We helped others, grew our business, and were home for our kids a lot of the time. Thankfully, we had a ton of help from our parents who are involved in their grandchildren’s lives and have been so all along.

Q: That milestone – having all of your children in school full-time – is a dream for the rest of us still with preschoolers. How has that been? Has your business plan changed?

It has been exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The magical freedom has not really arrived or doesn’t feel like freedom. Gail and I really valued the time we had with our kids and we always encourage parents not to wish their preschoolers’ lives away because that time is so special. Each of our kids loves school, and it is great to see them knowing that they are capable. We do have time to do more work, but we also have more volunteer time, more hockey time, etc., so we are really working at being flexible. That’s why we started to work for ourselves in the first place.

 

Julie: I am trying to find a way to be flexible each day and to be sure that I am allotting time for myself, my husband, my kids, my friends, volunteering, creativity, housework and Parenting Power. That carves up the day into some pretty tiny pieces, but it is refreshing to see that I am able to do it and that each day it might take a different shape. It’s a work in progress.

 

Gail: Our business continues to evolve. We are in the process of rebranding our company and have begun work on a book. We are expanding our parenting philosophy and refining our message. The new opportunities coming our way are very exciting!

Q: What are your plans for Parenting Power for the next five years?

We have learned so much from this company and from each other, and we know that we want to keep learning. As our kids grow, we will spend more time speaking nationally and internationally; continuing to coach parents individually and through TV and radio. We will continue to support parents in raising independent, responsible individuals, capable of living meaningful and fulfilling lives. We will spread the message that there is more than one right way to parent, and simplify the ability for parents to feel confident, capable and calm.

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