Millionaire Moms: The Art of Raising a Business and a Family at the Same Time

Millionaire Moms: The Art of Raising a Business and a Family at the Same Time

by Joyce Bone
Millionaire Moms: The Art of Raising a Business and a Family at the Same Time

Millionaire Moms: The Art of Raising a Business and a Family at the Same Time

by Joyce Bone

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Overview

An Entrepreneur is Born!
Do you need flexibility to raise your children and income for the family budget? Tired of saying "No" to your family because of finances? Do you desire more out of your life? Thirty five millionaire moms share their secrets on how to:
* Leverage resources to finance a business.
* Tame your day in order to juggle business and family life.
* Gain business advice and learn what successful millionaire moms wished they had known when they started their companies.
* Realize why it's critical to be financially independent, even if happily married.
* Determine your motivation for starting a business in the first place.
* Conquer fear and master the little voice in your head.
* Master key personality traits necessary to create a successful business and home.
* Strategize your plan for an exciting future!
Is it possible for an average woman to be a prosperous business woman and an outstanding mom at the same time? The answer is YES! Enter the exciting world of millionaire moms and prepare to create your ideal life. Not only will you be inspired by these women's experiences, you will be equipped to move forward toward your dream life.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781600376924
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Publication date: 03/01/2010
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

JOYCE BONE is a nationally recognized expert in entrepreneurship and founder of www.millionairemoms.com. At the age of 28 she went rom stay-at-home mom to cofounder of a $125 million dollar publicity traded company, with only a $10,000.00 investment. Read Millionaire Moms to follow her path of success!

 

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Who Is Joyce Bone?

Nature vs. Nurture

As the founder of MillionaireMoms.com, I am often asked to speak to groups. Those in the audience typically want to know, "How'd you do that?" in response to hearing how I grew a company so quickly and took it public. After all, I was a stay at home mom with very limited resources. People want to know what the formula for success is. To answer that question, I am going to tell you the whole story. I think it will shed light in a way that a sound-bite, 30-minute speech never could. Thank you for taking an interest in this book and my life. After reading my story, I hope you will see "life happens." There is no one who escapes unscathed, but in the end, that's ok. What we struggle with ultimately adds to the richness and quality of life's tapestry. My message to you is be strong, believe in yourself and make things happen! I believe we are products of our environment rather than beings predestined by genetics. The great news is that environments can be changed and results altered. My goal is to empower you to have the confidence to go after your dreams! It is time for everyone to be valued for what they can contribute instead of stereotyped and dismissed. All it takes is belief in oneself and creating a network of support along the way. That is the purpose of Millionaire Moms: to have a landing pad for everyone to get together, because great ideas spread.

I come from an Irish-Catholic family of eight. I had a mom and dad, three sisters and two brothers. My dad was born into a family with eight kids. He had a tough but loving upbringing and raised us the same way. He was "the word" in our house. I'd describe him as a loving but strict task master. It was made clear early on there would be no free rides in our house. There was no room for laziness. It was out of bed early, off to school and then work. I remember falling asleep in class often. I went to school, played varsity basketball after class, then would head off for a shift as a waitress until 11 p.m. or later, then homework when I got home. I paid the price during the day.

My math teacher, Mr. Hobbs, was a lovely old Southern gentleman. His class happened to fall right after lunch. His room had no air-conditioning. I sat next to the window. The Georgia sun would warm my skin, and I often dozed. I fell asleep every day in his class. Instead of admonishing or ridiculing me, he'd gently shake my shoulder and say, "Wake up Sleeping Beauty. It's time for you to learn some math." I would wake up to see his face smiling down on mine. My math angel. I have been blessed with loving role models in my life: loving parents, teachers and my coaches.

My father insisted I learn how to change the oil in the car and change a tire. I remember painting the outside of the house with him. I used to complain, arguing I'd have boyfriends and a husband to do this work for me. He wanted his daughters to be independent. The day before I got married he asked me to scrub down the outside of the house with bleach. I said, "No way! I'll ruin my nails and it will get in my hair!" His response? "Fine, if you don't want the house to look nice then don't do it." I have always adored him in spite of his hard driving ways. I remember being three years old trying to decide if I should marry my dad or my dog when I grew up. I certainly inherited my father's work-horse nature.

My mom had it tough growing up. Her answer was to join a convent for five years. She was three months away from being ordained a nun when she changed her mind. She felt the nuns lived "too high on the hog." She is the least materialistic person I've ever met. Her rock is her relationship with Jesus. She decided she wanted to have a big family and raise them in a loving home. She accomplished her goal. It hasn't always been pretty, but we've stuck together through thick and thin.

She was the opposite of my dad. She couldn't do enough for us. We could do no wrong in her eyes. I remember I backed into a car a week after getting my license. I gave the lady my insurance information. I was too afraid to tell my parents, so I didn't. That night at dinner the phone rang. My stomach fell to the floor. I heard her saying, "Oh, no, this must be a mistake ... my daughter would NEVER back into a Mercedes." She'd defend us to the death.

Another time I did something dumb and said, "I am so stupid!!" My mother got upset and said, "You are NOT stupid. You are smart. Take it back!" We proceeded to have an argument as to whether I was smart or stupid. I argued that what I had done was dumb. She maintained I was smart. We went back and forth until I thought about the situation and started laughing. I decided to let her win that one! I liked her side of the argument better.

Dad lost his job in the early 80's. This was the first taste of downsizing, and at the time we had no idea it was the start of a trend. Things got tough. We had no heat in the house. I used to get dressed in front of the kitchen oven because it was so cold everywhere else. Our TV broke and we went without one for a year. There were no funds to fix it, so we all got used to reading books. We did, however, ride to church on Sundays in a limo! That's right, a limo. One of my dad's temporary jobs while looking for longterm work was as a limo driver. I thought that was big fun!

Rooting for the Underdog

I think of myself as an even-tempered person unless someone backs me into a corner or attacks my family or friends. I always stick up for the underdog and cannot tolerate bullies.

In kindergarten I got sent to the principal's office for beating up a third grader. My older sister was getting her butt kicked by this girl on the way home from school. She was sitting on top of her, pounding her face in. I warned her to get off, but she didn't listen. I guess she was having too much fun wailing on my sister. I felled her with one swift knock to the head with my Raggedy Ann & Andy lunch box. They were made with metal in those days. She ran home crying. Of course, we didn't say a word about it at home. I was sent to the principal's office the next morning. He had a soft spot for me. I told him my side of the story. He just winked and with a smile told me not to beat up the older kids anymore.

The next year, another kid was picking on my older brother, so I laid in wait in the bushes for him with my sister. As he rode by on his bicycle, I took a big stick and plunged it into the spokes of his front wheel. The bike completely stopped and he went flying. I called him a nasty name and told him to stay away from my brother (or else!). We got in big trouble for that one!

My career as a little stinker didn't stop there. I had a really mean third-grade teacher who used to hit us with a xylophone stick. My mom gave me some candy to give her for Christmas. I had a pet goose named Gary. I decided to exchange her gift of candy for an envelope full of goose poop. I ate the candy walking to school that morning, then placed the wet envelope full of goose crap on her desk. I got away with it, and to this day it still makes me smile!

As I grew, I stopped being physical with people. This doesn't mean, however, that I back down from a bully when challenged. When I ran EarthCare-the company we took public-I quickly found out there were some industry practices that were, in my opinion, unethical. Our corporate protocol was to correct the inconsistencies immediately upon purchase, which we did.

I had a competitor who knew what the industry practices and standards were but wasn't aware that we had policies in place to correct the situation. He set up a meeting with me and my Operations guy. I thought it was a "friendly" meeting to see if we could create synergies and develop a relationship.

Instead, he sat across from me and threatened if we didn't use his services he would "expose" me to the media. I couldn't believe it! He was threatening me. I stood up, leaned across his desk and got right up close to his face said, "Screw you, A___hole. Bring it on!" turned on my heels and walked out. My Operations guy was dying laughing and said, "Dang woman. I didn't know you had that in you! That was awesome!"

I have other stories of people trying to push me around in business and in life. The point is, don't let anyone do that to you. A bully is a bully no matter what the situation. The only way to deal with them is head on. If you call them out into the light, they quickly deflate and go scurrying back to the shadows.

A Desire to Succeed

Reminiscing again on my youth, my drive to be financially independent reaches all the way back to the seventh-grade field trip to Washington, D.C. All my friends got to go. I wanted to go very badly but pretended I didn't because of the money and my parents' situation. I watched my friends climb on board the big bus with their pillows, all excited about the upcoming adventure. My father let us know that money didn't grow on trees. "No" seemed to be his favorite word. Eventually, I knew the answer before I asked it, so I stopped asking.

I was a very good athlete, but it was rare for anyone to show up to watch. It never really bothered me. I played sports for the sheer love of the game. As an adult I realize how important it is for children to see that their parents are interested in their lives. By attending their events, parents speak volumes. By not attending their events, we still speak volumes.

If I wanted something I knew if it was meant to be it was up to me! I bought my first car at 16 years old for $300.00. A chocolate brown 1974 Buick LaSabre — big as a city block. It was a proud moment I shared with my younger brother. We went joyriding all over our hometown. The car stopped about two hours later. We sat there scratching our heads. I just knew I had been ripped off! A man pulled over to help us. He asked, "What happened?" I said, "I don't know. It just stopped." He sniffed around a bit and said, "Your problem is you are out of gas." "Oh." It was here that I learned owning material possessions creates ancillary expenses ... like gas! That put a quick end to our joyriding ways.

I surrounded myself with friends and was overall a happy kid. I'm naturally optimistic. I do remember feeling like a loner even in the middle of a group of friends. That might have been teenage angst or it might have been I felt different because my friends were carefree with little responsibilities to be concerned with. As the middle kid I ducked attention at home, preferring to do my own thing with friends. As a result, I've made some big mistakes (and continue to make them), but overall I'm satisfied that more good decisions than bad have been made to date.

College Coed

I ended up attending three different colleges before graduating from one of them. I didn't even bother applying until my friends started leaving for their universities late in the summer after our senior year of high school. I figured I might as well go too. I was almost stopped before I started when I was asked to produce immunization records. I knew I had it done. I recalled the shots hurting. Tracking down the records, however, was going to be a major headache. I read the school's policy on it. I caught a little loophole that said, "Christian Scientist exempt from submitting records." I converted on the spot and got out of tracking down records. I've always struggled following rules except those I made myself!

I spent a year at my first school and decided it was time to move on. I told my guidance counselor I was going to "Dayton." I grew up in the South. I tend to drop letters off the end of words. I guess this translated to "Datin'." He said, "Excuse me for sticking my nose in where it might not belong but I would imagine a pretty and intelligent girl like you could go on dates and attend college at the same time." I started laughing. I replied, "That would be University of Dayton."

I left with a student loan and $30 for gas to Dayton, Ohio and nothing else. I had no food budget, no cute dorm accessories, nothing. My carefully laid plan had backfired. For my high school graduation my dad had bought me a car for which I was supposed to pay him back. Fifteen months later I hadn't. My game plan had been to sell the car and use the funds to pay for my food, books and entertainment needs at school. It all worked perfectly. I sold the car right before I left. That morning I asked for the check. My dad said, "What check?" I knew there was trouble with his opening statement. I also knew my father. I was out of luck. He wasn't going to back down.

I walked out of the house miffed. I managed to hit my head on a bee's nest in the magnolia tree next to the driveway and get stung a few times. I hopped into the car and said, "Let's get out of here!" I watched my mom wave goodbye, happy to be free at last!

Fast forward a few hours and I was now an Ohio resident. I got a job as a bartender that same day. My cousin went to school there too. He couldn't believe I landed one of the coveted college bartending jobs two hours after arriving in town. He said he applied there every year for three years. He wanted to know how I did it. I said, "Well, I had my tank top and shorts on. I walked in and asked "Are y'all hiring?" They asked if I could start the following afternoon at 4 p.m. That pretty much did it. Mystery solved.

Friends used to sneak me sandwiches and that's how I ate ... that and ramen noodles. Yuck! Bartending took care of the social side and afforded book money so I was set. I did wish I had a meal plan but never dwelled on it. I was happy to be free!

My roommate came from one of those "Ozzie & Harriett" families. She had framed pictures of her family smiling on vacation in some fabulous destination. I remember looking at the photos wistfully. I decided that's how my family would be when I started my own.

Seeing the Future

The same weekend I sold my car was the weekend I met my future husband. It was 30 days before I left for Ohio. He is five years older than I. At that point, I was a girl and he was "a man." I never thought it would last when I left for school. I was raised to be realistic. He was a grown man with a life. I was a coed leaving for a school eight hours away. This was pre-email when you didn't call anyone until after 11 p.m. when the rates dropped.

I told him to date other people and I'd see him at Christmas. He didn't like that so much. He made me choose him or the other guys on the spot. I liked his moxy. He was the first guy to draw a line in the sand and stand up to me. He really was a man. He knew what he wanted and he wasn't playing games.

I thought it would fizzle out but agreed to his terms. He knew I would float away given my earlier comments and social nature. He made it a point to put his face in front of mine every two weeks. He drove 16 hours round trip twice a month for the entire year so I wouldn't give up on us. I ended up transferring back to Kennesaw State University in Georgia to spare him all that travel. There is a business lesson here ... to quote Sandra Yancey from eWomenNetwork, "Put your face in the place and be seen on scene" if you want to make things happen or close a deal. Otherwise, you will be forgotten.

I say my husband "picked me" and that was that. He was there for me in the early years. When I returned from college I needed a car. My priest at church had one for sale for $2,000. I had to get a loan, and my dad refused to cosign. Alan cosigned for me even though we were only dating at the time. We have walked the same road for more than half my life now. We have been through a lot together, both happy and hurtful. His belief in me and loyalty to me have never wavered. I'm not the easiest person in the world to be married to. But then again, neither is he! That's a long-term marriage though. Forgive and forget and be mindful of each other's core needs. We learned that the hard way, but better late than never! I think people who put their faith in a higher power as front and center instead of themselves fare better in life and marriage. I'm still working on that.

I ended up renting a three bedroom house by myself, paying for college and my car. I paid off the University of Dayton school loan from my year away. I paid for my wedding. I never relied on the traditional support system of family. I was quite independent. Life was easy breezy. We were young and in love. It was a good time of life.

(Raymond) Cash is King

My first exposure to a successful entrepreneur came as a result of a modeling job. I met my mentor, Raymond Cash, at a fundraiser at which I was hired to work.

We hit it off, and I ended up working full time for him during the day while attending college full time at night. This intense schedule taught me the power of focus. I went from earning average grades to getting straight A's my last two years because I was forced to apply myself due to time constraints.

I watched Raymond build and sell three businesses and make a fortune doing it. He'd build then sell to national consolidators. It is this business model we ultimately replicated in a different, yet similar, industry.

(Continues…)


Excerpted from "Millionaire Moms"
by .
Copyright © 2010 Joyce Bone.
Excerpted by permission of Morgan James Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Foreword Chilli Thomas vii

Treasure Hunt on the Millionaire Moms Website xi

Chapter 1 Who is Joyce Bone? 1

Word Bank Puzzle 27

Chapter 2 Motivation 29

Thought Generator: Motivation 40

Chapter 3 Overcoming Fear 41

Word Picture Jumble 52

Chapter 4 Time Management 53

Before & After Game 76

Chapter 5 Business Advice 77

Thought Generator: Business Advice 106

Chapter 6 What I Wish I Knew Then That I Know Now 107

APCO Worldwide Margery Kraus 107

Jordan Essentials Nancy Bogart 110

Speakers' Spotlight Farah Perelmuter 113

eWomenNetwork.com Sandra Yancey 116

Nadja Foods Nadja Piatka 118

Tennessee Bun Company Cordia Harrington 119

(NJ) Goldston, The UXB Nancy Jane 121

Innovative Stone Karen Pearse 123

Essential Wholesale Kayla Fioravanti 127

Jazzercise, Inc Judi Sheppard Missett 130

Enjoy the City Anne Stanton 132

Kennedy Creative Natalie Kennedy 134

Path Forward International Julie Lenzer Kirk 135

Proteus International Erika Andersen 139

Qtags & The Platform Group Allison Gower 141

The Valerie Fitzgerald Group Valerie Fitzgerald 143

The Dynamic Diva Elon Bomani 145

Women Presidents' Organization Marsha Firestone 148

Serious Matchmaking, Inc Janis Spindell 150

TableTopics, Inc Cristy Clarke 151

Ignite/Stream Energy Terry Wille 152

Saturday Morning Success Series Kristi Frank 154

Conclusion 157

Joyce Bone's Contact Info 158

Power Word Find 159

Bonus: Health & Fitness Tips 160

Health & Fitness: One Word Game 164

Answers to all the Games 166

Next Steps 169

Author's Note: Non-profits 173

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