Wake Up Call

My first born has reached a modern milestone in her adolescence. She has been waiting for this event to happen for over a year now ever since the first of her friends got it. She hasn’t wiped the smile off of her face (despite the solid attempts by her brother!). Her day has finally come… she got a cell phone!

Who’s going to break the news to the “lovie lamb” she’s been inseparable from since birth that she’s been replaced by a new ringing, beeping, bleeping metal security object? My baby is all grown up. She was furiously texting friends and family alerting them of the breaking news in her new tongue: “BTW, I got a phone. LOL. G2G. TTYL.” I always hoped she would be bilingual – this isn’t what I had in mind.

Morally, I’ve been reluctant to the idea of kids (particularly mine) with cell phones. Then again, our kids today are exposed and vulnerable to many scary and potentially dangerous situations and events that simply didn’t exist years ago. The world is a different place. It makes my daughter feel mature and important to have a cell phone. And it makes my husband and I feel a bit more comfortable and secure knowing that when she is not with us, if she needs us, we are only a speed dial away.

Increased Challenges

LikeWear is a direct sales company. Our goal is to provide moms with a fun, flexible and financially rewarding career opportunity. But just because we are offering it, doesn’t mean we’ll have any takers.

We have just begun to advertise and allow additional reps to join us. We have held our team of independent sales representatives at a steady number for the past year. We did this so that we could get a handle on our order processing, manufacturing/fulfillment and management techniques (amongst about 100 other things!). In a very short time period, we’ve had a fantastic response! We’ve worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get the business to this point. It is so rewarding, gratifying and inspiring to find other women (most total strangers) who are kindred spirits in that they seek satisfaction in their lives not only as moms but also on a career level.

As our rep base increases, so do the challenges that LikeWear faces. But knowing that people are behind you and believe in what you are trying to accomplish, helps make it all worth striving for.

Life in Quicksand

This blog has been quiet for a while. I think I may have dropped into the Bermuda Triangle. No wait, maybe it feels more like the Twilight Zone. On third thought, it’s just the bizarre 2 ½ week time period between when camp ends and school begins! Oh yeah, and add to it that it is LikeWear’s busiest time of year and the fact that we’ve started to add to our rep force and I’m hanging by a thread here!

I feel out of breath as I rush between ringing phones, bickering kids, filling LikeWear orders, filling out school and activity forms, purchasing cleats and making playdates – and then there’s those 3 meals a day plus snacks. I’ve never been busier yet I feel as though nothing is getting done! My older daughter is content to stay in her pajamas all day long. My younger daughter is dressed, brushed and raring to go by 8am. And my son has no interest in doing what either of his sisters want to do… HELP!!

I’ve been calling in favors from friends, family and neighbors in an effort to keep my kids busy and my nerves calm. Never has it been more challenging for me to balance work and motherhood than in the past week and half. I know it’s getting bad when I start to look forward to spending a gorgeous summer day at Chuck E. Cheese’s simply to fill the daytime hours with an activity that will keep all my kids occupied for more than 5 minutes.

But, I’ve rounded the corner. I’m just past the half-way mark. Labor Day, and more importantly - the first day of school, is in sight.

Good Quotes: Just Say No!

Maybe if I post it out loud I’ll actually listen…

Just because you CAN do it yourself, doesn’t mean you SHOULD do it yourself.

Crazed Happiness

My two older kids returned from sleep-away camp on Friday and it was my 5-year olds last day of day camp. Since then my house has been filled with family, friends, neighbors and several other children besides the 3 that belong to me. Every toy we own has been pulled out and its pieces scattered across the basement floor. Beds are rumpled, dirty clothes are on the floor adjacent to the hampers - not quite making it in, and toilet seats (thanks to my son) have all been left in their full upright and locked position. The house is never quiet as someone seems to always be talking, singing or screaming and my mudroom is once again filled with well, um – mud! My household is officially… back to normal!!

I am a little sorry to say good-bye to the lazy days of my summer; however, with its end I am feeling the return of the energy that is my lifeblood. I suppose I am happiest teetering on the edge of organized chaos when it’s too noisy to really hear myself think.

Out of the Mouths of our Babes: Sneezing

Last night, I snuggled in bed with my 5 year old and read ‘Purplicious’ to her for the bazillionth time. As we neared the end of the book I let out a huge sneeze and my daughter looked me straight in the eye and said, “Mom, sneezes are like farts out of your nose, right?” Her question obviously did not require any response as neither one of us could catch our breath to give or even hear an answer. Is there any better way to end a day than with an all out giggle-fest with your kids?

Flexibility

I have been a regular for the past 5 years at a local exercise class called InnerStrength. It is based on the the teachings of the Lotte Berk Method which combines dance, yoga and physical therapy. The class emphasizes and improves upon muscle building and flexibility. I am a firm believer. There is no doubt that flexibility is beneficial – particularly as we age.

As we grow LikeWear, it is very apparent that an open mind must be kept and rules and boundaries must be adapted and stretched. I find it interesting to note however, that just like with the physical body, you must be in tune and listen to the signals, so that you do not stretch to the point that you sacrifice good form. For if you do, you will surely feel sore the next day.

Not So Sweet Sugar Lips

My business is in children’s fashion. LikeWear concentrates on “evergreen” body styles - ones that are casual, comfortable and always popular. I have 3 kids, and as such, I am usually in tune with the trendy styles, even the ones that come and go quickly. In fact, some styles I wish would go quicker than others.

At the expense of sounding like Jerry Seinfeld, what is the deal with those Sugar Lips? These tank tops are so skin tight that I have yet to see a body type flattered in them. They also pull and pill after one single washing – and that’s in a cold, gentle wash inside of a lingerie bag! And, don’t even get me started on what they look like if you should accidentally wear them underneath a new soft, yummy fleece sweatshirt that has not been washed yet or if you have a hangnail as you are pulling one over your head…

But, as a mother, I simply want my kids to be happy and feel confident that they are able to express their individuality by way of their fashion choices. So, if my daughters want to continue to wear this style tank top, I will bite my tongue and be supportive – as I remove their Sugar Lips one by one from the lingerie bag and delicately transfer them to a rack to be line dried and ready to be put on again tomorrow.

Do The Right Thing

I’m a pleaser by nature (ya know, first child and all). I try to avoid conflict until a confrontation is absolutely necessary. And, I don’t like saying no to people. But I have aged to the realization that in the real world (business world included) you can’t expect to make everyone happy, say yes all the time or always avoid confrontation. My skin has definitely thickened over the past year… but sometimes it can still be hard to stand up and stand out. But if you do what is honest and right, I believe you’ll always end up a winner.

Selective Neglect

Mondays are hard. Especially if you’ve worked all weekend. Sometimes I feel as though I am doing so much all the time yet nothing is getting done. It can be difficult to focus each day on all that has been accomplished when there is so much that did not get completed. I look around my house and there are beds to make, laundry to be done, doctor’s appointments to be scheduled and junk drawers in need of de-junking. My computer is jammed with emails that need action and my warehouse is piled with orders that need to be filled. I have dog-eared catalogs for things that I’d like to order just as soon as I get around to it. And each night I struggle to pull myself away from all my ‘tasks’ to find the time to sit, snuggle and read to my 5-year old or make her lunch and pack her backpack to save some time in the morning when things start all over again.

My husband forwarded me an article this morning written by Lisa Druxman for Entrepreneur.com that gave me what Oprah would call an “a-ha” moment. I felt like the author had written it just for me.

The article began with, “I'll tell you right now that you'll never get it all done. Your inbox will always have e-mails, you'll always have dirty clothes to wash and your nightstand will always contain unread books. I'm not trying to depress you: I say this only to make you realize an inevitable truth--a truth that's in direct conflict with my belief that having finished tasks in your life gives you peace and happiness”. Well, that’s my belief too…hence the “a-ha” part!

The author goes on to outline a game plan and new mindset to help cope with these insights. She advises that, “It's not enough to get things done. You need to get the right things done”. I’ve tried to do this. In fact, I even have a name for it. I like to call it ‘selective neglect’ – choosing what must get done at the expense of the other things that should be done.

She recommends booking “time for each category of your life. Set time for yourself (a workout, a walk on the beach, etc.). Set time for work (e-mails, phone calls, meetings and projects) and set time for your family (play dates, scrapbooks, etc.). Honor those times. When someone wants to set a meeting during your workout time, let them know that you're already booked. You don't have to tell them it's your workout time. The truth is that every part of your life deserves attention and planning. We need to spend the most time on the things that will make a difference and the least time on trivial tasks that won't matter a year from now.”

I intend to do my best from here forward to ‘honor’ ALL of my commitments and to keep in mind the author’s final tip…”to smile and laugh when the whole plan falls through--as it often will.” Ahh, the best laid plans…

(I strongly recommend you read the full article. You can get it here.)

Unchartered Waters

There are not many children’s clothing companies in the direct sales channel. LikeWear is a fusion of a casual, hip boutique kids clothing line and a direct sales company like Mary Kay or The Pampered Chef. But we’re very different than the majority of direct sales companies. We allow our reps to sell to boutique clothing stores. Our merchandise is in the moderate to better price range. And the majority of our initial independent representatives have not worked for direct sales companies before. So there are few (if any) companies after which to model ourselves.

Although it’s really cool to be breaking new ground, it can be very challenging to write the rules as you go. Over the years, in various situations, I have returned repeatedly to one of my favorite quotes for strength and determination:

“You’ll never discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Well, the shore is no longer in sight for us. We have jumped into the creation of this business with both feet – cannonball style – pulling our family into the water with us!

I have often wondered what my life would be like if we didn’t start LikeWear. Would it be easier? Well, I’d certainly have more free time. But more time for what…errands, cleaning out closets, working out, watching TV, shopping? Sounds pretty good on the surface, but I know I’d get bored after a while. Creating a new business in a new channel in a new category is exhilarating and rewarding and frustrating and difficult. But it’s never boring - which is a good thing because I was never one for treading water.

Multi-Tasking Secrets: Ready, Headset, Go!

As a work-at-home mom I am a constant multi-tasker. In fact, even if I didn’t work from home I’d be doing more than one thing at a time. Nowadays most people do – except for my sister who has trouble chewing gum and driving at the same time, but that’s another topic for another post!!

I have found some things (ideas, products, organizational tools) that have helped me multitask more effectively and save time (at least I think they do!). My first thought on this topic is a headset for house phones. When I was a cold-calling stockbroker we used headsets all the time. It frees up your hands to do other things while you’re talking – not to mention it prevents your neck from being in that awkward cocked position necessary to keep the phone wedged between your chin and your shoulder. It helps me while at home to take the monotony out of some of my daily chores. I don’t mind as much emptying my dishwasher, folding laundry, cooking or even walking on the treadmill if I can do it while catching up with friends. And how about all those times I get stuck on hold? I almost don’t mind if I get left ‘hanging’ because if I have my hands free, I don’t feel as though my time is being wasted.

A few caveats:

1) The cordless phone attached to the headset needs to be hooked onto your mobile body somehow (some come with belt clips or you can just tuck the phone into your pocket). Be wary of protruding objects in your house. I can't tell you how many times the cord has snagged on a drawer pull or doorknob and yanked both headset and phone and sent them flying - small children and pets beware!

2) Its not always obvious you are actually talking to someone (you could be in between calls and just 'wearing’ the headset). Make sure family members know you are on the phone so there are no embarrassing comments, burps or other bodily function noises in the background that could be picked up by the headset’s external microphone. I have 3 kids and a husband…been there.

3) I’m always embarrassed when I’m on a call using my headset and the doorbell rings. I constantly feel compelled to remove it prior to answering the door for fear that I will be seen as a Madonna wannabe. When I have the headset on, I look like I’ve stepped off of a concert stage in the middle of a set!

Despite the above, and at the risk of sounding dramatic, a headset has had a huge impact on my day-to-day life. Wow, I do sound dramatic. Maybe I should just try talking on the phone less.

What Would You Like To Wear?

For those of you that don’t know, we are a company that decorates its children’s clothing and accessories with modern package art, beloved characters, clever quips and original designs. We try to create fun stuff featuring brands and properties people like, hence the name LikeWear. So far our creative has come from the iconic brands of Tootsie Roll Industries and General Mills. I’d love to know what your kids – or you! - would like to see in one of our upcoming collections. What are some of the games, collectibles, snack foods, movies, catch phrases, etc. that your kids and their friends are into?