We're excited to welcome Dr. Zarya Rubin, holistic health coach and CEO of Wild Lilac Wellness, to the MOB blog! Learn more about Dr. Rubin at the end of this blog post.

​Well, it looks like masks and social distancing are here to stay with no end in sight.

Yikes.

When this was a two-week affair way back in the beginning, maybe we could get by with pajama parties and Netflix and chill, but sh*t’s been real for a while now and is only going to be more challenging once the weather turns gloomy and rainy – I don’t know about you, but the sunshine is one of the only things keeping me going!

Maybe you’re an essential worker, putting yourself on the front lines so the rest of us can have groceries delivered, or treating our loved ones in the hospital. And for that we are beyond grateful. Or maybe your business has ramped up with folks seeking self-care or online services, or maybe you’re pivoting and accidentally homeschooling and trying not to fight with your significant other between Zoom calls and doing All. The. Things.

Wherever you are in all of this, here are some creative ideas I’ve been using to stay safe, stay (somewhat) sane, and still feel like I’m doing something with my brain. I would love to hear your creative ideas in the comments!

Make Beer Bread

For some unknown reason, this pandemic has brought on a baking frenzy. I’ve seen bags of flour for $85 on Amazon, and yeast is pretty much nowhere to be found (true confession, I just bought a 1lb bag! Apparently it keeps for a year).

But you know what is plentiful? BEER! And you can use that brew to create the easiest, most delicious bread in about an hour. You heard me. That’s 
including the baking time. No rises, no proving, no sourdough starter, and no Great British Baking anxiety. This recipe is foolproof. And it can be made with alternate flours, like spelt, but I haven’t attempted it yet with totally GF flour (which can be found without heading to the black market). Tabor Bread in SE Portland also sells their gorgeous flour as well as their divine breads for pickup, but hey, it’s not as much fun for the ‘gram.

Here’s the recipe – I used any old bottle of Modelo Especial and it turned out perfectly! 

Start A Meditation Practice

If you’ve been telling yourself “I should meditate” but haven’t gotten around to it, now is the time. Without the shrill daily alarm clock and morning rush to get the kiddo off to school, I’ve been doing daily morning meditation along with my nightly ritual. There are a couple of easy ways to get started with online apps that will guide you through all of the beginner steps.

My favorite is Headspace, which is free right now for healthcare providers, but also has a free section for beginners. Other popular apps are Calm and Insight Timer (which is completely free). The key is really finding a quiet space where you can be uninterrupted (I know, it may sound impossible right now, but maybe lock yourself in the bathroom if you must!) and not judging yourself. Your mind will wander – that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

There are also some great specific meditation practices I share with my clients like The Body Scan and The Five Senses Meditation. You may find some amazing results in terms of your overall focus, decreased anxiety levels, and increased calm.

Take An Online Course

What better time to acquire a new skill or some new knowledge? Earlier this spring, I took THE most popular Coursera course – the Yale Science of Well-Being, with Professor Laurie De Santos. It’s free to audit, all online and self-paced, and has been an eye-opening wealth of information as well as
practical tips for increasing happiness. Bonus: bragging rights that you went to Yale!

Another friend has decided to learn Korean. I’m taking an Instagram course to
uplevel my online game, and I also plan to catch up on all of the amazing MOB talks we have at our disposal before hitting MOBCON!

Get An Activity Box For The Kiddos

If you’ve hit a home schooling wall and are looking for some outside assistance, why not try an activity box or kit? Some of our favorites for my curious 6-yr-old explorer are:

- The Kiwi Box, with STEM-focused activities that change every month,
including crafts, experiments and more. Kits are available for ages 0-14+ and
you get 30% off when you sign up for emails. https://www.kiwico.com/

- Highlights magazine has an amazing subscription called Top Secret, for ages
7+ which sends you on a spy mission to a different country every month. Kits
come with an activity book filled with challenging puzzles that get you closer
to solving the crime, along with a fact-based book that holds the answers to
history, geography and cultural questions. So far we’ve done the Egypt set
and are ready to head to Mexico, Australia and China! All from the comfort of
our couch. https://www.highlights.com/store/puzzle-book-clubs/top-
secret-adventures

- MOB-owned Little Minds Learning Box by Bry Daley
(https://www.littlemindslearningbox.com/) is an amazing monthly
subscription service geared towards early childhood development though
play based activities. Activities are created to strengthen children's skills in
major areas of child development including: physical motor, social-
emotional, language, and cognitive development. The activities are so
beautifully put together with such care and inspire both instructed and open-
ended creative play!

​We just got the Performing Arts themed box and my kiddo has already hosted a movie night and transformed the popcorn into a sensory “calming box” that even got her featured on an episode of Brains On!

Host A Virtual Happy Hour/Coffee Date

In the past few months I have hosted my medical school class reunion, created a weekly happy hour for my best girlfriends from around the world, done co-working online, and caught up with a few old friends I haven’t chatted with in AGES. I also have a “virtual coffee” option on my Calendly to network even during a pandemic!

Even though we may be sick of Zoom, it’s always uplifting to see people other than your cats, share your struggles and wins, and raise a glass to surviving another week of this challenging time.

​Oh, I also joined a wine club…Cheers!

Olga Ward, owner of Beaverton Neurofeedback is a first generation immigrant who moved to the US on a student Visa to attend college and improve her English.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, but she says deep down she always wanted to find a way to be a helper to others on  a physical or emotional level.

“ I had entertained the idea of going back to school to re-qualify as a nurse, but something always got in a way. Perhaps it was God's way of saying: ‘This is not your calling’. It wasn't until my husband and I decided to expand our family through adoption, I realized where I could practice my desire to heal,” she explains.

When she and her husband adopted her daughter from the Oregon DHS foster system it opened her eyes to the world of childhood trauma and she recognized a great need to support the foster care community. They also decided to open their home to foster kids in need of a respite stay.

Their daughter joined their family at the age of eight already having suffered abuse and neglect at the hands of her biological family, she also had additional trauma in her first adoptive home which was promised to be her ‘forever’ home.

Olga says, “Raising a child often comes with challenges. Raising a special needs child who has lost trust in adults, takes ‘challenging’ to a whole other level. No amount of praise or comments such as ‘You are such nice people’ or ‘She is a lucky girl’ can make you feel better when you are exhausted and burnt out. In fact, these comments, without actual support, feel like mockery. I tried very hard to maintain our family ‘normalcy’, but the everyday challenges were making it difficult to hold down an inflexible full-time job. Eventually, I put in my notice, and quit my stable job without a plan for replacing the missing income.”

Around this time she also felt so emotionally burnt out that she chose to seek mental health support from a professional counselor. She found being validated by someone who understands the impact of secondary trauma helpful, but her home life was still in crisis on almost a daily basis.

“Our daughter was struggling and so did the rest of our family, including myself! It was my own therapist who introduced me to NeurOptimal neurofeedback. Trauma affects the brain on a physiological level. While talking to a professional can help you feel heard and validated, it will not change your overreacted brain to switch from the Fight/Flight/Freeze response. The fact that there's a professional device that can help retrain the brain be more balanced and better regulate emotions fascinated me. I delved into the research and tested it on myself.

The results were undeniable! Within only 3 neurofeedback sessions I felt more peaceful and patient. I felt happier and more relaxed. I could think more clearly! It was at that moment I knew this was my "healing" calling. I made an investment into the NeurOptimal training and purchased my own equipment. I wanted the same results for others as I had experienced for myself. In April of 2018, I opened my own practice, Beaverton Neurofeedback, and have been passionately serving others in my community.”

Olga says that as a current foster parent to children with trauma, she is required, and enjoys, taking continuing education courses on the subjects of parenting children with trauma and attachment issues. “There are several influential figures who have done the research and wrote books to help others understand how trauma affects the brain and what we can do about it. Dr. Valdeane Brown, the researcher and inventor of NeurOptimal neurofeedback equipment (which is what I use in my practice), Daniel Siegel, MD and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, the authors of "The Whole Brain Child", and my current neurofeedback mentor, Catherine Boyer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, are to name a few,” she explains.
Her biggest struggle when she first started her business was feeling isolated.. When she left her full time job, she lost support that comes with having co-workers to share ideas and concerns with. She says finding the MOB Nation community was a huge relief. Not only did she feel supported as a business owner, she also found amazing friends.
Olga says she would advise new business owners to pursue their passion and understand their “why”.

“Doing what makes a difference in the world and what makes you happy and fulfilled is an important motivator, especially when things get tough. Ask yourself ‘What would I love to do even if money was not an issue?,”

She also reminds business owners that they can love what they are doing without giving it away for free, to find a mentor or  like-minded person who will encourage and support them when they are stuck, to hire a coach to get clarity, and to get plugged in to a networking community that will be there for them in good days and in bad.

She would tell her younger self to not take things personally if others don't understand what you do or do not want to support you. Do not interpret it as less important or amazing. There will always be those who don't care and those who want to see you succeed!
Olga says her motivation to keep going when things are tough comes from seeing the difference she makes in her clients’ lives and hearing their testimonials.

She loves working for herself because of the flexibility she has. “Working for myself not only provides me with much needed flexibility, but it also allows me to do exactly what I want to do when I want to do it. There are weeks when my family obligations require me to work less and there are others when I put in a lot more time and effort than I would have into a 9 to 5 job.”

She says the MOB impact on her business has been huge. “I found a supportive community and so many friends! I've been able to outsource several different services. I personally had difficulties with myself and got many referrals to my own neurofeedback services. We can't be great at everything and it's okay to ask or hire others to help us. We need each other for different stages of our personal and business lives and that's the power of the MOB,” she explains

Olga’s ideal referral are Moms who feel like she once did (burnt out, emotionally drained) and kids with trauma, learning disabilities, sleep issues, or behavior difficulties.
MOB Alliance members receive an enhanced session with energy work for no additional charge!
Connect with Olga and Beaverton Neurofeedback:

https://www.beavertonneurofeedback.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BeavertonNeurofeedback    https://www.instagram.com/beavertonneuro/

Black Business Month is an important reminder of the opportunity that exists for Black-owned businesses. According to Amex's 2019 State of Women-Owned Business Report, Black women represent 42% of net new women-owned businesses started in the last year, which is three times their share of the female population (14%).

Yet in the past decade, Black women-led businesses have captured just .0006% of the total venture capital funding pie. The pandemic has only exacerbated the larger funding gap problem, as we saw with the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program, where up to 90% of minority and women business owners were shut out.

If you’re as tired of hearing these devastating stats as I am, let’s talk solutions. The biggest challenge facing black women entrepreneurs is access. Through my work at IFundWomen, the go-to marketplace for women-owned businesses and the people who want to support them, we are addressing this challenge head on by providing the access to the capital, coaching, and connections Black women-owned businesses need to launch and grow successful businesses.

We launched IFundWomen of Color (IFWOC) in partnership with Caress at the New York City Women’s March back in January. Since the announcement, we’ve been hard at work building the IFundWomen of Color community from the ground up, and the response has been incredible. The women in our community are reimagining how we build and use retail spaces, carving out space for Black women in wellness, and tackling food deserts in Brooklyn. 

They’re leveraging crowdfunding and grants as alternative funding sources to push their businesses forward. In recent months, we’ve seen uptick in the Black women in our community launching with a sense of urgency because people are now (better late than never) looking to fund them.

One of the hundreds of women you can fund is Karen Wilson, Founder of ChildNEXUS. She is on a mission to decrease the number of undiagnosed learning disorders and mental health issues in children and adolescents through her platform. After getting her MVP up and running and growing her list to more than 900 subscribers, she came to IFundWomen because she needed the funds to scale.  

She worked one on one with IFundWomen coaches, created her crowdfunding campaign video with the support of our creative team, and continues to leverage the IFundWomen of Color community as a space for support, collaboration, and validation. Not to mention, the first funder of her crowdfunding campaign was a $2,500 grant from Caress. She’s nearly 50% of the way to her goal and needs your support. 

Caress is just one of a roster of amazing partners that have stepped up to support the women of color on our platform. Caress is doing $500K in COVID-19 relief grants for the IFundWomen of Color community.

​We recently partnered with The Financial Gym to do $2,000 grants plus financial training for Black-owned businesses. And we will soon be announcing the recipients of our grant program with Visa, who is doing 10, $10,000 grants plus one year of IFundWomen coaching for Black women-owned businesses. 

Grants are a no-brainer for both entrepreneurs who need funding and brands who are looking to reach their target audience. As a founder, debt-free capital is the best kind of capital. As a brand, the best way to engage with your potential customer is to show that you’re willing to meet an immediate and dire need they have by putting your money where your mouth is.

The best part is, you don’t have to be a brand to support Black-owned businesses. If you’re an ally looking to redistribute wealth into the black community, head to the Black-Women Owned Businesses page on our platform and fund a business or five. 

If you’re Black woman-owned business, apply to IFundWomen of Color to start connecting with the resources and support you need to launch and grow.

Olivia Owens is the Creator & General Manager of IFundWomen of Color, the platform for women of color to raise capital through crowdfunding, grants, coaching, and the connections needed to launch and grow successful businesses.

​This funding ecosystem is designed to empower early-stage, women entrepreneurs and bridge the funding gap for women of color.

Jessi Sigander is a mom of two and has been married 18 years. She started the Brain Breakthrough after her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia. She also founded ACT Parenting Community where parents who are struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, and stress in their families can find support. The goal of the community is to provide Action steps, Connection, and research-based teaching for families,” she says.

“We had tried everything else to help her when we stumbled upon a different type of therapy that made significant changes in her. I knew that I wanted to know more, “ Jessi explains.

Jessi has a PhD in education and has spent the last several years working with victims of trauma. She said it feels like a privilege to be able to show up and help people each day in her work. “It's not at all what I expected I would be doing with my life and now I can't imagine wanting to do anything else.”

Jessi says her mentor has turned into a close friend “She is in the next stage of life ahead of me and her wisdom about family and work and life are so valuable!”
​
One of her biggest challenges has been working on ways to get a brand new modality into the world. Despite the challenges, she would tell anyone interested in starting a business to do it. “Even if it makes you uncomfortable and nauseous, do it! You will grow so much from the challenge! My other piece of advice would be to find people who have gone before you and learn from them! Have a group of cheerleaders along the way and have a person you can lean on for support on the days when it's hard, because it is going to be hard,” she explains.

When things are tough or challenging, she remembers the life changes her work has given past clients. “When I see them reading and learning and excelling at things for the first time in their lives, I know I have to keep going!”
Her ideal referral is anyone from the ages of 7 to 100 who struggles with anxiety, trauma, concussions, dyslexia or reading issues and is open to attacking the root of the issue in a new way.
​
Jessi says the MOB has impacted her business through connections and meeting so many amazing women.! “Just knowing I have a community behind me keeps pushing me forward!”

When we asked her what advice she would give to her younger self just starting out, she said “It's ok to be a beginner. I was a successful educator for many years and so when I started my own business I wanted to jump in and be just as successful. I have had to learn to give myself grace as I am just a beginner in the business world and still have a lot to learn. I shouldn't expect that I would know how to do everything perfectly when I am just starting.”
​
All MOB Alliance members get 10% off Jessi’s services.

Connect with Jessi:

www.thebrainbreakthrough.com
https://www.facebook.com/thebrainbreakthrough/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACTParentingCommunity

Have you ever thought: “I just want to make enough money so I never have to worry about it again,”  or “I’ll be financially set when I earn X dollars a month/year?”    

While the idea of a certain, magical sum making your financial concerns go away is certainly a seductive idea-- and one that I confess holding on to for most of my life-- its fundamental flaw is that it makes your wellbeing, peace of mind, and even your worth, contingent upon an external condition: i.e. how much money is in your bank account.  

The flaws in your money mindset

So why is this focus on a certain amount of income a problem?  First, when you make your wellbeing in any area of your life contingent upon external factors-- e.g. amount in the bank, where you live, people’s approval, social media likes, etc.-- it means that you are vulnerable to feelings of deprivation, stress, inadequacy, even emptiness, the second that those things are no longer there.

You and I know that we cannot control things outside of ourselves, so why place our wellbeing in the hands of circumstances that we cannot control and which could change at any moment?   

Second, making your security, wellbeing, or worth about how much money you have-- or any other external circumstance for that matter--  is part of a lack or scarcity mindset, that is, the belief that there is only so much to go around, and that people, things, circumstances or luck control your abundance.    

What this does is that it leads to feeling constantly  worried about the possibility of losing those things upon which you’re basing your wellbeing. 

Think about this: a person can have billions of dollars put away, but if they are in a lack mindset it won’t matter, because they will always be looking over their shoulder, wondering when they’re going to lose it all.  And that anxious, constant looking over your shoulder is the opposite of freedom.

Another problem with making your financial freedom about a certain amount of money is that it puts you in what my mentor, Felicia Searcy, calls “get” energy.  You focus on what you want to “get,” e.g. more money, more customers, more followers, etc., rather than showing up in a spirit of service.  Anytime we are in “get” energy we make our work and other activities, for the time being,  about what we can “get” rather than about what we can offer to better people’s lives.  This can lead to a certain vibe of desperation as we operate our businesses.

A Useful Analogy

There is a powerful and useful analogy in relation to this.  Using an amount of money to judge your financial security is akin to putting a lit match under a thermometer and expecting it to increase the temperature of the room.  Obviously, with a lit match under it, the thermometer will show a higher temperature reading momentarily, but the second the flame is pulled away, the thermometer reading will go back to status quo.  Further, the increased temperature reading of the thermometer does not in any way change the temperature of the room!  

In other words, you may experience a surge of money or material possessions at a particular point in time, but this does not provide true financial freedom or security in the long run.

How Do You Find True Financial Freedom?

True financial freedom and peace of mind come from cultivating abundance from the inside out.   Abundance from the inside out means deepening your relationship with Universal Source, God, Higher Power, or whatever you choose to call this creative force.   When you learn to see yourself as the divine being that you are, when you know that the power that created you supplies all your needs, when you know that you are loved and worthy regardless of the circumstances around you, this is when you will get to experience freedom, regardless of how much money is actually in your account.  

Also, when you know yourself as an abundant being, you can change “get” energy, knowing that as you serve your community with your talents and gifts, as you do the work that brings you most alive, the money will follow. And you will know that nothing and no one can take away your good. 

A Personal Story

Becoming abundant from the inside is not a once-and-done thing, but a process whereby we deepen our relationship with Source.  Personally, I have to keep coming back to my inner abundance to override the “get” energy  I spoke about. I describe my experience below. Like any other business owner, I have operating expenses in my business.  These include my investing in expert coaching to help me grow as a person and as a business woman.  While my financial obligations don’t fluctuate much, my revenue does fluctuate from month to month.  

In the past, I would worry about not having enough money, and made decisions based on how much was in my accounts.  But since I’ve been working on my own money mindset and awareness, I have been practicing letting go of this worry,  trusting that I have plenty of money to meet my expenses and obligations, as well as accomplish my goals, and help others. 

As a result, I have seen money come to me just at the time when I need it, sometimes even from unexpected sources!  What this does is remind me that I am loved and well supplied by the Universe.  This helps me to continue offering my coaching services without attaching myself to whether someone says “yes” or “no.”  

Most important, I am learning to be grateful for this season in my life and business because it is helping me transform into a stronger, more confident, more remarkable version of the woman I am today. 

There is no doubt in my mind that I will generate the money I desire as I continue to grow my business, but even now, I feel incredible peace in knowing that my abundance comes, not from any specific amount of money, not from any person,  nor a set of circumstances.  I am abundant right now because I am connected to an infinite source that holds nothing back.  That is freedom! 

It’s Your Turn! 

My invitation for you is that you seek to connect more deeply with your Source, so that you, too, will know your own abundance and freedom, more and more each day!

​In this spirit, I am pleased to offer an upcoming free masterclass called “Prosperity Mindset Skills for Mompreneurs,” where I will share more in depth about these concepts that have changed my life and which I know can change yours, too! 

If you’re new to the MOB welcome! We’re glad you’re here. This is an amazing community of mom business owners where the focus is supporting you as a whole person - business owner, mom, and human. Our members are called MOBs. One of the most innovative things about the MOB is the focus on keeping money within the MOB economy. We encourage members to support MOBs first because, as we like to say, “There’s a MOB for That!”

If you’re also new to MOBCON - MOBCON is the only conference designed with mom business owners in mind, and each speaker is selected based on how the knowledge they share can help MOBs (Mom Owned Businesses) grow and thrive in the coming year.

MOBCON 2020 is sponsored by Works Learning and was supposed to be in San Diego, but with COVID's impact, we moved it to the virtual space. 

The conference happens September 27th and 28th - two PACKED days we know you won't want to miss. 

Get your ticket.

Main stage speakers will inspire you to live bigger, go further, and embrace who you are and where you want to go.

Dr. Melissa  Bird will talk about the Graceful Revolution in business.

Arianna Bradford will share how to show up as yourself, for yourself, without the guilt.

Dr. Deena C. Brown will teach you how to L.E.A.D. (Learn, Experience, Apply, and Develop) by Design.

We know social media is a vital connection point for moms. It is even more important for women balancing motherhood and running their own business. And during this time of social distancing? Social media is a lifeline to friends and family as well as a way to stay in front of potential clients and business partners.

Tabitha Frost will show you how to explode your engagement with Pinterest.

Mia Francis-Poulin will show you how to monetize your Facebook group.

We’re living in a COVID-world right now and that means you may be wondering how to continue to grow your business without face-to-face networking and connection.

Tip one - you should regularly be attending MOB meetups to connect with new people face to face (or Zoom to Zoom).

Tip two, don’t miss these breakout sessions!

Whitedove Gannon will show you how to create a standout digital product.

Sunny Gault will tell you the five P’s of Podcasting.

Jen Willson will show you how to magnetize and capture leads online.

Jessica Thiefels will teach you the five ways to get more milage from the content you create.

As moms and business owners we often need to untangle who we are, what our brand is, and how to set goals that satisfy the mom side and the business side of our lives.

Business coach Sheila Gray and mindset coach Selena Maestas work together to break down what it means to be the CEO of your business.

Victoria Romney will show you how to use your person brand to stand out.

Courtney Anderson will show you how to use mindmapping to set both personal and business goals.

You don’t often find personal development topics at business conferences and certainly not ones especially designed for moms! We know MOBs are more than their business and need extra support.

Amber Alexander will talk about how stress, trauma, and anxiety change the way your brain and body works.
​
Tara McCann will show you how to use the power of your menstrual cycle to get more done.
​
Marcy Sizemore will help you craft a family mission statement.

Leena Lemos and Megan Horowitz will empower you to own your truth.

Finally, we want MOBs to be successful. We want them to have more than enough income for their needs. We want them to invest in and support other MOBs. We firmly believe we can all rise together.

Crowdfunding, copyrighting, and surviving and thriving during COVID are topics we’ve seen come up over and over again in online discussions.

Oliva Owens from iFundwomen will teach you how to use crowdfunding to launch and grow your brand.

Angie Avard Turner will explain how to legally protect what you create.

Alana Mitchell will show you how to grow now and in a post Coronavirus economy.

Ready to get your ticket to MOBCON 2020 sponsored by Works Learning?

I am a therapist. A business owner. A woman. Half middle-eastern. Passing white. Raised Baha'i. I have a foot in the door of several oppressed populations and also have a tremendous amount of privilege.

I am uncomfortable, often, discussing racism, sexism, ableism, and other ways that I might be (definitely am) biased or prejudiced. I believe that emotions are information, including my discomfort, including my defensiveness.

I believe that we need to look at our patterns -- to see what we value, and look for what doesn't serve us or our relationships, or humanity.

I believe that we need to do that on a personal level, and if we are any kind of leadership position, we need to continually evaluate the values that are indicated by the choices we consciously or unconsciously make.

Roya Dedeaux is a therapist, author, trainer, teacher, speaker, coach, parent, homeschooler, maker, and the Long Beach, California MOB Meetup Leader.

Connect with Roya online at https://www.royadedeaux.com/

Consider this a primer guide for white people who want to better, but aren’t sure where to start.

Why?

Because that is what we’ve heard the most this past week - people who want to do good, to help, and to understand but say they don’t know where to start.

Thankfully, we live in a time when self education and information are freely and easily available via the internet.

​Google is your friend and we hope these resources are just the place you start learning instead of being the only thing you read.

Most of these resources focus on racism as it affects Black people in the United States, but racism is pervasive and systemic - anyone who is not white has experienced racism in some form, even if it doesn’t look exactly the same.

Start here

Before you read further there are a couple of things you need to think about because you may have said or thought these things in an effort to be kind or helpful. The words we use matter and it is important to understand the impact of what you say.

Why saying “I don’t see color” is a problem. - https://theeverygirl.com/i-dont-see-color/

Things you may be saying that are harmful, even if you don’t intend them to be that way, and what to say instead - https://www.katykatikate.com/the-blog/2020/5/26/5-racist-anti-racism-responses-good-white-women-give-to-viral-posts

Unpacking the Invisible Backpack - this is a fantastic resource that helps you examine the privileges you have. - https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/mcintosh.pdf

Racism is Systemic

As the graphic above says - racism is a system, not an event.

When something is systemic it means it affects everything. Racism affects every part of our culture, history, public policy, and day-to-day interactions.

If you’re feeling defensive right now, congratulations - you are experiencing white fragility - but KEEP GOING (White Fragility is in the reading list below, but here is a quick article about it to read before going further - https://www.theconsciouskid.org/white-fragility)

The next link does take you to the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream site, but it is also a good, quick overview of what systemic racism is and the impact it has.

Quick overview of reach and impact of systemic racisim - https://www.benjerry.com/home/whats-new/2016/systemic-racism-is-real

If racism is hard-wired into the world we live in, what does that look like? Who does it benefit? What are the generational effects it has on people who are impacted by it?

Instead of asking your Black friends and family members how they experience racism, read these stories of existing while Black and understand that this is a tiny, tiny sampling of what your Black friends and family deal with as a regular part of living their life. - https://www.huffpost.com/interactives/existing-while-black

Talking to Kids About Race

If you’re a parent you know your kids are watching and learning all the time. If you’ve been trying to teach them not to see color, hopefully you’re beginning to understand why that isn’t helpful (if you’re skimming, go back to the top to find the link).

Youre kids aren’t too young to learn about racism and what their responsibilities are to dismantle it.

This link is packed with links for parents including books and podcasts - https://www.prettygooddesign.org/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-5new4

Having “The Talk” about racism with your kids: https://medium.com/@ralindaspeaks/black-parents-know-about-the-talk-white-parents-its-your-turn-a6a1209e5be2

What to Do Now

This single blog post can only scratch the surface of the impact racism has on our friends, family, culture, and day-to-day interactions. At the end of this post there are links to books, trainings, and other resources to keep learning.

You may be wondering what you can do now and how to help. This link gives you 75 actionable ideas. - https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234

Supporting Black Owned Businesses

One of the biggest impacts of racism is economic. One of the best ways you can combat that piece of it is to support Black owned businesses. Seek out and buy from Black owned businesses in your area.

Buy from a Black Woman not only has a directory of Black woman owned businesses, she also has educational resources for Black business owners, and a yearly grant program - https://www.buyfromablackwoman.org/

Black Owned bookstores - when it comes to buying books (in general and from the reading lists below), do more and support a Black owned bookstore. At the link are 50 independent Black owned bookstores you can support - https://aalbc.com/bookstores/list.php

We Buy Black is an online marketplace of Black owned businesses - https://webuyblack.com/

Book Lists & Resources for Further Learning

The links shared here are a small sampling of the education available. To keep learning read the books on the book list (and purchase them from a Black owned bookstore).

Understanding White Supremacy Book List

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nEMDTfsavXD8va7mhWuV7yUSFwa_B6i5v0y60wh8xpc/

Excellent list of resources including books, videos, podcasts, and movies -  

https://docs.google.com/document/u/3/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic

Courses & Trainings

Empress Rules Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion trainings - https://www.empressrules.net/services-1

Online DEI training - https://diversityequityinclusion.com/online-learning/

Hard Conversations : Introduction to Racism: http://www.pattidigh.com/racism/

Whiteness Race and Social Justice : https://www.pattidigh.com/whiteness/

Free short DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) courses - https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-free-online-classes-for-managers-diversity-inclusion

Keep Learning

Even if you read every book and link in this blog post, watch every movie, and listen to every podcast episode - you're still not done. 

Dismantling racism is a lifetime work and it will be exhausting. Keep going. Keep learning.

Make impacts in your own circle every chance you get by calling out racism, questioning policies and attitudes you see as racist.

The downloadable PDF is a manifesto against emotional-reasoning, confirmation biases, intolerance, and hate by Dr. Melissa Bird and Amy Wolff.
When faced with your own conflict, you may this a helpful way to refocus your work.

Trevor Noah, host of the Daily Show, shares thoughts on the ideas of what forms a society and what happens when social contracts are broken.

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month and to celebrate we're highlighting some phenomenal Asian and Pacific Islander MOB Alliance members - including our founder, Aria Leighty!

One of the things that makes the MOB so unique is the variety of businesses MOBs represent, and this list is a great example!

We're excited to feature these MOBs and their work!

What inspires you?​

Creative women that go after their dreams. Community building. Women sharing their stories and showing up in their power!

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

You’ll never feel 100% ready! Don’t wait til the perfect time, there is no perfect time. Hop in now, with the skills and resources you have. Learn, grow, and evolve along the way!

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

It means I’m crazy! It means I have a responsibility to my daughter and my community to show up for myself and my dreams!

Connect with Aria:
MOB Nation
Glitter Mindset
Instagram

What inspires you? 

The people I am friends with inspire me to become a better person every day. Seeing all the good things they do make me try even harder because they have such big hearts and I love that about them.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

I tell other businesses to plan ahead and have some emergency funds. It is going to take a lot longer than you think before you will be profitable and able to take a real paycheck.

They say it takes the average business 2 to 3 years. So plan to cover your overhead and not pull a real paycheck for at least that long. Then if you become profitable before then, you just have extra funds to do what you need as you continue to grow and expand.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

I am a mom first. So when COVID "stay at home" first began, I was able to take on the role of teacher (we formally moved to homeschooling). I love the flexibility that having my own business gives me so that I can be there for my kids.

​Even when they were at school, being a business owner allowed me to flex my schedule to go on field trips with them, to help with class parties, and be there for special events at their school. They are my number one priority so balancing my work with their needs is what I try to achieve.

Connect with BWild Kombucha:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you? 

Happiness on my clients face :) Quality pictures in affordable price.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

HARDWORK!

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

Crazy life but I love it as I can take a break whenever I want and spend that time with my daughter.

Connect with Grace Photography:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you?

Nature, art, and strong women.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business?

First, I believe it is important to have a strong business plan that covers all aspects of your business. Also, I have had success in taking risks in business while also listening to my instincts. Follow your passions and don’t let others put limits on your potential.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

Being a mom and a business owner makes me whole. I have learned so much about myself in the process of growing my business and raising a family.

​My family and business are two of the most important things to me, and I am so grateful for all I have learned so far on my journey.

Connect with WholeTree:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you?

I come from a family of healers. For generations we've been harnessing the power of Nature to heal. The Blessings of my ancestors inspire me to share the healing with our community here.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

* Believe in your business with every cell of your being.

*Hire a business coach from day one who will help you make strategic moves towards success.

​*Write down why you started your business, and keep true to that.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

It is my legacy. It is what I was born to do, and what I do best. I consider sharing the healing knowledge of Ishq with others as a Blessing. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously.

Connect with Ishq Skincare:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by good design. Design that makes you think. Design that connects. Design that evokes an emotional response. Weather it's product design, graphic design, website design or interior design...good design will always seeks to solve real world problems.

I'm also inspired by art and nature. And by art in nature. I'm inspired by women who push themselves in their businesses and in their personal lives.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business?

Absorb everything. Listen to your friends, family, coaches, "experts" but in the end go with your gut. Your gut is always right.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner?

To be honest, I never wanted to be a mom!!!! My business was thriving....I literally had to say no to clients because I had so much work. I knew having kids would mean that my business will take a hit. And I knew it was way too much work to raise kids in this country anyways :)

Long story short, it wasn't until my dad passed away that I realized that I needed my own family. It was the best decision I ever made! No doubt, it has its challenges, but I love every minute of it.

Connect with OCHRE {art + design}:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you?

The people I make jewelry for! They send me photos of their backyards, gardens, favorite nature spaces - I love recreating their favorite florals or reminding them of a particularly special place!

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business?

Play. Stay curious. Don't try to do the one perfect thing, just do it and adjust as you go. Join a group like the MOB for support and education, and try to do more of the things that energize you, and find ways to delegate or do less of the things that drain you!

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

It means bringing my kids along for the ride -- they're there when I go live to my customers, they play with clay beside me as I create my next pair of earrings. It means I attract a clientele that's understanding and nurturing as well, and I love that.

Connect with Royaboya Handmade:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Veronica Hanson - Pure Romance by Veronica & Vacay Visionary

What inspires you? 

I am inspired by the concept of balance. I believe every entrepreneur has a passion and purpose beyond their professional aspirations. For me the down time is just as important as the hustle time. I work to create a lifestyle for my husband and children that embodies our dream balanced life.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business?

Don't create your business in a vacuum or echo chamber. A lot of entrepreneurs are afraid to tell anybody about their business until it's ready to launch. Instead you should be gathering feedback and pivoting aspects every chance you get.

​The emotional connection you have to starting your own business has a tendency to cloud judgement on factors that are easily changed if you take a step back and look more analytically at the execution.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner?

Being a mom and a business owner is a special kind of chaos. You can go from feeling on top of the world to seeing failure everywhere within a moment. Having children allowed me to achieve success while maintaining balance.

​Without my children I can easily see myself becoming a workaholic who's addicted to the success, but because of them I found out I'm at my happiest when I'm out of the spotlight.

Connect with Pure Romance by Veronica:
Website
Facebook group
​
Connect with Vacay Visionary:
Website
Instagram

What inspires you?

To help people process their pain and see them happy inspires me. When I can help someone reduce their pain and I see the smile on their face and how much gratitude they have, it fills my bucket.

It's such an amazing feeling to be appreciated that way and to know that I can help make a difference in their life. There's so much negative energy around us and I want to help be that ripple effect that brings more positive energy in this world.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business?

Don't give up. It may seem challenging at times but if this is your passion then don't give up and don't give in to negative energy from others. Also know that you don't have to do everything on your own and it's OK to ask for help. Don't think that your business has to be perfect before you get it started. Get it started and you can get it perfected while you're working.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

Oh boy, lots and lots of work. Some days are stressful and there's hardly any downtime, but it beats having a 9 to 5 job and having to answer to someone else.

I love the flexibility I have with running my own business and making my own schedule. I don't have to worry about getting disappointed comments if I have to go pick up my child when they're sick. I think running a business and to be a mom is similar in the fact that how much you love it and nurture it is how it will grow and be successful.

Connect with the Bowen Body Whisperer:
Website
​Facebook

What inspires you? 

Helping and seeing my team members grow. Being around passionate people.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

Do your homework/ market research, lots of it. Overly prepared. Create a cashflow plan and be conservative. The road a head may be bumpy but you have the MOB!

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner?

I'm a better boss when I'm a mom. As a business owner and a mom, I've learned to become more efficient and better at prioritize/ delegating tasks. My girls taught me that it is okay to fall down as long as you learn from it and stand back up. That applies to doing business.

Connect with Frenchie's Modern Nail Care:
Website
Facebook Portland
Facebook Beaverton

What inspires you? 

My kids inspire me to pursue what fills my cup--creating beauty makes me happy!
​
What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

Even if you have a ton on your plate, start anyway. Use the itty bitty pockets of time you might have and keep moving the needle forward. You likely won't nail it on the first try, so keep going and iterating as you move along.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 
​
Being a mom means I have a constant, ever present source of inspiration as to why I do what I do. It's the strongest, unflinching "why" behind my business!

Connect with Jen Wilson Creative:
Website
Instagram

What inspires you? 

I'm inspired by the women leaders I see in the world: how they use strengths like connection and collaboration to lift others up; how they lead with compassion and values; and how they fight for the right just to get into leadership roles in the first place.

Women leaders are making the world a better, safer, kinder world, and that inspires me in my work, my parenting, my relationships, and my volunteering.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business?

My profession is in massage therapy, so when someone in my line of work loves their work and wants to start their own business, that means more time spent learning how to run a business and less time doing the fun hands-on work with clients.

​Running a business involves so much more than just doing the thing you love (i.e. you're suddenly in charge of planning, marketing, finances, stocking supplies, client management, etc), but also allows you to do it all your own way. Be sure to consider all the elements of this new role, and how comfortable you are with learning what you need to know and finding the right support.

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 

Being a mom and a business owner allows me to life the live I want, do the work that I love with clients I adore, and model responsibility and leadership for my kids. It's a lot to juggle, and it's a constant learning process, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Connect with Mama Needs Massage:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you? 

Mothers inspire me!

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

Mindset is everything so fill your thoughts with positivity! The only way you can fail is if you quit!

What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner?
​
Being a mom and a business is the greatest blessing. Both can be very trying and stressful, but it's so worth it.

Connect with Steadfast Virtual Solutions:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram

What inspires you?

My Kids: I want them to know that if you work hard and never give up anything is possible. Women: Believes name comes from us wanting to inspire other women we believed in ourselves and worked really hard and went for a dream, it’s been hard but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

What advice would you give to a brand new business owner or someone looking into starting their own business? 

To never give up. Always show up and work hard and in the end it will pay off.
​
What does it mean to you to be a mom and a business owner? 
​
Being a mom owned business to me means I get to inspire other moms and I get to teach my kids that mom can do it all + being able to pick my hours and not having to miss sports and such makes all the hard times worth it.

Connect with Believe Boutique:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Three mom business owners, all working independently of each other, have sent hundreds of creams, balms, and lotions to frontline healthcare workers to help with the chafing, redness, and irritation that comes from wearing masks and gloves all day as well as extra hand washing.

“Seeing our medical community bearing the stress - physically and emotionally, and the effects of that being visible on their faces and in their eyes, how could I not share the Ishq,” says Ishq Skincare founder Sarah Zareen. “Ishq” means “love” in Urdu.

Danielle Trapp, founder of Halisi says seeing an Italian nurse’s red & raw face on an Instagram post brought her to tears. “I began brainstorming when Italy was in their peak, but it took time to formulate, get necessary supplies, and find contacts.”

Alison Warlitner, founder of Cherry River, says “I have multiple cousins who work as RNs and I know more doctors than I realized. They started telling us how their skin was chafing under masks and under gloves, and we realized that our lotion or shea butter would give relief, and the CBD would help with skin irritations, redness, and swelling."

Through Ishq, Sarah has sent nearly $1,000 worth of organic moisturizing creams, scrubs & masks to contacts working at OHSU and pharmacies around Portland, Oregon. 

Sarah also says “I know my products bring healing. It was a driving fire that rose within me. As soon as the thought of sharing came into my mind, I asked members of the MOB Nation for connections.  Service to others is what my brother & I were taught from childhood, and it being Ramadan, I felt this urgency to share Ishq’s healing powers.”

Halisi, which was created to create safe and natural solutions to skin care problems, has sent over over 700 tubes of her newly created chafing balm to nurses in New York City and California. Danielle is also distributing them to employees at local senior homes.

Although the project started as a service project with her teenage son, they have surpassed the original goal. The new goal is to send 1,000 tubes.

Danielle says “Medical professionals have no choice when it comes to wearing a mask, and they’re sometimes two masks at a time for their entire shift, every day. That gets painful - not only the chafing, but also the humidity inside the masks just wreaks havoc on the skin.”

Cherry River’s program of sending items to healthcare workers on the front lines is part of a larger donation program.

“Our primary concern was getting items to people working in healthcare, but we also realized there was going to be a need for donations because many who use CBD as medication would not be able to afford it,” Alison explains.

Cherry River’s first donation arm acts as a buy one, get one program, except instead of the purchaser getting an extra item, Cherry River makes an in-kind donation and gives items away via an application system. There is no screening or documentation needed. Through this program they’ve sent out over $4,000 of CBD tinctures, capsules, topicals, and even bath bombs to close to 100 applicants.

That program also funds donations to healthcare workers, and allowed them to give over 40 lotions and shea butters to pediatric doctors, nurses, ER technicians, and personnel making PPE for medical staff.