I am not a mom. At least, not to children of my own, although I have plenty of mothering instincts for  people,  animals, plus a few needy plants. Yes, I have been a proud midwife to several people’s careers and have given birth to lots of major projects, most recently a business, a book, and of course, the movement for worklife change we talk about here at RedCapeRevolution.com. But technically, I am not a mom.

So I won’t be receiving any flowers or cards this Mother’s Day. But my mom will, and in writing her card, I thought about all the lessons she’s taught me. And the ones that may seem most surprising to her are the gifts she’s given me tied to the world of work.

Now, in today’s parlance, my mom was not a “working mom.” But her work—the work leading that business called “a family,” operating a household and managing budgets and schedules, and motivating another adult and two offspring to thrive in the world—was and continues to be a bigger job than any I’ve ever taken on.

When I think about the work lessons learned from my mom, I realize they’ve been vital to creating the perspective and passion I share everyday about getting that red cape feeling back at work—working in way that that creates clarity for yourself, builds confidence, and inspires you to take control rather than waiting for others’ permission. So as we celebrate Mother’s Day and say thanks to our moms (and our like-a-moms), I offer these thoughts. Feel free to share them using the icons above –and add your wisdom from your mom by replying at the end of the post or telling us about it on our Facebook page.

Lesson 1: It’s Good to Talk to Strangers

My mom taught me to talk to strangers. Oh, not “want some candy, little girl” kind of strangers, but the strangers we interact with each day—the Read more »