5 Lessons My Kid Entrepreneur (and his Mom) Learned About Business (and Life)

Whew!  We are finally done selling t-shirts!  If you aren't familiar with our t-shirt campaign, you can read this post to get up to speed.  If you are familiar with our efforts, it is most likely because you were BOMBARDED on Facebook and Twitter by our constant posting and promoting to get people to buy one of Eli's shirts.  Sorry if you felt harassed.  And thank you for understanding that it  was all part of his mom's job (he hired me to do his marketing and be his Virtual Assistant).

As the campaign came to an end, we sat down to talk about what he had learned about business and success from this experience.  In doing so, I realized how much I had learned as well. Most of what I learned had to do with what an amazingly insightful young man my son is becoming.  But I also learned that I need to spend some time learning more about the best ways to use social media to market a product.

Anyway...here are the 5 lessons Eli learned about business through his Teespring campaign - in his own words - along with my responses. 

1. Designing the t-shirts was a lot easier than selling them.  I thought because I liked the design, everyone else would like the design too.  It's hard to make people want to spend their money. Well, sometimes it is hard. Unless they are like your dad and you are selling some ridiculous gadget on TV. Then it's pretty easy to get them to spend money (I only thought this one, I did not say it out loud!).
2. I could have done more of the work on the internet if you would let me have my own email, Facebook and Twitter accounts.  I could pay you less if I was doing more of that part. I would still want your help, because you know a lot more than me, but c'mon, Mom.  I'm like the only one of my friends who doesn't have Facebook. Plus we could have advertised on you account AND mine and maybe sold more shirts. Point taken, Bud.  But still not sure I am ready to let you wade into the social media sea.  Put a pin in that one and we'll talk about it later.  You always say later, Mom.  Yeah, I know. It's what I say when I don't want to make a decision and I hope you'll forget about the topic and go play.
3. Most kids don't have $15 to spend on a shirt.  They have to ask their parents and some parents are just mean and say no to everything.  I have to find some things to make and sell that kids can afford. Good observation.  We'll work on that.
4. I want to do some fun things that I like to earn money, not just rake leaves and mow lawns.  I will do those too, but I want to do fun things to make money. Welcome to adulthood. Even when you find something to do that you love, there will still be parts of the business that you just don't like or might not be good at.  But you learn to deal with those things and get them done and out of the way so you can focus on the parts you love! You mean like how you love being our mom but hate cooking dinner for us?  I don't hate cooking dinner for you!  Well, you don't love it because you always get stressed out when it's time to start cooking. Touche, my man.  Touche.  It's not so much that I hate doing it, I just...well...okay. I kind of don't like cooking every night.  Note to self: do a better job of hiding disdain for cooking dinner.
5. I was a little disappointed that Ellen didn't help me.  She helps people on her show all the time.  I thought she might help me because I wasn't asking her for money, I just asked her to tweet for us because everyone reads her Twitter and Facebook and she ALWAYS helps people. That kind of sucked, but I guess I get it. Probably everyone asks her for help because she makes a lot of money. Yeah...what we see on TV and what happens in real life can be very different.  It does kind of suck to realize that you are a little guy in the big scheme of things. But you had a good idea to try to reach out to people (Ellen, The Sharks from Shark Tank) who have a bigger audience and more selling power than you do. You just have to continue to find ways to connect with people who have large networks and be an amazing, engaging person with whom they will want to work. So...just keep trying to make friends with famous people?  Ummm...not exactly.  

So, yeah...we still have a lot to discuss and a lot of planning to do for whatever business venture is next, but he learned a lot and is much more aware of the work it takes to have a successful business. Thanks so much to all of you who supported him (and his mom) through t-shirt purchases, Tweets and Facebook Likes and Shares.  As his mother, I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you were all willing to participate in this project on his behalf.  You may think you just bought a t-shirt or shared a post.  But what you really did is help a 12 year old kid develop important attributes and qualities, as well as learn some valuable lessons that will serve him well for the rest of his life.  And for that?  I want to hug each and every one of you.  

The shirts are printing and shipping in the next few days!  He is so incredibly excited!  If you bought one, feel free to take a picture of yourself wearing it and email it to me or post it on Facebook!  Teespring doesn't tell us who made a purchase, so we'd love to recognize you for supporting a Kid Entrepreneur!   

When Are Kids Considered Too Old for Legos?

Disclaimer:  This is NOT a review!! I am not being compensated to say anything about the movie. We are just Lego fans and this post is a result of a conversation that took place after seeing The Lego Movie. Everyone cool?  FTC, I'm talkin' to you. We good? OK. 

I took The Boys to see The Lego Movie on Monday. I was surprised and happy that the movie was actually funny and enjoyable for adults (Batman provides some great comic relief).   The only reason I went is because both of my boys have loved Legos since forever and I am not ready for them to sit in a theater by themselves. So I went when I would have rather seen a good chick flick.  But I'm glad I went.  I had such a great day with my kids! 

Later that afternoon when I mentioned to an acquaintance that we had been to see the movie, she asked me if I thought they were too old for Legos since they are both becoming teens.  I could tell she was surprised by my response. Which was that I don't think my kids are too old for Legos.  Because I believe that anything that inspires a kid (or an adult) to use their creative minds in positive ways is a good thing, no matter how old a person is!  And in this age of video games and electronic devices, if I can get my boys to take a few hours a week to sit down with a bucket of Legos and make something unique (and sometimes pretty damn amazing!) out of a bunch of plastic bricks?  That's a win in my book! Why would I take that away from them or tell them they are too old to play with them?

How do I know that one of my kids won't become an architect or a city planner because his love of building was spawned from those few hours of meticulously piecing bricks together to make a house or a town? My youngest actually made a Lego candy dispenser the other day!  Hello, Future Engineer!  And the fine motor skills that my oldest still struggles with as a teen?  Legos are great for that! The intricate and detailed military vehicles he creates with those struggling fingers give him a great sense of accomplishment and he has no idea that the activity in which he engages is helping map his brain and exercise the muscles in his hands. He just knows that he made a kick-butt Sherman tank.  So I don't care if he is a teen who plays with Legos.  I only care that the time he spends using those Legos is helping him creatively and physically to become a better, more dexterous and confident person. 

And honestly?  As pissed off as I get when I step on one of those little b...ricks, I myself have found them to be a very calming diversion when I am beyond stressed and looking for a way to defrag and think. There's a quiet fascination that takes place in my mind as each brick I choose clicks snugly into place with the next.  As I silently ponder what creations will emerge with the addition of every Lego, my jaws unclench and my shoulders relax and my mind begins to be open. Sometimes nothing grand takes shape and I just end up with a giant column of multi-colored plastic.  Other times I end up with a house or a lame looking animal.  But here's the thing: regardless of what I build, I always feel better when I'm done.  Because I gave my brain something to focus on other than my issues and problems.  I don't always find solutions to my problems in those moments, but that's okay.  Because if being creative for just a few moments helps me relax enough to really think when I am done "playing?" I am in a better place mentally and emotionally and the answers start to flow. 

I could go on, but I won't.  You get the point.   We all have our outlets.  Some people run, some people write, some people create, some people play.  Right now, my boys do all of those things. Sometimes while using Legos. 

The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year - Review

I have been saying for the last however many years now that I am ready for some major life transformations.  I have gone through life for a long time feeling very scattered and disconnected and overwhelmed by life. I hate that I don't really have a handle on what it is I need to do to feel grounded, secure and happy.  So every year I sit down and try to figure out how to put together a plan that will allow me to make the changes I want to make without compromising who I really am.  Up until now, I have had very little success using this method.  It wasn't until I received a book titled The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year that I started to understand why I continue to have this struggle in my life. 

Written by author Jennifer Louden, who is called the "Comfort Queen" by many of her students and fans, The Life Organizer explores a more feminine, heart-centered and spirit-directed approach to life planning.  In the first part of the book, Jennifer teaches us what Life Organizing is and how to use it to gain insights to help us live more mindfully.   She introduces and explains 5 effective steps that help us hold ourselves accountable while we seek to "define the story we want to live."

1. Connect: Acknowledge and engage with your own life force
2. Feel: Tune into your heart, which knows what your next step is and gives you information your head cannot
3. Inquire: Ask mindful questions in order to discover possibilities you couldn't see before.
4. Allow: Open to your next step, allowing love, allowing inspiration, allowing your body and heart to inform and direct you.
5. Apply: Take action.  It is the ultimate goal.

I like that Louden takes the time to break down what the steps are and are not.  They are not meant to be restrictive or confining or time consuming and they can be done in any order, at any time of the day or night. The fact that there is no rigid standard that must be followed for these tools to work makes me feel like I can experience some success in trying to create a life plan that actually makes me feel happy and fulfilled.

The other thing I love about The Life Organizer is the Life Planner that makes up the bulk of the book. The Life Planner is 52 Weeks of Mindful Living that uses thought provoking prompts, quotes, stories and exercises to help the reader stay on course as she works out the details of living a life filled with purpose and satisfaction.  the pages are beautifully designed and have small spaces to make notes. I just wish they had incorporated more writing space or blank pages into this section! 

As I have not yet started using the 52 week planner, (I just received the book and just wrapped up reading and understanding the 5 steps) I'm looking forward to putting this more intuitive approach for goal setting and life planning into practice.  I don't do well with check lists and calendars where every minute of every day is filled with appointments and must-do's, etc.  I am excited to see how shifting my planning from filling in boxes  of time to giving myself permission to plan around my feelings and dreams will change my perspective about how to create the happy life flow I've been seeking. 

With all that being said, I can see that there are going to be certain personality types that will not do well with this kind of "intuitive" approach to organizing or planning their days and lives.  Some people are much more matter-of-fact and structured when it comes to creating their life plan.  And that's okay if that kind of linear approach is effective for you!  Louden herself acknowledges the role that calendars and time management tools play in our lives: 

"Let me be clear: I would be lost without Google Calendar.  But calendars and traditional time management is only half of the picture. The Life Organizer brings in the other half: our values, our hearts, our intuition and mindfulness.  We need our to-do lists, but there's another whole part of us that withers if we're not making time to listen and tune in."

I guess I'm part of the group that needs to take time to listen and tune in, which is why The Life Organizer is the perfect life planning tool to help me find a flow that works for me and my family.

If you are struggling to feel like you are living a purposeful life or you do not feel like you are honoring who you are through your daily routine and actions then The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to Mindful Living might be what you need.  It has helped me understand that there is more than one way to chart my course and stay focused in the midst of chaos and uncertainty and that listening to my heart and spirit is an important part of setting goals and achieving them.

The Life Organizer is currently available on Amazon.

About Jennifer Louden

Jennifer Louden is the author of The Life Organizer and the Women's Comfort Book.  She is a personal growth pioneer who helped launch the self-care movement and has written 4 other books on well-being and whole living that have inspired more than a million women all over the world.  Jennifer has spoken around the world on self-care, written a national magazine column, had a radio show on Martha Stewart’s Sirius network and was a guest on Oprah talking about the power of retreats.  Jen believes self-love + world-love = wholeness for all.

You can find her here:

• Visit Jennifer’s Blog
• Jennifer's Facebook and Twitter

My Kid Entrepreneur

Little Man needs a new nickname.  Because he isn't so little anymore.  He's a pre-teen.  A very busy, driven pre-teen who is already thinking about college and careers and how to build a business empire that can support his future family and his mom and dad when we get old.  Yeah.  He talks about that kind of stuff.  And it makes me cry sometimes to think that this amazing kid is mine.

The crying isn't just because I am so touched by his generous and thoughtful spirit. It's because this kid, in his 12 years of living, has figured out important life lessons that his parents are just now getting at age almost 50! He thinks about his future!  He will sit and map out his time and create his own schedule so that he can feel functional and organized and ready for what lies ahead.

The sad thing is? He didn't learn this from me or from his dad.  We tend to be less strategic in our approach to life.  I kind of struggle with structure in our home life.  Business and work is all business and work and I can get things done on that front.  But something happens when I try to apply those same skills to our home life.  And I hate that I have a hard time transferring my work skill set to my family life sometimes.

But back to my son. The one who came to me with this innate, already developed ability to line himself out and get a direction without a lot of help...

He's started a t-shirt business to raise money for two upcoming camps that he wants to attend at the end of the school year.  One of the camps is Scout Camp, the other is a 3 day adventure/environmental field trip that the 6th grade at his school does every year.  He needs to earn $150 for each camp.  In the past he has sold, lemonade, raked leaves and mowed lawns when he needs extra money, but he decided he wants to "branch out".  His words, not mine.  (I know, right?  Who is this kid?!?)  So he came up with two different designs (more are on the way) for t-shirts and we are using TeeSpring to sell them.  His customers do not have to pay for a shirt until his sales goal is met.  You simply place your order and once the target number is hit, the shirts will print and ship.  If the goal is not met, your card will not be charged.

Here are his current designs.  Just click on the photo and you will be taken to the TeeSpring order page, where you can place your order to help Eli meet his goal!

So there it is...his first public campaign!  He has done all of it himself, except for the marketing and PR, which he has hired me to do.  And since I am good at this part (and I am his mother), I took the job.

Thanks for helping a kid who has his priorities straight get a leg up on his goals!  Your support means a lot to him.  And to his mother, who is so grateful to have a wonderful son to emulate and learn from.  I am absolutely certain that I learn more from my children than they will ever learn from me.  

Stocking Stuffer Idea: Powerocks Magicstick Portable Charger Review

At the risk of sounding all Scrooge-ish, I'm just gonna say it: I don't love Christmas shopping.  OK...I don't love any kind of shopping, actually.  OK...I mostly hate shopping when I have very little money to shop with.  If I do have money, then shopping becomes slightly more tolerable.  But even when I do have money, shopping isn't my most favorite activity.  Especially when I have to figure out what to get other people.  I don't know why.  I think I am just too worried about getting something the receiver won't like.  Which is why I like little gems like this Powerocks Magicstick Portable Battery.  Because honestly?  There is only one person I know who would not like this and she is 75 years old and does not own one single electronic device that would need to be charged.  No cellphone, no laptop, no tablet, no e-reader...nothing.  Other than my friend Darlene?  Everyone else I know would use one of these!

I am seriously psyched about this little piece of awesomeness!  I use my smartphone constantly throughout the day for both personal and professional tasks, which include internet searches, social media updates and taking photos for blogs, reviews and marketing purposes.  Consequently, the phone battery gets drained quickly and if I have forgotten my car charger or I am in a meeting when my phone decides to die, then I am without my communication device until I get back home.  And that is bad.  Because I depend on that device.  OK, I am addicted to that device. It's my crack. Don't judge me.  

The Powerocks Magicstick solves that problem for those of us who are slaves to our electronic devices.  Inside the sleek exterior is a rechargeable 2800mAh lithium ion battery that will charge any device that can be powered by an USB connection, such as iPhone 4/4S & 5, e-Readers, Android Phones, Blue Tooth Devices, Cameras, Gaming controllers, MP3 players, GPS. That's a pretty long list of devices, people!

You know what else is great about it?  It's size.  It fits easily in a purse, a pocket, a backpack pocket or a carry-on bag.  Honestly? I could fit this bad boy, along with the USB charging cord, in my bra in an emergency! Sorry, no pics on that one, but I can assure you, I tried it.  Just to see.  Because sometimes a girl finds herself with no pockets or hand bag and she needs her hands free to climb a tree or something!  It happens! 

The Magicstick is incredibly easy to use: just plug the USB cord into the device, then plug it into your phone.  That's it.  And to recharge the Magicstick when it's dead?  Use the same USB cord in reverse by plugging the device into the USB cord and then plugging the USB cord into a computer.  Rocket science, right?

The only negative thing I can say about this portable power source is that I can't tell how much of a charge it holds once the power indicator turns red. There is a button on the bottom that will shine green when the Magicstick is fully charged and red when it is not fully charged.  But I can't tell when the light is red just how low the Magicstick is.  It could be 3/4 full or almost empty.  But seriously?  There's nothing else to pick apart.  

So to recap:

• Powerocks Magicstick is an awesome portable charger for many electronic devices.
• Powerocks Magicstick is easy to use and easy to carry.
• Powerocks Magicstick is a great gift for males and females of varying ages who use electronic devices.
• Powerocks Magicstick makes an excellent gift for your boss or other high powered executives who travel with their smartphones.  Your sophisticated and thoughtful gift might prompt them to thank you with a raise or a promotion. Just sayin.'  
• Powerocks Magicstick fits into Christmas Stockings or really cute, small gift bags.
• Powerocks is offering a 20% discount for I Am Boymom Readers who use this code: Powerblog20 

The Magicstick retails for about $50 and you can find it at the Powerocks website.  You can also find a list of retail locations in your area on the website.     

Admit it.  I just helped you cross like 3 or 8 people off of your Christmas shopping list, right?  No need to thank me.  It's what I do. But maybe you can thank Powerocks Magicstick by visiting their website and Facebook page.  

**Disclosure:  Powerocks provided me with a Magicstick Portable Charger to help me facilitate this review.  My honest opinions about the product are my own.**

Tek Recon Advanced Battle Systems Review

My boys have had every kind of toy blaster a kid can have, from Nerf Blasters, to Paintball Blasters to stupid little cap guns. they love them all to some degree. I thought we had pretty much run the gamut of blasters. Just when I was thinking there was no kind of kid's blaster that we hadn't seen, Tek Recon comes along and proves us wrong. Tek Recon takes blaster battle strategy play to another level by incorporating smartphone apps into the action so players get a real time experience.

Installing the smartphone holder onto the gun takes seconds and downloading the app from Google Play is just as easy.  What we have not found easy though is navigating the app and actually playing a game with it. The app wasn't very intuitive and it would often freeze during game play. For a bunch of impatient boys, this was frustrating.  We'll need to go through a tutorial to get more familiar with the Tek Recon app.

Regardless of the app situation, they were happy to get started with their new blasters.  The older they get, the more discerning they are about their blasters. They pay attention to the little things now that make game play fun and winning their battle a possibility. They immediately commented on the the various features of the shooters, such a the sturdiness and realistic features like the adjustable stock and the pump action firing systems. They also loved the idea of the quick change cartridges.

The NRG ammo was looked upon with skepticism as the boys opened the packages. THe NRG ammo is different than what they have used before in other blasters. It looks like a small, thick, orange rubber band. The boys found it a bit hard to load the cartridges until they got used to the smaller pieces. The ammo goes pretty far when shot, it doesn't hurt when you get hit and the blasters are fairly accurate, but we found we had trouble getting the Hammerhead to shoot consistently without the ammo getting lodged in the chamber. And forget about trying to find all of the pieces! Their small size makes it difficult to locate, especially since the rubber component they are made of make them bounce when hitting anything super solid, like a wall or the side of the house

We received a Tek Recon Hammerhead set, which consists of 2 handheld blasters for players who like dual wielding.  The Havoc is a little larger and comes with an adjustable stock.

My boys love playing strategy and battle games with all the kids in the neighborhood.  I love that they have the option now of having the video part of the fun incorporated into their physical game play!  More incentive for them to get outside and run around!

Check out Tek Recon's website and Facebook page for more information about where to get these fun toys, just in time for Christmas!

*Disclosure:  As part of House Party's Chatterbox team, we received Tek Recon Advanced Battle Systems products to facilitate this review.  I received no other compensation for this post.  As always, my opinions about the product are my own, honest opinions.

I Hope He Meets John Wayne

I went to Arizona over Thanksgiving to see my step-dad.  If you read my last post, you know he had bone cancer.  Yeah.  I said had.  He passed away the morning after I arrived in Arizona.  Unfortunately, I did not get to say goodbye, because I had stopped overnight in Phoenix and had not yet made the 3 hour trip to the mountain top where he and mom lived. 

When I received the call I was both grateful and devastated.  He was in so much pain, the life he was living as a cancer victim was horrible and hard and humiliating to him.  How could I not want him to be free from that situation?  At the same time, I was sad.  I didn't get to tell him how much I appreciated him.  Or how much I loved his ridiculously funny stories.  Or how grateful I was that he gave us a safe place to live and gave me employment when I needed it.  Or how his love of all things John Wayne has become my love of all things John Wayne.  There are all these unsaid things just hanging out there.  I hate leaving things unsaid.  

My step-father was a lover of really cool muscle cars.  I wish I would have shown more of an interest for them when he was collecting them and fixing them up.  At different times in his life he bought and restored a GTO, an old Chevy something that looked kind of like the original Batmobile that he called the Ghetto Sled (because of where he bought it), an old Buick Riviera with that weird back window, and several others that I don't recall the makes and models.  But they were all cool.  But part of the reason that they were cool was because he was cool.  He didn't have to try to be cool, he just was. Kind of like the cowboy version of The Fonz.

He was one of those guys that knew what the trends would be 6 months before anyone else did.  He came home with black Reeboks one day and we all laughed about how weird they were.  Six months later EVERYONE was wearing them!  

John was one of the original "preppers" and a MacGyver kind of guy that would make MacGyver jealous! He could figure out how to make just about anything out of stuff he found laying around.  

He loved food and music and guns, all equally.  He got me hooked on these:

And he taught me how to use these:

And he made me download hundreds of these to his Ipod:

 He was a master story teller who had many, many stories to tell about traveling with his dad, who rode and trained race horses.  He talked about the things he would do as an 8 year old kid wandering around the fair while his dad was busy. Watching the monkeys dressed like jockeys riding greyhounds was high on his list of favorites.  He talked about how his mom would take him to church and give him money for the bus ride home and he would wait for her to drive off, then go to the ice cream shop and buy a cone with the bus money and walk home.  His mom could never figure out why his suit was so dusty all of the time. His stories about fighting and drag racing and his overnight stint in jail when his dad got mad enough not to bail him out were hilarious and filled with real life details that no one could make up.  I'm sad that we didn't take the time to record him telling those stories. 

John had a wickedly, sarcastic sense of humor.  He was the kind of person who could totally slam you and it was so funny and accurate that event though the joke was on you?  You had to laugh!  When he was in a good mood, there was not a funnier, more fun guy to be around. His grin and his laugh were so indicative of who he really was when he was happy.  His laugh was not a laugh that fit a man of his character, reputation or build.  He was a big, tough guy.  His laugh was not at all tough.  When he really got going, his laugh got very high pitched and when you heard him laugh that hard, you had to laugh too!

He had nicknames for everyone.  Hammerhead, Numbnuts and Honyock were among his favorites.  My boys were never Tanner and Eli when they were with him.  The were Big One and Little One.  My sister was Bird when she was a kid, because she was all knees and elbows.  He called me Thumper for a while when I wore my Nike Canvas or Converse sneakers because he said my big feet looked like rabbit feet. They did look like rabbit feet when I wore the shoes with what is now called skinny jeans.  

John loved Old Westerns and John Wayne and Gene Autry.  He would watch reruns of Gunsmoke and Bonanza for hours.  I'm pretty sure he has watched every single John Wayne movie ever made.  Watch the movie "The Cowboys" sometime.  John Wayne in that movie?  That was my step-dad. His humor, his tough exterior, his truly soft heart, his work ethic, his intolerance of bullies...all my step-dad.  

There were downsides to living with John, to be sure.  He hated holidays.  He would get grumpy and hide in his room all day.  We kind of laughed this year during Thanksgiving dinner that his grumpiness had become part of the tradition.  Because of his upbringing, he didn't let a lot of people get close to him.  Not even us.  He put up a lot of walls and it's too bad that he waited so long to let the the walls start to come down.  He missed out on a lot of great relationships with his family and friends.  And we missed out too.

Last visit with Grandpa John in June 2013

I'm sad cancer took him just when he was figuring out that family was important and that he needed to spend more time getting to know his grand kids. He had a lot of hard-earned advice and wisdom to share with them.  He had so many stories to make them giggle and laugh.  He had so many skills that he could have passed on to them.  And they would have loved almost every minute of their time with him. 

There is so much more I could write, but it wouldn't sum up who he was.  And nothing I could write right now could ever convey my appreciation for him, as a step-father or as a person.  So I will just finish by saying this:  John, thanks for giving me a safe place to live, for teaching me how to change a tire and defend myself and for hiring me back every time you fired me for speaking my mind.  I hope where you are now that you get to meet and talk with John Wayne.  I bet you'll be good friends.

And this, which only a few of you will get:  That whole thing about you going to hell with a bad back?  We win.