Lessons We Learned From Our Mothers

Moms! We all have them. We need them. We love them. Once a year we celebrate them.

In honor of Mother’s Day, the Velvet Chainsaw Consulting Staff compiled some important lessons we learned from our mothers.

Dave Lutz: Lessons from Mom (Mary Lee Lutz)

My professional success and personal happiness has been strongly influenced by my Mom. She taught me how to lead and more importantly, how to love.

Mom had lots of balls to juggle! We had a pretty full house with four sisters and my brother. I learned that matching socks, digging potatoes and cooking are fun. She encouraged my independence and trusted that I’d make good decisions. When I screwed up (often), she’d quietly pull me aside for some one-on-one coaching. Mom modeled the way for how I’ve lead and managed over a thousand co-workers.

My Dad was an alcoholic. Mom had it pretty tough, but she hung in there – for better or for worse. She taught me to be loyal. In the 39 years since Dad’s been sober, Mom has helped many others through similar situations. Because of her, I know the more I help others without expectation, happiness follows.

Donna Kastner: Two lessons (among many) that I learned from Mom

1. Make time to help others in need

With a house full of kids, I’m amazed when I think about Mom’s servant heart. For years, each week she’d load her station wagon with bread from the local bakery and deliver it to Mother Teresa’s soup kitchen in the Bronx.

2. Have faith and keep smiling

I’ve watched Mom push through many difficult life moments. There’s this quiet grace she displays as she watches her children and now, grandchildren bobble through life’s upturns and downturns. She takes it all in stride, prays hard and manages to find a smile (sometimes even cracks a joke) when the going gets tough.

Michele Frania: What I Learned From My Mom

My mom has always been a hardworking, loving and extremely selfless person. She puts others first and has a positive attitude; both attributes which she brings into the workplace each day. I’ve learned from her that the relationships you form with your coworkers are extremely important both personally and professionally. She takes the time to get to know her coworkers and together they work hard while enjoying their time in the office together.

What I learned most from my mother isn’t necessarily about project management, ROI or even conferences & events. My mom taught me something which to me is way more valuable – she taught me that it’s not always the work you do, but your interaction with the people you do the work with that matters most.

Sarah Michel: Lessons From My Mom

My mother lived in the present. She never spent a lot of energy worrying about the past, she simply made adjustments if necessary and moved forward. She taught me to trust my instincts and live in the moment. To this day as a professional speaker, when I start to rehearse too much or over think my message, her voice appears in my head telling me “speak from your heart and be yourself” which is the only way to truly connect with an audience.

Thanks Mom! (That’s Sarah’s mom on the cover of 1954 Vogue and her daughter recreating the photo for a Mother’s Day gift.)

Jeff Hurt: Mae’s Magnificent Lesson On Staying Young

I learned a lot from my mom, Mae Hurt, (and dad)! I’ve found one of those lessons to be so true as I grow older.

Mom taught me that it was really important to embrace new things and adopt new ways that society was adopting. I can remember her saying, “Try new things. Don’t get stuck in old ways. You’ll get old if you refuse to change and adapt to new ways. And you don’t ever want to get old! Then you lose touch with the world around you.”

I know that’s why my mom was an early adopter of texting and Facebook. She says texting is just another form of shorthand which she learned at an early age. I know that’s why she stays current on trends and pop culture. While her body may continue to age, her mind and ways seem very young and youthful. Embrace change, it helps you stay young.

What lessons have you learned from your Mom? Share them with us in the comments section.