Has there been a woman in your life that touched your heart in a meaningful way? Perhaps it is someone who showed you kindness when you needed it, or turned you around when you were headed in the wrong direction. 

I have no doubt that we could all make a list of the hard-working, generous, thoughtful women we have encountered throughout our lives. And on Mother’s Day weekend, it is the perfect time to honor these individuals and thank God for the blessing of knowing them. 

This Mother’s Day, I am acutely aware of the impact my own mom, Emily Link, had on my life, as this is the first time I am celebrating the holiday without her. Since her passing in October, I have found myself regularly overwhelmed with gratitude for all the gifts she gave me and my siblings. 

Mom was a female entrepreneur in the 1960s and 1970s, a time when that was not a typical path for a mother. She instilled a strong work ethic in my brother, sister, and I; showed us the meaning of opportunity; and demonstrated that if you believe in yourself, you can achieve big dreams. Today, we are all successful entrepreneurs who have owned our own respective businesses for over 40 years. 

In honor of my mom, and all moms, I want to share some of her wisdom with you today. These five values I learned from my mom can be applied in all aspects of our lives, including our professional roles. I hope you find Mom’s life lessons as inspiring as I do.

1. The Importance of Service

Mothers are the glue that hold our communities together. Many of us started our own experiences volunteering toddling behind our mothers as they served at churches, schools, and other community organizations. Helping one’s neighbors at a young age instills a sense of service that never goes away.

My own mother became passionate about serving her community later in life, and her impact was great. She loved her town of Maynardville, Tennessee, and was committed to improving her community. Perhaps her most memorable contribution was identifying the need for a shared green space in town, then leading the charge to create a beautiful park for all to enjoy. Her neighbors honored her hard work in 2023 with the dedication of the Emily Link Gazebo there.

Last week, I wrote about the powerful impact of servant leadership like my mom’s. I also shared about our annual Women of Community Impact Mother’s Day Service Project at Home of Hope. If you are inspired to honor a mother in your life by supporting our project, please visit our donation page.

2. The Value of Self-Reliance

My mother valued independence, and her aim was always to teach my siblings and me the skills we needed to thrive as adults. Never one to step in and do our homework or chores for us—even when she could have done a better job, I’m sure—she helped us develop an appetite for learning, critical thinking skills, and self-confidence that have served each of us well.

I’ve applied the same method to building my team. Even if I think I can do a task faster or better, I focus on providing my team with the tools and resources that they need in order to fulfill their responsibilities up to my expectations.

Focus on creating a culture where questions are welcomed, growth is fostered, reasonable mistakes are forgiven, and gratitude is abundant. Ensure that your team gets the support they need to thrive independently, and you’ll see incredible results.

3. Achievement Through Hard Work

My mother taught us that you can’t achieve success without a strong work ethic. Indeed, all mothers are excellent examples of this. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and do the less than glamorous tasks involved in childrearing and home-keeping. They wear a multitude of hats: caregiver, breadwinner, nurse, therapist, chef, confidante, friend, disciplinarian, chauffeur, and the list goes on.

The same can be said about successful professionals. Being willing and able to jump in and do any task necessary for the betterment of the business is part of leading with a servant’s heart. With determination, persistence, focus, and action, any goal is within your grasp.

4. A Sense of Respect

My mother instilled in us that you can’t achieve success without a commitment to treating people with love and respect. This has been a cornerstone of my business philosophy from the beginning.

Respect and care for others make a successful business person. By always honoring your word, you build a good reputation. And good or bad, word travels fast. You’ll gain more clients—and better clients—as well as build a loyal team by putting people before profits.

5. An Example of Delegating

I remember my mother delegating to others when I was a kid, and then as my siblings and I became teenagers, she often delegated to us. The happiest, most fulfilled mothers learn to delegate the tasks they can’t or don’t wish to do, and it’s the same way with running a business.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I encourage the business owners and professionals I work with to explore finding ways to delegate in their businesses and their personal lives. For example, if you excel at marketing but struggle with balancing the books, delegate to an accountant.

When you spend the bulk of your time doing what you do best, and delegate the rest, your business will thrive and you’ll enjoy your work more while avoiding burnout.

And one last lesson from me—to have an attitude of gratitude.

If the past six months without my mom have taught me one thing, it is that you cannot realize how important that mother/child relationship is until it is gone. So this Sunday I implore you to appreciate the wonderful women in your life—your wives, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, stepmothers, friends, yourselves, and of course, your moms. Shower them with gratitude and love while you can for all that they have already given you, and for all they are yet to give.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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