Here’s a list of common hairdresser mistakes that we have probably all made at one time or another while working in a salon.  By avoiding these simple mistakes, you can improve your earning potential and grow your career. As professionals we must all do our part in raising the image of our profession to a higher level . The following simple guidelines will help us in our efforts at client retention.

Irregular Work Schedule — Far too many hairdressers cross off time on their appointment books, or show an inconsistent work schedule that limits your availability for customers. Set your schedule and stay in the salon. You never know when a customer will call for an appointment or just drop in.

Not Inviting Customer and Owner Feedback — Invite customer feedback as well as feedback from your boss.  If you receive criticism, consider it an invitation to perfecting your skills and  improve customer service. Let your boss and your clients know you value their input; they will appreciate your honesty and desire to exceed owner and client expectations.  Give them permission to offer constructive criticism without taking this criticism personally. I have yet meet a salon owner that wants to see their staff fail.

Unprofessional Appearance –. If you want to be respected and compensated like a professional, look and act like a professional. Hairdressers are in the business of improving appearances. Start with your own.

Involving Customers in Your Personal Problems —- At times there can be a fine line between being friendly and interactive with your clients, and pulling them in to your own personal drama.Customers have enough problems of their own, they don’t need to be part of yours.

Not Recognizing the Power of Customer Service —– Customer service is often measured not by meeting your clients’ expectations, but by exceeding them. Go the extra mile with customer service. The rewards of doing so can be beyond even your highest expectations.

Frequent Salon Changes –If at all possible, seek to find a solution to any work-related  differences with your boss in private before considering leaving your current job.  If you still believe a job change is in your best interest, do so in an ethical manner. Never burn the bridges behind you,  you may need references (or a chance to return at a future date).

Poor Work Habits — We are creatures of habit. Absenteeism and tardiness is a big problem in our profession. Work hard to value the time of your customers as well as your salon’s reputation. Respecting your client’s valuable time creates a sense of trust and projects professionalism for your clients and your salon.

Leaving Clients for Personal Calls — or talking on your cell phones when working on your client. Every client deserves your FULL attention.  Unless it’s an emergency, use your break to chat with friends, or to return phone calls.

Poor Customer Handling Procedures — Always greet your customer with a sincere and caring attitude. Develop powerful people and communication skills. You never get a second chance to form a positive first impression.

In today’s tough economy we can ill afford to making these mistakes in our salons, our clients have many choices and price options on where they will spend their money. Please read my book a Hairdressers Guide to Success-Personally,Professionally,Financially. Click here

I do hope that all of you enjoyed a Very Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.

Now that the holiday season is behind us, let us plan and prepare for a new and successful year for your salon and team

2012 is expected to be a difficult and challenging year for both hairdressers and salon owners, due to an uncertain economy and rising business costs.

There will be a lot of doom and gloom, especially during the first 3 months of the year.

Despite the doom and gloom I feel 2012 can be a great year for those of you who are well informed and determined to take your team and your salon to a higher level. Adversity always always presents fantastic money making opportunities for well managed salons true entrepreneurs.

Your attitude towards adversity will determine your own success or failure. Tough times always present fantastic business opportunities because the majority of people will be in denial, always looking for excuses to fail because it requires hard work and effort. You will probably win by default.

Here are some business tips to follow:

Review Your Profit and Loss Statement — review your past year. Did you really make a profit in 2011, and did you reach and exceed your business goals? If not what is your plan to turn it around? The easiest way to improve profits is to review and cut your  overhead expenses. Numbers don’t lie. Your profit and loss statement is your score card.

Planning and Setting New Goals for 2012 — separate your goals into business goals, personal goals, and financial goals. Develop a plan of action on how to make your 2012 goals a reality.

Down Time — if your salon and staff are experiencing too much down time; use this time for education, designing your marketing strategy, improving your business skills, and learning from one another.

Review the Past Performance of Your Staff — Did your staff perform and exceed your expectations? Find ways to improve staff performance and productivity.

Measure Your Strengths and Weaknesses — read my salon owner’s quiz found in my book Developing Your Skills. Click here

Time Management — the easiest way to find more time is to organize your business so you can manage your business instead of your business managing you.

Plan Your Marketing Strategy for 2012 — how will you keep your loyal clientele and attract new customers cost effectively? Review my book on Growing Your Business. Click here

Staff Challenges? — is your team performing up to your expectations? If not identify and confront the problem or person before the situation gets out of control. Review your hiring practices and your educational training programs.

Staff Recruitment — develop a comprehensive staff development program so you have more choices when adding a new member to your team. My book Creating Your Salon offers a staff development model for you. Click here.

Training and Education — invest in your salon’s greatest profit potential —invest in educating your team. Education is a great deterrent to client retention

The year 2012 will be a very challenging year, take advantage of my all day business seminar schedule. First seminar will be in San Diego Click here

Please review my educational resources on my home page; they are designed to help you meet the growing challenges of salon ownership with confidence. Click here.

I personally want to wish all my friends and colleagues and your families a very Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

I do hope 2011 was a good year. I put together a little wish list in the hope of making the 2012 year, a year that will offer you a new beginning and a better quality of life you richly deserve. I do hope we can make the following guidelines a reality.

Bridge the Gap Between Hairdressers and Salon Owners —  that we can  develop a  better dialogue and understanding between staff and management. We need each other more than ever. Better communication between staff and management will help combat staff turnover and business instability.

A Higher Standard of Living — reward all the hard work and effort hairdressers exert in trying to earn a good living. I am committed to help hairdressers and salon owners raise their standard of living and improve the quality of their lives.

Salon Owners — it is my wish that I can help alleviate the stress , anxiety, and worry of salon ownership. I do hope 2012 will be an excellent and profitable year for you and your team.

Busy Salons -– that salons and their team are always busy every day of the week. When we can create a demand for our services, we can consider raising prices. It s my wish that 2012 will be a great year for everyone.

Unity Among Salon Owners — the only people that can demand change are salon owners. It is my hope that we can form a salon owners group and discuss and overcome the challenges of our salons and profession. There is power in numbers. We must create an equal playing field for all salon owners,and address many of the challenges salon owners face daily. Owners helping owners will be our theme.

Respect — urge the product companies  to show us the respect and the loyalty we deserve.

Balance Work with Family —  that I can help take the stress, worry, and frustration out of building a profitable business and help both hairdresser and salon owner form a better balance between work and family.

Reform our Educational System — we must reform our educational system to help better prepare our new generation of hairdressers meet job market and consumer demands. If we are to raise our standard of living,we must raise our standards of educational excellence.

Business Minded Salon Owners — help salon owners become astute business men and women and   improve profits and renew their passion to succeed.

A Positive and Professional Salon Environment —create a team culture within the salon so its a fun and fulfilling to go to work everyday.

Financial Planning — that all hairdressers and salon owners learn more about money management and financial planning and begin starting their own Roth I.R.A or Simplified I.R.A. accounts.

Professionalism Image –- I wish our profession and the consumer view our hairdressers and salon owners in a positive light. Let us start focusing on the impact we have every day to not only make our customers look good but make them feel good about themselves. Let us start show casing the top salons to the consumer instead of focusing on the negatives of our profession.

Benefit Package — that salons can improve profits and afford to offer incentives ,rewards , and a benefits package for their staff as a reward for their loyalty and hard work.

I am committed to seek out solutions to the many challenges hairdressers and salon owners face every day. Your voices will be heard. I do hope that 2012 will indeed be a very Prosperous and Happy New Year. Follow me on my business fan page for ongoing information,daily tweets, blogs, and special announcements. Click here. Please share with others.

Improving staff performance and productivity will always be a major challenge in taking your team and your salon to  higher levels of excellence.  As coach of your team you need to help them stay motivated as professionals . You must show them how to maximize their full learning and earning potential,by helping them learn self motivation guidelines. You must make them aware that they must take full responsibility for their own success or failure.  If you can’t motivate yourself, how can you expect to motivate your team? Excellence does start at the top.

The following tips will help you take your business and team to a higher level.

Leadership —one of the key components of leadership is to be able to create a team environment where everyone shares  the same vision and goals. As a salon owner work hard to inspire and motivate your team by always showing a caring and sensitive attitude toward their growth and development. As leader of your team you must develop powerful leadership skills if you want to earn the trust and loyalty of your team.

Make Their Jobs Fun — create a positive and professional salon environment based on trust and mutual respect, where it’s fun to go to work every day. Create incentives and contests that challenges team to higher levels of performance. Work hard at helping your team maximize their full learning and earning potential.

Earn their Trust and Loyalty — You get the best of others when you give the best of yourself. Work hard to earn the trust and loyalty of your team. Let your staff know your door is always open if they have a question or problem. Always let your staff know you invite feedback.

Provide a Positive and Professional Work Environment. — in order to create this environment,work hard to create conditions that foster loyalty and respect,not fear and intimidation.

Education— give your staff the educational tools to perform at higher levels of excellence.Invest in your salons greatest profit potential; invest in educating your team.

As coach of your team, the more you are able to provide quality education, the higher their confidence and self-esteem. It is your challenge to help your team achieve success.

Keep them Busy — too much down time will diminish their self-confidence. Work hard at marketing and promoting your business, making sure you monitor their referral and customer return rate

Give Praise —sometime a little pat on the back for a job well done will go a long way in motivating your team . Always give praise when warranted, show appreciation for their hard work and accomplishments. Make your staff feel like champions.

Incentives — keep challenging your team by providing targets and incentives.Team contests for the most referrals or individual rewards for selling the most retail are examples.

2012 will be  a challenging year for your business and your team. Please visit my web sites for information about my educational resources and special success seminars for your team.

The following recruitment  tips are geared to help you attract young talent, so you’ll have  more applicants to choose from when adding a  new member to your team. When I say recruitment, I do not mean recruiting or soliciting a hairdresser from another salon. Getting ahead at the expense of others is wrong and a tremendous mistake many owners fall into.

As I travel throughout the United States and Canada conducting my business seminars, the number one question I am asked over and over is how do I find and keep outstanding hairdressers?

As an owner I’ve always had great success hiring and developing young talent, they are much easier to train and mold into your team concept. I have found that young talented hairdressers are eager to learn,and excited about the opportunity to be part of your team. One thing for sure, they haven’t formed too many poor work habits and negative attitudes.

Do not rule out experienced hairdressers, as long as you feel they share your vision, and will follow your quality control standards. If you do hire experienced help I would suggest that  you do not encourage them to bring a clientele; you want customers that are loyal to your business not the hairdresser. Hiring hairdressers who taking phone numbers and addresses from a former employer without their permission should serve as a red flag. They will probably do the same to your business when a better deal comes around.

Honesty and a code of ethics is the only way to build a successful and profitable business and career.

There are many  candidates to choose from, but with the influx of booth rental, young talent are unable to find jobs, especially at upscale salons that attract upscale customers. Lack of experience and knowledge will prevent them from learning and earning a good income in a booth rental situation. This creates  a wonderful opportunity to find outstanding young talent, provided you have your training and junior stylist program in place.

The following 6 tips will help you attract more applicants for employment.

Recruitment Brochure — a recruitment brochure listing the benefits of working as a member of your team will be a valuable recruitment tool to pass out after you give a presentation at one of your local beauty schools.

If you accompany a letter of congratulations on your stationary to recent graduates, this will be have more impact. You can purchase a mailing list of recent graduates at your state board of cosmetology.

Guest Speaker at Beauty Schools — Offer your services as a guest speaker at your local beauty school sharing your thoughts and experiences in building your own career.

Make sure you have your recruitment brochures available and post on the schools bulletin board.

Web Site Presence — make sure you add your recruitment brochure under employment opportunities , as well as application form on your business fan page and web site.

Post Cards -– inviting applicants to join your championship team stating that you’re accepting applicants for employment,listing the educational benefits.

Advisory Board Member — offer your experiences as a salon owner/hairdresser on an advisory board at your local beauty school. Get to know all the teachers and supervisor offering your opinions and expertise

Booth at Local Hair Show — a booth at a local beauty show can be cost effective and allow you to meet hundreds and possibly thousands of young and experienced hairdressers, listing your salon name and passing out your recruitment brochure and salon brochure and answering their questions.

Building your championship team will be a key element in your salon’s success and profitability.  I urge you to visit my educational books page for many more guidelines. click here

Earning the trust and loyalty of hairdressers is a constant challenge for salon owners. Why do some hairdressers perform so poorly? Why do some hairdressers allow themselves to be drawn into salon gossip and pettiness? Why do some hairdressers constantly change jobs? Why do some hairdressers always blame the boss for not being busy? Why do some hairdressers refuse to be part of your team? The list goes on and on. Who’s really to blame? Is it the owner? Hairdresser? Our beauty schools?

I think we are all guilty? Simply put, our educational systems did not change with the times.

I really don’t believe that hairdressers perform poorly on purpose, they just were not taught properly in the beginning  of their training and education.

Many salon owners do not develop the leadership and communication skills to improve staff loyalty,so they can better communicate  and inspire their team.

Hairdressers also must look in the mirror and ask themselves do I really go all out to maximize my full learning and earning potential? Am I always looking for excuses to fail?

The following Tips will help salon owners bridge the gap and misunderstandings between staff and management.

Earn Their Trust and Loyalty -– excellence begins at the top! When you chose to be a salon owner, it is your responsibility to help your team succeed. You lead by example, excellence does start at the top. Let your staff know you value their hard work and loyalty.

Select the Right Team Members — carefully screen out the people you hire. Will they be compatible with your other staff members? Will they share your goals, vision and educational guidelines? Will they contribute to a team culture?

Invest in Educating and Training Your Team—do you take the time in investing in your salon’s greatest profit potential — educating your team? Did you clearly define your expectations and how those expectations will be measured in your employee hand book?

Praise and Recognition — from time to time, allow for job evaluation meetings starting the conversation how am I doing as your boss? A little pat on the back once in a while will do wonders.

Mentoring —  like a flower booming,carefully take a personal  interest in helping your team member reach higher levels of excellence. Carefully nurture their development.

Seek Employee Feedback — let them know you value their opinions, give them permission to criticize you without taking it personally. Let them know you value their opinions.

Keep Them Busy — The higher levels of excellence in training, the higher your referral rate will increase. Work hard to develop powerful marketing skills to attract customers. Make sure you monitor their referral and retention rate

It is my desire that these tips will help bridge the gap between staff and management so we can better understand each others career and business needs.

We as hairdresser’s and salon owners need each other more than ever before, let us try to communicate and understand each other so we can grow our careers and business to higher levels. your invited to view my educational programs that will help meet the growing challenges we all face.

Although many of these tips are geared towards women’s financial retirement needs, they also apply for men as well.

As hairdressers and salon owners we invest most of our time developing our artistic skills, we seldom think of planning for our financial future.

In today’s tough economy, the cost of living will continue to escalate as evidenced by the rising cost of living  as an example. It’s really not how much you earn that will determine your financial future; it’s what you do with your money that will determine your financial future.

I’ve listed a few important guidelines that will help w0men in the area of financial planning and financial independence:

• Invest in Creating Value in Your Skills — if you want to stand above the crowd and gain that competitive edge, develop your communication and people skills, look and act like a professional, and develop your competitive spirit.  Challenge yourself every day towards self improvement.  Increased income will be your reward.
• Don’t Rely on Others — for your financial needs and development. Don’t put all your trust on your boy friend or husband for your financial security; you never know when you may have to go it alone. Work hard to invest in your skills and self confidence to create a demand for your services.

• Invest in Education — the more you learn, the more you earn. When you increase your earning potential, you’ll be able to save more. A top professional will never be out of a job. You control your own destiny.
• Set Financial Goals — clearly define your financial goals, then work hard to make your goals it a reality. Opening a Roth IRA account is a good start.
• Stay Out of Debt — don’t spend money just to make you feel good. Make sure you stay out of credit card debt.
• Learn about Money — you work hard for your money, make your money work hard for you. Learn the power of compounding. Learn how to invest your money, take classes on money management, and financial planning. www.vanguard .com has an excellent retirement and money management program. Suze Orman also has valuable information as well.

• Learn to Budget —monitor your spending habits, do you really need to spend that $7.00 for a glass of wine? Learn to save your money. Before you spend your money ; place a value on what you’re buying. You may want to start at saving some of your tip money as a start. I urge all women who are in the beauty profession to get out of the box and focus some of your time on planning for your financial future.sI have great respect for women who want a better life for themselves and family. Although this article is about money, don’t neglect your family and loved ones. Your challenge is to find that balance between working and family values

Sadly, as hairdressers, many of us have no pensions, medical insurance or other benefits such as other professions. Far too many of our colleagues are working pay check to pay check. Until changes are made, we must take full responsibility for our own financial future.

” There is no substitute for basic honesty and integrity in one’s life.”

Many hairdressers and salon owners are experiencing many challenges in trying to provide a better life for themselves and their families. In order to raise our standard of living and  make this a reality, we must join together as professionals and address a topic that is hurting our salons, our profession, and our livelihoods. The purpose of this message is to combat turnover and help bridge the gap between salon owners and hairdressers, so we can provide a better dialogue and better understanding between staff and management. It all starts with honesty and a code of ethics.

Getting ahead at the expense of others is just wrong. Are we all not on the same team? There is plenty of work for everyone.

Honesty and a code of ethics is the foundation to growing a successful business and hairdressing career for both staff and owner.

Honesty between management and staff will lead to a professional and positive salon environment for everyone and help combat turnover and business instability.

Sadly there are many hairdressers and salon owners who attempt to get ahead at the expense of others. When disruption of business occurs, everyone is affected.

Follow these three guidelines in building a solid foundation when building your career  or business, you’ll be a more happier and successful professional.

Gossip, Pettiness and Negativity — allowing yourself to be drawn into salon gossip and pettiness against the owner is just dishonest. You have a right to complain,  but do so with the owner in private, not with other hairdressers. Your boss will appreciate your honesty.

Taking Phone Numbers — of customers with out owner’s permission is just wrong, especially if you plan on quitting and going to another salon. Keep in mind, if another salon solicits your services and expects you to bring a clientele, let that serve as a red flag and warning that your new salon is depending on you to make their salon successful.

Unethical Salon Owners — most salon owners attempt to build their business in an ethical and honest manner the old fashion way by hard work, a strong code of ethics, and a determination to build a successful business that will benefit both owner and hairdresser.

Unfortunately many salon owners will attempt to recruit a competitor’s staff member after they have been trained and built a clientele by offering higher commissions or booth rental options.

Recruiting hairdressers who have been trained by another salon owner after they build a clientele by means of letters, flyers, post cards, and various other means in the hopes that they can build and grow their business is just wrong and unprofessional.

Now we are seeing a lot of commission and rent wars within the beauty profession. What you’re really doing is creating conditions that foster dishonesty within your business. Your  workers will not forget how you hired them when a better deal comes along. What goes around, comes around.

Your credibility and leadership abilities will also be questioned by your other staff members when you attempt to recruit a hairdresser from another salon.

Unfortunately when you recruit a hairdresser from another salon, your new hairdresser will be difficult to manage and be unwilling to adapt to your salon’s quality control guidelines and contribute to a team culture.

In addition, their clients will show loyalty to the hairdresser and not loyalty to your salon.

Unfortunately many salon owners are being forced into this cycle out of desperation just to survive

An equal playing field will benefit everyone. Honesty and a code of ethics is the only way to be successful in business and in building a successful hairdressing career.

Of course there will be times that a hairdresser needs to change jobs due to poor management and other legitimate factors, but do so in an honest and ethical manner.

Personally when ever someone applied for a job at my salon I never asked for a clientele, in my opinion that clientele belonged to the previous owner because I firmly believed in a code of ethics. I trusted myself in promoting and helping my new member of my team to build a clientele.

These are difficult times for both hairdressers and salon owners; we need each other now more than ever, it starts with honesty and a code of ethics.

There are more than enough customers for everyone. Let us build a profession that promotes honesty and a code of ethics.

It is a proven fact that the income and standard of living of hairdresser’s is not keeping pace  with other professions. Most hairdresser’s have no pensions, medical insurance, paid vacations and other perks compared to other professions. Far too many of our colleagues work pay check to pay check and just get by.

As I view many of the chat rooms, there is hardly a mention about achieving financial independence and financial planning. Most of the conversations are about products and irrelevant topics that will not help you when it comes to earning a good living especially in today’s difficult economic economy. It is said that most hairdresser’s have an artistic mind set and little regard to the business and money making aspect of their development.

I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not measure wealth by money alone. I measure wealth by family, good health and many other factors. But we also deserve to raise our standard of living and reward our self for our hard work and sacrifices.

Sadly when hairdresser’s and salon owners visit trade shows, the emphasis is always about glitter, hype, product sales, and avant garde hairstyles the average consumer will never wear.

As a profession we have totally ignored the average consumer who not only wants to look good but also wants an easy to manage hairstyle between salon visits. Far too many hairdresser’s, salon owners, nail techs, attend hair shows just to party, buy supplies ( you probably can buy these supplies cheaper at Wal Mart) and have a good time.

Sadly many will not take the time to attend the many educational and business classes of guest speakers that offer their vast experience and knowledge.

Of course we need to keep up with the latest trends and keep developing our artistic skills, but we also owe it to ourselves and our families to work hard and strive for a higher standard of living.

It is my wish that these tips about making money will draw your attention on planning for your financial security. It is not how much you earn; it is what you do with your money that will determine your financial security.

Although our educational system is product biased, we as professionals have the ability to control our own destiny. The beauty profession  can be a short cut to financial security.

This is one of the few professions where you literally can get all the overtime you want once  you create value in your skills, and create a demand for your services. The sky’s the limit.

Please follow these tips with an open mind:

Create a Demand – work hard to build an upscale clientele and ask for references. Be the best. Maximize your full learning and earning potential. The road to self-improvement is exciting, and can be financially rewarding once you gain experience and create a demand for your services.

Invest in Yourself — develop additional skills that will set you apart from the competition by excelling at customer service. Develop your people and communication skills by taking classes in developing your public speaking skills. Toastmaster’s International .org will be a good start.

Keep Learning— the door to education is never closed. The more you learn, the more you earn. As you learn more, opportunities will appear that you never dreamed possible. Always seek out self improvement and continually challenge yourself every day by setting high standards for yourself

Save Your Money — get in the habit of saving your money where it will draw interest. You work hard for your money; make sure your money works hard for you. Learn about money management.  You can start out with saving a little from your tips as a starter. Learn to  save,save,save and carefully monitor your spending.

Money Management and Financial Planning — take classes or read  books on money management and financial planning. Suze Orman is an excellent mentor on financial planning and money management. I urge all of you to set up your own Simplified IRA account or Roth IRA.

Stay out of Debt — especially credit card debt. Be careful how  you spend your money. Was that alcoholic drink really worth $7.00? Or could I have saved it for something more worth valuable like buying an educational book. Get rid of all your credit cards and just keep one or two.

Cultivate Your Mind — learn to work smarter, not harder. Read books about entrepreneurship and self improvement, knowledge is power.

Toot Your Horn — develop a marketing mind set. Learn how to promote and market your skills to the consumer.

Take advantage of all the  marketing possibilities  social media offers.

Film your own commercial on you tube showcasing your talent or introducing yourself to the local community. Make sure you have a link to your face book business fan page.

It is my hope that these few tips will get you started about not only making money and raising your standard of living, but also get started planning for your own financial security. Let us all work together to upgrade our image and income earning potential.

I urge you to attend my Hairdresser’s Guide to Making Money seminar on Tuesday evening September  27 at the Palm Springs Hilton Hotel in Palm Springs California. For more information and a flyer call 1-800-390-4237

This message is dedicated to all mothers who work in the beauty profession. As a hairdresser, educator and salon owner, I certainly understand the sacrifices you make daily in trying to earn a better living for yourself and your families. Trying to be a wife, a mother, or a single mother working to help yourself and family is inspiring to me. As a salon owner and hairdresser, trying to please your loved ones and own a business is extremely difficult. As a father to five daughters I understand how difficult it is to please your loved ones and balance your life and work. You are special.

The celebration of Mother’s Day should be every day. It is my wish that your special day will bring you happiness and joy, which you richly deserve.

The following tips are designed to inspire and reward you on your special day; I do hope these few tips will brighten your day.

Pamper Yourself — it’s okay to spoil yourself — find something special that will bring you happiness and joy.  Maybe a day at the spa, a great massage,  a good book , or just spending a day at the zoo with your children, or just a day all to yourself.  Pamper yourself, you certainly deserve it.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Mom — simply let her know you love her and are thinking of her;  your kindness and thoughtfulness will make your day and hers even brighter. Always remember, your mother loves you unconditionally.

Live up to Your Own Expectations — do not try to live up to other people’s expectations;  you and you alone control your own success and happiness.

Believe in Yourself — you control your own destiny;  anything is possible if you believe in yourself.   You’d better believe in yourself;  you’re all you’ve got.

Be Happy — yes, there will be peaks and valleys;  you can control these challenges  by always looking for the positives in life.   As I tell my granddaughters, when they are a little down, it may rain tomorrow, maybe all week, but we know that  eventually the sun will come out.

Develop a Competitive Spirit — when the going gets tough,  get mad and persevere.  Never give up.   Seek out help and support from your loved ones. Don’t try to meet your challenges alone.

Overcome Worry and Self Doubt — live and enjoy the moment.  Always be aware that you’re often much  better off than many others.  Smile!

Happy Mother’s Day!— enjoy your special day!