Womanpreneur Wednesday: Meet Lauren!

I look forward to the Wednesdays when I can spotlight some of the most motivating and motivated womanpreneurs!  This week I am introducing you to Lauren Fischer, an amazing mother of two and author of “The Be Books”

Meet This Week’s Womanpreneur – Lauren!

When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child, I was a dreamer. I loved to play and imagine and create. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a mom. I played house with my sisters and friends and I was always the “mommy”. That was definitely my biggest dream and when I finally became a mom, my heart knew its purpose. In addition to dreaming of becoming a mom, I always loved writing and drawing.

As soon as I could pick up a pencil and crayon, I began drawing cartoons and writing stories and poetry. This became a hobby of mine and an amazing way to release any stress that I was going through. I also had a dream of becoming a teacher. I loved helping others and as I grew up and became a preteen, I loved working with little kids. I’ve been blessed in my life to be able to bring to life all three of these dreams.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I became a mom in 2012. I completed my ninth year of teaching that year and when I had my son, I knew that I needed to stay home with him. I wrote a poem for my son for a photo album. My husband and I were talking one day and he asked me why I was not publishing my books and my ideas. He knew it had always been a dream of mine to share my ideas with the world. Fear and money were the only things stopping me. So I pushed fear away, we saved up and started interviewing illustrators, and I created my business, “The Be Books.” If I was going to share my ideas with others, I wanted them to be useful and help guide children in the right direction.

Being proud of who you are and loving yourself is something that I wanted my children to know so well. The name “The Be Books” came about because I wanted to create a line of books that taught children to “be confident,” “be accepting,” “be kind,” “be loving,” “be themselves,” and “be proud of who they are.” After my first book was published, I received a letter from a parent saying how much my book had helped their child build confidence. It was at that moment that I knew my purpose. I knew that these books could change lives and better the world. I am now currently in the middle of working on my sixth book with my illustrator.

What is the biggest struggle you’ve encountered as an entrepreneur and how did you solve it?

Promoting yourself is very hard. I was raised to be modest and not show off what you have. It definitely feels strange telling people to buy “my books.” It has taken me a lot to realize that what I write is not about me, it is about helping others. I want to share the messages that I write about because I want kindness and acceptance to be the norm. I want my children to grow up in a world where they can be themselves and be kind to everyone. I want Love to be more powerful than fear and hate, and I know that my books can help children understand that. For that, I’ve swallowed any fear, and continue to make videos and posts online in hopes that my messages can be shared.

What do you think are the pros and cons of being a womanpreneur?

The pros are that I am able to be home with my children and watch as they grow to become these amazing people. I also feel empowered that my messages could have a positive influence on this world. There is no greater gift than to leave behind the understanding and knowledge of positivity and gratitude.

The con is definitely how much time I have to spend on social media. I am a believer in mindfulness and it is very hard to be mindful when there is so much negativity surrounding us online. I try to post when and where I can, and hope that I can balance out the energy online somehow.

Do you have any mentors or coaches that you work with?

I believe that everyone can be a mentor or coach. I love reading quotes online and reading self help books. I love listening to my friends and what they have to say. I love hearing my children’s opinions and listening to their innocent view of the world. I learn a lot from them. They are actually my biggest teachers. My seven year old son and my five year old daughter definitely know more about life than most of us adults. Isn’t that funny?

An important thing to remember is that every one of us is a teacher and every one of us is a student. There are different moments in life that we will have the opportunity to sit in both seats. So when you have the chance to listen, listen! And when you have the chance to speak, speak!

What advice would you give to someone reading this that has the entrepreneurial “itch”?

Go for it! Believe in yourself! Anything is possible! Be confident! There is only one you in this great big world. Share that gift with the world!

What is the secret to achieving work-life balance for you?

Oh there is definitely no secret. We are all human and we are all just trying to do our best. I guess the secret would be to be patient with yourself and make realistic goals for yourself. Speak kindly to yourself always, do not set your expectations too high, and have fun! But definitely find time to sit quietly and meditate every single day. Your eyes don’t have to be closed. You can go outside and stare at the sky and the clouds, or you can enjoy a walk. Make sure to do that! Don’t sit in front of your screen all day and wonder why you aren’t being productive. We need the balance of fresh air and exercise too.

How do you find inspiration?

From everyone, everything… from a flower to a cloud, to the ocean to a friend. Gratitude is the secret! Even when we may have “nothing,” we have “everything.” Just change your perspective.

What is your favorite book?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein <<That’s my favorite too!>>

What is your favorite quote?

My top three – “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” and “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”

What do you do to decompress?

I try to meditate daily. It doesn’t always happen. But the one thing that I try to do daily is exercise. For me, cardio is so important for my mental health. It keeps me calm and focused and happy.

Lauren is awesome, right?!

I love meeting and learning about amazing, motivating women just like Lauren!  Please be sure to follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and check out her website!  Lauren also created a Facebook group to spread love and kindness “LoveMatters11“.