How This Entrepreneur is Motivating Moms to Prepare for Their Future

While LaToyia Dennis was facilitating a parent engagement workshop, she realized many moms were struggling with being involved in their child’s education, so she created Motivated Mom. Motivated Mom is an initiative focused on helping mothers raise the next generation of leaders and fund their dreams without compromising their family life. In 2017, the Motivated Moms tour hosted events in Newark, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Atlanta. Plus they landed Coca-Cola and Prudential as partners in conducting workshops to help moms build wealth, improve their parenting skills, and learn to be an engaged advocate for their child’s education.

Why did you think moms need an exclusive initiative?

This is just one of many areas where moms can use motivation. We are nurses, teachers, chefs, housekeepers, and counselors for our children. We often get so consumed with being all of those things to our children that we forget to be ourselves.

Can you share some advice for moms looking to do a better job at managing career and family?

• Be present: I love the quote from Jim Elliot, “whenever you are there, be all there.” As moms, we are all over the place, constantly thinking about what we need to do while doing something else. Try to be fully in the moment and live just a little slower, and try not to allow the woes of parenting and a busy life control you.
• Practice self-care: I have had several bouts of illness. We can’t properly care for our children if we aren’t caring for ourselves. We should regularly include a little bit of love and attention for our own body, mind, and soul.
• Practice what you preach: Being a positive role model requires us to act on and uphold strong character and values in our daily lives. Children do not learn the values simply by being told about them, they learn by seeing how we conduct our everyday activities. Show them how to have a love for learning by allowing them to see you read. Be an example for them to follow by living the life you’ve dreamed of.
  

In one year, you’ve partnered with major brands and taken the Motivated Moms tour to major cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Looking back, what have you been most surprised by?  

I was most surprised by how much I personally needed the support of my partners. I needed to learn valuable financial lessons to better manage my business and my personal finances. I also learned the importance of retirement even as a mompreneur. Coca-Cola shared with not just me, but our attendees the value of partners that help you overcome obstacles in business through their 5by20 program. With Hilton, I learned how to enjoy a family vacation/staycation without spending a lot of money because of the diversity of their brands. But honestly, I think I was most shocked that I was able to partner with such big brands as a new platform.

What can people expect in 2018?

We’re transitioning the Motivated Mom Tour into a Motivated Mom Retreat during Mother’s Day weekend. I am also launching the Motivated Mompreneur Bootcamp, which is an eight-month program to help moms make their passions profitable and I’m super excited about that.