Thanks, Mom: Entrepreneurial Lessons for Life

Mother’s Day is a special tribute to all of the mothers who sacrifice, love and support us. They helped make us who we are. From the perspective of an entrepreneur, we sometimes claim we are self-made, yet the way we were raised surely has a direct impact on the way we build businesses. In San Antonio, a city bursting at the seams with entrepreneurs, there are many lessons to be learned.

As a member of the Accelerator program of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization San Antonio, I wanted to find out from some of our city’s achieving entrepreneurs what lessons they learned from their moms that set them on the path to success. Here’s what they had to say:

Steve Ison, Owner of Rebecca Creek Distillery

If you commit to something, you have to follow through with your commitment, no matter what.
If you get knocked down, learn from it and come back fighting harder.

Jason Ellis, Owner of EF Marketing Group

Always treat people with respect, and you will be treated with respect in return. This rings true and has helped me in becoming the leader I am today.
If you do something with integrity, then it is always the right thing to do. People will always judge you on this trait. You won’t get anywhere in life if you are judged as someone without integrity.

Amanda Taylor, Co-Founder of Performance Revealed

Don’t sweat the small stuff and things you can’t control.
Put the Golden Rule to practice: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Joe Perez, Owner and President of Frontline Support Solutions

Change up/freshen up your display every day. Customers expect to see a clean, presentable, and aesthetically pleasing display. When you do this, you will sell more.
Be at the shop early, and have everything set up before you open for the day. You should never be setting up when your first customer walks into the shop.
Offer a pilón – a little something extra – when and if you can.

Art Flores III, Owner and Vice President of ArtCom Associates, Inc.

Be outwardly happy, and smile a lot. I’ve always had a blessed life, and it’s never been that bad. It helps me put things in perspective and appreciate everything that life throws my way.

As the co-founder of Sammis & Ochoa, I learn new things every single day, whether it is from failure, success or others around me. I love hearing the lessons of other entrepreneurs around San Antonio. It’s important to who taught us to be the people we have become.

My mom taught me so much as I was growing up. When I was 5, 15 and even 25, if you asked me what title I would hold in my professional career in the future, I would have never said I thought I would be a entrepreneur. Here I sit, four years into business ownership. I can attribute much of the progress I’ve made to family. Here are some of the lessons learned from Mom that strengthen me daily:

To be supportive of the people around you and thankful for where you are. Support systems are what build individuals up and allow them to achieve even more.
To put God first. Give the credit where it’s due.
To excuse myself from the dinner table when I was done eating. This one lends itself to having manners and respect. I think it’s much easier to get through life with good manners than without them.

She (and my Dad) always told me how proud she was of me. Because of this, I want to achieve more every day to live up to my full potential. Such support has taught me to express my pride in others on a daily basis, no matter how big or small their accomplishments.

So this Mother’s Day, here’s a big cheers to the moms who taught these entrepreneurs of our city and helped our community to flourish and become what it is today.

*Featured/top image:Tanya Sammis and her mother. Courtesy photo.