Michelle Reynolds

Back 2 Basics Family

Interview with Michelle Reynolds with Back 2 Basics Family

  

I met Michelle last year.  We were helping out with a business conference event.  I had such a BLAST hanging out and working the event with her.  She is not one to shy away from work, can anticipate where she is needed and she gives it her all.  I can see how those traits can be such great assets for her Back 2 Basics Family biz!  Her background as a teacher, mother and a caregiver gives her great insight.  I just wish I had known her back when I was a young mother.  She could had helped me through some of the issues I had faced back then.  Luckily, my kids are resilient and survived me.  LOL!  I share this post so gladly with my mama entrepreneurs because how great is it for young moms now to have a Michelle in their lives?

 

What is the name of your business?

Back 2 Basics Family

Love how you get the idea just from the name! 

What product and/or service do you provide?

I provide educational seminars, mommy masterminds and support groups, parent and educator trainings.

Parents need all the support they can get because kids do not come with instructions :/

When did your business start?

I started Back 2 Basics Childcare a licensed in-home daycare in 2008. I had a very successful business and was starting to branch into Back 2 Basics Family in 2012. With many unexpected events happening in my life, I had to close the daycare because it was in my home and my children and husband and I needed to reconnect.  At that moment Back 2 Basics Family went on hold as I explored how to get it off the ground without the daycare base. I also took this time to try a few additional things to make sure I was living within my life’s purpose.

It takes someone with a gentile heart to be a caregiver.

What territory does your business serve?

South East Broward although I have traveled to Boynton and West Palm. I do online as well.

Who does your business serve?

Specifically, parents that have children birth through 5.

Children that have more challenging behaviors are my specialty as I used to teach these children in 1^st grade in my past life as a teacher and I see where they shine and what their behavior is communicating. I have been highly studies in Sensory Play and have a Productive Play course that I teach.

Infants and that juggling act is also a specialty of mine as it is one of those things that just comes easy to me and I am able to organize and get infants on a schedule that works for them and mom!

I love working with entrepreneurs because I have a business knack as I grew up in an entrepreneurial household and I’m constantly trying to find a faster, more effective, more efficient way to do everything from emptying the dishwasher to completing billing.

I do have programs for beginning and struggling readers up to 2^nd grade.

What need does your product or service fulfill for your customers

Sanity, time and love!

All we really want is to be a good parent and connect with our children. All our children want is to be loved by us.

I hear all the time people say they want to slow down and bring back the basics, I can help you do that!

OM-geee!  I don’t have little ones but I need sanity, time and love tooooo!  I think I need to get Michelle to re-consider me as a client.  Tee hee hee.

What DIY tip about your product or service can you share with MY TRIBE?

Really think about the things you do during the day and how you can make them more effective.  Take dishes for example. Who moans and groans about unloading the dishwasher?  The actual fact is it takes (or should take) 2 minutes or less to unload. I have this routine that I think may help you.

In the morning, the first thing I do as my coffee finished brewing is unload the dishwasher. I have a few reasons for this.

1.     I will have an empty dishwasher all day that I have trained my husband and kids to rinse their dishes and place them in the dishwasher instead of on the counter or in the sink.  Dishes out of sight and my kitchen looks clean.

2.     It’s a wonderful thing to do right in the morning as a stretching exercise. Reaching down into the dishwasher, reaching up to put the plates away. Stretching my body this way allows my muscles to awaken and come to life.

As my family fills the dishwasher all day I make sure that they last thing I do before bed is to RUN it!

Try it for 1 week and let me know how you feel!

I am going to stretch in the AM as I make my café con leche.  How many weird looks will my teens give me?  Message me your bet.

This was Michelle’s additional message to all in MY TRIBE.

Simplify your life!

Bring back the basics and meet your child’s emotional and educational needs.

Who is in your support system?

Husband and 2 kids Jay is 5 and Kylie is 10. My parents are right around the corner from us and very involved in our lives.

How awesome to have her family as her main support!

How did you get bitten by the entrepreneurial bug?

When I was 5, my dad had me working in his grocery store cleaning shelves and such and I worked up from there doing things in the back and taking care of the employee’s.

When I was 12 my father sold the store and we moved to Florida from Canada. It was his dream to own a small hotel on the Beach in Hollywood… and here they are Manta Ray Inn was bought and I worked there cleaning rooms, managing the office, taking care of guests and making reservations. At 17 I ran the hotel while my parents would go back to Canada in the summer.

After I went into teaching, I realized I liked teaching because it was like my own business and I was able to do what the students needed as long as we got to a specific place by the end of the year. My classroom was my own business. When the state and county started taking that away from teachers and telling us what we were going to do, when we were going to do it – I was out. I will NOT do things in a specific way when it is NOT right for the children in front of me. Remember, I taught the behavior issues and the lowest of the low students and what worked for them was different than what worked for other classrooms.

While unhappy in the classroom with the mandates that were coming down from the top, my husband and I decided to have another baby. I was beside myself because there was nothing in the area that was what I was looking for. I wanted academics but I also wanted my child to not be a number. I wanted the social and emotional needs of my child met as well. I wanted my child to be well cared for, have fun and learn through play (Back 2 Basics). There was no such place. I found all academic places, I found all play no structure no learning and a lot of TV, but nothing that combined both.

That’s when I decided I would open a licensed Family Child Care Home and eventually grew it into a Large Family Child Care Home – 12 children enrolled with 2 employees and myself.  It was an amazing structure and I created my own curriculum. I provided organic homemade meals, the children had uniforms and I even did the laundry for the parents. It’s was a full concierge service academic learning center.  I had plans to franchise and would still be open to doing so in the future.

Her upbringing was such an influence.  I hope all my femmepreneurs involve their kids.  Let them see you be THE EXAMPLE!

What is your biggest success up until now?

Owning and succeeding with my first business the daycare, has been my biggest success. Seeing that it is possible and that people do want what I provide. Also seeing that it truly made a difference in parents and children’s lives. Those children became my children!

Anyone who impacts the lives of children is a success in my book!

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is selling myself. I know I’m good. I know I’m one of the best and I’m pretty darn confident about it – until you ask me to sell my service. Selling a spot in the daycare was one thing and the value was there – making it more personal is really challenging me.

We must all see the value in ourselves and in turn ask what we are worth without shame or second guessing!

Any funny stories you want to share so other ladies don't feel like it only happens to them?

I worked with kids – everything was funny! (I bet!)

As a mom, someone that works with kids and someone that will go far enough to even say I am an expert – I will STILL tell you I screw up all the time. I don’t care how much of an expert you are, when you work with kids there will be times you will shake your head and ask yourself if you just really just said/did that. It’s OK, we are human!

We all need to remember we are HUMAN in all our aspects of our lives!

Pepsi or Coke?

Oh NO!!!  Shhhhh… Coke

My parent’s best friend is actually one of the head managers in Pepsi Cola Canada.

The SHAME!  Sorry Bob!

Everybody promise … no telling Bob!

If you could sing one song on American Idol, what would it be?  Why that song?

The Climb by Miley Cyrus. 

I took singing lessons with my daughter a year ago and this was the song we practiced. I have related to the lyrics of this song since becoming an entrepreneur and still feel it fits my life.  Besides having lessons was the best way for me to find my voice and I wish I could have continued! I believe this is something every child should experience.

My daughter and I used to sing that all the time!  We need a quartet!

What about being an entrepreneur do you love?

I’ve never been a good employee. If I see something needs to be done I do it. If I feel there is a fast, effective and efficient way to get something done I will do it that way. If you can’t give me a good argument as to why not to do it that way – I will not change it.

I love being the leader and not the follower!

Love it!

What is your why?

Our children are our future and the educational system we have in place to help new moms and children through the age of 5 is frightful.

These are the most important years and the people watching/educating these children are making $10 or less an hour ~ would you expect quality from them?

Someone has to take a stand for these children!

Yes! Yes!  Yes!  Our kids are the future.  We must do all we can to influence them for the sake of humanity.

What value does your business bring to your life?

Meeting children’s emotional, social and academic needs is really all the value that life has! That’s what I bring!

Bring it baby!

What is your favorite gadget or app that others entrepreneurs might want to check out?

Teamwork.com

LOVE it!

Ooooh!  Must check it out!

Special offer

I do have a Mommy Mastermind starting in March. I would love to offer your mommy readers a FREE one hour discovery session with me! 

Mommy Mastermind ~

$28 monthly & every month you will receive:

•       Teleclass/Webinar/Video:  1/ Per Month

•       Group Teleconference Mommy Mastermind:  1/Per Week

During our Mommy Masterminds each participant will be able to share success and challenges from the week. Loving and nonjudgmental advice from other moms on the call will allow each participant to grow and have unconditional support.  These groups will be limited in number

Plus

•       One hour private telephone sessions with me: 1/Per Month

•       Bonus Call/Webinar/Video from a Family Expert: 1/Per Month

How can MY TRIBE get your deal?

Email Michelle at michelle@michelle-reynolds.com

Make sure to tell her the Promo Code SystematicYOU

How long will this special last?

1 month from 2/17/15!

Only 1 month!  Hurry and get it.

To contact Michelle, here is her info J

I really do hope you enjoyed this interview and the amazing insight that this {lovely} woman entrepreneur has brought to you.  I love to see that we are not alone in our experiences, fears, hopes and dreams!

Tune in for next week’s blog!!  You do not want to miss it!

Happy Time Management (a.k.a YOU management)

Tabby

Your brain is not a POST-IT!

We all love those colorful little sticky papers.  I will admit it.  I have an addiction to them but that is a personal problem that I have with office supplies in general.  So what do I mean by my title that your brain is not a POST-IT? 

Well let’s think about what that little sticky paper is meant to be used for.  You jot something down quick and stick it somewhere to remind you, to point something out, to make note of something … TEMPORARILY!  Those sticky notes do not have crazy glue on them.  They are not meant to be permanent.  They have a low bonding adhesive so you can remove it and throw it away as soon as you are done with it.  They are disposable.  

The same thing happens with your brain.  A flash of an idea, a remembered to-do, an upcoming appointment … all those are just temporary mental POST-ITs if your only way of tracking things is your brain.  And what happens to a POST-IT when you move it around too much.  The darn thing stops sticking and eventually you lose it.  That is the same thing that happens with your thoughts in your head.  You keep moving them around because of shifts in priority, new ideas or emotional stress and so on and on and on and eventually you lose that thought in that over loaded pretty little brain of yours and you forget!

So what can you do to not rely on just your mental POST-ITs?

Here is an idea … WRITE IT DOWN!  

Get yourself a planner or a calendar app for your smart phone or maybe just an old-fashioned composition notebook and start keeping track of what you need to remember in one place!  Now keeping your gadget of choice with you at the ready to accept your thought will take time to build that habit muscle but with time you can do it!  And once you start getting the thoughts out of your head you will see your productivity, creativity and sleep quality increase.  Yes ladies!  You will sleep better because your brain will stop talking to itself!

  

In time, you will forget less and do more!  WHAAAAAAT!?  Oh yes!  And all because you stopped using your brain for miscellaneous crap.  

Go on cheer with me.  This is a BRILLIANT idea!

Happy Time Management (a.k.a. YOU management)

Tabby

Tribe Quote # 4

By e.claudette freeman

Tribe Quote # 3

By Phyliss Myers

Tribe Quote # 2

By Steph Stanford

Interview with Emily Claudette Freeman with E. Claudette Freeman Literary Services

Emily has such a soft and a wonderful tone to her voice.  I can listen to her speak all day.  Maybe it’s her training in radio for over 20 years or maybe it’s just her tenor that evokes a response in my heart.  Either way … love her!!  Now go get your favorite beverage, get comfy and read the words Emily shared with me so candidly so that you may get to know her.

What is the name of your business

E. Claudette Freeman Literary Services

What services does your business provide?

I offer literary coaching and something that I call word & story styling which is basically finding the words within to help empower and inspire your life.  I believe that each of us has a story but typically there is a back story to the story that we often overlook and so part of what I do is your general literary coach which is to help someone write fiction and non-fiction books and plays and that kind of thing but the other side of it is exploring those same writing principles to a brand of life coaching or literary giving.

When did you start your business?

I started the business in 2007 after 20 years in radio.

Your business, doesn’t have a physical store front. Is it basically a home-based business?

Yes.  It is basically a home-based business and when I do workshops then I am on location at different places or I get invited to participate in other workshops.

Do you have a particular territory that you serve?

Because the nature of my business, I am actually able to work with clients all over.  Interestingly, most of my clients right now are not even in south Florida.  Right now most of my clients are from the Texas area and the northeast United States.

Who does your business serve?

I am built to work with people who have not necessarily have a tremendous talent but have a tremendous desire and a tremendous tenacity to see their work come to fruition because writing can be a very intimidating thing.  The process of literally just setting aside the time do it can be overwhelming and then to have somebody work with you that tell you this isn’t flowing or I think you need to more here; to have somebody like me who approaches it from that radio background so when you give it to me, I am interviewing your work.  I am interviewing you. 

My ideal client is someone that is willing to braze all of that to see their finished product come to life and from the empowerment perspective, my ideal client has to be someone who is willing to face the words that are within them and look back at their story, even in the most painful parts of it and realize that there was some power, there was some positive energy, there was some guide in your life even in their most difficult moments.

The examples that Emily gave me of how she helps her customers to bring out, as she states, the other side of the story.  She thought me that I must look at things deeper than the surface.  Ladies use her questions to your story!  What is the other side of the story?  Think about what is it that you are supposed to learn from “this” story?

At home who is in your home front?

It is me and a 15-year-old and he is a full plate!

Emily and I agreed!  We need to gather our teens and move them to a commune where they can freely express themselves and feed themselves and earn their own money and wash their own laundry!  We can dream can’t we?

How did you get bitten by the entrepreneurial bug?

I think I have always known that I was always supposed to be an entrepreneur.  I was the kind of teenager that would do things like you know start my own little magazine.  Like sit down and type (when it was a typewriter), typing stuff up and you know putting it together and stapling it and sending it to my family.  Or I would sit in the house saying I will one day own a radio station or I am going to do this that or the other.

Emily spoke of grandparents and uncles in her family who raised families from running their own businesses!

I think it was very unusual for me to be the one to jump into entrepreneurship because of my mother’s kids I am the most introverted one.  I am the shy one.  I am the one that did radio.  Go figure!

One cannot say that you need be a specific “type” to be an entrepreneur.  From the bubbly to the shy ones like Emily … it all depends on ONE THING!  How bad do you want it?

Success wise, what has been your biggest success so far?

You know what my biggest success is and I don’t think I realized it until recently is I love that look when people see their words in front of them. 

Seeing your work come to fruition whether it is the written word or a web page or the prototype of your work is REAL!!  Emily is so lucky to pull the words out of clients!

What do you feel is your biggest challenge?

I think my biggest challenge has been the financial peace.  Finding clients to see the value in what you do for them and are willing to compensate you for the value and also finding the value in YOU.  Because that is something that I’ve noticed that us entrepreneurs that we all struggle with is saying that what I have is worth something and actually putting the worth on it.  It is like “I really have to charge for this?”  And you do.  You really do!

Yes!  Oh yes!  She said it so well.  So yes ladies … We must put a price tag on the value that we bring to our clients.  This is a message that the universe is putting out there with Emily as the vehicle for all of my women entrepreneurs in MY TRIBE reading this blog.

What is your favorite thing about humanity?

The fact that in the most interesting moments we can be immensely compassionate to people we do not know.

If you were a new color in a crayon box what would be your crayon name and why?

This is where Emily’s imagination shows off.  Without missing a beat she replied in the most creative way!

I would be like a Consuela Candy.  It would look somewhere between an orange and a burgundy.  But when you use it, it would put out whatever color your energy is putting out that day.  It would be like a mood ring. 

I fell in love with the name Consuela when I started watching re-runs of Marcus Welby, M.D.

Emily gets my creativity award for this answer so far!  Consuela Candy!  Love it.

What value does being an entrepreneur bring to your life?

It brings the value of helping define my purpose and my gift from The Divine.  And being able to walk in it.  You know.  In a very weird and creative way, I get to counsel and minister all at the same time.

Being an entrepreneur doing what I do has in so many ways helped me find ME!  Help me find my back story.  And the power in my back story.  And the power and the value in my worth.  So while I have been helping and working with others, It’s in turn has been empowering and healing me.

One word … WOW!  We grow when we help others grow!  She is a true TRIBE member!  So happy, happy to have chatted with the {lovely} Emily!

Emily’s upcoming event is for those that have a story in them.  Come out and play with words.  Emily will pull the story out of you!  Reserve your seat today by contacting her directly!

Spring 12 week writing groups

Emily is introducing a Spring schedule of literary lockdowns both physical and virtual - so that authors of fiction can learn and write with a small group of aspiring authors and herself. Additionally, February 10th, seats will open for our Spring 12 week writing groups. For authors writing fiction, life enhancing non-fiction and spiritual/inspirational works.   Participation will be first booked, first served in both areas. The thing that Emily is super excited about is introducing my Styling My Story Line, which are a variety of literary and publishing engagement options. So, those interacting with Emily will choose the style of engagement that best fits their life's needs at the moment and create a customized, printed book for their personal reflection, introspection and invigoration.

To contact Emily, here is her info J

Emily Claudette Freeman
Emily Claudette Freeman Literary Services
Word and Story Stylist
	web:        www.eclaudetteliterary.com
	email:      coaching@eclaudetteliterary.com
	phone:     7867631208
	blog:        www.storytimewithemilyclaudette.wordpress.com
	LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/emilyclaudettefreeman
	Twitter:    ecfcreative

I really do hope you enjoyed this interview and the amazing insight that this {lovely} woman entrepreneur has brought to you.  I love to see that we are not alone in our experiences, fears, hopes and dreams!

Tune in for next week’s blog where we will chat with Michelle Reynolds of Back 2 Basics Family.

Happy Time Management (a.k.a YOU management)

Tabby