To say Mindee Doney is an inspirational woman would be a gross understatement, and it’s not why most people might think. Sure, Mindee was the inventor of Boogie Wipes, that amazing product that so many of us moms stock up on around cold season. But if you look deeper, as you should with any woman entrepreneur, you’ll find a million and one more reasons why Mindee is such a Wonder Woman.
In the years I have known Mindee, I have watched as she not only worked on her business and life as a busy mom of three, but I watched her continuously work to build other women up. As entrepreneurs and especially those of us who are solopreneurs, we may work for hours at a time by ourselves, but it is our interactions to support one another that are the building blocks of a growing business. Mindee is a great collaborative player in the sandbox of women entrepreneurs. She is a delightful smiling beam of authenticity, and I always appreciate her willingness to help others succeed as she has.
Mindee is one of three amazing panelists speaking at The Mother of Reinvention event hosted by my business, Urban Bliss, and sponsored by our friends ABC Doula.
Mother of Reinvention
Tuesday October 23, 2012
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Tigard Chamber of Commerce
Click here to learn more about this Portland, Oregon womens networking event
Click here to register for The Mother of Reinvention online. Use code REINVENTPDX10 and save $10 off your ticket price! Advanced online registration by October 21st is required.
Thanks for being a Wonder Woman, Mindee!
Mindee Doney
Owner Juicebox Idea Consulting
Chronic Idea Gal (Inventor of Boogie Wipes)
Marketing, Branding and Consumerism
www.
Beaverton, OR
Describe what you do each day
About 3 days a week I have dedicated work hours in my consulting business. I’m meeting with clients and talking over their action plans and business strategy. My task is usually just to help them determine what’s really necessary in their business…which often leads to what’s really necessary in their life. I’m also developing another new product of my own (like I did with Boogie Wipes). I’m currently working on finding an investor and getting ready to manufacturer it. My non-work days I’m catching up on kids stuff and housework. I really try to work to live, not live to work (like I have in the past) and I love that I have found work I enjoy as much as my down time. I used to have my computer on my kitchen counter and now really try to keep it in my office and usually never have it on after 5PM so I can be present for homework, dinner and down time with the kids. My iphone and Facebook is the exception to my technology rule from time to time ;)
How do you find your bliss?
My bliss finds me. So much of life is scheduled for you when you are a parent or run your own business. Things are often not about you and out of your control. My bliss happens in the moments my kids, friends and family remind me how much they love me, my clients express gratitude or I find myself awake in time to write in my journal with a quiet cup of coffee or actually deep asleep enough to enjoy a sweet dream. I truly make a big effort to be aware of the moment I’m in and usually bliss will find me there.
Name three things that inspire you right now.
1. Nature. We are in the most beautiful time ever in Oregon, I love fall and all its changes. The end of a year and the anticipation of a new one. For me, the beauty of our earth is a reminder of God’s power and presence in all areas of our lives.
2. Family. I went through a divorce a few years ago and it really taught me the power of a family unit. How unconditional acceptance, forgiveness, grace and patience from people you love and admire can lift you to a place of healing and hope Truly, no one “gets” you like the people who you grew up knowing, loving, testing and watching. It’s a gift I don’t take for granted to have my grandparents, parents, brother, cousins, aunts & uncles all there for me. Social networking and things like Facebook give me the chance to connect with them amidst my busy life and know them as more than just family members but as individuals. They provide unexpected inspiration and encouragement to me just when I seem to need it most.
3. Love. Just like faith, peace and joy you cant see it or touch it or really define it but wow it works! There is no expiration or limit or expectations when it is true and genuine and it can take the ordinary to extraordinary in the blink of an eye. I have recently accepted how much I need love. That sounds strange, I know. I wanted to be a strong businesswoman, confident and independent in my career and as a mother for many years. Accepting I need someone else and their love to feel complete was a tough thing for me to come to terms with. Being vulnerable to it though and letting my guard down has done way more for me than any amount of courage or independence I had on my own. Finding the balance of giving AND receiving love and the daily gestures that come with that is by far my biggest source of inspiration.
What’s your idea of food bliss?
Having whatever I’m craving actually BE in the in the house is bliss for me. I buy it, get it home and then usually see its wrapper or remnants from my little piggy’s before I get to enjoy it, lol. Healthy or indulgent I love cold green grapes, ice cream, homemade salsa or good wine. I love fresh fish (my parents do a lot of fishing so I’m spoiled there), popping tomatoes or berries in my mouth after just picking them off the vine and yes! anything anyone I love made with love for me…always tops the list. I am dating a guy who adores to harvest a big garden, cooking with what he grows, composting, canning and all that jazz. It’s a new thing for me and I’m really enjoying learning more about it and all the “flavors” of life that come with it.
What’s your idea of style bliss?
Work what you wear have confidence in your space. SIMPLE. SIMPLE. SIMPLE. As a society we are overflowing with stuff that has no purpose or meaning in our life. I try to make everything in my home and around me have a memory, story or magical feel. I had to cut my space down by 50% recently = BEST THING EVER! If it had not been worn or moved in 6 months…it has no business being in my line of sight. A cluttered home is a cluttered mind. I’m trying to teach my kids the same thing and I love to see them also needing less and less “stuff” to be fulfilled and happy. I read a quote recently something like “Life is not about what we collect. Its only about how we connect.” Loved that.
What is your idea of Saturday morning bliss?
Waking to the smell of coffee instead of a kids morning breath. I love it when they pounce and giggle in the wee hours of the morning but bliss is a few quiet moments with myself before the circus begins. I love cooking breakfast for the kids (french toast and pancakes are the fave at my house) Sneaking in a run or a workout before we head out to a soccer game is also a nice treat. Some “me time” in the morning sets me up for a little more patience throughout the day.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given in life that you pass along to others? “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want at the moment.” – My Dad told me that.
Basically, evaluate why you do what you do and what you need to do different to get the results that matter to you. No one else, just to YOU. When you take the time to grow and change, listen to others and apply new ways of thinking to your situations, what you want “most” and what you want at the “moment” can actually align. That’s where your best living happens.