4 Things My Mom Taught Me About Life & Business

By Jayson Krause, Managing Director of Level 52 & Author of The Science Behind Success

My mom had her first child when she was 18 years old. Richard Krause was my oldest brother and I never met him. He lived only a few days before he died of what now would be a correctable heart issue. Despite the immense heartbreak, my mother managed to move forward from that painful experience and continued to have three more children, of which I was the last.

Hardworking, detailed, and ferociously committed to her family are the 3 qualities that would most describe her. My mom has sure challenged me in many ways throughout my life – but boy have I learned some precious lessons through her guidance.

In celebration of my mother, I’d love to share four lessons I’ve learned from her that apply to both life and business.

Lesson 1: You can fall short of your dreams and still be loved

My mom has supported every crazy idea I’ve pursued. From an 8+ year career traveling across the world driving bobsleds, to launching various businesses and taking shots at big dreams. Many of them never ended up the way I intended. In those moments of pressure when I’ve fallen apart and felt like a shameful failure, my mom taught me the healing power of unconditional love. What an invaluable gift when someone is there by your side and helps you pick up the pieces and put them back together in a meaningful way.

Lesson 2: Pennies make dollars

I remember the day I was in the garage while my mom worked to organize and clean it. There was a jar with some money in it. My mom asked me if I wanted it, to which I responded, “they’re only pennies.” My mom looked at me and sharply said, “Pennies make dollars.”

They do, if you combine enough of them, they give you the power to impact your life and the lives of others. Just like in high-performance sport and meaningful leadership, the little things add up to make the biggest difference in how you prepare, compete and win.

Lesson 3: Ferociously defend what’s important to you

My mom will never be accused of acquiescing. For anything. When she believes in something, she will take a sharp stand and defend it with vigour. There have been moments in my life where I have shielded my face in discomfort in the way she aggressively challenged others who stood in the way of her objective.

The thing is, she knows very well what she stands for, which ensures she won’t fall for anything that takes her off course. These experiences have been my aspirational model for the determination required to live an entrepreneurial life.

Lesson 4: Everyone is family

My mom has opened her doors to every stranger and fourth cousin around. Growing up, our home was always housing an exchange student, a distant relative, or a family friend down on their luck. She seems to know the birth date of every relative that has six degrees of separation and her face lights up when speaking about them. There are no strangers in the eyes of my mom and as soon as she gets to know somebody they always have a place in her heart and her home. This is a quality I greatly admire. While my community is dear to me, my mother demonstrates an infinite capacity to love thy neighbor and make them feel like family.

In a life that has spanned over four and a half decades, these are a few of the many lessons I’ve learned from my mother and she likely has no idea the things that have stuck. Someone who has had several careers; she has been a grocery clerk, paramedic, and developed a lengthy successful career in the energy sector. Along with a busy professional life, she has always been a volunteer extraordinaire in her community. This is my mom.

I celebrate her and the many mothers who give so much to shelter and shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Happy Mother’s Day, Pauline Krause!