It’s the month of May and Mother’s Day is just around the corner. For those who haven’t bought a gift for their moms yet, you better get on it with that Amazon Prime 2-day shipping! Here at Harmonic Media, we want to take a moment to recognize the fantastically, awesome leading lady of our business — Barb Lindvall. She is the glue that holds our crazy, creative family together.
Being a mom is freakin’ hard work. And paving the way as an entrepreneur is not always a walk in the park. As Harmonic’s Owner, Barb has taken both roles in stride with dedication and accomplishments that are equally praiseworthy. Being that she is a humble individual, Barb wouldn’t like us talking about her too much, which is why we decided to let her do some of the talking.
An Interview With A Fierce And Fabulous Mompreneur
Moms all over the world are constantly wearing multiple hats and Barb was kind enough to take hers off for a moment to sit down and answer some of our questions. Although, we’re pretty sure we caught her multi-tasking a couple of times during the interview.
1. How do you think being a mother has helped you to be a better boss?
The first word that comes to mind is patience. Although I still have room for refining my ability to maintain that inner calm, having babies will force anyone to expand their patience threshold.
At the end of the day, there are so many valuable traits you “learn” as a mother. Listening skills. Multi-tasking. Unconditional love. And the stamina to keep moving in the right direction. .
2. So, about that whole work-life balance thing...how do you make it happen?
That’s a great question! And one I feel like I’m still trying to find the answer to since my personal and work life are so intertwined. If you didn’t already know, my husband, Tyler Lindvall, and I are business partners at Harmonic. This means it’s not uncommon for our kids to have to remind us to stop talking about work.
I try to alleviate this overlap of my business and personal worlds by carving out time that is work-free. Every Sunday, I make a schedule that includes a family dinner and other evening activities where office talk is off limits. I also try to go on more “adventures” with the family that get us all out of the house together. I find that when I’m out of my element, I can more easily get all the Harmonic stuff out of my head. I also tend to be an early bird - hello 5:30am - to get a more productive start to my day.
3. What's the most challenging thing about being a mom? The most rewarding?
The most challenging thing about being a mom is when your kids are physically or emotionally hurting! You just wish you could snap your fingers and make it all better for them. There are those moments when it can be extremely frustrating to realize there is so much you can’t control.
The most rewarding thing about being a mom is being the recipient of random “I love yous”, hugs and kisses. The unconditional love we have for each other means everything to me.
Moms are the best managers because parenthood is one of the most basic forms of leadership.
Source: allthingstalent.org
4. Since opening Harmonic, what has been the most challenging thing about being a small business owner? The most rewarding?
I would say the toughest thing about being a small business owner goes back to that infamous time management thing. I just always wish I had more time in my day. All these initiatives, exciting ideas and projects are constantly coming into the picture, but everything ends up taking so much longer than you initially thought it would. See…even my answer to that question ended up being longer than I planned 😄
The best part of my job is watching the Harmonic team grow! I get to spend my days with some very talented people and we really do like to be around each other, which makes going to work easier and more enjoyable. Everyone accepts challenges and lives by our core values, and it is very rewarding to watch your dream come to reality with our amazing talent.
5. Who is your celebrity mom crush and why?
I must confess that I don’t really follow celebrities, but the first person that comes to mind is Michelle Obama. I think she handled being a mom in a very tough position with grace. She was always poised and so smart!
6. What's your mom-approved drink of choice?
WATER. Wait, that is no fun! I do drink a ton of water but after a long day or on a weekend, I won’t turn down a cocktail with tequila.
7. What's the best Mother's Day gift you ever received?
There was this one Mother’s Day where our daughters made me a coupon book with chores and ways to spoil me. I still have it and love to use it when they are completely unsuspecting! And of course, as cliche as it might sound, the best gifts in life are the ones that are free. I’ll take all the hugs, kisses and love I can get from my kiddos.
8. Can you offer up some motherly words of wisdom? A mantra? An inspirational quote?
I don’t know about advice, but sometimes I need a reminder to give myself grace and take an extra minute to enjoy the wins. Life is filled with a lot of expectations and trying to keep up with everything and everyone. After experiencing a “victory” in life, big or small, I tend to immediately move onto the next task at hand instead of taking a moment to pat myself on the back for what’s just been accomplished.
If you can’t tell, I'm a super type A personality. It’s definitely something I’m trying to work on. So, I guess my words of wisdom would be: Don’t be so hard on yourself when you feel like you’ve come up short and at the same time, give yourself credit where credit is due.
Sending a motherload of love to all the moms out there!
We could all learn a thing or two (or a million) from our moms. Harmonic wouldn’t be here today without the passion and leadership of Barb Lindvall. In celebration of our work mom, and all the other deserving moms out there, we want to give a gift of our own.
If you are a mom and a business owner, Harmonic will give you 10% off all our services for the month of May. Why? Because as a mother and a boss, you’re a 10!
Contact us today to add one more awesome thing to your long list of accomplishments.