Celebrating The Wonderful Words of Women

Clockwise from left: Sarah Potempa’s grandmother; Kelia Moniz and mother; Brooke Thurman and mother; Kiran Jade’s mother; Jill Scalamandre and daughter; Suzanne Siemen and mother.

As the saying goes: Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them. Well, today we’re here to celebrate the mothers, grandmothers, daughters and mentors who have helped some of the strong women in our world, from groundbreaking female founders to the women of bareMinerals HQ and bareOriginals who make our clean beauty community so special. Ahead, you’ll discover the words of wisdom they learned and carry with them every day. Heads up: You might want to take notes.

Kelia Moniz, Pro Surfer

“My mom is brilliant and there are many things she has taught me throughout this lifetime,” Kelia says. “Since I was a little girl, her and my dad have taught me about how powerful humility is. When I would get ahead of myself or a little cocky, she would say, ‘Be careful. Pride comes before a fall.’ I totally catch myself now, as an adult, repeating that little quote. I never want to lead my life with a prideful posture because it can definitely cause me to stumble.”

Suzanne Siemens, Founder of Aisle

“In a lot of cultures, girls are often taught to stay quiet and not speak out,” Suzanne says. “But not my mom. Her advice to me was ‘Speak out when you see something is not right.’ She would say about her outspokenness (and English was her second language): ‘If I don’t say something, who’s going to say it?’”

Alejandra Lobato, bareOriginal

“From my mom: Siempre genuina (always be genuine),” Alejandra says. “From my oldest sister: Understand what you value and live accordingly. From my middle sister: There is nothing wrong with being a little selfish when it comes to self love. And from me to me: Always follow your intuition. Trust yourself and do what feels right for you at the moment.”

Rachel Ashwell, Founder of Shabby Chic

“My mother taught me the beauty of imperfection through her work of restoring antique dolls with threadbare silks and tattered ribbons,” Rachel says. “As well as by the example of how she lived her life — accepting that imperfection should be embraced for evidence of having loved.”

Amelia Plastina, bareOriginal
“Expect nothing from others, but everything of yourself,” is what Amelia learned from her mother and grandmother. “Choose to forgive — yourself and others — unforgiveness is like holding a cactus and expecting the thorns to hurt someone else. Finally, choose to be empathetic, courageous, and kind; kind words are like honey to the soul.” 

Sarah Potempa, Founder of The Beachwaver Co.

Sarah says that the words of her grandmother,“Leap and the net will appear,” became her life motto. “I’ve believed this since the moment we started The Beachwaver Co.,” she says. “In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to believe in yourself, and you have to have faith. You can’t be afraid to take risks, and you have to keep a positive attitude.”

Jill Scalamandre, President of bareMinerals

“My daughter Allegra has taught me to always consider others perspectives. So before I react, I put myself in their shoes,” Jill says. “It has been a life lesson for me. It has helped me understand where someone is coming from, and it definitely changes the way I react.”

Andrea Lisbona, Founder of Touchland

“‘Tu pots amb tot’ — this roughly translates to ‘You can do anything’,” says Andrea, who speaks Catalan at home with her family. “My mother always taught me that if I had a dream, I could make it come true as long as I worked hard and approached everything from a place of kindness. She always encouraged me to become someone that I’m proud to see in the mirror.”

Kiran Jade, Founder of Wolven

“My mum is full of endless advice (whether you ask for it or not),” Kiran says. “I would say that the best advice she has ever given me is that if someone doesn’t see you — truly — they are not for you. This advice has helped me with every aspect of my life, from relationships and friendships to business partnerships. Whenever a friendship has ended or a business deal hasn’t gone through, having it ingrained in my heart and soul that what is meant for me will arrive effortlessly, and what is not meant to be should be walked away from, has been profoundly helpful.”

Jodie Fried, Co-Founder of Armadillo & Co

“My mother is the most amazing, selfless woman I know and she gave her everything to raise myself and my brothers, always putting us first,” Jodie says. “She is such an inspiration, showering us with her unwavering love, steadfast support and constant encouragement from when we were children to this very day—something I greatly aspire to as a mother myself. The advice that really stayed with me was when my mother told me, just before the birth of my first child, that ‘Once you have a child, your heart will walk along by your side, for the rest of your life.’ This was so very true.”

Amy Hanson, bareOriginal

“My grandmother, my mom, my sister and my friends have had great influence and [shared] positive messages to lead me on life’s journey,” Amy says. “Probably the best advice that my mom gave me in times of sadness or disappointment was to stop feeling sorry for myself and to stay positive. It is absolutely pointless to be sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself. It isn’t what you have or what you are doing that makes you happy, it is what you think about, so keep a positive attitude.”

Jhennifer Thomas, bareOriginal

“The best advice I received from a strong woman was to always be self-sufficient. As the director of a non-profit in California, she told me to always have my own money and be independent. People may quit on you but never quit on yourself,” says Jhennifer.

Anna Vale, Vice President of Global Communications at bareMinerals

“My mom is an inspiration. She’s always taught me to go for it,” Anna says. “In every step I’ve taken, she’s encouraged me: ‘Try it, you never know until you try!’ This is what I’ve lived by for many years, and I hope to pass this on to my little one, who seems to try everything, with or without encouragement.”

Brooke Thurman, bareOriginal

“The best advice I learned was from my mother. She worked incredibly hard from the time I was born, and she told me to never let rejection or being told ‘no’ stop me as I strive to be successful — both personally and professionally,” Brooke says. “She said as I pursue a career I will likely be told ‘no’ more than once, but it will be worth it to keep pushing toward the times I’m told ‘yes.’ I use this advice to overcome the feeling of defeat.”

Emily Chow, bareOriginal
“My mom is without a doubt the most influential woman in my life, and the strongest person I know,” Emily explains. “The best piece of advice my mom has given me is to not fall under peer pressure and to always be true to myself. I can honestly say that she is the reason I am who I am and has always been my biggest supporter in everything that I do.”

Emmie Salaj, Senior Vice President of International Business Development & Global Education at bareMinerals

“During these unprecedented times, I can’t help but recall the many days [my mom] would reference ‘Gur gur behet mur.  Mur mur behet kalaja,’” Emmie says. “This means: ‘Stone by stone makes a wall. Wall by wall makes a castle.’ Anytime I would find myself frustrated or worn down, she would say this to show that great endeavors take time. I think of this often during these challenging days. It’s a good reminder that with perserverance, we will all prevail.”  

Karen Sterioti, bareOriginal

“My mom grew up with an abusive father who never showed her love. Despite that, my mom did the best she could to show me love and how to be a kind, compassionate person,” Karen says. “My father died about 10 years ago and my mom lost everything: her husband, job and home. My mom would always advise me to pray and have faith that things work out.”

Elizabeth Grojean, Founder of Baloo Living

“‘Always trust the voice within,’ was my mother’s clearest teaching to me as a little girl,” Elizabeth says. “I’ve never stopped hearing it over my shoulder even in the times of my greatest doubt. It was with me several years ago when I gave up my comfortable job and left everything I knew behind on a one-way ticket to Bali. When others were critical (and I was too!), my mom was the one person who understood that I was following my heart. That decision led me through a deeper journey than I could have expected, as I learned to be free from the addiction to productivity, and allowed myself the right to be, worthy of taking up space without justification. From there, I began to create a new vision for my life based on trusting my own heart. Knowing that the one person who knew me best believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself, is what gave me the courage to choose the unknown over the comfortable. And from that choice, my wildest dreams have come true.”

Lee Etheridge, Executive Director of Global Education & Consumer Experience at bareMinerals

“The best advice [I’ve received from my mom] is to always write a thank you note after receiving a gift — not a text or e-mail, a personal handwritten card,” Lee says. “I have passed this advice on to my 17-year-old son, who sits down and writes thank you notes every year after his birthday.”

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