Combining Passion with Inner Peace

The Produce Moms (TPM) is rooted in a passion for changing lives: getting fruits and vegetables on every table and making things easier for busy moms.

When I began my business journey, my two sons were just 4 and 2. After purchasing the rights to TPM in 2015, I set a table up in their playroom so I could work on my laptop. It was true bootstrapping and my family was there for it.

Now, my older son is 16 and it’s hitting me hard that he just got his driver’s license this week. I won’t be needed to drive him to and from school or basketball practice and, before I know it, he will be going to sleep every night in a dorm room or apartment.

It has opened up a different kind of gratitude within me for the entrepreneurial journey I’ve been on. Yes, it’s been tough working relentlessly and often sacrificing family luxuries to support the business, but I’m now reaping the reward of the flexibility entrepreneurship brings.

With my boys’ milestones right around the corner, I’m making time for them. I’m not scheduling meetings in the late afternoon so I can pick them up from school and take them to practices. Does it add chaos to my day??

Yes, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.?

This phenomenon has taught me that I’ve been striving for an end result that will always elude me. Getting more fruits and vegetables on every table is a forever goal - there will always be more to do.?

How do I make peace with that?

Our society has conditioned us to compare and look to who has more to try to be “as good” as them, but what this season in my life and in business is teaching me is that TPM is enough.?

I recently wrapped up my 2023 business travel with my final trips of the year - lobbying in Washington D.C. and a speaking engagement in Central Florida. We continue to cultivate partnerships with top retail brands, adding to the purpose behind products. We continue to be thankful for long-standing relationships with our clients, who we refer to as partners, and we sincerely appreciate the trust they place in TPM.?

These work trips and the in-person meetings are critical to The Produce Moms’ continued growth and sustainability. Yet, when I was on the flight home from Florida, I had a huge sense of peace in knowing that I would be home for the next 8+ weeks.

All of that is enough. Will we continue to push and strive and fight for bigger goals? Of course.

But I will also take extra time each night to walk up to my kids’ bedrooms to tell them goodnight each night because I know those moments are precious and fleeting.

I have learned to control what I can control while maintaining an inner peace.

What are your top priorities right now? What moments do you see as precious and fleeting? What are you grateful for? I would love to hear more in the comments.

About Lori Taylor

Lori Taylor is the Founder and CEO of The Produce Moms, a community-based brand on a mission to get more fruits & vegetables on every table.. To learn more about becoming a brand partner with TPM, email [email protected]