Pamay, 40
Holly, 38
"My mom started working when I was ten. She taught me how to multi-task, stay focused and plan ahead. I don't know how she does it: She works fulltime and then comes home and makes dinner, does laundry—but she also delegates, by having my dad do grocery shopping, things like that. She taught me about delegating when I was trying to do everything myself at work, and now I assign things out to my team."
Shown with her mother, Karen
Stephanie, 29
"When my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, my mom went back to school where she earned her BS and gained her RN certificate (I was four at the time). From her I've learned it's never too late to improve yourself every day. We may have had less time with her growing up, but she still taught us how to bake, how to sew, even how to change our own car tires and oil. My mom taught me that women are strong, and nothing can stop you from achieving your goals."
Shown with her mother, Melissa (right)
Heather, 31
"My mom was a single, working mom all throughout my childhood and she taught me that talking was simply the best way to make everything work. Once she was home, it was all about the two of us. My mom made dinner while I sat at the counter and told her about my day. Then we sat down at the table to eat and talk some more. I told her everything and she told me everything. She didn't take work home and we didn't just sit in front of the TV. We talked. A lot. And we still talk—a lot!"
Shown with her mother, Willa
Kathleen S., 59
"One thing I learned from this amazing woman was juggling time. Life doesn't have to overwhelm you if you do little bits often. Before work, you start a load of laundry and take a pound of hamburger out of the freezer. When you get home, the clothes go in the dryer and just about anything goes with hamburger. By the end of the week, you've done four or five loads of laundry and the dinner menu could have traveled from down-home style gravy and noodles to Mexican or Italian."
Shown with her mother, Ruth
Rebecca, 31
"My mom was a full-time career waitress. From her I learned how to be passionate about what you do and do it with excellence. My mom, now mid-50s, is asked to speak on radio talk shows about the food and customer service industry. Clearly being a waitress is not going to make you a millionaire, but Mom was in the industry because she loved her job and she was off in time to be with me when I got home from school."
Shown with her mother, Lynn
Alicia, 34
"The most important thing that I learned from my mother was that I could have a fulfilling career and wonderful family life, too. She always told me to find a husband who cooks, which I did, coincidentally. What this really taught me was to look for a potential partner who would share household responsibilities."
Shown with her mother, Kathy
