Mothers, Entrepreneurs, & Creativity
On June 29, 2026, I turned 74. This milestone was a time of reflection for me. As I looked back on my life, I realized that I’d had many “new beginnings” as different seasons came and went.
My childhood, my teenage years, going to college, and getting married to my wonderful husband were the first four seasons.
Becoming a mother and having my first beautiful baby at age 20 and having my last beautiful baby at age 45 along with my other 9 beautiful babies who were born in between—and raising them—was another full season that lasted 42 years!
Becoming a grandmother at age 43 and a great-grandmother at age 70 has been another sweet season of life that is still going on! Right now, we have 32 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren!
I never knew what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” I had a few interests and hobbies, but I never felt I had anything that I really excelled at—except trying to be a nice person! I was just kind of floating through life! The one thing I did know was that I wanted to get married and have a big family. I am happy I got my wish!
What I didn’t know about marriage and motherhood in the early years was that there would be a part of me that would still need some creative expression—doing something just for myself. This season of life began as a surprise when I accidentally stumbled into becoming a poet, author, songwriter, and eventually a blogger. In 2001, my son Ben and I started a company, Fales Productions, to produce and sell the books and music we were writing together.
This enjoyable season has trickled along like a small, quiet, bubbling brook winding its way through the mountains and valleys of my long life, which has brought me great joy! I was so happy to find a creative outlet at home that I could do while still caring for my “large and growing family,” which David always liked to describe us as!
Another unexpected season of life happened for me in 2010 when my husband David founded his company, Wyoming Authentic Products, in order to sell Wyoming source-verified beef—which was his childhood dream! I gradually turned into a businesswoman as I assisted him in many ways and grew into the titles of “co-founder” and “creative director” and “helper for everything” over the years! I soon found that all the things I had learned as a mother and homemaker could now be applied to the different operations within the business world!
David’s and my first priority was always being happy, loyal, united marriage partners, but we gradually figured out how to become open, honest, and dedicated business partners! This wasn’t an easy task, but we did it!
I was a “stay-at-home” mom for 42 years. When my youngest child went off to college, I spent more time in the business world with David and helping to build trustworthy and loving relationships with a wide variety of people. This is when I coined the phrase, “The real business of business is love—with a fair profit for everyone.”
Everyone will have different seasons of life. We will all grow and become better over the years as we learn from our mistakes and go forward with love, faith, and courage. What I have learned is that we shouldn’t rush the season of life we are now in. Enjoy it, learn all you can, and be kind and considerate to everyone within your own circle of influence. When a new season of life comes to you, either planned or as a surprise, you will be able to set new goals and accomplish them!
This month, in addition to writing about my own evolving business career, I wanted to write about the entrepreneurial talents of four mothers (my family and friends) who started small business enterprises from home and are now sharing their experiences and talents with others.
Amy Litster Diviney
Tonal Healing: Musical Sacred Sequences
Sound Healing and the Nervous System—Healing the Cell Memory
Amy is my niece, and I loved watching her grow up as she was just a few months younger than my oldest daughter. The two of them had so much fun as little cousins! Amy was happy, loving, and kind, and I always admired her many gifts and talents. When Amy recently told me about her “Sacred Sequences,” I signed up and took the Course. It is amazing! I continue to listen to it as the music brings me peace. This is what Amy wrote about her story:
“A couple of decades ago I started writing down spiritual communications I occasionally received. I would just capture them in a notebook. Around 2021, the spiritual downloads became more frequent. Often, they were simple notes on how I could improve my life and help my family. Sometimes they had greater scope, such as the time I received directions on how to heal my chronic pain.
I had a lot of muck to clean out. Old programming and trauma. Therapy helped. And I was also searching for a deeper connection to spirit. I set aside quiet, boundaried time in the morning to receive messages. Through practicing, I learned each day how to listen a little better to spiritual inspiration. In the Fall of 2022, I repeatedly received the message that “the music is coming”.
I have loved music since I was a child, begging for piano lessons. It is my lifeblood. I immersed myself in choirs. I began whistling as I walked to my high school classes, not out of cheerfulness, but out of sheer necessity to let the music out, as I restrained myself from singing and dancing down the halls like a real live high school musical. I studied music in college and spent years singing and directing choirs. And then the Sequences came to me.
The musical Sacred Sequences came through one line at a time. I was told they were healing, and that it was my job to weave them together. So I did. The Sequences are a gift of individual peace in a time of noise and confusion.”
Alex Tanner Fales
Real-life Coaching for Women in Business
Grounded and Joyful Approach to Life and Entrepreneurship
Alex is married to my son, Matt, and is the mother of three beautiful young children. She majored in Statistics at Brigham Young University, where she and Matt met each other. I was impressed with Alex when I first saw her and was delighted when they finally started dating and were eventually married! I admire the way Alex combines being a loving wife and mother with enjoying her business, which she runs from her home. This is what Alex wrote about her story:
“I'm a wife and mom of 3 who loves adventuring outside with my kids, thinking deeply, personal development, running, getting enough sleep, honest conversations, podcasting, entrepreneurship, camping, hiking, reading, exploring new places, and good friendships.
I felt called to figure out how to use my phone and social media as a tool for good without letting it consume me. During this journey I started posting on Instagram as @thealexfales sharing the things I was learning. I noticed a common theme among all the women that wanted to work with me: They were business owners. They wanted to use social media to effectively grow their businesses while still having time to be present with their kids and have a life outside of work.
I run my business not just to make money but because of who I become in the process. I love helping women grow their business in a way that supports a life they genuinely love. I love helping women learn how to calm their “busy brain” so they can truly enjoy work AND real life. I love helping women simplify what feels complicated and take aligned action from a grounded place.
Clients are drawn to me because of my grounded and joyful approach to life and entrepreneurship. I love working with female entrepreneurs who are willing to go deep. The work I do goes so much deeper than strategy. It’s about the emotional side, the beliefs, the nervous system, the identity shifts that help women grow their businesses while also improving their relationships, their health, and their spirituality.
Kimberly Hoppe Tremblay
Lemonade and Sunshine
Finding the sunshine as we talk to people who have made lemonade with the lemons in their lives by being real and helping to strengthen one another in our challenges.
I met Kimberly Tremblay (who grew up in Londonderry, New Hampshire where we used to live) as she eventually became friends with my son Jonathan. Kimberly and I started talking on the phone from time to time, and we also became great friends. I attended her wedding, and we stayed in touch with each other even though we both moved around a lot! I admired her courage in adopting three children (twin boys and later a daughter) as she and her husband raised them with great faith and love. This is what Kimberly wrote about her story:
“The summer that my youngest child was getting ready to attend 1st grade I was praying about what I should do with my time. Shortly after that I was called to be the Relief Society President in my ward for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I learned so much, and I saw firsthand how our Heavenly Father manifests Himself in the lives of His children. He allowed me to feel a portion of His love for these beautiful and amazing women!
After I was released from this calling four years later, I began to pray again about what to do now. Many writers had successful podcasts, and I began to feel pulled in that direction. It was through prayer that I came up with the concept for our podcast, and my friend Sherri and I developed the theme “Lemonade and Sunshine” together.
Lemonade because we are taking our lemons in life, the bitter and hard and making lemonade, or making it sweeter as we try to help others by sharing our challenges in a real and vulnerable way. And Sunshine, because Jesus Christ is the Sunshine, He is our light in the dark times, in our hard places, He always shows up in our stories.
It has been a labor of love and has not been easy. Being Gen X-ers over 50, we have struggled with technology a lot! But we have also learned a lot, been able to talk to and get to know amazing women, laughed, cried and have had fun and hopefully we have helped some people along the way!”
Annie Fales Arrington
Treehouse Gymnastics
Elements of foundational gymnastics are crucial both in childhood and as we age. Strength of joints and muscles, balance, and flexibility are just a few of the benefits of taking part in this amazing (and FUN!) sport.
Annie is my fifth child and has always loved music and gymnastics. I encouraged her in music, but not in gymnastics, because I thought she was too tall. She proved me wrong! As a mother, she earned extra income by teaching piano and voice lessons, and later taught gymnastics classes in her home. Treehouse Gymnastics soon needed a much larger facility and moved into town! I’ve taken Annie’s story from her website:
“Annie began teaching gymnastics in 2002 and private voice and piano lessons in 2003. She has a Bachelor's of Music in Music Education K-12, with emphases in choral music, piano, and composition. She is an avid researcher of the singing voice* and currently leads an adult community chorus that she absolutely adores. … Her love of people, and desire to inspire joy and confidence in them, motivates all of her work, whether in music or gymnastics—or anything else!”
*Explanation from Annie: I research the voice to understand better how it works (the brain research on singing is just starting to emerge!) and how to help others get their voices to work easily and well. I am very passionate about the power of singing and especially singing with other people!
Here is more of Annie’s story from an article in The Lebanon Times, a local New Hampshire magazine:
“In May 2025, Annie opened Treehouse Gymnastics, a non-competitive gymnastics center. Programs at the gym include classes, open gym sessions, parties, and day camps. Gymnastics “is just like any skill,” said Arrington. “My goal is to make gymnastics accessible to the average person. From wherever you’re at, I can teach you something, and it can benefit your body and mind in some way.”
Everything in her gym is accessible for both children and adults (including inflatable structures). This allows adults to play and connect with their kids. “Being able to connect and bond with your child, not just drop your child off to play and sit down and look at your phone, but you’re actually out there engaging with them…all that stuff is really lacking in our society,” she said. In addition, Arrington wants to make fitness fun.”
Trust In The Lord & Be Bold and Fearless
In conclusion, I want to encourage everyone to enjoy the season of life they are presently in. When you do feel inspired to add something new into your life, remember to be “bold and fearless” as my son, Jonathan, used to say. My favorite scripture, which I memorized as a teenager, is this:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. — Proverbs 3: 5-6
My experiences in the business world have taught me the importance of having a positive attitude at all times and not looking back with regret. Learn from every mistake and keep going forward with faith. I hope you will enjoy reading my following “slogans” that I often repeat to myself:
Seven Empowering Slogans for Business Success
The real business of business is love—with a fair profit for everyone.
Put aside worry, let calmness and repose take its place.
Forgiveness is powerful. Give everyone a “clean slate” every morning.
Dismiss negative thoughts immediately. Renew positive thoughts constantly.
Why smile? So you don’t frown. Frowning is negative. Smiling is positive!
Faith in God. Faith in me. I have faith I can succeed.
Jesus said, “Be of good cheer.” This is not a suggestion. It is a command.