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“Become the Fire” Earns the Prestigious Mom’s Choice Gold Award

By Elisa Schmitz / March 7, 2024 / Comments Off on “Become the Fire” Earns the Prestigious Mom’s Choice Gold Award

I’m so proud to share that Become the Fire earned the Gold Award from the Mom’s Choice Awards (MCA), a book and product review program that is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of the best in family-friendly media, products and services. “Having been rigorously evaluated by a panel of MCA evaluators, ‘Become the Fire’…

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Inspire & Be Inspired: An Evening of Mentorship with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism

By Elisa Schmitz / April 3, 2023 / Comments Off on Inspire & Be Inspired: An Evening of Mentorship with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism

Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism holds a very special place in my heart. That’s because it was shortly after graduating from Medill with my master’s degree in journalism, and while expecting my first child, that I decided to create my first business, a pregnancy magazine that evolved into iParenting, a leading parenting website that…

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Want to Make Your Dream a Reality? Stop Waiting for a Lucky Break and Make Your Own Luck

By Elisa Schmitz / March 17, 2023 / Comments Off on Want to Make Your Dream a Reality? Stop Waiting for a Lucky Break and Make Your Own Luck

You don’t need a lucky leprechaun to lead you to the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow. You can find it on your own.  To achieve your goals, don’t focus on what you don’t have or can’t do. Instead, leverage what you do have and what you can do.  To manifest the…

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Kirkus Reviews “Become the Fire” Review: “Infectiously Upbeat … Refreshingly Direct … Helpful Lessons”

By Elisa Schmitz / February 19, 2023 / Comments Off on Kirkus Reviews “Become the Fire” Review: “Infectiously Upbeat … Refreshingly Direct … Helpful Lessons”

I am feeling especially “strong, fierce, brave and full of fire” today, just like my T-shirt in the photo below says. This week has been a doozy – from health battles to a massive 100-year-old oak tree falling on our 100-year-old house. Seriously! But I’m wrapping it up on a high note by sharing my…

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“Become the Fire” Earns Three 5-Star Reviews From Readers’ Favorite & the Gold Award From Mom’s Choice Awards

By Elisa Schmitz / February 4, 2023 / Comments Off on “Become the Fire” Earns Three 5-Star Reviews From Readers’ Favorite & the Gold Award From Mom’s Choice Awards

It’s very rewarding when third-party organizations validate the dedication you put into your work. Especially when those organizations make it their mission to share only the best books and products with their communities. I know this professionally because book and product reviews were part of my first business, iParenting. We developed the highly respected iParenting…

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Be Your Authentic Self: Self-Awareness & Owning Your Authenticity Help You Achieve More Success

By Elisa Schmitz / January 18, 2023 / Comments Off on Be Your Authentic Self: Self-Awareness & Owning Your Authenticity Help You Achieve More Success

Sarah Hofstetter has always been unapologetically herself. Her parents divorced when she was 13, then both remarried, creating a blended family. Sarah could be found picking up after the younger kids and helping to balance the family checkbook while constantly packing bags to bounce between her parents’ homes.  Sarah’s maternal grandfather – a rabbi who…

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Push Past Your Fear: Being Courageous Helps You Achieve More Success

By Elisa Schmitz / December 15, 2022 / Comments Off on Push Past Your Fear: Being Courageous Helps You Achieve More Success

Desirée Glapion Rogers didn’t plan on being a trailblazer, and being one didn’t always come easily. But her courage led the way. In fact, fearless is one of the first words she uses to describe herself. As the first African American woman to run the Illinois State Lottery, the first African American woman to become…

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Pre-Order Your Copy of “Become the Fire” Today

By Elisa Schmitz / August 2, 2022 / Comments Off on Pre-Order Your Copy of “Become the Fire” Today

Don’t ever give up on your dreams, my friends. Hard work, perseverance, resilience and grit (not to mention blood, sweat and tears) – they all pay off when those dreams come true. I’m so excited to share that my new book, Become the Fire: Transform Life’s Chaos into Business and Personal Success, with a foreword by Mary…

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Gardening Is About Growth, But Also About Mindfulness

By Elisa Schmitz / August 7, 2021 / Comments Off on Gardening Is About Growth, But Also About Mindfulness

I’ve done a lot of writing about growth and gardening. That’s because there are so many connections between growing a garden and growing a successful career or business, and a happy and healthy life. But there’s more to gardening that is important to share, starting with the fact that it’s an amazing mindfulness activity. Whether…

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The Power of Building Community & Fostering Human Connection

By Elisa Schmitz / July 31, 2021 / Comments Off on The Power of Building Community & Fostering Human Connection

During some very dark days of the pandemic, it seemed like fear, illness and death were winning. The news was filled with grim updates that made it seem as though life as we knew it may forever be changed. Then science and health-care heroes shone a bright light that pierced the veil of darkness with…

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