Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea into a Million Dollars and How You Can, Too! (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Discerning opportunity in the day's mundane moments is the instinct necessary to entrepreneurial survival; having the courage and the ability to act upon opportunity is..." (more)
Key Phrases: minimum opening order, kitchen table idea, retailing season, New York, Symphony Money, New Money (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. People only learn to think like a millionaire by becoming one," says Lavine, who tucks her impressive entrepreneurial saga inside this top-notch how-to guide on launching a business. Founder and president of Green Daisy Inc., she tells how she converted a comfy pillow she invented into a successful company, sharing poignant insights about her challenges and growth. Lavine dispels many myths by discussing her failures, such as getting stung by sleazy partners, a cash flow crisis from hell and blending her roles as mom and company president ("Don't apologize for having kids!"). Lavine seamlessly weaves her journey of discovery with checklists, links, resources and how-tos drawn from her experience. While her advice to avoid doing business with "people who wear bad shoes" may seem offbeat, several pages later she provides a smart, clear description of how to create a cash flow analysis and use it as the basis for all key decisions. Lavine's human and authoritative story makes this one of the most engaging and useful resources available for readers hoping to convert their passion into a healthy company—any man who perceives her lessons as gender-specific will lose out on a rare gem. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Mommy Millionaire is loaded with resources for a fledgling business person--woman or man--armed with a good idea and boundless energy."

--USA Today

 

“Top-notch how-to guide on launching a business... Lavine's human and authoritative story makes this one of the most engaging and useful resources available for readers hoping to convert their passion into a healthy company... A rare gem.”
–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 

Strategy and Business Magazine chose Mommy Millionaire as one of the best business books of 2007: “Kim Lavine’s memoir-cum-business-primer breaks new ground in the crowded field of startup sagas. By seamlessly blending the epiphanies that she gained through launching a business with practical lessons, Lavine has packaged a core set of new-venture tenets into something fresh and relevant.”

  “Mommy Millionaire is an inspiring gift and roadmap to success for anyone who's ever had a dream.”

—Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of How Did I Get Here

“Lavine has good tips for anyone interested in launching a home-based business.”
–Library Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 20, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312354576 ISBN-13: 978-0312354572 Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #535,688 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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First Sentence:
Discerning opportunity in the day's mundane moments is the instinct necessary to entrepreneurial survival; having the courage and the ability to act upon opportunity is what essentially separates those who succeed from those who fail. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
minimum opening order, kitchen table idea, retailing season, millionaire mentors, green daisy, leasing manager, retail price point, vendor portal, master rep, first trade show, booth design, mezzanine financing, big retailers, elevator pitch, angel investors

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Symphony Money, New Money, Product Search, Corporate Money, Old Money, Break-Even Analysis, Cash Flow Spreadsheet, Saks Inc, Today's Special Value, Bad Money, East Coast, Mall of Georgia, Wuvit Wady, Advance Pricing, Cash Flow Analysis, Detection Machine, Entrepreneur Number, New Jersey, Commerce Department, Social Security, Specialty Retail Report, Washington Money, Boss Mom, Demo Event

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	70% buy the item featured on this page: Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea into a Million Dollars and How You Can, Too! 4.2 out of 5 stars (40) $23.95
	20% buy The Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big Thing 4.9 out of 5 stars (32) $12.89
	4% buy Secrets of Millionaire Moms: Learn How They Turned Great Ideas Into Booming Businesses 4.1 out of 5 stars (8) $11.53
	3% buy The Green Millionaire 2.3 out of 5 stars (3) $29.95

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Customer Reviews

40 Reviews 5 star:  (25) 4 star:  (6) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (4) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 29 of 32 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars A riveting story, but actually DISCOURAGED me, July 15, 2007 By  M. Dodson "Mama24Gr8Kiddos" (Apex, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I always thought the idea of owning a business would be great. I've dabbled on Ebay, with the whole intent being to stay at home and raise my kids while making money on the side. When I saw the title of this book it inspired me....maybe if I read it I could find some inspiration to start a business myself? While the book itself is a good read (I didn't want to put it down!) I found the author's tenacity a bit scary. The product itself has limited potential....like a previous poster said, it's a fad product. Once everyone owns one, your income potential has pretty much dried up. The author fought really hard to make her business succeed by begging and borrowing, often at great personal risk. She often sacrificed time spent with family in her quest to make her business succeed. This to me represents the biggest conflict in her quest....the title "Mommy Millionaires" implies that this is something a Mommy can do "in her spare time" or when she isn't caring for her children. When in fact after reading this book I am more apt to believe the author traded in her time with her children FOR the business.....she even speaks about missing her children's birthday parties because she was too busy trying to promote her business. I give this book 2 stars because it is a good read....but it misses its mark as an inspiration for other "mompreneurs". There are plenty of families out there who can successfully manage family and business. Moms shouldn't have to choose! 13 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars A novel masquarading as a business book which left me with no warm and fuzzy feeling., October 26, 2007 By  Jeff Lippincott "www.Jlippin.com" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       This book was just OK. That's a 3-star on Amazon's scale. When I read a book that I plan to write a book review on I generally look at it as a teacher would when grading a paper. I consider the content of the book. I consider whether title informs me of what the book is going to be about. I ask if the material is presented in an orderly manner so the content can be easily digested. And I ask myself if the book was special in some way. In my humble opinion this book had lots of content. That content arguably makes it a business book. However, the title of the book did not inform me of what the book was about. And I did not find the material to be presented in an orderly manner. And I did not find the book to be special in some way. Maybe if the author had made me feel for her I might have had a different opinion. But I didn't like her after reading this book. I had no warm and fuzzy feeling for her. This book is a story about Kim Lavine who not too long ago was a housewife with two young sons and a husband who was recently unemployed. She had developed a "heating pad" product that she had been giving away as gifts prior to her husband losing his job. In order to generate income for the family she decided to go into business selling her "heating pad" product. In this book she explains her journey of making money by selling it. She had ups and she had downs. And it was an interesting story. But if I wanted to read a story, then I would have pulled a novel from my library's shelf. This book did not read like a business book; it read like a novel. And I was exhausted by the time I got to the end because I kept looking for the business book in it and never found it. Probably the fact that I was exhausted when I finished the book is a big reason this book only gets 3 stars from me. This book was not special in some way. It was a drain. The cover of this book includes the following line: "The ultimate step-by-step guide to building a business while keeping your family your number 1 job." I assume the author did keep her family as her number 1 job. So I won't question that clause in the statement. However, the story in this book is not a step-by-step guide. It is merely a chronology of events that took place as the author built her business. She did it the wrong way. And ways that are wrong should generally not be used as guides. Part of the reason I was so tired when I finished this book is because I knew she was doing things all wrong. And some of her advice is really out in left field. Business plans are not easy to put together. And they are not as simple as just answering a series of questions. And businesses should not be thrown together under pressure and then reorganized later (if they can be). And you should not milk people for valuable information and then go do it yourself for free. You can get some free info this way, but ultimately you will get burned by scam artists the way the author did. The cover of this book includes the following line: "How I turned my kitchen table idea into a million dollars and how you can, too?" Although the author's invention or product was made using corn, I wouldn't exactly call it a kitchen table idea. And the author's way of building her business was so convoluted that I hope nobody tries to build a business in a similar way after reading this book. If you want some books that will help you achieve what the author did, then I recommend you consider reading Invent Yourself Rich (ISBN: 1594160503) and Brownie Points (ISBN: 1932841261). I've read them both and have written book reviews for them on Amazon. 3 stars! 11 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, February 26, 2007 By  Avid Reader - See all my reviews Lavine is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs--not just females. In this book she reveals how she developed an innovative pillow, founded the Green Daisy company, and sold her product on the QVC network. Lavine provides a wealth of information about business startups, and specifically focuses on how to create a cashflow analysis which becomes the cornerstone for all financial and business decisions. As in Mike Kiyosaki's Rich Dad series, Ms. Lavine emphasizes the importance of creating positive cashflow as the foundation of any profitable venture. This book reflects information the author learned from her successful experience as an entrepreneur, and is well worth reading. For more info on achieving personal success and wealth, you may want to check out "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 1.0 out of 5 stars nonsense I had high hopes in the beginning of this book, but this woman's story became quite ridiculous as it went on. She was NOT a mommy millionaire at all. Read more Published 4 days ago by ang 3.0 out of 5 stars adventures of an entrepreneur some luck, a reason, hard work, good salesmanship, great energy, a sense of adventure=a successful product. good adventure story of mommy entrepreneur. Published 9 days ago by X. Gao 4.0 out of 5 stars Resourceful for Every Entrepreneur As an aspiring entrepreneur I am always looking for literature that inspires, promotes and/or teaches good business principles. Mommy Millionaire by Kim Lavine does all three. Read more Published 1 month ago by Tamara C. Thomas 5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it... I'm giving this book 5 stars for being incredibly motivating! No, it won't give you any money making ideas, but if you already have an idea it really motivates you to take the... Read more Published 2 months ago by Highlander 5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to get your entrepreneur spirit going This book is a great resource for every mommy going into business. It's a great read to get your spirits going, very inspirational. Read more Published 4 months ago by Martine Groeneveld, Author 5.0 out of 5 stars excellent If you want to start a business, read this book! I found it on the bookshelf of a vacation house in Italy, left by someone else. Read more Published 6 months ago by Working Mom 5.0 out of 5 stars Mommy Millionaire: How I Turned My Kitchen Table Idea into a Million Dollars and How You can, Too! Kim Lavine, really done her homework with this awesome book! I could not put this book down! If you need helpful resources with starting a business, invention, or just knowing... Read more Published 10 months ago by Evelyn Johnson 2.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely disgusted As a female small business owner, I was excited to find this book. Not long into the book, my excitement was gone but I finished it anyway. Read more Published 15 months ago by patti 5.0 out of 5 stars True tales from a fellow Mompreneur... I absolutely loved the book! As a fellow Mom Entrepreneur, I found her story full of insight, helpful advice, and a great real world example of what happens to a company as they... Read more Published 16 months ago by Glamajama, Heather Nolte 5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, informative read! I had this book for nearly a year, it was highly recommended by a friend but I thought the subject of business might bore me so I did not start reading it until two days ago. Read more Published 19 months ago by bloomsboutique Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312354576
• ISBN-13: 978-0312354572
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #535,688 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A riveting story, but actually DISCOURAGED me, July 15, 2007

By	M. Dodson "Mama24Gr8Kiddos" (Apex, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I always thought the idea of owning a business would be great. I've dabbled on Ebay, with the whole intent being to stay at home and raise my kids while making money on the side. When I saw the title of this book it inspired me....maybe if I read it I could find some inspiration to start a business myself?
While the book itself is a good read (I didn't want to put it down!) I found the author's tenacity a bit scary. The product itself has limited potential....like a previous poster said, it's a fad product. Once everyone owns one, your income potential has pretty much dried up. The author fought really hard to make her business succeed by begging and borrowing, often at great personal risk. She often sacrificed time spent with family in her quest to make her business succeed. This to me represents the biggest conflict in her quest....the title "Mommy Millionaires" implies that this is something a Mommy can do "in her spare time" or when she isn't caring for her children. When in fact after reading this book I am more apt to believe the author traded in her time with her children FOR the business.....she even speaks about missing her children's birthday parties because she was too busy trying to promote her business.
I give this book 2 stars because it is a good read....but it misses its mark as an inspiration for other "mompreneurs". There are plenty of families out there who can successfully manage family and business. Moms shouldn't have to choose!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A novel masquarading as a business book which left me with no warm and fuzzy feeling., October 26, 2007

By	Jeff Lippincott "www.Jlippin.com" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book was just OK. That's a 3-star on Amazon's scale. When I read a book that I plan to write a book review on I generally look at it as a teacher would when grading a paper. I consider the content of the book. I consider whether title informs me of what the book is going to be about. I ask if the material is presented in an orderly manner so the content can be easily digested. And I ask myself if the book was special in some way.

In my humble opinion this book had lots of content. That content arguably makes it a business book. However, the title of the book did not inform me of what the book was about. And I did not find the material to be presented in an orderly manner. And I did not find the book to be special in some way. Maybe if the author had made me feel for her I might have had a different opinion. But I didn't like her after reading this book. I had no warm and fuzzy feeling for her.

This book is a story about Kim Lavine who not too long ago was a housewife with two young sons and a husband who was recently unemployed. She had developed a "heating pad" product that she had been giving away as gifts prior to her husband losing his job. In order to generate income for the family she decided to go into business selling her "heating pad" product. In this book she explains her journey of making money by selling it. She had ups and she had downs. And it was an interesting story. But if I wanted to read a story, then I would have pulled a novel from my library's shelf. This book did not read like a business book; it read like a novel. And I was exhausted by the time I got to the end because I kept looking for the business book in it and never found it. Probably the fact that I was exhausted when I finished the book is a big reason this book only gets 3 stars from me. This book was not special in some way. It was a drain.

The cover of this book includes the following line: "The ultimate step-by-step guide to building a business while keeping your family your number 1 job." I assume the author did keep her family as her number 1 job. So I won't question that clause in the statement. However, the story in this book is not a step-by-step guide. It is merely a chronology of events that took place as the author built her business. She did it the wrong way. And ways that are wrong should generally not be used as guides. Part of the reason I was so tired when I finished this book is because I knew she was doing things all wrong. And some of her advice is really out in left field. Business plans are not easy to put together. And they are not as simple as just answering a series of questions. And businesses should not be thrown together under pressure and then reorganized later (if they can be). And you should not milk people for valuable information and then go do it yourself for free. You can get some free info this way, but ultimately you will get burned by scam artists the way the author did.

The cover of this book includes the following line: "How I turned my kitchen table idea into a million dollars and how you can, too?" Although the author's invention or product was made using corn, I wouldn't exactly call it a kitchen table idea. And the author's way of building her business was so convoluted that I hope nobody tries to build a business in a similar way after reading this book. If you want some books that will help you achieve what the author did, then I recommend you consider reading Invent Yourself Rich (ISBN: 1594160503) and Brownie Points (ISBN: 1932841261). I've read them both and have written book reviews for them on Amazon. 3 stars!

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, February 26, 2007

By	Avid Reader - See all my reviews

Lavine is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs--not just females. In this book she reveals how she developed an innovative pillow, founded the Green Daisy company, and sold her product on the QVC network. Lavine provides a wealth of information about business startups, and specifically focuses on how to create a cashflow analysis which becomes the cornerstone for all financial and business decisions. As in Mike Kiyosaki's Rich Dad series, Ms. Lavine emphasizes the importance of creating positive cashflow as the foundation of any profitable venture. This book reflects information the author learned from her successful experience as an entrepreneur, and is well worth reading.

For more info on achieving personal success and wealth, you may want to check out "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.