Meet the #motherhustlers: Deanna Gibbons

Deanna Gibbons is an entrepreneurial educator who teaches middle and high school students how to start a business, how to make a difference in their community, and how to change the world.

She’s got over 15 years’ experience working with young kids and teens through various community organizations, such as Girl and Boy Scouting. She has also owned her own marketing & design firm for the last 12 years.

When she’s not volunteering her time or working, you can find her at home with her kids (she’s got 5 of them but only 2 left at home) playing video games, binge-watching Netflix and YouTube, or reading books like Divergent or Hunger Games.

Tell us about yourself, your business, and how you got started!

I’m a mother of 5 creative, entrepreneurial kids who has owned various businesses over my 45 years on the planet and learned a great deal!

I’ve been blogging at Teen Launch Academy for a couple years as well as own a graphic design business.

My most recent endeavor is an online course I am creating that teaches teens how to start a business and use it to make a difference and change the world. It’s called Mission Possible and it is an exciting spy-themed online course with mission briefings (videos), games (field work), and worksheets (desk work) that lead teens through starting a business. From coming up with and validating business ideas to earning their first $100!

What inspired you to start your own business?

Community service is very important to me. I’ve worked with kids and teens through Scouting for many years and got to see them doing some amazing work in their communities.

But one of the obstacles that most ran into was self-esteem issues. They felt like they couldn’t do anything because they were just kids. Or they were afraid to talk to adults. Or they didn’t know how to find the resources they needed.

So I decided I wanted to take my mentoring skills from scouting out into the real world. I started blogging at Teen Launch Academy to help them take the steps to start a business, make a difference in the communities and change the world.

I recently expanded to creating an online guided course for teens. Kind of like an entrepreneur boot camp but all online and just for teens. The course will be open in July 2018!

What struggles do you face when it comes to balancing your work and family and how do you deal with them?

When it comes to balancing work and family I face the same struggles as most people. Because I work a full-time job on top of blogging and working on my course, the biggest struggle I have is finding time to wind down and relax. I literally have to schedule time into my weekly schedule to relax!

What do you think is the secret to raising a healthy business and a healthy family?

Open, honest communication, which includes setting boundaries.

What is one piece of advice you could give to help other mompreneurs out?

As Marie Forleo, another great entrepreneur says, “Progress, not perfection”. Do a little bit every day and don’t be too hard on yourself when you need a break.

Any fun facts you want to share?

I am much more comfortable in a room full of teens than I am in a room full of adults. #foreverfourteen

Where you can find Deanna:

Check out Deanna’s blog over at Teen Launch Academy and her course at Mission Possible Course!