Inspired by a Gorgeous Granpreneur

My mother, Jill Alexa du Preez has been the ultimate Mompreneur her entire life – she raised 3 children, with tremendous love and patience (she was an awesome Mother… the BEST of the BEST), while making money from home.

…my Mom was very creative and a brilliant seamstress…

It helped that my Mom was very creative and a brilliant seamstress and my Dad was a carpenter (and Presbyterian Minister).

My earliest memory of one my Mom’s ingenious products was baskets she and my Dad made together, out of wooden hangers and fabric. They were perfect for storing magazines or newspapers, or knitting, crocheting etc, and very decorative. This was in the 70’s, and they were very much in vogue at the time. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of them. Wish I did.

A couple of years later my parents sold hundreds of roundtables that fitted perfectly next to a lounge suite. Once again this was a joint venture, my Dad making the roundtables and my Mom making the tablecloths and overlays.

… everything my Mom tried her hand at, turned to Gold

After this phase, my Mom tried her hand at oil painting, then découpage, making the most beautiful placemats and coasters. Again, wish I had pictures. I always felt that everything my Mom tried her hand at, turned to gold.

Fast forward to the 80’s. My Mom became an Aerobics Instructor and started a Gym in the Church hall at my Dad’s church in the little town where we lived. As always, she was tremendously successful. My Mom is a people person and a really happy one at that. She has the ability to make everyone she meets feel wonderful about themselves. She knew half the town by the time we moved to Cape Town. She opened up a new Gym in my Dad’s new church hall, which was also a rip-roaring success. We could hardly go anywhere, without her bumping into “one of her gym girls”. We used to giggle at her on long trips because she would practice new routines in the passenger seat of the car.

She has the ability to make everyone she meets feel wonderful about themselves

In the 90’s my Mom had a spinal fusion and had to give up Gym. But she already had a backup plan, as she had been building a Direct Selling business on the side. She was selling cosmetics to all her friends and making heaps of money, as well as earning the most amazing overseas trips and cruises for being one of the Top Selling Beauty Advisors in the country.

In the late 90’s she started her own business, called Lexies, making really unique garments for people with disabilities.  Around the same time, my Mom built a couple of network marketing businesses.

Do Mompreneurs ever retire?

Now, my Mom has 7 Grandchildren.  As a Granpreneur, she makes the most magnificent quilts and dresses, does machine embroidery and designs gardens.  Do Mompreneurs ever retire?  Not in my experience.  I’ve found they simply graduate to Granpreneurs.

When my son, Benjamin, was born, my Mom said she would teach him to say, “Hello, Gorgeous Granny“.  Well, it wasn’t quite the first words that came out of Ben’s mouth, but this is the phrase which inspired Gorgeous Granpreneurs. 

Update: 29 January 2018

My Mom just entered a new phase of her sparkling home-based-business career. She just became my Virtual Assistant.  Yippee!

She is currently helping me build my Instagram accounts and you can find her on her own Instagram account:  https://www.instagram.com/jillalexa.va/

Update: 4 April 2018

Ever the Entrepreneur…

In February, my Mom set up her own website on Sewing and is currently publishing the most fascinating, inspirational interviews with ladies who have home based sewing businesses.

Find her on JillAlexa.com