Meet Our Mommy Entrepreneur: Leslie Haywood
How many children do you have?
Two daughters, Morgan and Madison (4 and 6)
How did you come up with the idea for Grill Charms?
One April night in 2006, my husband was grilling some boneless chicken breasts for my friends and I. The flavor of the evening was Jerk, which we all love. Some people happen to like their chicken "jerkier" than others. In other words, more rub equals more spice and heat. Some of us like ours on the milder side. Once all the chicken came off the grill, arranged on a serving plate, brought upstairs, and served to our guests, my husband couldn't tell which chicken was spicy. Wouldn't you know it: Me being a "mild" person, I bit right into the hottest one of all! He said, "Someone needs to come up with a way for me to tell which is which!" and immediately I knew we had something. That was my very spicy “light bulb moment,” and that night I started sketching prototypes.
What's the best parenting advice you've ever received?
"Not to worry.... this too shall pass"
What's your own favorite parenting tip?
Remember, you are not raising children; you are raising soon-to-be adults. The traits, morals, and values you pass along to them now will follow them throughout their lives, and they are the generation that will be taking care of you when you're old. Raise them carefully!
What do you wish you knew earlier about parenting?
That no parent is perfect and even if you make some mistakes, chances are your kids won't need a lifetime of therapy to fix it.
How do you get your kids to eat healthy food?
We are very fortunate. My children were born with an appreciation for food like my husband and I. In our house, dinner is an event, and food is something to be savored and appreciated. We started feeding them the food we ate as soon as they were old enough. When my eldest daughter was in preschool at 3, she was the only student they had ever seen bring edamame and mini California rolls in their lunch. They never really knew what macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers were until they were older. We simply fed them what we ate and didn't give them any other choice.
To this day my 6 year old will not really eat off of a children's menu. She reads very well for her age, so we sort of shot ourselves in the foot with this one: She gets the regular menu and wants the $24 filet mignon with sautéed spinach instead of the $6 grill cheese. What were we thinking?!?
How do you work exercise into your family's life?
I have to drop my 6 year old off at kindergarten at 8, and my 4 year old doesn't start preschool until 9:45, so we go to a wonderful gym that is in between the elementary and preschool. My 4 year old plays with her little friends while mom is "up in the gym, just a working on fitness"
How do you recharge your batteries?
My husband and I get a babysitter, go out to a nice dinner, have a good meal and good wine, and just talk. We call it therapy. When we get to the point where we are getting a little snippy with each other and the kids and the stress of life in general starts getting to us, one of us will usual recognize that we are getting off track and we will call a therapy night. It's sooooo necessary!
Two daughters, Morgan and Madison (4 and 6)
How did you come up with the idea for Grill Charms?
One April night in 2006, my husband was grilling some boneless chicken breasts for my friends and I. The flavor of the evening was Jerk, which we all love. Some people happen to like their chicken "jerkier" than others. In other words, more rub equals more spice and heat. Some of us like ours on the milder side. Once all the chicken came off the grill, arranged on a serving plate, brought upstairs, and served to our guests, my husband couldn't tell which chicken was spicy. Wouldn't you know it: Me being a "mild" person, I bit right into the hottest one of all! He said, "Someone needs to come up with a way for me to tell which is which!" and immediately I knew we had something. That was my very spicy “light bulb moment,” and that night I started sketching prototypes.
What's the best parenting advice you've ever received?
"Not to worry.... this too shall pass"
What's your own favorite parenting tip?
Remember, you are not raising children; you are raising soon-
That no parent is perfect and even if you make some mistakes, chances are your kids won't need a lifetime of therapy to fix it.
How do you get your kids to eat healthy food?
We are very fortunate. My children were born with an appreciation for food like my husband and I. In our house, dinner is an event, and food is something to be savored and appreciated. We started feeding them the food we ate as soon as they were old enough. When my eldest daughter was in preschool at 3, she was the only student they had ever seen bring edamame and mini California rolls in their lunch. They never really knew what macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers were until they were older. We simply fed them what we ate and didn't give them any other choice.
To this day my 6 year old will not really eat off of a children's menu. She reads very well for her age, so we sort of shot ourselves in the foot with this one: She gets the regular menu and wants the $24 filet mignon with sautéed spinach instead of the $6 grill cheese. What were we thinking?!?
How do you work exercise into your family's life?
I have to drop my 6 year old off at kindergarten at 8, and my 4 year old doesn't start preschool until 9:45, so we go to a wonderful gym that is in between the elementary and preschool. My 4 year old plays with her little friends while mom is "up in the gym, just a working on fitness"
How do you recharge your batteries?
My husband and I get a babysitter, go out to a nice dinner, have a good meal and good wine, and just talk. We call it therapy. When we get to the point where we are getting a little snippy with each other and the kids and the stress of life in general starts getting to us, one of us will usual recognize that we are getting off track and we will call a therapy night. It's sooooo necessary!
Leslie Haywood is a mom of two and inventor of Grill Charms.