Mommy Millionaire

Starred review from December 18, 2006
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.