Ellen Blakely isn't a household name, but she raised two children' who became CEOs of successful companies, according to CNBC.
Ms. Blakely's daughter Sara is the founder and CEO of shapewear brand Spanx and her son Ford founded and served as CEO of Zingle, a messaging platform acquired by Medallia for $42 million in 2019.
Ms. Blakely shared two pieces of advice on the "Who Is Your Momma" podcast:
1. Give children freedom and allow them to be bored. "Sara would say, 'Mom, I haven’t got nothing to do.' She would be bored. And I would say, 'You've got a lot of toys. Figure it out.' I didn’t really entertain her," Ms. Blakely said. "It's about creativity and free time and learning to entertain themselves."
2. Don't be too structured and let kids explore. "Let [kids] find their passion," Ms. Blakely said. “Pay careful attention to the things that they really like and encourage that. Go with your gut, your instincts. Do the best you can."