Meet Lori Cashman-Lessard

We recently connected with Lori Cashman-Lessard and have shared our conversation below.

Lori, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

When my last parent passed away, I took on the role of running the family’s ice cream store. I worked at a Fortune 100 corporation for 36 years so I knew that I was more than qualified to do so, but I didn’t know the ins and outs of it, let alone have insight to how my father managed the financials. There was no transition.

First, I relied on those who knew the business best, my 3 children. They were taught by the best, Grandma & Grandpa! We re-opened 1 month after Dad’s passing. We knew the business model worked, my kids knew the business and they led the operations.

Next, we found all of the documents that my dad used to manage the business and I started to translate what he had done into something I could understand. I sought out experts on the various topics of running a small business and started learning the financial ropes. Some of the learnings came the hard way.

Then I applied the knowledge I learned from my corporate career and built out a vision, mission and strategic plan for the business. 7 years later, we’ve grown the business, added new products & services, expanded our space, grew fan loyalty and are on track to meet our financial stretch goal for the year.

I made a lot of mistakes along the way. The key to building my confidence and self-esteem was leveraging, trusting & listening to people who were experts in their field, I prioritized team & revenue first, my experiences & talents second and strategy last. It was hard work but it’s all been worth it!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My talent is about finding, learning, connecting and closing gaps in the world that I am passionate about. The first gap I filled in the world was getting a job with Target as a cashier so I could have my own spending money. Then I worked my way up at Target so I could live on my own, which became supporting my family and ultimately attaining the lifestyle I wanted to have. What this experience taught me are the fundamentals of running a business but what I really get excited about is, learning the way things are done today, understanding how people want the future to look and making it come true for them!

So what did I do with that? I took a leap out of the corporate life after 36 years and became a small business owner of an iconic ice cream store with my children. Why? Because my parents passed away and left a gap of how their legacy would continue. While it wasn’t my passion, my children needed me to step up and take this on so the legacy of love continued in our family. It was not an easy road by any means. Through this experience, I was able to teach my children all I learned from my corporate career, help them develop & learn and watch them soar into the amazing human beings they are becoming!

While that’s a lot, my story doesn’t end there. Now that the ice cream store is thriving with my family at the helm, I am moving onto my “passion” project. I immersed myself in a certification program to become a life coach & mentor so I can help others become their best! And I’m loving it!!! I get to learn about where each client’s life is at, where they want it to be, what’s holding them back, and co-create a plan with them to achieve it. My story and experiences are helping others achieve greatness knowing that I have been where they are. I overcame the obstacles like they can. But they have it better. They have access to someone to help them through it, cheering them on and guiding them to stay on track. There’s nothing better than helping each other find fulfillment in our lives.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Authenticity, growth-mindedness, love and action-oriented. We all have unique talents that no one else has in the special way each of us do. Bringing these talents to others is our purpose. We have to know and love our true selves to be our best. We have to be open-minded and learn what we need to in order to bring our purpose to fruition. We have to respect, honor, trust & value others to help us. We cannot get there on our own. Last but not least, we have to do the work to get there. No one else is going to do it for us.

I am passionate about the importance of having a personal vision and mission statement. It helps you define what matters to you and what your unique talents are because of your passions. It becomes the northern star for what fuels you, what fulfills you and motivates you. Next, you have to guard your unique talents. Don’t succumb to life’s pressures that can steer you away from what matters. Fulfillment can only come from doing things that align with your values, passions and talents along with a generous, loving heart for others. We are not meant to be & do things alone or for ourselves. We are, however, meant to know why each of us are here and do whatever we can to be good stewards of the lives we each get.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Shift by Dr. Wayne Dyer

– It’s a transition from living for external approval and material success (ego) to living with inner purpose and spiritual connection. Redefining success from what you do and have to who you are (authentic self).

– Letting go of control and listening to the inner voice of guidance vs the loud demands of the world.

– Finding meaning by servicing others, not accumulating more. Realizing you don’t have to become anything, you are already it. You are enough!

– Living in alignment to Source (God, Spirit the Divine). Your actions, words and life feel peaceful, graceful and effortless instead of forced, stressed and challenging.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

credits go to my family.

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