Welcome to Your Comfort For Life

Wellness Strategist & LifeStyle Mentor – let’s plan your next steps!

Bone Broth Meals Heal-Elizabeth’s Class at Online Nourished Festival

It’s happening again – a whole weekend of education – absolutely free to attend! SAVE THE DATE – I will be presenting this Saturday March 20 at 2PM Eastern Time.  My class will be: Bone Broth Recipes and Meal Planning. 


Here’s the class description:A pot of healing soup has been “medicine” for centuries. Come learn simple proven, and most important – great tasting recipes! Plus meal planning that will improve your food budget and boost your daily nutrition. Amazon Best-Selling Author Elizabeth Anthony Gronert will show you how to use everything from your fridge and freezer to create these yummy, tummy taming meals! Learn meal planning – start with a main meal made from a roast, stew pot, crock pot or instant pot. Then make soup, broth, sauce and gravy. Best of all she will guide you on how to accomplish all this affordably – your family will be eating the healthiest yet stay on budget. Where to shop, what to buy and other savvy advice will be included to perk up smoothies, snacks and mealtime while stretching your food dollars. #BoneBrothMealsHeal 

 
My class is offered as part of the Online Nourished Festival this weekend March 20-21, 2010 10-5 Eastern Time. A gathering of wellness experts, speakers, companies and manufacturers that support our community – people with food allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancer or others who have changed their eating & living lifestyle for their best health. We used to meet every year in ten cities across the US.

Due to the Covid Pandemic, our regional conferences have become completely virtual. We miss seeing you in person….but the upside is anyone can attend that has web-access and there are still lots of giveaways with ways to sample products! 


Put this weekend on your calendar – register here to get all the details:   https://live.nourishedfestival.com/coming-soon 


Visit my website at www.elizabethanthonygronert.com or on Social Media @ElizabethAnthonyGronert, Twitter @EAGronert  
#bonebrothmealsheal  #wellnesslifestylestrategy

Turkey Bone Broth – More than “Just Soup!”

(Full “updated” recipe available for free download on our website landing page – download here: https://elizabethanthonygronert.com/)

Thanks to our wellness friends, our soup making skills have moved up a few notches in our home. Grateful for the experience and generosity of my friend Tiffany Hinton, GF Mom Certified. Tiffany has been a valuable health coach and resource for our family. She has introduced me to the world where “food is medicine”. Particularly grateful for learning about Dr. Terry Wahls. I found Dr. Wahls book easy to read and have applied her wisdom to the way we shop and cook for our family’s health.

As a result, it’s not just great soup! We make incredibly nourishing, healing bone broth soups. Bone broth soups help reduce inflammation – an important every day therapy! This tutorial is for our “after Thanksgiving” Turkey Bone Broth Soup. Being an artist – I enjoy instructions so much more if there is a visual to go along. Therefore, photos have been taken at each step of this cooking adventure.

Thanksgiving day we smoked a turkey, baked a turkey and grilled a turkey breast (with the bones of course!) In this photo you will see the start of our Turkey Bone Broth. Here are the three carcasses covered by filtered water.

1128160954 My husband, Kris, installed a grow light by our sliding glass doors. Therefore, we are able to continue to have herbs, greens and tomatoes growing indoors. From this garden, I have added freshly picked organic parsley, thyme, sage along with some chopped garlic, sea salt and organic pepper to the pot.

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Whenever possible, we invest in organic produce. If I see any starting to go soft, where it may not be enjoyed fresh anymore, I place in a freezer bag. In addition, I have collected stems, leaves and even the roots of some of the organic plants we had in our outdoor garden this summer before it got cold and froze them. I use these vegetables in the “cook down” of the carcasses. We add these vegetable right away to enhance the flavor of the remaining meat on the bones. Some may prefer to wait till after the meat is collected (after 2 hours of cooking) which does make the process easier. We feel the flavor and nutrition added to the meat, is worth the extra work later when collecting the meat.

1128161050Because we still have organic Brussel sprout plants outdoors, decided to add some greens. Snipped off the top and added the leaves and stems with some tiny Brussel Sprouts! (I love these fresh leaves cooked in ghee with garlic too!)

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Let everything cook for about two hours.

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At two hours the meat should be starting to fall off the bone. Time to use tongs to grab the carcasses, loose meat and bones to glean the usable meat. I have a plate to collect the cook down veggies, cartilage, skin and bones that will go back into the soup pot to continue cooking for an additional 8 hours.

Most people don’t realize how much meat they throw away with the carcass! Look at all the meat recovered from the turkey carcasses! Place the recovered usable meat (I do not like any fat or chewy meat in my soup!) in a container in the refrigerator to add to the completed soups tomorrow. All scraps, cartilage, bones and cook down veggies go back into the developing broth to cook down for another eight hours. I personally do not cook longer. The broth gets a unique smell after cooking twelve hours. So we stop around ten hours. We love the taste, smell and nutrition after 10 hours of cooking!

Finally, after the eight hours (ten hours total) of cooking has passed, we will prepare to get the wonderful bone broth. You may wish to let the hot pot cool for a bit. Place an empty large pot in the sink with a colander on top. Then pour the contents through the strainer – the remaining bones, meat and vegetable parts will be caught by the colander with the nutrient dense bone broth going through into the pot. Throw the bones and leftover meat and veggies away in a safe container that animals cannot get into. Poultry bones are very dangerous to pets and wild animals!

Refrigerate the pot of bone broth overnight. Most broths when refrigerated get a layer of heavy fat at the top  – it is especially thick with turkey bone broth. I remove most of this really goopy fat from the broth before continuing.

This turkey bone broth is ready to use for sauces, gravies, cooking vegetables, potatoes, rice or making soups. I made 2 different soups from this pot of broth plus a tray of cubes to use for cooking veggies, potatoes, etc. to boost nutrition! The first soup was a turkey white chili and the second was turkey vegetable! My family raved about both – they keep getting tastier and more nutritious every year!

My goal is to have at least a cup of bone broth soup every day! So nourishing and I can really feel the benefits! Let me know what you think of this tutorial….happy to share the soup recipes with you!

Let’s connect if we haven’t already! Send us an email at elizabeth@elizabethanthonygronert.com or call/text at (847) 502-8394. Elizabeth & Kris Gronert bringing you Comfort For Life!

Thank You Schaumburg GFAF Expo!

Schaumburg 2016 dates

Wow what a weekend! We want to thank the generosity of the Schaumburg GFAF Expo Vendors, the hard work of Jen Cafferty and Elizabeth Greifenkamp from Gluten Free Media Group (who created the GFAF Expos) and Otis Price from Willow Creek Community Church Care Center, South Barrington Campus. https://www.willowcreek.org/

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Lots of gluten free food was donated to the Willow Creek Care Center along with fresh fruits, vegetables and a wheelbarrow full of sweets – a display from Swerve!

Thank you to Kris Gronert, Tiffany & Will Hinton (gfmomcertified.com) for running around end of the expo to help Mr. Price glean all that was left for our friends this week at the Willow Creek Care Center. https://www.willowcreekcarecenter.org

Mr. Price shared with us that there is a waiting list for those with food allergies or are medically required to be gluten free. They were excited to contact the people who will be blessed by this donation.

Thanks again to everyone for working so hard after a long 3 day event to benefit people in our community!

Please contact us if you would like more information regarding the Care Center at Willow Creek Church (they are always in need of donations – especially special diets), Willow Creek Community Church or learn more about being Gluten free, Allergen friendly, Paleo, Keto or Plant-based at the Nourished Festivals held across the country including Schaumburg/Chicago!

Like this post, send us an email at Liz@elizabethanthonygronert.com or call/text at (847) 502-8394. Elizabeth & Kris Gronert bringing you Comfort For Life!

So what’s really in those every day products?

Talk about education – these last 3 years I have learned so much about what is in our everyday products and the possible repercussions. I was a single mom for twenty years and sometimes it was hard to afford what I thought were the “finest” baby products but did my best to care for my son. How disappointing to find out years later that the name brand baby products had contained quaternium 15…a preservative that is a formaldehyde releaser. This preservative does an excellent job preserving products for long periods of time which is important because large quantities of these types of personal care & cleaning products are manufactured and bottled – sometimes outside of the USA – then they sit in a warehouse for months, maybe years before they ever see a store shelf. Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen per the EPA. Unfortunately, many of us may have been regularly dosed with formaldehyde during our lifetime. First when we are young with the baby products, then continued since many brands of toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, body wash, body lotion, skin treatments, hair shampoo, hair gels, fragrance, laundry and cleaning products may contain formaldehyde as the preservative.

Are you dosing your baby and family with unknowns? Life is busy and for many this just doesn’t seem like a “too” important issue. And for some, it may never impact your life. Your health may always be “good” enough that you don’t realize how much better you might feel every day if you rid yourself of things that irritate or sensitize you. Many people I work with who have sensitivities, auto-immune disease, or allergies – they know that in addition to formaldehyde there are possible irritants, sensitizers and toxins in some of the products in the grocery store. They have learned to read labels and know what to avoid. Your skin is your largest organ and it is very effective at absorbing what is placed on it or is in the air around it.

It is disturbing when I meet with moms and they share that they know they should be concerned about what is in the products they bring into their home for their family but it just doesn’t worry them at the moment. So tragic when they contact me months or years later when a family member is diagnosed with allergies, skin issues, autoimmune disease or even cancer. Priorities change real quick then.

It’s even more challenging when I meet pregnant moms who are very careful about what they put in their mouths. But unreceptive to thinking about the everyday products they are using and the possible impact that these products just like food may be having on their unborn baby.

So please, think just for a moment – have you looked at the ingredient label on the products you use?  You do have options…and believe it or not, some of these options may not only bring you peace of mind, they may save you money and time.

If you found this helpful, please let us know. Send us an email at Liz@elizabethanthonygronert.com or call/text at (847) 502-8394. Elizabeth & Kris Gronert bringing you Comfort For Life!

Tips for a Gluten & Allergy Free Trade Show

Life has been a whirlwind of meeting new people, savoring time with friends, sharing valuable information and tools! Spent this last weekend in Atlanta with our friends, the Domanicos, while attending the Gluten Free Allergy Free Expo at the Cobb Galleria. I love these events – I always come away with lots of new knowledge plus contentment knowing I have served people by helping them connect with valuable and money-saving resources!

The next GFAF Expo will be in Schaumburg Illinois – my stomping grounds. Excited to “host” many VIP’s to the area that have become friends and associates over the last year since I started attending these events. Here’s my list of Tips for Successfully Attending a Gluten & Allergy Free Trade Show:

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  1. Wear layers of comfortable clothing. Temperatures can run the gamut – some places are hot outside and inside – so have layers that you can easily remove and stow in a tote. Even when it is cold outside, it can be brutally warm inside. I found this true when I was in Texas a few months ago. They are not used to cold or icy weather, so the heat in the hall was high to accommodate the locals but about boiled this Chicago, menopausal girl! Then half way through the show, the hall became cold since many complained about the heat and I had to go find a jacket…. The reverse can be true – brutal hot outside and a refrigerator in the hall inside… so be prepared by wearing layers.
  2. Comfy, supportive shoes ideally with a sock or liner to protect skin – an emphasis on supportive – you have only two feet to make it through your whole life. Take care of them with shoes that are not only comfortable but have support built in to preserve the integrity and health of your foot. Socks prevent blisters and uncomfortable chafing. I have learned that when I have to stand or walk for long periods it helps to have a second pair of shoes to change into. I know this sounds like a pain but when my feet hurt, I hurt all over!
  3. You need high protein snacks and a baggie of veggies/fruit. There are usually lots of carbs to taste at the gluten and allergy free expos so your body will be craving protein and natural fibers for balance;-) Bringing a water bottle you can refill is a good idea. Most of the trade shows I have attended have limited if any access to a snack bar or concessions.
  4. Be prepared to wait in lines – I encourage you to bring and use your strollers, wheel chair, walker or cane-seat.
  5. You will have the opportunity to purchase “deals” from some of the vendors and many give out samples, coupons, magazines, etc. Bring a couple reusable tote bags that you can pull out as you accumulate goodies. Some who have challenges carrying may want to bring a rolling bag or suitcase to stow things instead of lugging them around on your shoulder.
  6. If you are local and can carry a lot of things home, plan to be at the expo at the end of the last day and have bags to fill. Many vendors choose to give away display product rather than pack and ship back home.
  7. Attend the speakers’ presentations. You will learn so much from those who have traveled the path you are on – useful information for your journey or valuable information to share with someone you care about. Plus you get to know the speaker/author/blogger and will find the ones you want to sign up for their emails/online events or purchase their books.
  8. Be considerate of those with fragrance sensitivities. Many who attend have severe allergies and your favorite perfume or bath spray could ruin their whole day or week.
  9. Really VISIT each booth and talk to the people that are there. Many have a story to share that may help you along your path. Some booths are there just to “sell” or may have “hired” help with no knowledge of our industry….but if you take the time (and full advantage of your ticket price) to look each person you meet in the eye, most of the people that have traveled to this conference have a lot to offer you and you will be much richer for taking the time to find it…and have many more friends/resources to reach out to when you have questions or need help.
  10. Get on the email lists for the people and events that resonate with you. Most will have valuable resources that they continue to share throughout the year. Plus savings for the next time the conference returns to town.

If you found this helpful, please let me know. Send me an email to Liz@elizabethanthonygronert.com or call/text at (847) 502-8394. Elizabeth & Kris Gronert bringing you Comfort For Life!

Save Time and Money By Opening That Tube!

IMAG1738We all have pet peeves. Wasting time and money are probably at the top of my list. Many of us probably feel that we don’t have the time to open a tube…I mean how much product can be left when you have rolled and squeezed all that will come out? I was quite surprised the first time I cut off the crimped end of my hair conditioner. There was enough in the tube for 3 or more hair applications. I am from the professional beauty industry so I like the good stuff. 3 more hair treatments is worth the effort! If you like to save time and money – read on!

Every time I feel I have squeezed the last out of a tube, I don’t always have a moment to open the tube to save the rest. I have a bin at the bottom of my closet where I store it till the day when I have a few minutes to get chores done. The tube you see open in the picture is a skin care clay masque with the remnants of product clinging to the bottom and sides of the tube.

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The tools you need are simple.  A sharp scissor to cut off the crimped end of the tube. Then you need a container to store the products you retrieve. I use 1/4 to 1 ounce travel jars. For large tubes (and jars) I have a small rubber spatula to easily scrape out and use every last bit of goodness. This tube was a bit narrow and a kitchen butter knife worked better. It fit perfectly at the small top end where product accumulates.

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I had two tubes of my face masque to clean out and place in the jar. When done I had almost a full ounce of masque in the jar. The brand new tube contains 2.5 ounces….retrieving a 1/2 ounce per tube is a 5th of the price!! Now I may have been able to squeeze the tube a bit more but since I have started doing this…when I have to take extra time to manipulate a tube to get the contents out, it goes in the bin and I take out a new tube. I have found this procedure to not only prevent product waste but a time saver as well! Since I have a travel kit for the gym, this technique helps me keep everything ready to go.

To prevent contaminating product in jars, use a clean spatula, wood stick or Q-tip to take out what you need. I keep a small glass of spatulas in my medicine cabinet. After I use them, I quickly rinse and dry off, then place back in the jar.

Did you find this helpful? If so, share with the people you care about who like to save time and money. Any questions, please contact Elizabeth & Kris Gronert – we help people and families find Comfort For Life! You can call or text (847) 502-8394 or email Liz@elizabethanthonygronert.com

Crazy Busy Is The New Normal

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In the last few years, I have been noticing that most people have gone from busy to CRAZY BUSY. We are scheduled tightly from morning to night with an abundance of important activities. The busiest people seem to be parents, especially working moms. When working with families, I find that crazy busy is the new normal….that people are struggling to keep up….which is stressful. It also makes it tough to eat right, exercise and get enough sleep.

What to do? Well, I will admit to feeling overwhelmed on a regular basis – especially since my health has been a bit compromised since a car accident last year….here are some strategies that have calmed me and may work for you too! One thing my husband does is if he sees me doing something that may not be a top priority, he gently asks if that is really the most important thing on my list. At first it used to irk me but after a while, even when he is not around I can hear Kris’ voice in my head as I ask myself if I am working on the most urgent or have I become distracted…..follow the steps below to strategize and then stick to the plan;-)

First – Write it Down on a Calendar! Put the non-negotiables on your calendar and TIME BLOCK! This means mark out the required amount of time on the calendar. Helps us to be realistic about what we really can get done each day. For me this includes the times I want to work since I am self-employed. Next, add in the appointments/commitments for yourself and the family.  Some families create a family calendar so everybody knows where the others will be and/or if they are available. This can be done on a big calendar on a wall or on something like Google Calendar on everyone’s phone. I put my exercise on my calendar. To stay healthy or in my case keep working towards feeling better, exercise has become a non-negotiable. I also mark out times for meal prep, meals, quiet time and walking the dog!

Second – Prioritize – List what is most urgent each day – read Stephen Covey’s Book on 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I know I am due a reread!! He has a great system on how to label each task so you know what order they need to be completed. I make myself do the projects that are the most difficult first – otherwise I will procrastinate. Many times I build a reward into getting certain things done I don’t enjoy…or maybe you need to reward yourself when you get to the gym 3 times a week. I reward myself with a manicure every other week – keeps me on track….and I don’t have to fuss with my nails – one less thing for me to do and it makes me happy. The reward has to be something you want in order for it to work!

Which brings us to – Third – what can you delegate or get help with? It was hard for my husband to understand that I would rather take another appointment than clean our house. Cleaning the house also exhausted me and generally I was doing it at warp speed before a meeting in our home that I needed to be energized and prepared for. After a few of those meetings where I was fatigued instead of jazzed for my team, I learned that it makes great sense to have help cleaning my home! I also have had help cooking meals, walking the dog, and shopping for about everything we purchase. I am a small business owner so I always look for another small business to shop or have services from. I employ small business people who are affordable and offer awesome customer service. Nothing like having items delivered to your door. Many people think these services will cost more from the local business person than the “Big Box” stores but in most cases, you will save money….and more important to most of us, SAVE TIME! Plus the bonus of supporting people in your network and neighborhood.

Buy From Mom & Pop Biz

I found this picture on Facebook and post it whenever I can to help remind everyone to shop with their family member, friend, neighbor before going to the mall. Now one more step before running out to “the store” – CALL ME! I have people that Kris and I Know, Like and TRUST who will serve you! Reliable, personable and affordable professionals who will help you shop, cook amazing meals plus can help/have expertise with dietary concerns, clean your home, do your hair/nails, massage therapists to relieve stress, plan special events, take pictures, help you with scrapbooks, fix your computer, teach you how to use your phone, coach you how to effectively exercise for lasting results, share how to sleep better; it is quite an extensive directory of services and products to help you fight the fact that crazy busy is the new normal. Please leverage our resources to simplify your life!

Call Elizabeth & Kris Gronert at (847) 502-8394, email at Liz@elizabethanthonygronert.com or message on Facebook. Let us share how to have more Comfort For Life!

Gluten Free is not a “Fad Diet”

Been a busy few months meeting many experts and every day people who are navigating the Gluten and Allergy Free Life Style. Really enjoyed attending the Chicago and then Atlanta GFAF Expos.  We have learned so much and can’t wait to share!

My son and I have always had lots of allergies. We are the difficult ones when you invite us to dinner that we have to check the menu for those things that will make us sick. Last year, we learned that many people experience a reduction in inflammation when removing Gluten from their diet. Going Gluten Free made sense…..and within a few weeks we both agreed it made a difference in how we felt. So we are now living the “Gluten Free Lifestyle.” Stephen and I have Ankylosing Spondylitis – a hereditary rheumatological and psoriatic arthritis that I watched my mother struggle with all the years I knew her. My son also suffers from Fibromyalgia and  Tactile Allodynia.

As I asked for a Gluten Free menu at a restaurant last week, the gentleman next to me at the bar made a remark about how many people were doing this new “fad” diet of Gluten Free….he compared it to something like the South Beach Diet. I chose my words carefully and educated him on how the person next to me would be sick for days as a Celiac and how I had just met a number of people who were so allergic to Gluten that they could die since their response to Gluten was anaphylactic shock. Then I shared that I was one who did make a choice to go Gluten Free but that I did have a medical reason – to reduce chronic inflammation. I felt good after that short conversation – first because I knew how to simply educate this person and second that he seemed to really get it (he even said thanks!!)

One of the things you realize shortly after striving to be SAFELY Gluten Free is that you are cooking a lot more at home. I was introduced to Tiffany Hinton a little before Christmas last year. She has authored Gluten Free Cookbooks that you want in your library…..I gave them for Christmas Gifts since we enjoyed her experience and wisdom so much. Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of getting to know Tiffany, her husband Will and family very well. They truly have a story that you will want to learn…..they have 3 children under the age of 3 so Tiffany now is not the only gluten intolerant one in the family. They are also lactose, peanut, nightshades and dairy free.

Hinton Family 2014

Take advantage of all their hard work translating our old fave recipes to Gluten Free Recipes that work and taste great! They just released a new cookbook that Tiffany and Will wrote together sharing their journey, family history and best of all their favorite family recipes all reworked into tasty Gluten Free!!

Hinton Heritage Cookbook

Their mission is to be advocates for the Gluten and Allergy Free world – they have an abundance of experience and wisdom they generously share. Please check out their offerings here:

www.gfmomcertified.com/affiliates/shopping44

Be sure to sign up for Tiffany’s weekly Gluten & Allergy Free Recipes!!

They have been such a help to us and friends! I know they will bless you too!

Let’s talk soon! Elizabeth and Kris Gronert bringing you and your family Comfort For Life. Call or text (847) 502-8394 or email at elizabeth@elizabethanthonygronert.com

 

 

Meet Gluten-Free Expert Tiffany Hinton Thursday 4/24!

You’re invited!

Learn more about how to shop and save money like we have been! Plus information to help those who are consciously avoiding allergens, toxins, carcinogens or are living a gluten-free lifestyle. Samples from our US Manufacturer will be on hand to experience, smell, and taste. Be the first to see Best-selling Author Tiffany Hinton’s Cable Interview. Don’t miss this chance to spend intimate time with Tiffany to ask your questions and learn more on Raising you Child Gluten-free. Sweets from her Mom Certified Gluten-free Cookbooks will be served. Learn more about Tiffany at this link: https://www.gfmomcertified.com/affiliates/shopping44

Thursday, April 24 at Elizabeth Gronert’s Home, RSVP for address!

1PM Refreshments/samples 1:15 Shopping Overview
2PM Cable TV Interview of Tiffany Hinton and her family.
2-6PM Customer Appreciation – Spend time with Tiffany, ask her questions about how she manages to raise her kids Gluten-free PLUS complimentary eyebrow waxing and cosmetic consulting/makeovers by appointment.
6PM Cable TV Interview of Tiffany Hinton and her family.
7PM Refreshments/samples 7:15 Shopping Overview

As a thank you to our guests and preferred customers, Elizabeth Gronert, licensed esthetician, cosmetologist and makeup artist, will be “grooming” eyebrows for gals, guys and teens….skin care guidance for those with sensitive, acneic or aging skin. Our focus will be to keeping it simple but effective to get the results you need now! Learn makeup tricks to compliment your eye color or we will create a new spring look!

Load the car up with a few friends, come over and let’s have fun!

Please RSVP so we are prepared with food and samples!

Shop with Friends and Family Before heading to the mall!

So what do I mean “Shop with Friends and Family before heading to the mall?” Take a look around you and notice who you know that has their own business. They may be able to help you clean your home, style your hair, massage away your aches and pains; shop for jewelry, clothing, undergarments, chocolate, coffee, skin care, vitamins, home cleaning products….there are hundreds of small businesses and direct sellers in your life – you just need to pay attention and take a look at what they have to offer you and your family. I have noticed that many people feel that these small businesses will cost more than if they just “run out to the mall” and shop with the big box stores. I encourage you to step back from this belief….because in many cases, your friend or family member who has a small business probably offers you better quality, pricing, SERVICE than the store down the street. Take the time to seek real people out, learn what they have to offer. Once you have shopped with them, in the long run – I bet they will save you time, money and give higher value with excellent customer service. Then feel good about your actions – you will be supporting someone who has made the small business choice so they can take care of their family and friends.

Buy From Mom & Pop Biz

This photo I found on Facebook says it all…..WHEN YOU PATRONIZE A SMALL BUSINESS, YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Many times a BIG difference. I have been a small business owner for 35 years….21 years of that I was a single mom who for 10 of those years cared for my mother at home. Trust me when I say to you that the people who visited my salon, attended my nail school, hired me as an industry trainer, and then shopped with me as a direct sales person made it possible for my family to avoid going on welfare. To provide for my family…to be able to pay for the necessities of life like food, gas, rent, health and dental insurance that we needed since there were no monthly support checks coming from anyone. We survived and many times I was able to do a bit better than just get by…..thanks to the people who made a point of shopping with me before they headed to the mall. HUGE THANK YOU!! I have enormous gratitude for the amazing people who have supported my family over the last 35 years.

Now a bit of advice and coaching for those of you reading this who have a small business….please walk your talk. We ask our friends and family to do business with us….you need to be sure that you are doing business with small business! Shop with friends and family applies to you too! Be aware of what you post and say on Facebook. I see many business people endorse a big box brand hair or skin care product when a quick peek at their friend list will reveal that one or many of their friends who are working hard to sell that same type of product!

I am not saying don’t shop at Costco or Nordstrom’s…just be sure to buy the things you can from those who are in need of your support. Most of my wardrobe has been purchased from a small business person and I can give you their name and contact info when you compliment me.  I strive to connect people. So if you need a service or product, let’s talk and I will give you names of people you can trust. People who are professionals and will take care of you like gold….because to us small business folk – you are worth your weight in gold!

Thanks for visiting my website – if you liked this article, please share with others. Let’s get the word out how to help each other! You can contact Elizabeth and Kris Gronert at (847) 502-8394 or email at Liz@elizabethanthonygronert.com