The Story I Probably Shouldn’t Have Told On Stage
Have you ever had one of your childhood memories come crashing back at ya with full volume and suddenly you're 14 again... but this time, with 40 more years of hindsight and a whole lot more humility?
Yeah. That happened to me last weekend.I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at one of the best women’s business events I’ve ever attended - the
WFS Female Founders Forum 2025, hosted by the phenomenal nonprofit
Women for Success. The room was filled with powerful, purpose-driven women who weren’t there to play small. They came to scale, get certified, and secure the kind of legacy their Moms would brag about at church.
Naturally, I opened with a story about my own Mother. Because the truth is - everything I do, I do in testimony to her.
My Mom was born in Taiwan. Moved to the U.S. in 1976, barely able to speak English. She worked two jobs - one in a lens-manufacturing factory, called Essilor, from 6AM to 3PM, and then straight to an Asian restaurant, where she waited tables until close.
No excuses. No complaints. Just pure, relentless drive.
And somewhere in the middle of that whirlwind schedule… my Ma cracked a tooth.
That’s how we ended up at a dentist in Countryside, Florida. I was 14, snotty, probably wearing knockoff Guess jeans, and I only agreed to tag along because Ma promised we’d go to the mall afterward. Priorities, right?
Now I want you to imagine... We're at the dentist's office and new-patient paperwork gets handed to my Mom. She couldn't read or write English at the time, so, she looked at me, handed me the clipboard and
said, in her thick Chinese accent, “Heeyah – you do dis foe me!”
So I did.
But I didn’t just fill it out.
Noooo. Teenager-Jo decided to spice it up.
There was a question on the new patient paperwork that asked, “Do you smoke?” and I wrote, “Only after really good sex.”
Followed by a question that asked, “Do you drink?” where I answered for my Ma, “Only before really good sex.”
Because that’s what every hardworking, immigrant mother needs - her smartass teenager trolling her dental paperwork like a hormonal sitcom writer.
Next thing I know, while I was in the waiting room, I could hear the dental assistant ROARING in laughter from the exam room where my mom was sitting. And then I hear my mom’s confused voice ask, “What? Why you laughing? Is sumpting wrong?”
Followed by the words every teenager dreads from across the office, “Jo Nan! You come heeyah! Why you do dis to me?!”
I said to my Ma, in that cocky, snotty, teenage-know-it-all tone, "Ma, that's what you get for not knowing how to read and write English. You always tell me to study harder - why don't you do the same?"
That prank was hilarious at the time but, when I shared it during my keynote last weekend, it hit me like a freight train - I was an absolute asshole as a kid!
Here was my mother working herself to the bone to provide for our family, and I couldn’t grasp the weight she was carrying. I mocked what she couldn’t do (read/write English), instead of honoring what she did do - everything in her power to give our family a better life.
But you know what? Something I said must’ve really struck a nerve in my Ma. Because, within weeks, she signed up for night classes. She enrolled in ESOL at the local adult high school, and learned to read, write, and eventually, advocate for herself. I admire that, at that time in her life, my Ma refused to let a limitation stay a limitation.
And that’s what most business owners miss. There's such a fine line between limitations and opportunities!
For example, did you know that there are business certifications available that were literally built to help you grow? Woman-Owned. Minority-Owned. Veteran-Owned. LGBTQ+-Owned. Small Business. But here’s the thing… most entrepreneurs have never even heard of them.
These business certification benefits aren't trending.
They’re not on your feed.
And they’re definitely not being taught in that free “marketing masterclass” you keep seeing on Facebook.
But they open doors your competitors can’t even knock on - contracts, capital, visibility, and long-game partnerships.
Getting certified isn’t some corporate label.
It’s a strategic advantage.
It’s leverage.
It’s a power position.
And no - you don’t need to feel ready. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just need to be curious enough to lean in and ask, “What if this is the thing I’ve been missing in my business?”
And honestly? That step is the difference between spinning your wheels and actually scaling with strategy.
And once you do learn about the benefits of certifying your business? I promise -You can’t unsee it.
Because business certifications have opened doors for my clients that traditional marketing never could.
And yeah, the process might feel unfamiliar - just like night school felt for my mom.
But she showed up anyway.
That’s the part I’ll never forget.
That’s what built me into the businesswoman I am today.
And it’s
exactly
why I do this work - because I want you to have access to every tool, every shortcut, and every opportunity that’s out there waiting for you.
If you’re even a little curious what certification could do for you, grab a freebie or book a quick Zoom call with me in my calendar 👉 https://calendly.com/jorawald/certifyher-discovery-call
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
XO... Jo
