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Continue ShoppingA Tribute To My Mom
My mom told me that if I wanted to tie shoes for a living, she would support me with all her being and would say, "Do the best job you can". She has been my support since day one and is the backbone of Bite Me, Inc. Not only has she been there to support me emotionally and physically, but also financially.
Mom was strict and showed how much she loved her kids by providing well for us. As a single parent of three, mom, Ider Reed, worked so tirelessly. I remember seeing her come home from a long day of work at Boeing and slouch with her head in her hands, trying to eat her late dinner, nearly falling asleep. I asked her what was wrong she simply said, "I'm tired." But she didn't stop. She worked so hard for her children to make life comfortable for us.
Mom had her home built in the 70s, something nearly unheard of for her situation at that time. She was brilliant with money; she was frugal and resourceful. Mom made sure her children looked on point. We had high quality clothes that she would get from the Goodwill in Bellevue, where the affluent would donate their clothes; like I said, resourceful. She starched and ironed our clothes and only bought our shoes at Nordstrom. She was careful with what she would spend her money on and valued quality nearly as much as frugality. Mom always said, if you have a nickel, rub it together. She saved, invested and bought real estate. Mom retired at 55 years old and never looked back (that's how smart she is!).
My taste for quality food and ingredients came directly from mom. She kept our home full of the best foods, all the name brand stuff and high quality ingredients; and wow, she can cook! All the neighborhood kids would want to come over to our house to eat, because we had the "good food". Mom welcomed them all in, she had a village mentality. When someone was in need, she stepped up; in high school she heard one of my friends was in an unsafe home environment and without hesitating, she said tell her to come live with us. So she did and mom extended her safe home to another villager.
So when I decided I wanted to open a bakery, and turn my hobby into a career, mom was right by my side. Costco in Tacoma was moving and I called up corporate and asked if I could buy any equipment they didn't need. I was given the opportunity to go "shop" the equipment. I had a number in mind for what I could spend, I was thinking $30,000 was my max. I was shown the equipment and started making a note on each item I was interested in, like every single baking sheet. This got to be a bit much and the gentleman that was showing me around saw where it was going so asked what I was thinking I would spend for all of the items I wanted. Well math hasn't always been my strength so when I went to share the number I had in mind, I accidentally left a zero off. Before I could correct myself, he agreed to it! So I called my mom and asked her to hurry and get down to Costco with a check for $3,000, before this kind gentleman realizes what he did or gets fired. Now I'm sure this man knew what he was doing or he was just really ready for me to be done shopping the items; either way, I just couldn't believe I was receiving such a huge blessing. So mom came, wrote me a check and that's how I got my start. To this day, I still use much of the equipment I purchased and I will never forget how mom didn't hesitate to help, once again.
Mom taught me how to be strict and loving. She taught me an incredible work ethic and fortitude. I have been able to keep this legacy going and modeled my parenting after mom. One of the best compliments I ever received was when my son, Marc Brown, told me that he is going to raise his kids exactly the way he was raised. Now I am still waiting for those grandkids, but the fact that he would say that made me so happy.
And in case you are curious, mom's favorite cookie is Friday's Cookie, The Original. It's not surprise to me as she is THE ORIGINAL and set a gold standard for future generations.