What Canning With My Mom Has To Teach You About Your Business. (Part 1)
- Laurie Juszkiewicz
- Aug 26
- 6 min read
Last Friday morning, I had clients, and in the afternoon, I canned peaches with my mom.
I had about 30 minutes between clients and canning. I sat down. I was tired. It had been a full week. I wanted to cancel canning and just rest. But, there was a part of me, my body, my alignment that said, "Keep going. You’ve got this."
I went outside to set up our canning station. After about 20 minutes, while still tired, I felt more energized.
I was more energized because I was thinking about how it was just last year when my Mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I said, “I don't know why, but I want to learn how to can.” She looked at me like, “Are you serious?”
Her past with canning was different. Her mother canned out of necessity. There weren't grocery stores like there are today. Their milk was delivered by the milkman. Their meats, veggies, and fruits were all hand-delivered by the farmers.
In late August, the Farmers had sooo much food left over that her Veranda was always full of food to can. My mom and grandma didn't have the luxury that I have to be able to can outside. They had to stay in the house where it was over 100 degrees peeling tomatoes over a hot sink. And just when they would finish for the day, they would go to sit outside on the Veranda, and there were more boxes of food waiting for them. It wasn't a complaint; it was a lot of work.
They were immensely grateful because the winters pummeled them with so much snow that they had to have food that wouldn't spoil on hand at all times. You couldn't get more than 6 feet down the street because of 8-10 foot snow drifts. The plows couldn't get down the road. It was not an option to not can it. Plus, both my grandparents survived the Great Depression. Their favorite saying was “Waste not, want not.”
Even though I was tired, I was thinking of how lucky I am because today I can as a hobby. Out of joy, connection, peace. To be able to get spend time with my Mom as I learn and she remembers how to do this together. And when it gets too hot even as we're canning outside, we just jump in my pool while the food processes.
I was thinking about the beautiful peaches we bought from the beautiful Kappus Farms in Pedleton, NY. How cute the ahhmazing Ball jars were. We got quilted ones this year. How my hubby found me tons and tons of vintage canning lids from the 50’s and 60’s and how special it is to be able to use them.
How delicious the peach jam and salsa are, and how much everyone in our family loves them. I thought about how great it is to be able to gift them to family and friends. It really feeds my values of family, connection, and nurturing.
I thought about how I knew every ingredient that went into the Peach Jam and Peach Salsa. How I knew everything was organic, fresh, and delicious. And exactly where ALL the ingredients came from.
I thought about my custom-built shelving my hubby had made stronger for me so that it could hold even more jars than before. I thought about how beautiful it looks when those shelves are full of healthy and organic foods.
I could feel my grandmothers who have passed on all around me as I stared at the shelf because they know the feeling of love and satisfaction that comes from canning. Ya’ll it is A LOT of work, but it is worth every moment of that work.
Feeling all of these powerful energies, is when I realized, THIS WAS MY WHY of canning.
These FEELINGS were why I canned. Why I got up and kept going when it was hard and when I was tired. It connected me back to my ancestors, to my loved ones who are here and now, and to eating healthy, organic, delicious foods that nourish my and my family's bodies.
This is how it is in our business, too! There are seasons of our business where it feels like fun. It feels like this fun hobby that we get to do. And we're so lucky and blessed to get to do it.
And, there are seasons of our business where it feels like:
We’re too tired to go on.
Like it's all too much.
Like it's not working.
Where it doesn't feel like it’s supporting us at all. Especially financially.
These are the times when YOU MUST come back to your why so that it can fuel you!
Why are you in business?
Why are you doing what you're doing?
What is your why behind it?
What values are living through you and your business?
Because here's what I know. If you don't know why you're in business and why you do what you do, when you get tired;
You will stop.
You will quit.
You will say, "Oh crap, I was wrong, it didn't work. Everyone else was right.
I'm too lazy.
I'm not disciplined enough to own my own business, etc.
Here's what I really want you to hear. That is ALL bullshit, my friend. You need to fuel yourself with your why. Because building your empire is not easy. It can feel like canning in 100-degree heat, and when you finally finish, you walk back out onto that Veranda and there's more food there to can.
It can feel like it’s never-ending work. An uphill climb. There will be days, weeks, months, years like that.
But when you know your why, you can shift the “This isn’t working energy” or "I'm exhausted" energy in an instant. Your why is HOW you fuel yourself with organic energy that feels fucking fantastic in your body, and it nourishes you, it fuels you, it satisfies you from the inside out.
What is your why?
Comment below and let me know what fuels you when your business gets hard. Or, email me at laurie@lauriejuszkiewicz.com I'd love to hear from you
And if you don't know what your why is, let's chat about uncovering AND connecting you to yours!
P.S. Stay tuned for Part 2 of What Canning With My Mom Has To Teach You About Your Business. I'll give you a hint: Part 2 will show you how to know when to rest (without feeling guilty) and when to keep going.
Oh, one more thing... Money won't be enough to fuel you! It's NOT your why! You can get a job anywhere and make money! What you're searching for is satisfaction. Impact. Making a difference. Contributing. Which one of these hits for you? THIS is why you MUST know your why!
Schedule your complimentary call here. Let's find your why! The one that is going to fuel you all the way to your empire, impact, and change!
Sending you so much love and support,
Are you wondering what it's like to work with me? Read what Jess had to say below.
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"I’ve learned how to identify what aligns with my values, when to say “yes” with intention, and how to say “no” with confidence and WITHOUT guilt."
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Starting her life coaching program was truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It has transformed my life in ways I never thought possible.
Before working with Laurie, I struggled with saying “no,” constantly overcommitting, and ignoring my own needs. I often said “yes” out of guilt or fear of disappointing others.
One of the biggest shifts for me has been finding my voice, not just speaking up, but truly recognizing that my voice matters. Laurie helped me see that I have the right to express myself, to take up space, and to make choices that honor who I am. I used to feel like I had to please everyone. Now, I show up for myself with confidence and clarity.
Through thoughtful guidance, practical exercises, and compassionate accountability, Laurie helped me understand the value of my own time and energy. I’ve learned how to identify what aligns with my values, when to say “yes” with intention, and how to say “no” with confidence and without guilt.
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