Rachel Olsen spends her days supporting entrepreneurs who are also moms, while also encouraging her two young daughters in everything they do. Her passion for business and motherhood are made clear in her new book Shark Tank MOMpreneurs Take A Bite Out of Publicity. She shares the experiences of five moms before, during and after their appearances on "Shark Tank." Now we get to find out a little more about Rachel as well.  

1. What's your favorite color? Tiffany blue

2. What's your favorite ice cream? Mint Chip

3. What's your favorite purple? Lavender

4. What's your favorite flower? Ranunculas

5. What is your all time favorite song? Wild World, Cat Stevens

6. When did you move for the first and last time? First when I was 8 from NYC to AZ, then last year from SF to San Diego

7. What is your favorite US city to visit? San Francisco

8. What is the last book you read? Jab, Jab, Right Hook - Gary V.

9. Four Square or Tetherball? Tough one! Tie

10. Favorite childhood meal? Salami (i know!)

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind? Chocolate Chip or Toffee

Notes by OOGIAH:
Song: "Wild World" by Cat Stevens
Book: Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
Cookie: Here are a Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe & Toffee Crunch Cookie Recipe that look look good.

Find out more about Rachel Olsen here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

We all know and love Punky Brewster from our own childhoods. And it is so cool that we can now bring a little of her style and spirit to parties for our kids, since Soleil Moon Frye has written Let's Get This Party Started! It is basically an easy to use manual for creative parties that anyone can throw. There are so many party themes from Carnival and Pirates, to Picnic and Rainbow. Each theme comes with ideas and instructions for snacks, favors, decorations and a game. 

I recently made fruit skewers on paper umbrellas for my daughter's Hula Party! The kids could not get enough. They will do anything for those little umbrellas! Next time maybe we will try Coconut Bowling too. Soleil takes simple ideas to the next level with just a few craft supplies, and anyone can really do this too. Happy Birthday, or whatever day you are celebrating!

Posted by Rachel Teichman. 
We were given this product to try out, but all opinions are our own.

Sheri Kiss is an author and performer. She gives animated puppet shows based on her children's book, Dream Write, at local Houston bookstores and elementary schools. Her personal philosophy that "perception creates reality," shapes her children's stories and is the greatest motivator for helping children realize their incredible inner power. She is a mom to two young boys. We are grateful for Sheri's book description, along with her great answers below!

"Before I answer your fun questions, I want to offer a quick overview of the why behind Dream Write and the Dream Write series itself. In this first children's book of the series, a young boy named Grayson fears falling back to sleep after having a bad dream. It is not until he faces his fears, using the power of his imagination, that he overcomes his fear. Children are encouraged at the end of the story to do the same: face their fears and, as a byproduct, nurture their self-esteem and self-confidence. The next book in the Dream Write series is Feel Write where readers will meet another boy who finds controlling his temper challenging. The Dream Write series is all about encouraging children to tackle any emotional or physical challenges utilizing the power of self-expression." -Sheri Kiss

1. What's your favorite color?
Lavender to see, rich blues and aquamarine to wear.

2. What's your favorite ice cream?
Anything involving dark chocolate…yum!

3. What's your favorite purple?
I love this question! Lavender is my favorite purple.

4. What's your favorite flower?
Tulips--I fell in love with them as an undergrad student studying abroad in London. They're such a hopeful-looking flower.

5. What is your all time favorite song?
Up until Katy Perry's "Roar," it was "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners. But if I hear either one, I start dancing like I'm 18 again:-) The feminist in me loves "Roar"--what an empowering song! I listened to a quick interview with Perry re that song, and the power and beauty of the lyrics and tune came from great pain that she faced and overcame--love that!

6. When did you move for the first and last time?
My first move was when I was barely a toddler so I can't recall anything about it, but we went from a house in Islip, NY to Massapequa, NY. The last move was a little over two years ago, from one part of Houston to another.

7. What is your favorite US city to visit?
It's a tie between LA and San Diego. I LOVE the weather in both places and am always left wanting to explore more in each place.

8. What is the last book you read?
Yesterday's Streets by Silvia Tennenbaum. It's an historical novel that spans the lives of affluent German Jews from 1903 until 1945. Tennenbaum has a gift for crafting both broad and defining sentences simultaneously so that we care about her characters and gleam so much over a wide berth of time. I'm in awe of this work. She takes you inside the minds of both the victims and the victors during both World Wars, and shows you the myriad of gray shades in between. Whew, I've just started Sophia Kinsella's latest book, Wedding Night as I needed some levity after Tennenbaum's gripping tale

9. Four Square or Tetherball?
I love tetherball and remember it fondly from my days of summer camp! What's Four Square??

10. Favorite childhood meal?
Easy: Ramen Noodles with the heavily-filled MSG package generously sprinkled on top of the noodles:-)

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind?
Oatmeal chocolate chip is my all time favorite cookie--specifically the ones I make--I add less butter so they come out almost like a biscotti. Yum!

Notes by OOGIAH:
Songs: "Roar" by Katy Perry & "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners
Books: Yesterday's Streets by Silvia Tennenbaum & Wedding Night by Sophia Kinsella
Meal: Maruchan Ramen Noodle SoupCookie: Here is an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that looks good. You can try adding less butter too!

Find out more about Sheri Kiss here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

David Ian is a jazz musician who has produced three holiday albums. He plays classical and jazz piano along with guitar, and played in rock bands before going solo. His third full-length album "Valentine's Day," was just released this year. It is full of romantic music covers.

Joelle Burnette is an artist, author and mother of two, who wants to encourage kids to eat healthy with her upcoming story book and activity book. Magic Peas & Two Front Teeth tells the story of a young girl who loses her two from teeth  and continues to eat healthy foods. Joelle has set up a Kickstarter campaign full of creative rewards in order to see this project to fruition.

1. What's your favorite color? Phthalo Blue (Red Shade)...I know that's specific, but I love using that color in my paintings.

2. What's your favorite ice cream? It's a tossup between Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk, and Tin Roof Sundae from the ice cream shop in Columbia State Historic Park in the Gold Country.

3. What's your favorite purple? Figs

4. What's your favorite flower? Plumeria

5. What is your all time favorite song? There are so many, but the top picks: "Blackbird," by the Beatles; "Major Tom," Peter Schilling or David Bowie (depending on my mood); "Mad World," Gary Jules; "Why Should I Care," Diana Krall; "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," Dean Martin; and I could go on. It all depends on my mood.

6. When did you move for the first and last time? The summer before I started 5th grade, and 1994

7. What is your favorite US city to visit? Hanalei, Kauai. I don't know if it's big enough to call a city, so as much as I feel lucky to have grown up with beautiful San Francisco, if I had to pick a city out of the area, I'd choose Washington, D.C. where there are sooooo many activities and things to do and see.

8. What is the last book you read? People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks

9. Four Square or Tetherball? I am the Tetherball queen! When I was in 4th grade, I won matches against the middle school kids.

10. Favorite childhood meal? Grilled cheese

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind? Semi-sweet chocolate chip

Notes by OOGIAH:
Color: Phthalo Blue
Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk & Tin Roof Sundae at Fallon Ice Cream Parlor
Songs: "Blackbird" by the Beatles; "Space Oddity" by David Bowie; "Mad World" by Gary Jules; "Why Should I Care" by Diana Krall & "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" by Dean Martin;
Book: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 
Cookie: The Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is a classic.

Find out more about Joelle Burnette here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

J.M. Hirsch is a food writer and father of one son who gets great school lunches. He is the national food editor for The Associated Press, and blogs about the "trials, tribulations and triumphs" of making his son’s lunches at LunchBoxBlues.com. His most recent book, Beating the Lunch Box Blues, offers inspiring lunch ideas that anyone can use. 

1. What's your favorite color? Green.

2. What's your favorite ice cream? Vanilla. Some people say it's boring, but I think it's harder to make a good vanilla ice cream than it is to make a flavor loaded with tons of chocolate and other competing flavors.

3. What's your favorite purple? Wine!

4. What's your favorite flower? I'm more of an herb man. I'd rather have rosemary, basil and cilantro growing. Deep green color, deep savory aromas.

5. What is your all time favorite song? "Second Hand News" by Fleetwood Mac

6. When did you move for the first and last time?
First move -- My parents and I moved from one apartment to another when I was 3. We moved into this giant old house that had been converted into apartments. It was very cool, with tons of character.

Last move -- About 12 years ago, my wife and I sold our house downtown and bought a house bit on the outskirts of the same city. It's pretty old (1895), but we've pretty much renovated the entire thing. We're about to do another big renovation this summer -- gutting the kitchen and bathroom downstairs... For the second time. Ugh.

7. What is your favorite US city to visit?
New York City. I go about once a month for work. So many restaurants to pick from...

8. What is the last book you read?
The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson. It's a young adult memoir about one of the only children included on Schindler's list. My son, who is 9, is a really advanced reader and wanted to read it. But given the content involved, I wanted to read it first. I don't generally have time to pre-read his books, but I made an exception for this one. Turned out to be excellent. It was an honest, forthright account of what happened, but it was presented in a way that I felt my son could handle. And it prompted some great discussions about when it's appropriate to lie. And that's a tough concept for a lot of kids to grasp. But now I'm back to reading for myself. At the moment, I'm working on an advance reader edition of Dan Barber's book, The Third Plate. So far, very good.

9. Four Square or Tetherball? Hmmm... Neither?

10. Favorite childhood meal?
Cheese and tomato sandwich. Or my mom's spanakopita. We're not Greek, but somehow that ended up as our traditional Thanksgiving meal.

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind?
My mom's oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies.

Notes by OOGIAH:
Song: "Second Hand News" by Fleetwood Mac
Books: The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson & The Third Plate by Dan Barber
Meal: This Spanakopita Recipe looks good.
Cookie: This Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet looks good.

Find out more about J.M. Hirsch here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

Rachel Sklar is a parent coach and mother of three, who works with parents to teach them how to calmly, yet strongly, lead their families. Getting everyone from "chaos to tranquility" is her goal. And the "Rock Your Inner Mama" CD that she produced, is full of mantras that can help moms ground themselves every day. 

1. What's your favorite color? Maroon. It's plastered all over my website and my brand, but marketing people tell me to ditch it. It's not "soothing" enough for the product I offer... which is a meditation CD for parents! But I think as parents, we should aspire to be BOLD and CALM at the same time.

2. What's your favorite ice cream? Ben and Jerry's Half Baked. Actually, I'll eat ANY ice cream, or dessert for that matter, which does not contain fruit. Fruit does not belong in my dessert...and especially not lemon, which is the opposite of dessert. If I had to choose and non B&J options were plentiful, I would go for peanut butter fudge.

3. What's your favorite purple? The kind that has a little maroon in it.

4. What's your favorite flower? Passion Flowers and Proteas are tied for first.

5. What is your all time favorite song? The first love song my husband wrote for me. It's called "Words of Affirmation," and it provides just that! He also included the lyrics in a piece of art he designed for our room. "The Luckiest" is my other favorite, by Ben Folds Five. It was our aisle music and whatnot. Sappy, I know.

6. When did you move for the first and last time? I first moved from LA when I went to college at UC Santa Cruz. I fell in love with the Bay Area and have lived here ever since. Last summer, we moved back to the East Bay and we feel right at home.

7. What is your favorite US city to visit? Any city with babysitting is a great place to visit. That makes LA a top choice as grandparents are plentiful.

8. What is the last book you read? The Mama's Boy Myth, by Kate Stone Lombardi. If you think being a mama's boy is a bad thing, think again!

9. Four Square or Tetherball? Tetherball. Duh!

10. Favorite childhood meal? BBQ chicken and quiche. Random combo, but that's what memory serves.

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind? Does Rugelach count? If not, then Chocolate Chip.

Notes by OOGIAH:
Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's Half Baked and Peanut Butter Fudge
Flowers: Passion Flowers & Protea
Song: "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds Five
Book: The Mama's Boy Myth by Kate Stone Lombardi
Cookies: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Rugelach recipe by What Jew Wanna Eat & Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Find out more about Rachel Sklar here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

Sue Fliess is a children's book author, writer for eBay and a mother of two. She has written thirteen books for children on topics ranging from robots and trucks, to shoes and hugs. Her latest Little Golden Book teaches kids how to be pirates! 

1. What's your favorite color? Blue

2. What's your favorite ice cream? Moose Tracks

3. What's your favorite purple? Lavender

4. What's your favorite flower? Tulip

5. What is your all time favorite song? 
It's a tie between "America" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Pig" by The Dave Matthews Band (weird title, excellent song)

6. When did you move for the first and last time? 
First move was from California to New Jersey in 1979. Last move was from New Jersey to California in 1997. Really!

7. What is your favorite US city to visit? New York City

8. What is the last book you read? Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

9. Four Square or Tetherball? Four Square

10. Favorite childhood meal? Macaroni and cheese

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind? Tagalong (Girl Scout Cookie)

Notes by OOGIAH:
Ice Cream: Moose Tracks
Music: "America" by Simon and Garfunkel & "Pig" by The Dave Matthews Band
Book: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Girl Scout Cookie: Tagalongs

Find out more about Sue Fliess, and watch her version of "Royals" here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

Jessica Smock is an educator, journalist and mother of one. She is one of the editors of The HerStories Project, which covers the wonder and complexities of female friendships. Her website, School of Smock, also covers other areas of interest to women and mothers. 

1. What's your favorite color? My favorite color is blue. I like wearing blue because it matches my eyes.

2. What's your favorite ice cream? Any! I like all flavors as long as hot fudge is involved!

3. What's your favorite purple? Light purple... maybe lilac?

4. What's your favorite flower? Daisies. My favorite dress of all time was one I had in high school that had daisies all over it. Daisies are such a happy flower, and it put me in an instantly good mood to wear that dress.

5. What is your all time favorite song? Anything from Prince.

6. When did you move for the first and last time? The first time I moved was to Ontario with my parents when I was a baby. It was cold! So cold that sometimes I wore a snowsuit to bed in my crib. The last time I moved was two years ago, from Cambridge, MA to Buffalo, NY. Like Ontario, Buffalo is also VERY cold and snowy.

7. What is your favorite US city to visit? New York. Definitely New York.

8. What is the last book you read? Mother Daughter Me by Katie Hafner. Incredible memoir about three generations of women living in one house. (Hint: it doesn't go well.)

9. Four Square or Tetherball? Four square. Tetherball is too stressful.

10. Favorite childhood meal? Spaghettios. There was a long period when this was pretty much the only thing that I ate. So much so that it's still my nickname among members of my extended family.

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind? Chocolate chip, but only homemade ones (no mixes or cookie dough tubes) straight from the oven.

Notes by OOGIAH:
Dress: We found this daisy dress & this daisy cocktail dress
Music: Prince
Book: Mother Daughter Me by Katie Hafner
Meal: Campbell's SpaghettiOs
Cookie: Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Find out more about Jessica Smock here. 

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman

Kaitlin McGaw is a musician and educator, who founded Alphabet Rockers to teach kids through songs and dance! As one-third of this hip hop trio, she brings educational beats to kids through CDs, concerts and school programs. We were happy to be part of their successful Kickstarter program to bring Alphabet Rockers to the small screen too!

1. What's your favorite color? It used to be blue. I have blue walls of various shades in my house, rocked a blue T-shirt for Alphabet Rockers, and all that stuff. But now I find myself buying pink sneakers, hot pink shirts, and pink pants. I guess you would say I love them all!

2. What's your favorite ice cream? Peanut butter cup

3. What's your favorite purple? Great question! I like the magenta purple.

4. What's your favorite flower? I love the smell from lavender and jasmine, but a simple beautiful tulip wins the favorite flower game.

5. What is your all time favorite song? Yikes! I can never choose between songs. It would be like choosing my all-time-favorite friend. Songs speak to me throughout my life, get quiet, and then re-ignite. If I think of the album I have bought 3 times it would be a tie between A Tribe Called Quest - "Midnight Marauders" and Mary J. Blige "Share My World". If I had to pick 5 various songs right this minute, they might include: A Tribe Called Quest "Oh My God", Annie Lennox "Cold", Norah Jones "The Nearness of You", Fugees "Ready or Not" and Bonnie Raitt "I Can't Make You Love Me"

6. When did you move for the first and last time? The first time I moved was in my early twenties, when I moved from my childhood city of Boston to San Francisco. I never imagined I would stay...but here we are, years later, still in the Bay. Three years ago I moved from San Francisco to Oakland and love this community even more than SF.

7. What is your favorite US city to visit? New York, hands down. I will walk the streets for hours and hours, with or without my friends that live there. The city speaks to my creativity and drive, and I leave wondering why I don't live there!

8. What is the last book you read? Just finished Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, exploring the climate change crisis through a fictionalized family in Appalachia. Reading quality stories is crucial to my mind, my critical thinking, my experience of the world. I'm now reading Little Bee, and will be looking for a new recommendation when I finish it this week!

9. Four Square or Tetherball? Four square, hands-down. We drew it in chalk on the street in front of my house, at the playground, anywhere we could. It was always thrilling.

10. Favorite childhood meal? Grilled cheese and my dad's pancakes. It's amazing how much fancier everyone's cooking has gotten over the past 10 years. We repeated the same 10 meals for years, it would seem, and today because of the internet and food TV shows, people really have diversified. I could still eat a grilled cheese everyday and be satisfied, but I too love trying new things, especially with getting those greens in. Yesterday I made brussels sprouts for lunch. That makes me sound old, I did it on purpose!

11. OOGIAH means cookie. What is your favorite kind? Macadamia nut + white chocolate. But I have never cooked them for myself, maybe I should this year!

Notes by OOGIAH:
Albums: A Tribe Called Quest & Mary J. Blige
Songs: A Tribe Called Quest's "Oh My G-d", Annie Lennox's "Cold", Norah Jones' "The Nearness of You",     Fugees' "Ready or Not" & Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me"
Books: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver & Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Cookies: This White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe looks good!

Find out more about Kaitlin McGaw here. And check out the new Shape Rap!

*The first four questions were created by a five-year-old. And the last seven were written by her mom.
Posted by Rachel Teichman