::Supporting Local Moms:: #InspiredSeries

It shouldn’t be a surprise that I often find myself connecting, networking, stalking (in a very non-creepy way) local mom groups or women’s groups in general. I love forming relationships with these women because well, that’s kind of what I do. A few months ago, I connected with Amanda of the West University Moms Network and a few weeks ago I discovered a similar group closer to where I live, the Katy Moms Network so naturally I asked Amanda to introduce me to them and well now here we are. I was featured on their page and since they are pretty badass women I decided that to feature them here would be perfect!  Meet Audrey & Natalie as they share with us how they met and are building a community for local momma’s. 

Hey y’all! 

We are Audrey & Natalie from Katy Moms Network! We were brought together by motherhood two years ago when we moved across the street from each other and quickly became best friends. We’ve got four amazing kiddos between the two of us, and our sweet, supportive husbands. And they’re all best friends, too! Our oldest, both daughters, are four months apart, and our youngest, both boys, are four months apart! Natalie not-so-secretly fantasizes about getting pregnant with Audrey again at the same time and hopes their husbands aren’t reading this! 

Audrey is a Katy native and after moving around Texas for a few years, made her way back to this amazing community to raise her family. Natalie’s an Oklahoma girl who lived in the Northeast for five years before coming home to the great state of Texas in 2015!

We launched Katy Moms Network, an online platform for moms, in early June and have been blown away by the early support! We’ve also started getting out in the community to connect with moms outside phone and computer screens, and that’s been super rewarding. We hosted a Toddler Time event at a local Chick-fil-A recently and were approached by two separate moms who said they hadn’t had the best luck with getting to know other moms in the community, but thanked us for being open, inviting, welcoming and warm. We looked at each other and said if we do nothing else...if all we do is THAT...then we’re happy. We have big dreams for this community and it’s been so fun getting to connect with so many already.

The wheels started turning for Katy Moms Network in the early Spring of 2018, after recognizing a need in the community. What if we could create an online community where local moms could go for resources and information, while also being a source of inspiration, community and togetherness, and support. 

We’re also deeply passionate about motherhood. The journey of motherhood is something that overtook us in a way that we never knew possible. It’s this life-changing, earth-shattering moment when you become a mom, and a deep, indescribable love you never knew you could feel. But motherhood also comes with really hard, hard stuff. It’s a role we hoped we’d always play, but didn’t know just how much it would transform our hearts. Motherhood: something we were designed and made to do and something literally billions of women do across the globe, but also something so intricate that every woman has their own unique, beautiful experience and journey with. 

Most of us all follow some larger scale mom community online. The ‘I Mom So Hard’ and ‘Cat & Nat’s of the World, along with awesome blogs like Motherly and Scary Mommy. Tons of amazing platforms that bring togetherness, acceptance, and support back to motherhood. But there’s nothing like that on a hyper-local scale that we’ve ever been able to connect with on a meaningful level. We wanted to create a space where we can go to feel supported, inspired, accepted, normal, and all feel a true sense of community. A place where you feel understood by the moms who literally live next door, who are doing this all right along with you. A place where you can get all the information you need- best doctors, best places for dinner with kids, and what the heck to do in this town with those tiny humans! All this in one place, curated for you. So we created it! And Katy Moms Network was born.

What you’ll find on our site and our social media channels is a resource-rich website with local activities and events, as well as original, unique content. Our content will aim to inform, support, inspire, uplift, educate, and hopefully even make you laugh. Or maybe we can make a day where you felt guilty for yelling at your dang kids all day feel okay and normal because hey, we probably did it too. Because behind this website are just two Katy moms, just like you. We’ll aim to continually evolve this space, so it becomes your go-to resource in Katy, TX. We’ve also had so much fun adding the Monday Meet A Mom Feature, as well as Small Business Saturday, as a way to highlight mamas kicking ass and businesses that inspire us. Katy’s a pretty special place and we feel lucky we get to raise a family here. The moms we’ve met over the last few years in Katy have been instrumental in our lives and we’ve built friendships that will last a lifetime- not only for us moms but for our kiddos.

We like to think the best way to do this whole mom thing is with each other- a community of strong, kind, supportive mamas. They say it takes a village and we couldn’t agree more. Our best advice for any mother is to find your people. And if you don’t have your people yet, let us be your people. We would love to be in your village!

FOLLOW THEM HERE: 

https://www.instagram.com/katymomsnetwork/

https://katymomsnetwork.com/

https://www.facebook.com/katymomsnetwork

::Making Connections:: Networking Events and Conferences

{This is not a compensated post. All opinions expressed are my own.} 

Houston hosted for the first time ever one of the largest Latino conference and event organizers- Hispanicize. As they brought their three city networking tour to Houston in an effort to promote the April conference. And, Houston Latina Bloggers were present. As Social Media/Digital influencers and content creators, we attend these events all the time. I always hear from everyone, I made some great connections today or I met new people last night. So, you made the connections. Now, what? The following are some tips to convert those connections into lasting business relationships and help build your brand. 

{Picture from Hispanicize facebook page} 

1) Create a database- Thanks to my 8-5 job I have become a bit of an excel nerd. A simple spreadsheet with all your new contacts will go a long way. Now, you definitely want to do this after every event and don't get behind like this Momma did this year. I think since May I have about 300 business cards sitting on my desk waiting to be converted into tangible connections. Don't wait, do it now! Record people's names, phone number, email address and their blog or company/brand. You can pull from this database and filter it for easy access to everyone you need to stay in touch with. Nerdy. I know. 

2) Send an Email- I know that these days we can easily add people to our Facebook pages and LinkedIn, but then what? Sure that person can see your work and what you do. But, if you don't reach out to them and find out how you can work together or collaborate, then that person just becomes another FB friend. The true connection comes by sending your connections a personalized email, reminding them that it was great to meet them and maybe asking or offering to work with them in some way. Making that connection with people who are within your niche and that you would like to work with or learn from is very important. Otherwise, they are just a business card sitting on your desk. 

3) Interact- If you truly want to keep up with your new connections and create a circle of good networking contacts; then please don't forget that we are all human we love interaction and conversation. Not every day, you don't have to become the persons best friend, in some cases you do. But, every once in a while finding out how they are or what they are working on, is always a good start. You never know what you can learn from your new contacts or what event they might know of that you don't. Keeping in touch even in this day in age, is very important. I see people "like" or comment on my social media sites all the time, but unless I engage in real conversation with them, I have nothing. 

                                                   {Picture  from Hispanicize facebook page} 

Finally, when you go out to events and networking functions have fun, relax and enjoy everyone. My favorite part of these situations is just enjoying the moment and not worrying too much about whether or not the relationship will be built or if the person will help me gain anything. I simply talk to as many people as I can. Becuase I love to talk. I always ask about them and listen to them. I am myself and if the conversation leads to what I do, then I gladly explain who I am and what I do. 

                                                    {Picture from Hispanicize facebook page} 

Have you made great new connections lately? How have you followed up with those connections and do you keep a database? 

:: 3 things to know Before attending a Conference:: #LATISM15

                               ::Momma Disclosure:: This is a compensated post. All statements are my true and honest opinion. 

                                                All pictures taken by:  Andy Ramirez  http://www.andyphotographer.com/

Last week, as you all may know, I attended LATISM. It's one of many conferences I have been to. You would think that I know what I am doing, right? Well, as I left DC Friday night the shoulda, coulda, woulda was starting to settle in. Thinking about the many more connections I could have made and how much more I should have prepared for the conference. Immediately made mental notes as to what I should do differently next time. Because, there are always other opportunities to make good connections. Here are ::three:: things I think are important to know, before you attend your next networking event or conference.

1) Review the agenda 

One thing I like to do is review the agenda before the event. It will give you information about times, location and what will be discussed. The amount of information can be overwhelming, but being prepared helps ease the stress. I try to remain on a single track and attended the sessions I know  will be interesting to me. But,  I also like to attended sessions a bit out of my scope and learn something new. Before you attend your next event, review the agenda. Know the times and where your sessions are located so you can plan accordingly and select topics not only that you know but those you can learn something new from.

2) Make a list of companies, brands or contacts you want to connect with at the event

Most events have group pages on Facebook where they disseminate information or list their sponsors on their websites. It is smart to review the list carefully. Know who you want to connect with and more importantly make sure that the brand fits your blog. I understand wanting to connect with big companies and brand names but at the the end of the day, if it doesn't fit your blog, the partnership really won't last. I was able to connect with a couple of personal blog contacts, I have followed certain blogs for years and wanted to meet some of the ladies behind those blogs. I did also make great new connections with brands who want to work with Latina's in Houston. Having a defined brand and knowing what you are seeking long-term is very important. Some brands knew me because of my time in the business. And, I connected with others because I knew exactly what I wanted to say to them. Being prepared is important, in all instances.

3) Relax and Enjoy

Being unprepared causes for a lot of missed time and running around. Which is why being organized and knowledgeable before the event is important. And, at the end of the day, yes, you gain valuable lessons, important contacts and great new partnerships. But, if you didn't have fun and enjoy your time, it becomes point less. You don't want to be burned out during an event or conference the frustration can show and you can miss a good opportunity to interact with others. If you want to have a good productive time at a conference you need balance. Know what you want to achieve and who you want to connect with but also have fun and relax. The real you is more authentic when you are having fun.

Top 5 Items Bloggers need for Networking/Social Media Events #HLBNetwork

Top 5 Items Bloggers need for Networking/Social Media Events:

Attending your first Blogger networking event can be rather intimidating. Learning the essentials that every Blogger should bring to any social media or networking event is important. I quickly learned what those were and to this day I pack my bag with the same items. If you have seen me at conferences you will know that I always end up with more bags than I come in with but that's part of the Blogger swag that's inevitable.

I have, over the last 4 years, acquired all my equipment and perfected my methods of networking but my bag is always filled with the following 5 items:

1) Camera- Now, I didn't start off with a fancy anything, as a matter of fact my first year or so my phone was my camera. Or, I would ask my Blogger friends to take pictures and then I would post their pictures and give them credit. If you network correctly you end up with the best Blogging buddies, who never mind sharing pictures with you. Of course as the months went by I knew I needed a good camera. Honestly some small point and shoot cameras these days, take really good pictures. A really good smart phone also does the trick now-a-days.  

2) Cell Phone- It's a no-brainer, if you are like me, your phone is your everything. I have easy access to all my social media apps. Quick access to recording both video and audio as well as taking quick pictures to post on several social media outlets at once. I also take a ton of notes on my phone. Plus you know people call and text me, by people I mean my Husband and kids. They wonder where I am, all the time. Go figure.

3) iPad/Tablet (or laptop)- I have never been a huge fan of laptops they are not my favorite computer, at all. I prefer a good old desktop or even my phone and iPad serve the same purpose. My iPad sometimes has better features and a bigger view than my cellphone. Or, if I need to multitask and be on both devices at the same time it's super handy. And, since my iPad has a keyboard it's sometimes easier to take notes on it. It also takes great pictures and video. The extra device is always good for backup. Depending on the type of event I might not even use it but I like to take it with me. Just in case.

4) Promotional Items and Business cards- These items are so useful to promote your blog. A simple business card can lead to great conversations with brands. This year I invested in pens, best idea ever. I feel like even if you are a small blog and just starting, creating promotional items is very helpful. I wouldn't invest too much money in the beginning. I purchased my pens in bulk for no more than $75.00.

5) Notebook- Yes, I bring at least 2 notebooks everywhere I go. Not only because I am obsessed with them but because I love to write. Sometimes, I just love my pen touching the paper. I am a bit nerdy. I used to have the best handwriting, these days technology has affected this. So, when I can, I try to write with pen and paper and not rely so much on my phone or computer. Truly sometimes it's faster and easier to simply open a notebook and start writing; as opposed to having to turn on a device and wait for it to load or open.

You will find that some travel lighter than others but at the end of the day being well prepared is better than not being prepared at all. Knowing the type of event and what the agenda is, is always good to find out before hand. I might take these items and only ever use my camera. Other times, I have regretted forgetting my camera or not bringing a notebook. Which is why I fill my bag with everything I need and keep them close by. You will learn what occasion call for a full bag versus a simple purse and cellphone. 

Happy Networking and good luck!