Mommy's Company.com-Blog

We've moved.

2007-04-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

We're at a new location. The Mommy's Company.com blog is located at: mommyscompany.com/blog

See you there...

Where's April?

2007-04-04T11:44:00.000-07:00

We're going through a pretty intense redesign right now that is postponing the April content. April and May will probably be combined, so stay tuned!

Jill Besnoy is our entrepreneur mom of the month for creating Honest Baby, a hilarious tongue-in-cheek line of baby attire. Check out her site: www.honestbaby.com

My BFF Victoria Pericon, aka. Savvy Mommy has a new name for her blog: No Minivan, Just Moxie. http://www.savvymommy.com/blog
Be sure to not only read her funny blog, but visit her main site for the best mom and baby products out there.

Thanks for your patience! We are working hard on a lot of very neat projects and can't wait to show them off.

April!

2007-03-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Business Moms! We're going through an extensive redesign right now, thanks for your patience! If you or a mom you know is looking for a fun job, we're also hiring! Send an email to mail@mommyscompany.com for more information.

Have a great weekend and come back on Monday to see pics of Amanda, our Virtual Makeover winner! She looks so beautiful.

Inc.com loves BusinessMom.net

2007-03-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Inc.com is the online version of Inc. magazine, one of the best resources for modern entrepreneurs. When they're not interviewing the hottest new entrepreneur, they're keeping us up to date with an "oldie but goodie".

Every month, I wait in anticipation for my Inc. (I've subscribed for a number of years) to get crammed in our home mailbox.

This morning I received an email from a company with exclusive reprint rights with Inc. asking if I'd like to create a press kit including the recent coverage.

Recent coverage?

I did a quick search and lo and behold, BusinessMom.net, our sister site, was covered by Inc. com! How cool is that?

http://www.inc.com/criticalnews/articles/200702/products0221.html?partner=rss-alert

Bunmi Goes Bummis

2007-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

In the "Natural Products Expo" blog I mentioned working on a very special project. This project touches on a very controversial topic in the mom community. When the idea first came up, I was excited and quite nervous at the same time, especially because it involves my baby.

Are you ready to know what I'm talking about?

For the next 30 days starting Monday, I'm going Bummis. Bummis is one of the leaders in cloth (yes, I said cloth) diapering. Betsy Thomas, the founder of the company, is launching me on what will be a very interesting journey that we're calling "Bunmi Goes Bummis".

For those of you die hard cloth-fanatics that have never touched a plastic disposable, I probably sound melodramatic. But when you've been able to "change and dump" for the last 10 months, this change, even though it is temporary, feels pretty drastic.

Part of the project involves keeping a blog (www.mommyscompany.com/bummis) of this saga as well as allowing a camera crew to film for a period of time.

If you see me doing anything weird/wrong, don't send me an email!

New MC Printables

2007-03-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

When you're in the early stages of planning a business, everything seems so overwhelming. How do you write a business plan? How much money to I need to launch? The questions are endless.

We've created four Mommy's Company.com Printables to make the first steps a lot easier. Here's to you being a Business Mama in 2007!

To view the Printables, click on one, then click again to enlarge. That's two clicks.

View Printables

Natural Products Expo 2007.

2007-03-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was privileged to attend the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA (a few blocks from Disneyland). Imagine close to 3,000 companies on two vast convention center floors exhibiting everything from herbal tea to gummy vitamins. So fun. There were the big guys like Odwalla and Horizon as well as many small businesses in attendance.

The natural products industry is one of the fastest growing sectors. I believe this is due to conscientious mothers both starting businesses and shopping smartly.

I was there bright and early on Friday, the first day of the expo. It takes an early bird to scope out a prime location in press rooms; somewhere where one can people watch and get perfect WiFi reception at the same time.

I wasn't with one of the big media outlets; I was looking for entrepreneur moms, of which I found many!

Rondi Prescott, the business mama behind Healthy Times, was proudly manning her display along with a corporate representative. I had a great conversation with her about how she turned a small baby food line into an internationally recognized brand.

Guess who else I stumbled across? Our very own MC Business Mama, Theresa Kiene, at her Homemade Baby station! The convention is so huge that it felt like it's own country, so our shrieks of excitement upon seeing each other were more than warranted in my opinion. I saved on lunch by eating her yummy baby food samples including a new line of apple-goodness that they will be releasing soon (I'll keep you updated).

I also had a meeting with a company that I will be doing a very special (and public) project with very soon.

Many non-mom owned businesses had great items that will be making their way onto future MC's Hot Products pages.

I met so many enterprising women and can't wait to showcase them on MC. I experienced everything from toddler health smoothies to organic baby sheets. How can you not love how businesses are creating solutions and products to serve families?

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Bunmi in front of the VitaMuffin display. Could it be any more staged?

Getting out when you work at home

2007-03-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

When you're a WAHM (work-at-home mom), it can be very easy to let your day become a laptop-baby-laptop-baby tango with little to no human interaction in between. Now that my daughter is becoming a toddler and exploring her environment, it would probably be considered abuse if she was either napping or in her playpen all day.

In a grand effort to socialize my little one (and myself), I joined a mom's playgroup and Maya has her first Gymboree class today. I know I'm so behind the ball on Gymboree. I'm pretty sure they have classes for fetuses and Maya is just now going at 9+ months. She's a very hyper kid, so I'm sure she'll have a blast.

A friend of mine told me that Gymobree can get a little competitive in terms of the parental units.

"Oh, my Stephen has been doing (inset developmental milestone here) for three weeks, she just started?"

"She only has two teeth? My Isabella had six by that age."

I'm fully expecting a loving, nurturing, soical environment, but just in case I encounter any competitive banter, I've got comebacks planned.

Weird Comment: "Did you notice your daughter drags a leg when she crawls? I'm sure she'll grow out of it..."

My Comeback: "Oh, she does that on purpose. She's doing a report on the effects of unequal exercise on fast twitch muscle fibers and using herself as model."

Weird Comment: "Your daughter doesn't seem to be getting any of that snack into her mouth, has she always been that uncoordinated?"

My Comment: "(said in a serious, monotone voice) As a matter of fact yes, earthling. What our species lacks in eye-hand coordination, we make up for in our ability to destroy entire planets of lower level beings."

I feel prepared now. The diaper bag is packed with diapers, wipes, Gerber Puffs, and her pink sippy and mommy's got her lines prepared. Just in case.

Don't forget to take a break today! Having a wildly successful business is no substitute for a social life.

Why kill Captain America?

2007-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! news just reported that legendary comic book hero, Captain America, is doomed. The character will be killed in the issue that hits stands today. Captain America, known for his red, white, and blue uniform, is iconic of World War II patriotism.

I think Marvel Entertainment Inc., deserves a giant, glimmering award for the Worst Timing Ever.

What other country would kill off their namesake superhero character during a war? This makes no sense to me. It seems as if everyday there is some new grim report about our country; who hates us, CIA leaks, startlingly low government approval ratings...the list could go on and on.

With all of our troubles, I can't imagine a Marvel Exec deciding that this would perfect time to kill (and by sniper bullet no less) a figure that for over 60 years has stood for national pride, imaginary or otherwise. I'm no conspiracy theorist (okay, I SO am), but I don't think whacking Captain America was a random decision.

This makes me think of a teenager, so mad at his parents, that burns his house down. Hello! Your room is in there!

We live in this country. We do business in this county. It's far from perfect, but let's save the shots for the bad guys, okay?

As an entrepreneur, I feel extremely lucky to live in a country that allows me to pretty much do business as I see fit. There is a reason so many rags to riches stories come out of the U.S., we foster the entrepreneur spirit and help it thrive. Why do you think so many people fight so hard to become citizens and do business here?

Maybe, I've got it all wrong. Perhaps Captain America will come back to life in a future issue and save us all from greenhouse gases. I still Marvel should have broken his leg, not killed him entirely.

What's the popular saying? Don't sh-t where you eat.

Yahoo! News article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_en_ot/captain_america

Branding Stretch Marks

2007-03-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was talking to Suzanne Fulford, our resident MLM Mom, about mommyhood, life and business. Suzanne, who has a corporate sales background, is as bright as she is talented, so I always look forward to bouncing new ideas off of her.

We were chatting about "branding" on a particular afternoon and I confessed to her that, while I can spot a fantastic branding job in a New York minute (i.e. Target, McDonald's, The Home Depot, etc.), developing a company image and persona for my own ventures is always difficult.

"Oh, you NEED to read this book," Suzanne gushed and proceeded to tell me about Bill Schley's Why Johnny Can't Brand.

Shortly after our conversation, I purchased the book from Amazon and have been making conscious branding changes ever since.

I'm not going to summarize the book here; read the online reviews and make a decision for yourself.

It's not just us small business owners who frequently miss the mark when branding. Expansion is one of the main reasons why mid- to large-size businesses lose track of their brand.

A perfect illustration of this phenomenon which I call "branding stretch marks" was the topic of a fabulous Los Angeles Times article today.

The subject: a memo by Starbucks Corp. founder and Chairman Howard Schultz was posted on the Internet, expressing regret over the loss of the company's original grassroots, coffee-loving, "mmmmm-it smells-authentic-in-here" brand during the past 10 years of ginormous growth.

"Some people," Schultz wrote, "even call our stores sterile, cookie cutter, no longer reflecting the passion our partners feel about our coffee."

In Starbucks' case, the branding deviation resulted mostly in their original customer base (artsy hipsters toting sketch books) fleeing to less commercialized pastures. No serious damage done to their bottom line.

Don't think you'll be as lucky as Starbucks execs if you follow their example. The Times writer went on to focus on three companies: Krispy Kreme, Snapple, and California Pizza Kitchen, which each sustained significant financial damage from a combination of fast expansion and watered down branding.

What is the mom entrepreneur supposed to learn from this? Well, if substantial growth is part of your business plan and I've convinced you that branding should be as well, here are three tips for you.

Bunmi's Branding Exercise

Think about branding in the most literal form possible. For me that is imagining a cowboy using a heated metal rod to burn information onto the backside of a cow. You want to "burn" sensory information into the minds of your customers.

1. Make a list of five companies that have done an excellent job branding. How did they do it? What images/colors/phrases did they use to create a schema in your mind?

2. How are you branding right now? Determine your DSI (your Dominant Selling Idea) and if your customers can easily perceive it. (Why Johnny Can't Brand goes more into this topic)

3. If it works, stick with it. If it doesn't, see Number 1.

A great example of mom branding: Happy Housewives Club (happyhousewivesclub.com)

I have my work cut out for me in this department, but I'm determined to enjoy it. I think someone important once said, "The journey is the destination."

Fish and Cereal: A recipe for a winner

2007-02-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

Today for lunch I had salmon and Cookie Crisp Cereal. We don't usually have "junk" cereal in the house, but this week it was on sale, so what the hell, right? I've noticed that the closer I am to deadlines (The new MC March 1st content is due...you guessed it, March 1st!) the stranger my meals become.

Last night for dinner I ate half of an avacado and a Clif bar. It's the pressure.

It's times like these that I read a lot of quotes to keep me going. Recently, I put one of my favorite quotes on the login page of our favorite networking site, BusinessMom.net .

"Eighty percent of success is showing up," Woody Allen.

As I read that quote today, I couldn't help but think of Jennifer Hudson, the former American Idol contestant turned Oscar winner. To think, just a few years ago, Jennifer was singing on Disney cruise ships and it was her tenacity that led her to land one of the most prestigious award an actor can get.

Imagine if she had said, "Well, I don't think I'll audition for American Idol, what are my chances, really? There are so many good singers. The lines are too long. I have to work. It's going to be expensive. I'll miss my family. "

The possible excuses are infinite.

Instead, she showed up, and was rewarded.

Instead of hiding behind our really good excuses, let's show up in business and in life. There are Oscars waiting for all of us.

Some people cried yesterday- Record lows for stocks

2007-02-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday had me a little worried about the state of economy. As an entrepreneur, the sunny days are what I live for. When money is moving , people are spending, and businesses are doing well, everyone is happy!

When the closing bell rang yesterday at the NYSE, there were probably more than a few people crying into their double machiattos. The drama began with a 9% slip in Chinese stocks, the Dow began to fall, and then the poo poo really started to hit the fan when the computer automated sell programs started to kick in. By the late afternoon, $632 billion was lost in US stocks touching every sector.

It was the worst day in the market since 9/11.

Today the Fed Chief issues some soothing words (check out the Must Read Media on MC) and seasoned investors seem unfazed calling the tumble, "all part of the market's cycle".

You know what the problem seems like to me? If you have multiple children or have every babysat at least three kids at once, you've been in this situation that I think mirrors the stock market and consumer confidence almost perfectly.

Imagine having three kids in a car. You're rolling down the highway, everything is going fine until Kid #1, overtired because he missed a nap, throws a sippy cup, splashing juice on formerly happy Kid#2.

Kid #2, annoyed because the orange Tampico got in his eye hence momentarily distracting him from his Nintendo DS marathon session, spits in Kid #3's ear.

Kid #3, who was looking for a reason to act up, begins kicking the back of your seat. Hard.

And then you crash the car. Just kidding.

If mom, in her infinite authority, saw Kid#1 start getting fussy, turned back and in her serious-scary-mom-voice and said, "Don't even think about it," therefore cutting the chaos off at the pass, the whole catastrophe could have been avoided.

Someone needed to get up on a giant platform and tell all of the world's traders, "Don't even think of freaking out. Calm down," before the panic selling started.

That's why moms should be in charge of the stock market.

Tax Time! Playing dead won't help you.

2007-02-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

I love how tax assistance companies like H & R Block have been dealing with the popularity of do-it-yourself tax software. You'd have to be under a rock not to have seen an "I've got people," commercial where someone haughtily scoffs his collegues notion of doing taxes at home.

Even though I'd hardly compare having a tax professional run their fingers through my personal business ledgers to what it would it would feel like to have an entourage of my own "people", I commend the ad firms behind the idea. You can't go wrong when you're appealing to the vanity of class-clamoring consumers, right? I mean only common people actually *snicker* use Turbo Tax. And Quicken is for peasants.

Good small business tax article to help you get in the mood. Click here if you dare.

On a similar topic, a British casket maker has revolutionized his industry and raised eyebrows with customized caskets. Popular models include golf bags and race cars.

Another reason to be an entrepreneur...working stinks

2007-02-26T12:19:00.000-08:00

An MSNBC article referencing a study by The Conference Board has just reported that job satisfaction amongst Americans has hit a new low. Article summary: Americans hate their jobs more than ever. It is no surprise that entrepreneurism is taking off and keeping SBA branches all over the US quite busy.

The study concluded that less than 39% of workers under 25 (the group that had the lowest job satisfaction) enjoy their work. Workers between 45 and 54 have the second lowest level of satisfaction.

When I was a freshman in college, it was partly these grim sentiments that led me to start my first business. The thought of working at Initech with a Lumbergh-esque manager criticizing my memo "cc-ing" seemed a fate too depressing to bear.

Entrepreneurs aren't the only happy working citizens in this country, though. Google ranked #1 in CNN Money's Top 100 Companies to Work For. Google employees enjoy all kinds of perks including 11 gourmet cafeterias (no mystery meat here, think roast quail and black bass), workout facilities, and a $500 take-out food allowance for new parents on maternity leave. Google is also known for fostering a unique and serene work environment.

Who wouldn't want to work there?

These reports make me ponder what kind of leader I am and what type of environment I am creating for my team.

Do they feel free to use their creative talents to fulfill tasks brilliantly, or do they feel confused and frustrated by a lack of structure and communication?

Maybe a little bit of both.

Apple, Cisco: The Playground is calm...for now.

2007-02-22T01:02:00.000-08:00

Apple and Cisco have come to an agreement regarding use of the name "iPhone". Network equipment maker Cisco, sued Apple over using the name (that they trademarked) for their new multimedia phone. In the agreement, both companies are free to use the name. Monetary damages and awards were not specified.

The iPhone was unveiled at the ~~Geek~~ Tech Convention in Vegas a few months ago.

It's nice to know that businesses can play nicely together. I expected a little more drama before this issue was resolved. I've seen nastier battles in the backseat of SUVs when the stakes were only fruit roll ups, not billion dollar brands.

Good jobs guys!

The Dow is up! What does that mean?

2007-02-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

In a previous post I talked about how motherhood is no excuse for a mediocre business. This ties into new features that will be released very soon on Mommy's Company.com.

In an effort to help mom entrepreneurs integrate themselves mentally and fiscally (get it?) into the larger business community, MC will be bringing the most poignant business, finance, and economic media & news to our pages.

I want all business moms to be able to hold their own in a conversation about stocks, IPOs, market trends...all of the different factors that whether we know it or not, impact our bottom lines.

I've got a bright and talented lineup of guests ready for live Podcasts on the topics we'll be touching on.

First Lesson 4/1/07 Stock Market Crash eCourse: Why Should I care?

Is it gone or not? Overture.

2007-02-21T03:53:00.000-08:00

If you've noticed a lot of webmasters dressed in black lately, it's because they're mourning the alleged death of the Overture Keyword Bid Tool. To make it simple, Overture allow businesses to bid -auction style- for the highest spot regarding their desired search terms.

On January 30th, Yahoo! reps addressed the topic.

Just the idea of this powerful SEO (search engine optimization) tool ceasing to exist is a hot topic on blogs and forums. Ah, it seems like just yesterday when Yahoo! bought Overture Services $1.63 billion causing Microsoft to get their undies in a knot over who controls the paid-search market.

There are a few good alternatives out there for those of you searching:

Google AdWords

WordTracker

Retractions and Mind Expansions

2007-02-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read my February's Editor Letter, here:

http://mommyscompany.com/letterfeb.html

Now completely disregard it.

I spend this weekend thinking about mediocrity, progress, excuses, and how all three of those are tied together. In life and in business there are always reasons not to pursue excellence; fear, laziness, ignorance, being comfortable, the list could go on.

Having a baby (or three) may be a good reason for the occasional stained blouse or yogurt-hand print on a blazer, but it can't and shouldn't be an excuse for not having a business as big, great, profitable, and EFFICIENT, as you want.

We're all familiar with the grim statistics regarding the number of failed business ventures. Behind each one of those sad, dead businesses are a series of mistakes and oversights.

My business epiphany this weekend was that I could be one of those ill-fated entrepreneurs if I don't let go of my "I'm a mom-business owner so (insert reason for half-assing it here)".

This week, I am concentrating on delegating, thinking like a Fortune 500 company, and taking care of business the way I should.

Do it better.

Fun partnerships, cool collaborations

2007-02-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I dont care what the critics have to say about Valentine's Day being a contrived occassion completely constructed and monopolized by the greeting card industry, I LOVE this day and the sweet presents my husband gets me! So there!

February is already proving to be an exciting month at Mommy's Company.com and BusinessMom.net. There are many great collaborations that we are working on with media outlets and very successful entrepreneurial moms- keep your eyes open!

2007 is the perfect year for entrepreneur moms to start their businesses. The support is totally there. What are you waiting for? A business plan to fall out the sky? Not likely. Get moving.

More on LUNAFEST and pics!

2007-02-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

CHEC is the Children's Health Environmental coalition (checnet.org) Their mission is to educate parents and caregivers regarding protecting children from environmental poisons. The entire night's proceeds went to CHEC.

Pics:

Theater entrance. I realized after I took this that Amy Brenneman from Judging Amy may have thought I was trying to creepily take a photo of her (she's inside in the black dress) . Ooops.

I flirted briefly with the idea of getting "lost" on the lot grounds, but after weighing the possible ramifications decided against it.

LUNAFEST- I had a great time!

2007-02-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

Baby sitter's phone number? check.
Cell phone? check.
Directions? check.
I.D.? check.
Emergency cash? check.

At around 6p.m. I found myself on the 10 fwy in Los Angeles heading toward Hollywood. I'd just dropped off Maya with the sitter and said bye to hubby. It was so much fun to get all girlified (I'd decided on a merlot cocktail dress, black heels, simple gold earrings, and "disheveled"hair").

I think the last time that I seriously primped was at my daughter's naming ceremony FIVE months ago.

So there I was on the freeway, not in my regular mom-mobile, but a swankier set of wheels that I'd rented to try out. I'm in the market for a new car and wanted to test a few out first. I like Impalas, but keep hearing about the shady reputation of American cars, so I'm not sure. If anyone has any suggestions, email me! Note: I can't drive a stick and have no desire to learn.

What a tangent!

Before I merge onto the 10 freeway in L.A., it is a solid ritual of mine to mentally affix a pair of imaginary testicles. I've never seen more aggressive, bold, "get the hell out of my way", drivers in my life. The first time I drove on the 10 I arrived at my destination shaking and missing part of a taillight. It's that bad.

Now I'm experienced, so I flew by the grannies and held my own all the way to Paramount Studios.

The gate-person (who I later befriended) checked my I.D. and pointed me in the direction of the film festival.

Flash forward

There were nine short films shown, all of which were Amazing! They dealt with women's issues including domestic violence, breast cancer, and the media's influence on female self-image. Mann Ke Manjeere, Slip of the Tongue, and Dear Talula especially touched me.

I came away from each film with a feeling of resolve to further develop my own character as a human being and woman and even further committed to the success of women around me.

A very special thing happens when a female decides that her voice is important enough to be heard and her ideas, great enough to be manifested.

One of the filmmakers said something that I know will stay with me forever. When she was a girl, her mom told her, "When you say something, it becomes alive and when you write it down, it's art."

I want to tell you more about the non-profit that was supported through the event: CHEC, but Maya is up . I'll finish this later. I have pics!

Holler! ABC News online plug!

2007-02-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

ABC News Online: The View From the Bay (the bay area ABC) referenced us at a great tool for business mamas! What what!

I know ABC is a really small company, but it's still very exciting. ;)

Oh what? You don't believe me? Here

For the link averse: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=parenting&id=4948557

I couldn't find an ABC News logo to right click on and use without permission, so I'll contact a rep and get one soon.

BusinessMom.net is here!

2007-02-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

You waited and it's here! Business Mom.net officially launched at 2AM Friday morning. Our developers are tired, our writers are exhausted, and our investors are watching...but we're excited!

BusinessMom.net is a social networking site for entrepreneur mothers. Check out the Classifieds section, Polls, Quizzes, Blogs and more! Spread the word about your fab business.

We'll be choosing our monthly Business Profiles from BusinessMom.net moms from now on so get your profile now!

BusinessMom.net

LUNAFEST 2007! Hollywood, baby!

2007-02-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hey Mama! What are you doing this Wednesday night? If you're like me, you'll be putting on something swanky, getting your hair and makeup done (okay, I'm doing it myself) and heading off to the LUNAFEST in Hollywood.

LUNAFEST is a film festival arranged by LUNA Bar (you know, those yummy nutritional bars?) to support CHEC, a non-profit committed to educating people about protecting children from environmental toxins.

Nine short woman-centric films will be shown (total of 1.5 hours) and a wine/cheese reception will follow.

The Honorary Host Committee includes:

Amy Brenneman
Laura Dern
Marcia Gay Harden
Brooke Shields

and there will be many more celebs in the mix (if you're a LOST fan, you need to go!). It should be a fun night of supporting kids, women, and our global community!

LUNA gave BusinessMom.net and Mommy's Company.com three tickets to give away to our readers! You're responsible for getting yourself there and any for hotel arrangements if you're out of the area.

If you'd like to go send an email with your name, location, phone number, and why you want to go to: mail@mommyscompany.com! Act Fast. Winners will be notified via email Tuesday morning.

Time: 6:30

Date: Feb 7, 2007

Place: Hollywood, CA

More info: HERE

http://www.lunabar.com/community/lunafest.cfm?documentid=423&location=3,1

BizyMoms.com

2007-02-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

An article that I wrote on working from home and saving your sanity (haha) will be on the BizyMoms.com newsletter next week. They have a circulation of 11,000 so that is pretty exciting!

Moms on Alert- Beware of Pharmacy Errors

2007-01-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

Moms are probably the most careful/paranoid creatures on the planet. Our diaper bags are full of hand sanitizer, thermometers, band aids...everything we need for when life throws us a curveball. We think we can anticipate all dangers, right? Wrong.

The last place I ever thought that my daughter could be in danger was the pharmacy. Last week I filled her prescription for thrush at my local CVS Pharmacy and on Saturday found out that we had been given improper instructions and tools for dosage. My eight month old baby was getting a teaspoon of medicine three times a day instead of 1/5 of a teaspoon. Five times too much medicine.

She was throwing up, having painful abdominal cramps, crying endlessly, jerking around in the scariest way, and there was little I could do to comfort her. In the past six days, we've been in the hospital three times. Last night, a terrifying evening at home with her clinging to me in pain resulted in me taking her to the emergency room.

I'm up at 3AM trying to distract myself from worrying and catch up with some work. When I spoke to the pharmacy manager, she apologized and stated that, "the store has been having lots of problems."

I couldn't believe my ears. If a store that dispenses potentially dangerous medication is having lots of problems, shouldn't they cease distribution until the problem is resolved?

Moms, now more than ever we need to be on alert and extra vigilant when it comes to protecting our children. Errors happen, balls get dropped. I'm furious right now that my daughter is experiencing pain and is probably just a nameless statistic to a corporation who will probably weigh the pros and cons of attending to the manner in some overpriced boardroom.

I am thankful that I can be home and take care of her and watch her for any more symptoms of pain and that my husband can take off work to help me. But I'll never again just smile, take the bag, and accept whatever a pharmacist says again.

Bunmi on the Radio

2007-01-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

In about 30 minutes I'll be doing a show with Real Women Radio (www.realwomenradio.com). Real Women Radio is a podcast radio show run by:

Tammy Munson - CoHost & Moderator

Amanda Hamm - Co-Host

Lita Meadows - Co-Host

These awesome women are the same minds behind the Work At Home EXPO that I presented at a couple of months ago (the next one is coming up in May!!). We're going to be talking about running a business from home and the fun and craziness it entails. Tammy also mentioned that we'll be discussing Home Organization (something I know nothing about, j/k).

I'm looking forward to it!! Tune in by going to: http://67.19.231.218/ivocalize/login.asp?r=7deb6b71&p=0

Just type in your name, press enter, and listen.

Bunmi Zalob, Chief Mom
Mommy's Company.com

Taking care of Mommy

2007-01-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Running a business, managing a home, caring for a baby (or babies), and being a wife (not to mention a friend, sister, etc. etc.) is just plain hard sometimes. Women are givers by nature and after you've spent your last drop of energy feeding everyone around you, sometimes you just feel dried up and tired.

The truth is, that when you run yourself ragged you can't be as good of a wife and mother as you think you're being. Nobody likes a martyr, okay? When you're not all there, your kids and relationships will suffer.

Even though I'm not a traditional perfectionist, I find it very hard to pull myself away from the computer, especially in the middle of the night. I'm notorious for the 3AM email! This week was especially crazy and I probably got 2-3 a night for five days straight. It's silly, but I actually was confused as to why I felt so sick and loopy!

One of my many New Year's Resolutions (it's not too late to make them!) is to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night 5 days a week. I'm also having a plaque made to above my desk that reads, "You run your business, it doesn't run you."

Take a walk, have some tea, watch your chick flick, eat something bad...just relax a little bit business mams! Your body, spirit, mind (and family!) will thank you.

Partnerships Galore! Moms Working Together

2007-01-12T00:49:00.000-08:00

We love working with other entrepreneurial moms and this year is getting off to a great start with tons of fun collaborations.

SheFindsMom.com managing editor Farah Silver will be contributing to our Hot Products section monthly to offer her own special picks of what's IN. SheFindsMom.com is the go-to-guide for moms who don't have time to scour the malls and outlets to find the newest and most innovative products for their families. Farah is also a southern California resident so may have to stop by her pad and say hello personally ;).

I started contributing for CleverParents.com this month. The website is a really neat guide for parents who aim to be successful and efficient in spending, child raising, working, etc. My first article was entitled "Double Doodie: Working From Home." Whether you're new to the work-at-home game or have been doing it for awhile, you'll sure to benefit from my breakdown of what it's really like to call your home your office.

Read my article

If you have any ideas for my next column, send me an email!

Chase away the drab! Win a Makeover!

2007-01-12T00:41:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Company.com has paired up with InStyleMoms.com to announce the most fun contest EVER.

The InstyleMoms.com Virtual Makeover is the perfect way for a mom with too much frump and too little time to give herself a new look for 2007. The winner will get over $110 worth of yummy prizes that include a very cute tee.

The Appletini sugar scrub and Mommy tee are my personal faves. I can't wait to see the before and after of our special mom.

Tammy Gibson, the entrepreneurial mom behind InStyleMoms.com is so generous to offer her fantastic products and makeup/fashion tips to the winner! Thanks Tammy!!

The deadline to enter is January 31st...so read the directions and enter fast. Enter here

Find Your Passion

2007-01-09T02:24:00.000-08:00

I recently was privileged to talk to the President of Passion Parties Inc. , Patricia Davis. Passion Parties is the million dollar network marketing company simply known by "those parties". When the company isn't being written up by Time or Business Week, it is allowing women ( and men, I suppose) around the world earn and income and *ahem* have fun while doing it.

My interview with Pat started off with the traditional question/answer format and very quickly dissolved into a very intimate one-on-one peek into the motivations and background of a woman who has taken a company to places that entrepreneurs dream of.

I learned so many things during that conversation; about business, life, and goals. Pat is a true mentor.

Read the article now

Pat Davis' new book: The Passion Parties Guide to Great Sex is out! My copy (signed by the author herself) is on its way. Don't miss out.

The Trap

2007-01-02T01:55:00.000-08:00

Entrepreneurs are notorious for being big picture thinkers and detail averse. Water is to cats what details are to most business owners. If you fall into this category, you must read the January 2007 issue of Inc. magazine. There is a story called The Trap that every entrepreneur should sit down and read.

Many of us remember when Chuck Howard. His business, Howard Roofing Systems, was one of the fastest-growing private companies, peaking at $8.5 million in revenue at one point, and was in the top 100 of the prestigious Inc. 500 10 years ago. HRS was the largest roofing company in the US. Three years later they filed for bankruptcy. Howard lost his business, his house, and his reputation.

He has the latter two back now, and works as a consultant, speaking to entrepreneurs about how the same traits- risk taking, focusing on the big picture to the neglect of details, and "brash self-confidence"- that lead a business to thrive, can also kill it.

This article is a huge wake up call to the entrepreneur community. Yes, we need to be big picture thinkers, but we cannot neglect the day-to-day, the mundane. Businesses are in the details and we need to manage (not just pay someone to manage) them.

We won! Well almost.

2006-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Company.com finished in the Top 10 of the 2006 Savvy Mommy Luna Business Grant sponsored by SavvyMommy.com. While we didn't win the award, being a Top 10 finalist ain't too shabby!

SavvyMommy.com and it's founder, Victoria Pericon, have been featured on over 200 television stations and 300 radio stations including FOX, TBS, NBC, and MTV. savvymommy.com

Congrats to us on (almost) winning! Yay!

Fun, Fun For Everyone!

2006-12-04T00:31:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been a rollercoaster to say the least! Since Mommy's Company.com launched in August, there are have been so many changes and all of them have been for the better. Our number of unique visitors has grown exponentially. In the past few weeks, the numbers have been doubling regularly.

We would like to thank our readers for their support and participation through the forums, emails and articles.

We'd especially like to thank our writers who regularly give the website valuable content. You guys rock like Nirvana.

And even though she is on sabbatical, Mommy's Company.com would not have it's beautiful exterior without Shelly of ScaDesigns. *wink*

We are so excited to think of what the future holds for the magazine. We foresee lots of fun, dreams coming true, goals being realized, and all that good stuff.

Keep up the great work everyone!

Deja vu?

2006-12-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

For moms only:

Yahoo! Tech Mom....Welcome!

2006-12-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

Mommy's Company.com would like to extend an official welcome to the newest member of our Expert Panel. Dory Devlin, Yahoo! Tech Mom will be joining our rambuncious team to give technology advice to our entrepreneurial moms. From I-Pods to holiday shopping advice: she breaks it down old school style.

Read her debut column here.

Work At Home Expo 2006- Guess who's speaking?

2006-11-08T12:10:00.000-08:00

Bunmi Zalob, founder and Chief Mom of Mommy's Company.com will be presenting at the Work At Home Expo www.businessandlearning.com
on Thursday, November 9th at 9:30 a.m Pacific Time.

No, that isn't too early. The Expo is purely virutual so drag yourself out of bed, get your Lucky Charms and park in front of the computer!

We're going to try to add a recorded version of the presentation to the website.

It's November!

2006-11-02T04:32:00.000-08:00

The November content is up! New Business Profiles! New Articles! New Hot Products!

Go Right now: www.mommyscompany.com

Rolling in Dough Cookies made us our own treat! Aren't they sweet?- The cookies and Rolling in Dough, that is.

After talking to a great marketing executive (Chris Sandberg of Star Marketing)), we've come up with new ways to improve Mommy's Company.com.

Our new Resources page actually has...wait for it....wait for it....resources!

Advertising announcement!

2006-10-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's a little late, but we finally worked it out. For those of you who have contacted me regarding putting your banners on the main site (www.mommyscompany.com) and the Myspace (www.myspace.com/mommyscompany) we've worked out a really sweet package that works with ANY advertising budget.

It is important to us that banners/graphics on our pages are kept to a minimum and are relavent to our purpose (moms, business, entrepreneurs, babies, family). If you've emailed/phoned me recently about getting exposure and new customers for your business or want more info, just answer the questions below, but and past them into an email and send it to: advertising@mommyscompany.com.

Easy peasy, right?

____________________________________________________
Advertising Eligibility Questionnaire -

1. Are you the owner of your business?
2. Are moms or families included in your target demographic?
3. Would you consider your business family orientated?
4. Have their been more than two complaints filed with the BBB regarding your busines in the past 6 month?

______________________________________________________

That's it. We're operating on a first-come first-served basis.

A new addition to the Mommy's Company.com family

2006-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that our "Ask the Expert" section is a work in progress. We love Joelle Miller our Fit Mama who inspires us to mind our bodies as well as our business. Now she has company!

Fit Mama will be joined by Theresa Kiene or as we like to call her, Business Mama. Theresa will be sharing her business know-how and helping Mommy's Company.com's entrepreneurial moms solve their start up dilemmas.

Get to know Theresa:

Theresa is CEO of Homemade Baby (www.homemadebaby.com) which produces fresh, organic baby food that is sold in natural food stores nationwide including Whole Foods, Erewhon and Lazy Acres. Homemade Baby has been featured by numerous media outlets including Cookie Magazine, Child and The Today Show to name a few. Theresa also writes a monthly column for LA Family and promotes healthy feeding choices by public speaking engagements and charity work. Before launching Homemade Baby with her husband Matt, Theresa worked as a Television Executive. Theresa and Matt have 3 children ages 8, 5 & 2.

In her first article, Theresa will be sharing her own success story and giving tips on how moms everywhere can make their venture dreams a reality.

www.mommyscompany.com

Reaping the benefits

2006-10-09T01:02:00.000-07:00

Tax time is around the corner again and it has come to my attention that there are a lot of entrepreneurial moms out there who are clueless when it comes to dealing with uncle sam. Deductions, write offs, endless forms...it sounds scarier than it is.

November's issue will breakdown tax jargon into regular people-speak.

Work at Home Moms

2006-10-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Is there a difference between work-at-home moms and entrepreneurial moms? I think the term work-at-home-mom is as silly as the term stay-at-home-mom. I mean who really stays at home?

Even on days where I'm too busy to make any serious use of my makeup (although a little foundation and lip gloss can go a long way), I am still forced to make a daily appearance on the world stage.

I think the term work-at-home mom (WAHM) should be banished along with SAHM. Their descriptions are misleading.

I did a google search for "get something banished", nothing so far. I'll keep you all updated on my progress.

Babies R Us

2006-09-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Every west cost mom worth her soy chai latte knows that Babies 'R Us is THE place to get your baby essentials. Yesterday I picked up a The First Years Dreams in Sight Nature Sensations crib mobile for my baby.

Sometimes she wakes up whining and I think she's just bored. This purchase was for the sole purpose of giving me an extra 30 minutes of sleep every morning.

I was attracted to this mobile, out of the 300 other ones, because it has such cute little plush animals that rotate, a canopy with a light show, and even plays classical music.

Not only did it take almost half an hour to put together, the stupid thing DOESN'T WORK. No, customer service, it isn't my batterieis they are brand new. After beating the toy for a couple of minutes, it finally rotated but the light didn't come on and Bach's Minuet in G was so out of tune (ruining my daughter's developing musical ear I'm sure) that it sounded creepy and scary.

This is the second mobile that I've bought that didn't work. The first one was from Fisher Price.

Lesson: If you buy a toy for your child with a selfish agenda (ie. sleep) it won't work and then you'll break it by accident making it unreturnable.

I am a mom, for sure.

2006-09-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

The process of going from being just a married woman to being a married woman with a baby; a mom, is very peculiar. Sometimes it takes a little while for our minds to catch up with our reality.

It's funny how some days you feel more like a mom than on others. Once in a while, I'll wake up, look at the sleeping child in the crib and wonder, "How did I get here?" Other days, the mommy-juice runs through my veins like a powerful elixer of gatorade and plasma.

This week has been one of those weeks. Nothing makes you feel more mommy-like than having a sick baby. There must be some innate maternal reaction to runny noses; the slime possess a force could draw even the coldest woman to her young's side.

The last few days have been a challenging fog of wrestling matches with the baby Tylenol droppers (dang, my baby is strong), pediatrician visits, sleepless nights, and crying....I'm sure by now my baby views me no longer a "loving mommy" but as "evil woman with the bulb syringe".

I suppose it comes with the territory.

New Writers!

2006-09-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Company.com is adding brand new writers to our staff. We'll be officially introducing our new writers in October. Look for fresh ideas and new artcles!

Guilt

2006-09-14T23:44:00.000-07:00

I've recently realized how much of being a mother involves being consumed with guilt. My daughter recently started solids and I, her protector, want to make sure only the best passes through her perfect lips.

Being from Berkeley, Ca, organic baby food appeals to me but I was especially surprised at some of the products out there! Earth's Best creates a baby cereal: Organic Whole Grain Wheat Semolina Pastina. Do babies really need all that? My budget says no but my liberal guilt says yes.

Menu planning

2006-09-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to find out how many moms out there actually plan meals in advance (days, weeks, moths...) I remember seeing a woman on Dr.Phil who actually had a whole years worth of meals planned out. Wow.

If you plan meals out ahead of time, send an email to - submit@mommyscompany.com - We're planning a November article on the topic. Include what, if any, websites you use to aid you.

best business blog

2006-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

this is one of the best business blogs; very entertaining. Michelle Ledger is a 16 year veteran of business journalism. For fun, she reads business filings and then posts the entertaining/disturbing facts on her blg. www.footnoted.org

very creative

2006-09-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

I've never been a particularly creative person and have always resented those with the talent. In grade school I remember dreading artsy craftsy projects with vigor. There would always be that one overambitious kid with involved parents and perfect attendence who'd make my one-dimensional mitosis drawing look infantile next to her (always a girl, too) 3D gumdrop and toothpick representation of deoxyribonucleic acid.

Not all creative people are annoying. Cindy Tomm and Mel Maghuyop of The Original Sushi Pilow
have created the neatest thing I've seen in a long time. Little pillows that look like sushi! How do people think of these things?

I don't even like sushi really, unless it's vegetarian. I can't do
raw meat. I like these pillows though. They're supercute.

So sue me

2006-09-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

The legalities of running a business can be interesting sometimes. I was going to say "annoying", but that's not the correct term. Interesting.

So I bet most of you didn't know this: mompreneur, is a trademarked term! No wonder I've always secretly loathed it. I mean , on one side, it is cutesy, but on the other, why do mom business owners have to be cutesy? Men entrepreneurs (the default, norm entrepreneur, right) don't come up with cute phrases to describe their demographic, why do we?

Does it help us break free of stereotypes and reinvent ourselves? Or do catch phrases tether us to a consensus of mediocrity disguised as togetherness and community?

Either way, I have to change my logo. Come up with a new one and I'll buy you coffee. A lot of coffee. Free coffee

Did I ever give a link?

2006-09-05T04:41:00.000-07:00

www.mommyscompany.com

So, I guess we have a blog

2006-09-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Company.com has followed in the footsteps of so many companies that have blogs. On these pages, I, the company founder hope to share with you the behind the scenes life of Mommy's Company.com.

In case you aren't familiar with the site, Mommy's Company.com is the fastest growing e-zine for mom entrepreneurs, or momprenuers. The site features articles, product reviews, business profiles, tons of useful links, and more. We're working on a "Deals" section wherein our users can download and print useful coupons from popular retailers. We still deciding on whether to use only national retailers or to focus on regional businesses.

So, what is the life on a mompreneur like? Well, I'm not sure if this blog will display a time or not, but where I am, it's 4:15 in the morning. Yes, that 4am and 15 minutes my friends and I'm up (kind of) and typing. Mompreneurs work around their children's schedules for the most part. I have a baby, so I'm optimizing these wee morning hours in order to get as much done as possible. We love our businesses, but we love our family even more.

There are so many great mom-owned businesses out there! Their stories are inspiring; they are the driving force behind Mommy's Company.com. We aim to support, empower, inform, and definately entertain them.