In My Mom Era

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When I decided to start In My Mom Era, I knew I wanted to write.

I wanted to talk about my kids, the places we’ve been, the places we want to go, the books I’m reading, the random rabbit holes I disappear down, and whatever else happens to catch my attention on any given Tuesday.

What I didn’t fully appreciate was how much work goes into getting people to actually FIND what you’re writing. 🤣

Because apparently, starting a blog and building a blog are two VERY different things.

And I’m learning that firsthand.

So. Many. Emails.

Do you know how many public relations agencies, publishers, authors, tourism organizations, hotels, and brands exist in this world?

Because I certainly didn’t.

And now I feel like I’m trying to find every single one of them. 😂

I’ll spend hours researching publicists, finding contact information, learning about the people and organizations they represent, and figuring out whether there’s an opportunity that makes sense for In My Mom Era.

Then comes the actual pitch.

Which is its own adventure.

You can’t just email everyone and say, “Hi! I have a blog! Give me stuff!”

Well, I suppose you COULD.

I don’t imagine you’d get very far. 🤣

You have to explain who you are, what you’re building, why you’re reaching out, and what you can offer in return.

And when you’re still relatively new, that’s an interesting conversation to have.

Because you’re asking someone to believe in something that hasn’t fully become what you envision yet.

And sometimes, you’re still figuring out exactly what that vision looks like yourself.

The Travel Side of Things

Travel is a huge part of who we are as a family.

We have five kids. We take them everywhere. We drive ridiculous distances. We stop at places most people would probably pass without a second glance.

And I want In My Mom Era to reflect that.

So I’ve been researching hotels, destinations, tourism boards, family attractions, and places that might be interested in working with us.

Sometimes that means looking for hosted stays or opportunities to experience a destination and share it with readers.

But it’s not simply about getting a free hotel room.

It’s about finding places that fit the kind of travel we actually do, introducing other families to destinations they might not have considered, and creating something worthwhile for everyone involved.

I want to find those little towns you shouldn’t pass up. The unusual attractions. The museums and historic sites. The places that make you pull off the highway because you simply HAVE to know what’s there.

And yes, I’d love to build partnerships that allow us to explore even more of them.

But building those relationships takes time.

Research. Emails. Follow-ups.

And occasionally hearing a word that nobody particularly enjoys.

No.

The Nos, the Yeses, and Everything in Between

Have I been turned down?

Absolutely. 🤣

I’ve reached out about potential partnerships in the Bahamas and received polite declines. There have been other rejections, too.

Honestly? I couldn’t even tell you all of them.

Not because they don’t matter, but because I don’t focus on the nos.

I read the response, appreciate that someone took the time to get back to me and thank them, and move on to the next possibility.

Because here’s the thing.

I’m not entitled to anyone’s time, products, hotel rooms, or opportunities simply because I started a blog.

These organizations have budgets, schedules, priorities, and existing relationships. Sometimes what I’m offering isn’t what they need right now.

And that’s perfectly okay.

But I’m also not going to stop asking.

A “not right now” doesn’t necessarily mean “never.”

And even if the answer really is no, I still introduced myself. I still put my name out there.

Maybe something comes from it down the road.

Maybe it doesn’t.

Either way, I’m a little further along than I was before I hit Send.

And somewhere between those unanswered emails and polite rejections, some pretty incredible things have started happening.

And Then There Are the Yeses. ❤️

Next week, I have an opportunity to talk with people involved in Missouri history about a fascinating piece of the 1904 World’s Fair.

The 1904 WORLD’S FAIR!

If you’ve spent any time reading this blog, you already know how easily I can disappear down a historical rabbit hole.

So you can imagine how excited I am about THAT conversation. 🤣

This weekend, I’m looking forward to an interview and meeting with Lisa Crites, author of Beautifully Unbroken.

I recently finished her book, and I found it incredibly inspiring. It’s the kind of story that can resonate with anyone navigating a monumental change in their life.

And now I get to actually talk with the woman who wrote it!

How COOL is that?!

Later this month, I also have a conversation planned with Connie Jones, author of Green Glitter Girl.

Another author. Another story. Another opportunity to connect with someone I might never have met otherwise.

I’ve also connected with the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, an organization that means a great deal to me because of my longstanding interest in Holocaust history and education.

I’ve had authors, publicists, and organizations respond with encouragement, information, and invitations to continue conversations.

And sometimes, something as simple as researching my own family history leads to an unexpected exchange with someone who has spent years preserving the story of a relative I never had the chance to meet.

None of these things would have happened if I hadn’t reached out.

Not one.

And that’s the part I keep coming back to.

The answer is always going to be no if you never ask.

I don’t know which of these connections will become lasting partnerships. I don’t know what doors might open six months from now.

But I’m enjoying getting to know people, learning about things I might otherwise never have discovered, and finding stories worth sharing.

And when someone says no?

Well.

There are approximately a million other fascinating people and places in this world.

I suppose I’d better get back to researching. 🤣❤️

The Part Nobody Sees

There’s the writing, of course.

Most of this adventure happens at my beloved rolltop desk, which happens to be my favorite piece of furniture in the entire house. It’s surrounded by books, family photographs, my laptop, a planner, and whatever miscellaneous items five children have managed to deposit there. It’s not glamorous. It’s not particularly organized. But it’s mine, and it’s where I’m building something that matters to me. ❤️

But there’s also learning how WordPress works, fixing formatting, adding links, choosing photographs, writing descriptions, understanding site statistics, figuring out social media, and trying to make everything look like it belongs together.

There’s reading books and preparing interview questions.

There’s keeping track of conversations with people who live all over the country.

There’s checking emails, following up, researching another possibility, and trying not to forget what I was doing before I got distracted by something completely unrelated.

Which happens approximately 900 times a day.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, I’m still a mom of five.

There are meals to make, laundry to fold, kids who need things, and a house that does not magically clean itself just because Mommy has decided to become a blogger. 🤣

Some nights I’m working on an article with a sleeping toddler in my lap.

Some days I’m squeezing in emails between everything else.

And sometimes I look at the clock and wonder how on earth it’s gotten so late.

Again.

There are days when I feel like I’ve accomplished a tremendous amount.

And other days when I’ve spent hours researching and sending emails without anything particularly exciting to show for it.

But I’m learning that the work still counts, even when nobody else sees it.

But Then Something Happens.

Someone responds.

An author agrees to an interview.

A publicist offers to keep you informed about upcoming opportunities.

A reader subscribes.

Someone leaves a comment.

Or you open your email one morning and discover that, during your first partial month of blogging, 174 people visited your little corner of the internet.

174 people.

That might not sound like much to someone with an established website and thousands of followers.

But to me?

That’s 174 people who found their way to something I created.

And 323 page views.

Nine likes.

Four comments.

Little numbers, perhaps, in the grand scheme of the internet.

But they’re MY little numbers.

And I’m ridiculously proud of them.

Because every single one represents something that didn’t exist before I started this.

And honestly, seeing those numbers makes me want to keep going.

Not because I’m chasing some magical number of followers or page views.

But because people are finding their way here.

And maybe, just maybe, something I’ve written has made someone laugh, taught them something interesting, inspired them to visit a new place, or introduced them to a book they otherwise wouldn’t have picked up.

That’s worth something to me.

I’m Not There Yet.

Wherever “there” is.

I don’t have some grand success story to tell you.

I haven’t figured out the secret formula.

I don’t know which emails will turn into opportunities, which articles people will connect with, or where this whole adventure will lead.

But I’m showing up.

I’m researching.

I’m asking questions.

I’m sending the emails, even when I’m nervous about the answers.

I’m learning new things every single day, occasionally making a complete mess of something, and then figuring out how to fix it.

And I’m learning not to be afraid of hearing “not right now.”

Because I would much rather look back and know that I tried than wonder what might have happened if I’d just been brave enough to ask.

Maybe a year from now, I’ll look back at this article and laugh at how little I knew.

Maybe I’ll have made some incredible connections, visited places I never expected to go, and interviewed people I never imagined I’d get to meet.

Or maybe I’ll still be sitting here at an unreasonable hour, surrounded by half-finished notes, researching another publicist and wondering if I should send just ONE more email before bed.

Knowing me?

Probably both. 🤣

So here’s to the unanswered emails, the polite rejections, the unexpected yeses, and all the possibilities I haven’t discovered yet.

I’m building something.

One blog post, one connection, and one slightly ridiculous rabbit hole at a time. ❤️

IMME (I M ME),
Kelly