Stacy Debroff is a well-connected, warm, and wonderful woman. She's someone that I have on my "I really want to meet someday" list (yes, I really do have a list like that) because she strikes me as someone who is exceptionally successful, but also incredibly focused on being an amazing mom and a compassionate citizen of the world.
Stacy has her bachelors degree in Literature and Psychology from Brown University and a law degree from Georgetown University. In the past, she has worked for an attorney general's office, a private law firm, and Harvard Business School, but ultimately ended up saying good-bye to all three because "I needed my career to be more flexible, I wanted to be more accessible to my kids."
From there, she went on to write four books:
1. Mom Central: The Ultimate Family Organizer (1998)
2. The Mom Book: 4278 of Mom Central's Tips (2002)
Stacy also leads the charge at MomCentral.com and Mom Central Consulting. Stacy has two children - ages 13 and 15.
Please give Stacy a warm welcome to Metropolitan Mama today.
ME: Tell me about MomCentral.com.
STACY: Mom Central is a one-stop web resource dedicated to providing busy moms with smart household and parenting solutions. Whether you’re looking for the latest AAP guidelines on toddlers and media, advice on how to handle that sticky situation with the PTA, or just a place to find suggestions on what book to include on your bedside table, we have it covered.
ME: What is Mom Central Consulting?
STACY: Mom Central Consulting was born a year and a half ago. We are based in Boston and we have 15 full times staffers. It launched when I realized that traditional PR firms were missing the point when it came to marketing to moms. The truth is that moms don’t pay much attention to traditional advertising. We don't like to feel like somebody is just trying to get us to buy something.
Mom Central Consulting serves as great proof that you can do things as a mom. By the end of this year, we will be a 2-million-dollar company. Plus, we’re having the best time and PR companies are beginning to see what happens when companies utilize genuine messaging.
ME: How can moms get onboard with Mom Central Consulting?
STACY: Moms are invited to join the Mom Central Consulting Moms Panel. Right now, we have about 175 moms who test products for us. We also run blog tours and currently have about 450 bloggers involved with that. We send them all sorts of things and then they get the word out to the people in their network.
ME: What advice would you give to moms who are interested in starting their own companies - especially during the "early years" of motherhood?
STACY: If you dream it and build a vision, you can have it really come to life. It's also important to remember how much we can learn from each other. If you can find someone who has already done what you want to do, they can jumpstart you. Begin by finding something you're passionate about and then think: "how can I monetize that?" You CAN make $50-60,000 a year working PT from home!
RE-CAP:
I love her advise for mompreneurs!! Just make sure you are passionate about your business. I know I am and I am loving it!
I got to meet Stacy at the Sony Mommy Blogger Event and she truly was a delight to mingle with.
Love your interview Steph. Great questions and I love Stacy's advice for all of us mompreneurs!
wow.
another mom who seems to get more done in a day than I do in a week :)
duly noted.
duly impressed!
This sounds like a great idea for a mom-owned business. Steph, you are already on your way in this business!! Go for it!!