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Cristi Comes, My 3rd Baby: EllieAdorn

Congratulations to Cristi Comes
My 3rd Baby: EllieAdorn
http://www.EllieAdorn.com

Cristi was one of our 5 recipients of the Mom Central Inaugural Grants Program. She received $2,000 to grow her brand, build her platform and ultimately grow her influence!

Read Cristi’s submission!

The vision behind your personal brand:
In February 2010, I gave birth to my 2nd child, my beautiful baby girl Ellie. Her brother Ronin was just over 2 at the time. I’ve been a stay at home mom since my son was born in 2007, and prior worked in marketing for many years. Becoming a mom has had a lot of ups and downs for me. Particularly because I’ve had major depression and anxiety for most of my life, and the challenges and hormones related to pregnancy and kids DO NOT help me out in the mood department. After Ellie’s birth I had a pretty strong episode of PPD that felt quite like a mid-life crisis, or shall I say Mama Crisis. I knew from years of meds, therapy and alternative treatments that distraction, especially a creative outlet, is an excellent tool for overcoming my own mood issues. So I embarked on a path to find a creative hobby that would help me. And this search led me to birth my 3rd baby: EllieAdorn, my little virtual boutique of handmade gemstone mama necklaces. So yes, PPD led me to a new hobby and then with my background in PR and marketing, inspired me to create my company/brand EllieAdorn. It became the creative and professional outlet I needed to distract, calm and entertain my mind. In the process, its also became a wonderful social outlet, which was a surprising added bonus. I’ve met so many wonderful mamas who’ve bought my necklaces AND amazing women who are also running households and small businesses themselves. I quickly became very passionate about working with other mom businesses to promote and encourage each other. But even more than that, I’ve realized that I’m part of a very big community of moms who have a TON of very specific and very personal issues, challenges and successes that we live and breathe every day. Which led me to my new blog just launched on Feb. 8, 2011. This Christmas 2010, a dear friend of mine committed suicide, and it truly affected me in many deep and lasting ways. That event absolutely inspired me to start my blog “My 3rd Baby: EllieAdorn” (which is a reference to the start of my company due to postpartum depression.) My main goal is to help other women, particularly moms, by being an informational support site and network that covers often taboo topics such as suicide, PPD, depression and other mental illness, infertility, prematurity, pregnancy, labor, birth, parenting and relationship challenges. Issues that are SO important to keep talking about, especially for me and other moms going through them, so we don’t feel so alone. We can start to open the lines of communication about things that we’re often afraid to mention. Another goal of mine was to encourage other moms to share their own unique and important stories on these topics, as a way for them to benefit by getting it out on “paper” and to offer these stories to others so we all don’t feel so alone. So I’ve invited guest writers to provide their personal stories about topics for which they are experts in their own right, and are passionate about themselves. I’ve gotten some amazing stories already in the less than month we’ve been live, covering infertility, suicide, baby loss, sex after baby, mental illness, PPD and more. And much more to come. This Blog is a true labor of love for me. With Moms educating Moms, the personal stories within inform, encourage and inspire us as parents. It is a safe haven for parents to share their stories, get support and encouragement from others, and maybe learn a thing or two in the process about being more sensitive and less-judgmental of each other and our own unique parenting choices.

What do you aspire to do next?
My blog is quite new (just launched Feb 8, 2010) so I aspire to keep building it in the direction I’m going. So far, I am VERY proud of it and the response I’m getting. Beyond that I need to learn and develop more ways to reach a more widespread audience, while not being too commercial. Promotional opportunities like Blog Hops and such seem successful in bringing in subscribers and “likes”, but do they really bring in a core audience of parents who would read and get a lot out of my information. Being known as the mama blog that busts through the barriers of taboo topics and has the courage to fully open up and create a awareness and support for struggling moms, would be incredible. After my friend Dina’s suicide, it really feels like my mission.

The purpose of this grant is to assist you with your vision. How will you use this grant to better your influence and personal platform?
I would love to enhance my blog with a more professional design theme (rather than the free theme I chose and learned to develop myself.) Having a small marketing buget to purchase banner ads on some key mom sites would be wonderful. I’d also like the funds to make more time to focus on this important ongoing project. Its very difficult to manage work and mom time being a WAHM with a 3 and 1-yr-old. I’m also very new to blogging and would LOVE to attend blogging workshops or conferences to learn more about how I can reach a wider audience and keep things rolling smoothly and successfully.

How long have you been engaged in creating your own personal brand?
6 months – 1 year

What have you already done to achieve your goals for your blog?
I purchased my URL and hosting, and learned how to create my own WordPress site with a free theme from scratch. I had never used WordPress before but spent many hours pouring over information, plug ins, etc. to create something special on my limited budget. To launch my site this February, I contacted and partnered with 26 mom-or-family owned, family-friendly companies to offer 3 big family giveaway packages totalling more than $2,500 in value. 3 great families won, each with our own fantastic stories to share! And I continue to work with other moms to provide me with interesting personal stories, as well as my own. I’ve posted stories already from bloggers I’ve met on Twitter, as well as mom and grandma friends who had their own inspirational information to share. More stories are being worked on by myself and others that are coming down the pipeline. The response has been great. I’ve had many moms contact me because a story they’ve read has impacted them and they wanted to share too. I love it!

What have been your biggest challenges in achieving your goals for your blog and personal brand?
Overall I find my biggest challenge is balancing my family and all that I want to accomplish with my blog and business. I have the marketing and PR background so I know that with more time, and a little research, I could take it much further. Also my knowledge of monitizing the blog is limited. But I also don’t want the site to become too commercial since I’m already promoting my own company/my mama necklaces EllieAdorn, and other mom companies (I feel it is very important to support each other as moms in business) I have ads set up from many of the companies who supported my launch, which I offered as a free service for their support. To me its mostly about the information we’re sharing to help others, and not the money making. But of course, making the funds for growth is necessary. So that is always a challenge.

Why should the public vote for you:
Please read my blog and I believe it will speak for itself. http://www.EllieAdorn.com I’m serious when I say I want to break down the barriers to TABOO but very important topics. As moms, we NEED to talk about issues like depression, suicide, infertility, PPD, breastfeeding challenges, balance of mom & wife (sex). Its not the time to be fearful or shy, open communication is the only way. I believe my message and the words of those moms brave enough to join me in sharing can make an incredible impact on other women. We are not alone in our journey. We are not abnormal for having struggles. We can do it, we can survive it together. Please vote for me. For us. You are voting to help other women, other moms.

Top 3 things you would like to share with those just starting out:
1. Coming from someone with a long background in traditional PR and marketing, social media is an incredible tool for getting your message out there. You have to take the plunge even if it scares you to join and communicate socially regularly to really make an impact. Facebook, Twitter, message boards, etc. SO IMPORTANT! 2. Supporting, cross marketing and working with other work at home moms has been invaluable for me in getting the word out, establishing a fan base and continuing to grow. Helping eachother is the way to go. I feel like we’re building a business community that’s not about competition but rather a support system. 3. If inspiration strikes, go for it. You are stronger than you ever thought possible and can make things happen if you are passionate about what you’re doing.

Free text box!
I’m working and building my brand and blog in honor of all the moms out there who are struggling with postpartum depression and mental illness. For the lives lost to suicide, especially those close to me: Matthew Dyer of New Orleans, LA (died July 2005) and Dina Anne Borrego of Tampa, FL (died December 2010). May what I do help to save at least one life and it will all have been worth it.

Thanks & Congratulations, Cristi! We look forward to watching your influence grow!