It is once again FAMILY Magazine’s Birthday! Just like a parent watching a child grow up, it is hard to believe that so much time has passed since we started FAMILY Magazine in the basement of my home. This year marks the 20th year for our publication and it has been a fantastic journey so far. This has been a team effort, and I have been fortunate to have some GREAT team members along the way. Thanks to all who have worked with and supported FAMILY Magazine.
All year long we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary. I certainly hope you are participating in the great contests every month on Facebook. So far, we have given away $600 in cash and a terrific digital camera. This month we are giving away CASH again, but in a more fun way.
We are having a party! And at the party we will be passing out CASH. What fun! But to find out about the party – where and when – you have to fan us on Facebook. And to get the secret code to win some money, you have to be signed up for our eNewsletter. This is going to be a sort of a scavenger hunt for the cash!
TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE FUN, the more people who fan us on Facebook, the more cash we will give out. So sign up NOW, have your friends sign up, and be sure to come to the party. Find us at www.facebook.com/FAMILYMagazine. We will be sharing the details with our fans. And, watch our eNewsletter for clues on where the party will be.
Although April is going to be a very fun month for all of us at FAMILY Magazine, I have some personal sadness I want to share so you can all send positive thoughts my way. If you were a reader of FAMILY Magazine in the past, you know that my son, BJ, has been on 2 deployments to the Middle East. In 2008, he celebrated his birthday in Iraq. That year I baked angel food cakes and shipped them over to him. This is a picture is BJ celebrating with his cakes. Our traditional family birthday cake is an angel food cake with vanilla icing. The icing recipe is the same one we use for our annual Christmas cookies and belonged to my husband’s grandmother.
Sadly for me (although he is excited), BJ is shipping out to the mountains of Afghanistan in June. He will be spending his birthday this April training for his third deployment. I will be able to spend 4 days with BJ on Mother’s Day. I am really looking forward to some personal time with him before he leaves.
On April 30, his birthday, please send your positive thoughts to BJ. And, if you are a long time reader of FAMILY Magazine, you will remember that BJ loves vanilla birthday cakes, so send him your thoughts in vanilla! I know he will want to share his birthday cakes with his team, so I am already planning how I will ship several cakes to him this year while they are training for their deployment. At least he won’t have to worry about getting sand in the icing this year.
Happy Parenting, Brenda
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Talk to Your Kids
Did you know that March is “Talk to Your Kids About Sex” Month? I wonder why March was chosen as this month of sexual conversation. I had forgotten that March had this theme until recently when my oldest daughter reminded me of a story.
The magazine was just a year old when we ran an article on how you should engage your children in conversation at the dinner table. I thought this was a great idea, so every night at the dinner table, I would engage the kids in talking about current events and news items.
One day, I heard a news item about a school system that was going to pass out condoms to high school students without permission from their parents. At this particular time, we had one child in high school, one in middle school and our youngest was in first grade. My oldest daughter was already off to college.
I thought this news item might create some lively conversation, so at the dinner table, I asked the kids what they thought about this. Our high schooler (who is also the most liberal person in the family) thought it was a great idea. High school kids should have control over their lives and make their own decisions. Our middle schooler (who is the most conservative in the family) was outraged. Parents should make those decisions and the schools should not step in. After this exchange our first grader raised her hand (like a dutiful first grader) and asked, “What is a condom?”
I was stunned. In my haste to create conversation, I had forgotten that she might not know about condoms. I can still remember the panic I felt at that instant. What do I say? How do I explain this at the dinner table? Help!
As my husband will tell you, I am not known for thinking fast on my feet. I like to mull things over and come up with solutions. He can beat me in a debate any day of the week. But at this moment, when it was important, I had a stroke of genius.
One of the tricks of parenting is to first find out how much they know. That will tell you a lot and help you answer many questions. So I asked her, “What do you think it is?”
She said, “All those houses in a row.”
And, I answered, “Yes” and, promptly changed the subject.
This experience is very funny in retrospect, but at the time I felt like I had dodged a bullet. But the best thing about it was that WASHFM had a contest just a couple years later for the funniest family story. And we won! The prize was a week’s vacation at Disney World. We had a great time that week and every time I tell the story, I still chuckle.
So, remember this March to talk to your kids about sex. You don’t have to talk about it all month, as they probably would not like that. Having a month set aside with this theme might be a good way to keep this important conversation top of mind.
Happy Parenting,
Brenda
The magazine was just a year old when we ran an article on how you should engage your children in conversation at the dinner table. I thought this was a great idea, so every night at the dinner table, I would engage the kids in talking about current events and news items.
One day, I heard a news item about a school system that was going to pass out condoms to high school students without permission from their parents. At this particular time, we had one child in high school, one in middle school and our youngest was in first grade. My oldest daughter was already off to college.
I thought this news item might create some lively conversation, so at the dinner table, I asked the kids what they thought about this. Our high schooler (who is also the most liberal person in the family) thought it was a great idea. High school kids should have control over their lives and make their own decisions. Our middle schooler (who is the most conservative in the family) was outraged. Parents should make those decisions and the schools should not step in. After this exchange our first grader raised her hand (like a dutiful first grader) and asked, “What is a condom?”
I was stunned. In my haste to create conversation, I had forgotten that she might not know about condoms. I can still remember the panic I felt at that instant. What do I say? How do I explain this at the dinner table? Help!
As my husband will tell you, I am not known for thinking fast on my feet. I like to mull things over and come up with solutions. He can beat me in a debate any day of the week. But at this moment, when it was important, I had a stroke of genius.
One of the tricks of parenting is to first find out how much they know. That will tell you a lot and help you answer many questions. So I asked her, “What do you think it is?”
She said, “All those houses in a row.”
And, I answered, “Yes” and, promptly changed the subject.
This experience is very funny in retrospect, but at the time I felt like I had dodged a bullet. But the best thing about it was that WASHFM had a contest just a couple years later for the funniest family story. And we won! The prize was a week’s vacation at Disney World. We had a great time that week and every time I tell the story, I still chuckle.
So, remember this March to talk to your kids about sex. You don’t have to talk about it all month, as they probably would not like that. Having a month set aside with this theme might be a good way to keep this important conversation top of mind.
Happy Parenting,
Brenda
Saturday, March 5, 2011
What do we expect from leaders?
Meg Garlinghouse , Head of Employment Branding and Community at LinkedIn wrote recently about a visit to the Mountain View campus of LinkedIn by world-renowned author teacher and thinker Deepak Chopra. I thought his words were interesting and offered me a chance to evaluate my leadership at FAMILY Magazine. We may be a small company, but the idea struck home for even our small staff.
Ms. Garlinghouse wrote, “Deepak contends that the best way to empower employees is to focus on their strengths. He cited Gallup research that shows that the four most important things people expect of their leaders are hope, compassion, trust and stability.
He spoke about how good leaders take calculated risks that comes from a deeper understanding of context, meaning and relationship. The most important thing, Deepak said, is living up to your values, being responsible for feedback and maintaining good health."
“If you focus on success, you’ll have stress,” Deepak said. “But if you pursue excellence, success will be guaranteed.”
Those were inspiring words for me. I am going to focus more on excellence and let the rest follow. Any comments out there?
Brenda
Ms. Garlinghouse wrote, “Deepak contends that the best way to empower employees is to focus on their strengths. He cited Gallup research that shows that the four most important things people expect of their leaders are hope, compassion, trust and stability.
He spoke about how good leaders take calculated risks that comes from a deeper understanding of context, meaning and relationship. The most important thing, Deepak said, is living up to your values, being responsible for feedback and maintaining good health."
“If you focus on success, you’ll have stress,” Deepak said. “But if you pursue excellence, success will be guaranteed.”
Those were inspiring words for me. I am going to focus more on excellence and let the rest follow. Any comments out there?
Brenda
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Facebook Strikes Again
I have accounts on Facebook and LinkedIn. Primarily I set them up for business and I really don't use them for personal things. Sometimes they do connect me to people who I have not seen in a long time, and that is fun. But, (unfortunately or luckily ???) I just simply don't have a lot of time to spend on those sites connecting with other people. FAMILY Magazine keeps me very busy.
Maybe I should spend more time connecting? I am not sure. But I am willing to try to find out.
The other night my husband and I were out for dinner in DC with friends celebrating a birthday. Their two daughters were with us. They are both out of college but still very young. It was a great time and we really enjoyed their company. One of their daughters is a friend of our youngest so the evening was a reminder of how much fun we have with her.
During dinner another friend of these young ladies came into the restaurant. They both jumped up and went over to see her. Apparently it had been a long time since they had all seen each other. It was nice to see them interact and hear how she had been since they had last been together.
And, (here is the interesting part) not 5 minutes after the friend left the restaurant, both the girls pulled out their cell phones to see a message. The long lost friend they had seen in the restaurant had already updated her status on Facebook to talk about running into them in Georgetown.
Now, excuse me, but REALLY? Five minutes! Why? Was it that important? I can imagine her leaving the restaurant, walking around the corner and pulling out her phone. She would be standing there punching letters with her fingers on the little screen telling the world she had run into long lost friends.
I guess my age is showing, but I just don’t get the thrill of that. I don’t understand why I would want to tell all my friends (or why they would care) about running into some old school buddies at dinner.
Am I wrong? Tell me why you think it is interesting.
Please, tell me! I want to understand this brave new world of communication. I really do. But I just don’t get it.
Brenda
Maybe I should spend more time connecting? I am not sure. But I am willing to try to find out.
The other night my husband and I were out for dinner in DC with friends celebrating a birthday. Their two daughters were with us. They are both out of college but still very young. It was a great time and we really enjoyed their company. One of their daughters is a friend of our youngest so the evening was a reminder of how much fun we have with her.
During dinner another friend of these young ladies came into the restaurant. They both jumped up and went over to see her. Apparently it had been a long time since they had all seen each other. It was nice to see them interact and hear how she had been since they had last been together.
And, (here is the interesting part) not 5 minutes after the friend left the restaurant, both the girls pulled out their cell phones to see a message. The long lost friend they had seen in the restaurant had already updated her status on Facebook to talk about running into them in Georgetown.
Now, excuse me, but REALLY? Five minutes! Why? Was it that important? I can imagine her leaving the restaurant, walking around the corner and pulling out her phone. She would be standing there punching letters with her fingers on the little screen telling the world she had run into long lost friends.
I guess my age is showing, but I just don’t get the thrill of that. I don’t understand why I would want to tell all my friends (or why they would care) about running into some old school buddies at dinner.
Am I wrong? Tell me why you think it is interesting.
Please, tell me! I want to understand this brave new world of communication. I really do. But I just don’t get it.
Brenda
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
LinkedIn Did It
I am not very good with change. I can change, but I have to think about it first. I like to determine the consequences and then take action. So on Monday when our Marketing Manager told me she had accepted a new position (a really good position with some great growth) my first thought was panic.
However after I thought about it for a couple of hours, I started thinking about all the positive consequences. For her, it is great and I am very happy for her. Our company is very small and there is not much of a ladder to climb. It is more like a single step stool and she was at the top in her area.
My next thought was, "How do I find someone just as great and how fast can I get them started?" So, I turned to LinkedIn. I don't have a huge number of connections. Admittedly, I have not done any work to build my network and people have just sort of found me. But even with the small number of connections I have, I was able to come up with 10 great resumes. Now I have 8 interviews scheduled and some terrific prospects.
So I guess I have to give a big "yippee" to LinkedIn. And, a big thank you to all my contacts for passing along some great people. And, to those that reconnected just to say hi, thanks for the shout out. It was great to hear from you.
Brenda
However after I thought about it for a couple of hours, I started thinking about all the positive consequences. For her, it is great and I am very happy for her. Our company is very small and there is not much of a ladder to climb. It is more like a single step stool and she was at the top in her area.
My next thought was, "How do I find someone just as great and how fast can I get them started?" So, I turned to LinkedIn. I don't have a huge number of connections. Admittedly, I have not done any work to build my network and people have just sort of found me. But even with the small number of connections I have, I was able to come up with 10 great resumes. Now I have 8 interviews scheduled and some terrific prospects.
So I guess I have to give a big "yippee" to LinkedIn. And, a big thank you to all my contacts for passing along some great people. And, to those that reconnected just to say hi, thanks for the shout out. It was great to hear from you.
Brenda
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
February 2 - Virtual Tour of the Children's Science Center
If you ever read FAMILY Magazine, you probably know how passionate I am about kids and science. I loved science when I was growing up. For a few years I coordinated a volunteer group in the schools that worked with 5th graders doing fantastic science activities. My youngest daughter was a toddler and she went with me to do the activities in the schools and she developed a love of science as well.
Currently I am on the Board of Directors for a group that is starting a children's museum in Northern Virginia focusing on science and technology. The Children's Science Center will be located in Reston. We are hoping to have 50,000 square feet of hands-on activities for kids ranging from preschool to tweens.
The Children's Science Center has started offering a one-hour program and virtual tour for people to see their plans firsthand. I am hosting the one to be held on February 2.
I'd love have some of FAMILY Magazine readers come and meet some of our board members and see the Virtual Tour. This is not a fundraising activity and we won't be asking for donations at this event, but we are looking for advice, feedback and involvement from the community.
If you are interested in attending the Virtual Tour on Feb. 2, let me know. I will send the specifics to you.
In the mean time, visit the CSC website and see what they are all about.
http://www.thechildrenssciencecenter.org
It is a great project and I can not wait for the doors to open.
Brenda
Currently I am on the Board of Directors for a group that is starting a children's museum in Northern Virginia focusing on science and technology. The Children's Science Center will be located in Reston. We are hoping to have 50,000 square feet of hands-on activities for kids ranging from preschool to tweens.
The Children's Science Center has started offering a one-hour program and virtual tour for people to see their plans firsthand. I am hosting the one to be held on February 2.
I'd love have some of FAMILY Magazine readers come and meet some of our board members and see the Virtual Tour. This is not a fundraising activity and we won't be asking for donations at this event, but we are looking for advice, feedback and involvement from the community.
If you are interested in attending the Virtual Tour on Feb. 2, let me know. I will send the specifics to you.
In the mean time, visit the CSC website and see what they are all about.
http://www.thechildrenssciencecenter.org
It is a great project and I can not wait for the doors to open.
Brenda
Monday, January 24, 2011
Is print dead?
I don’t know about you, by my stack of “to read” publications and articles just grows and grows. It is difficult sometimes to keep up with industry news and other reading that I love to do but have little time to spend on. So, I tend to read a whole lot whenever I do find a day or morning when I can focus on catching up. I really believe that keeping up with publishing news is very important and every time I catch up, I vow to do it more regularly…but that never happens.
A few weeks ago I read an article in a trade publication written by Kevin Slimp, a favorite speaker and trainer in the publishing world. I found it extremely motivating and it caused me to change my goals for 2011. Little did I know, but I was not alone. Kevin writes regularly for the trade magazine that I receive and Saturday morning I read Kevin’s monthly article where he wrote about all the publishers that responded to that same article with the same enthusiasm that I felt.
The original article, Will Print Survive?, prompted me to put an aggressive acquisition plan in place to upgrade our software and hardware that we use to produce FAMILY Magazine. I wanted to make our magazine be the very best it could be for our readers and advertisers. Kevin motivated me to think about what our readers want and how we can provide a connection to our advertisers that would go back to our core mission -- to help parents raise kids in the Washington, DC market.
You can read the entire article online at Kevin’s web site, but here is one story (in Kevin’s own words) that struck home to me.
Y2K (as written by Kevin Slimp)
I asked the group how many of them remembered the Y2k scare of the late 90s. Every hand in the room went up.
“Do you remember,” I asked, “how everybody stored bottled water, food and blankets in their basements because they were sure the end of the world was around the corner?”
The audience nodded in unison.
“I didn’t buy water,” I told them. “And do you know why?”
I waited for an answer, but the room was silent as everyone anticipated my answer.
“Because I knew it wasn’t real. It was something that people believed because we (the press) told them it was going to happen. Everyone kept reading in their newspapers and hearing on TV that the end was near. And they believed it.”
Heads moved in agreement. Like in a southern church service, I heard a voice say, “That’s right.”
“Well for the last three years,” I continued, “you’ve been telling your readers that newspapers were dying. That the end was near. And guess what. It took a while, but they finally believed you. And guess what. Your advertisers believed you, too.”
Kevin went on to talk about how we should improve our print product and work to provide the very best printed publication we can for our readers and our advertisers. He also told a story about asking people where they read a specific story – online or in print. I would wager that most people read the story in print. I ask the same question all the time, and people tell me they prefer to pick up a copy of FAMILY Magazine and read it at their leisure.
The bottom line is that I believe, like Kevin does that print is not dead. I believe that we will always have a printed FAMILY Magazine that moms can carry in their purse or bag to an after school class to read while they are waiting on their kids. Yes, there will be more online readers – these have been growing steadily and we have been working to provide a great online experience.
In 2011 FAMILY Magazine celebrates the 20th year of publishing in the Washington, DC market. Print is not going away. And, to further prove that point, FAMILY Magazine had the BEST year in our history in 2010. . . . And they say print is dead?
Brenda
A few weeks ago I read an article in a trade publication written by Kevin Slimp, a favorite speaker and trainer in the publishing world. I found it extremely motivating and it caused me to change my goals for 2011. Little did I know, but I was not alone. Kevin writes regularly for the trade magazine that I receive and Saturday morning I read Kevin’s monthly article where he wrote about all the publishers that responded to that same article with the same enthusiasm that I felt.
The original article, Will Print Survive?, prompted me to put an aggressive acquisition plan in place to upgrade our software and hardware that we use to produce FAMILY Magazine. I wanted to make our magazine be the very best it could be for our readers and advertisers. Kevin motivated me to think about what our readers want and how we can provide a connection to our advertisers that would go back to our core mission -- to help parents raise kids in the Washington, DC market.
You can read the entire article online at Kevin’s web site, but here is one story (in Kevin’s own words) that struck home to me.
Y2K (as written by Kevin Slimp)
I asked the group how many of them remembered the Y2k scare of the late 90s. Every hand in the room went up.
“Do you remember,” I asked, “how everybody stored bottled water, food and blankets in their basements because they were sure the end of the world was around the corner?”
The audience nodded in unison.
“I didn’t buy water,” I told them. “And do you know why?”
I waited for an answer, but the room was silent as everyone anticipated my answer.
“Because I knew it wasn’t real. It was something that people believed because we (the press) told them it was going to happen. Everyone kept reading in their newspapers and hearing on TV that the end was near. And they believed it.”
Heads moved in agreement. Like in a southern church service, I heard a voice say, “That’s right.”
“Well for the last three years,” I continued, “you’ve been telling your readers that newspapers were dying. That the end was near. And guess what. It took a while, but they finally believed you. And guess what. Your advertisers believed you, too.”
Kevin went on to talk about how we should improve our print product and work to provide the very best printed publication we can for our readers and our advertisers. He also told a story about asking people where they read a specific story – online or in print. I would wager that most people read the story in print. I ask the same question all the time, and people tell me they prefer to pick up a copy of FAMILY Magazine and read it at their leisure.
The bottom line is that I believe, like Kevin does that print is not dead. I believe that we will always have a printed FAMILY Magazine that moms can carry in their purse or bag to an after school class to read while they are waiting on their kids. Yes, there will be more online readers – these have been growing steadily and we have been working to provide a great online experience.
In 2011 FAMILY Magazine celebrates the 20th year of publishing in the Washington, DC market. Print is not going away. And, to further prove that point, FAMILY Magazine had the BEST year in our history in 2010. . . . And they say print is dead?
Brenda
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Brenda Hyde's Profile - The Story of FAMILY Magazine
This January, FAMILY Magazine published my personal story of how I started FAMILY Magazine back in 1991. When I meet new people they are always interested in how I started the magazine. Our 20th Anniversary celebration launched in January so we thought it would be a good time to tell the story of FAMILY Magazine. Let me know if you find it interesting.
Brenda ---
Profile Brenda M. Hyde
Publisher & CEO
FAMILIES Magazines, Inc.
Back in 1991, I was frustrated when I could not find a children’s shoe store for my four kids. This annoying situation made me realize that the Washington metropolitan area lacked a good resource for busy moms. So, with the support of my husband, I set out to create a magazine that would guide parents to resources and publish insightful articles.
Now, after 20 years of publishing, I have had the honor of helping parents and advertisers alike. I will never forget the first time a mother told me she was able to help her child with a learning disability because of an article FAMILY published. Or the time a small business owner thanked me for helping them increase their sales. These reaffirming stories inspire me to work hard every day.
Today, FAMILY Magazine helps more parents and supports more business than ever before. We have the largest circulation in the Mid-Atlantic region, and we have won many awards for our magazine. But, most importantly, parents tell us they keep our magazine for over two years because the information and resources are priceless to them.
I would like to take the credit for these successes, but that would just be in vain. Over the years, I have hired some true visionaries. Most of the time these visionaries arrive with babies on their hips, but they come to me with the desire to grow intellectually and fiscally.
However, there is one visionary who has been by my side for the start: My husband of 30 years. He believed in my vision from the very beginning, and he gave me sound advice from the start. He said, “Brenda, this idea needs a detailed business plan.” The plan has served me well, and the habit of planning in detail has come in handy hundreds of times.
In 2010, planning has been my focus. We developed a plan to expand our vision to include both traditional and online marketing strategies. This new vision encouraged us to update the magazine and transform our website. At times, all this planning was challenging, but I have gained precious insights on how to communicate with parents today and develop brand awareness in the marketplace.
Communicating with parents today is different than it was 20 years ago, but I have found parents are still talking about the same issues—such as safety, education, and enrichment.
Getting in front of parents to build brand awareness is a challenge for any small business. It requires consistency, effective advertising vehicles and hard work. In my experience, running a successful small business is part elbow grease and part showmanship. I have pulled countless all nighters, heard thousands of interesting stories, and spoken in front of hundreds of people. Operating a small business is hard work, but it’s full of rewards.
If you’re a mom whose goal is to start her own business, my advice is to find your passion, learn all you can about it, and work hard. My dad use to tell me, “Find your passion in life. It does not matter what you do as long as you are willing to do it for free. You can be a garbage collector or President of the United States. If you would do it for free, then whatever you get paid and however hard it is, you will never work another day in your life.”
That advice from my father has served me well, but the advice I would share as a mother and grandmother is: Don’t forget your kids. Play with them every chance you get. Play more and then play some more again. The memories you create with them will build a castle for the future.
Creating a future with your spouse is equally important. Keeping a good marriage is extremely difficult and you have to work at it. I’ve found that supporting your spouse’s life dreams and learning a hobby together are two of the best ways to keep a marriage strong. These simple gestures are invaluable and will go a long way.
All in all, the FAMILY Magazine’s vision remains the same as it was in the very beginning; to connect parents to the best resources and businesses that will aid them in the great adventure of raising children in our Nation’s Capital.
Brenda ---
Profile Brenda M. Hyde
Publisher & CEO
FAMILIES Magazines, Inc.
Back in 1991, I was frustrated when I could not find a children’s shoe store for my four kids. This annoying situation made me realize that the Washington metropolitan area lacked a good resource for busy moms. So, with the support of my husband, I set out to create a magazine that would guide parents to resources and publish insightful articles.
Now, after 20 years of publishing, I have had the honor of helping parents and advertisers alike. I will never forget the first time a mother told me she was able to help her child with a learning disability because of an article FAMILY published. Or the time a small business owner thanked me for helping them increase their sales. These reaffirming stories inspire me to work hard every day.
Today, FAMILY Magazine helps more parents and supports more business than ever before. We have the largest circulation in the Mid-Atlantic region, and we have won many awards for our magazine. But, most importantly, parents tell us they keep our magazine for over two years because the information and resources are priceless to them.
I would like to take the credit for these successes, but that would just be in vain. Over the years, I have hired some true visionaries. Most of the time these visionaries arrive with babies on their hips, but they come to me with the desire to grow intellectually and fiscally.
However, there is one visionary who has been by my side for the start: My husband of 30 years. He believed in my vision from the very beginning, and he gave me sound advice from the start. He said, “Brenda, this idea needs a detailed business plan.” The plan has served me well, and the habit of planning in detail has come in handy hundreds of times.
In 2010, planning has been my focus. We developed a plan to expand our vision to include both traditional and online marketing strategies. This new vision encouraged us to update the magazine and transform our website. At times, all this planning was challenging, but I have gained precious insights on how to communicate with parents today and develop brand awareness in the marketplace.
Communicating with parents today is different than it was 20 years ago, but I have found parents are still talking about the same issues—such as safety, education, and enrichment.
Getting in front of parents to build brand awareness is a challenge for any small business. It requires consistency, effective advertising vehicles and hard work. In my experience, running a successful small business is part elbow grease and part showmanship. I have pulled countless all nighters, heard thousands of interesting stories, and spoken in front of hundreds of people. Operating a small business is hard work, but it’s full of rewards.
If you’re a mom whose goal is to start her own business, my advice is to find your passion, learn all you can about it, and work hard. My dad use to tell me, “Find your passion in life. It does not matter what you do as long as you are willing to do it for free. You can be a garbage collector or President of the United States. If you would do it for free, then whatever you get paid and however hard it is, you will never work another day in your life.”
That advice from my father has served me well, but the advice I would share as a mother and grandmother is: Don’t forget your kids. Play with them every chance you get. Play more and then play some more again. The memories you create with them will build a castle for the future.
Creating a future with your spouse is equally important. Keeping a good marriage is extremely difficult and you have to work at it. I’ve found that supporting your spouse’s life dreams and learning a hobby together are two of the best ways to keep a marriage strong. These simple gestures are invaluable and will go a long way.
All in all, the FAMILY Magazine’s vision remains the same as it was in the very beginning; to connect parents to the best resources and businesses that will aid them in the great adventure of raising children in our Nation’s Capital.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
20th Year Celebration
New Year
New Magazine
New Website
New Resolutions and Goals
Another new year is well underway. It has brought with it the opportunity to begin fresh. No doubt 2011 will be a year with endless possibilities!
“A makeover shouldn’t turn you into someone else – it should lead to a better you.” Opra Winfrey
When we started planning our January 2011 issue, we decided to make some changes. 2011 is the year in which we celebrate our 20th year of publishing FAMILY, and it gives us a great opportunity to switch things up a bit. In preparation for this January’s issue, we let our imaginations run wild to change and redesign the look and focus of FAMILY Magazine. What you will read is a brand-new, terrifically improved, completely redesigned magazine, yet still geared towards helping you on your journey of parenting.
http://www.server-jbmultimedia.net/WAFamilyMagazine/sitebase/index.aspx?adgroupid=193954&view=double&fh=635
Not only did we change the print magazine, we have also enhanced our website (whew!). Please visit and enjoy our new easy-to-use search engine and improved layout. You will find it easier than ever to locate resources to help you raise your children.
On the heels of our twentieth anniversary, we are simplifying our look, focusing in on the issues you care most about and adding more to the two sides of motherhood – the mother and the woman. Our focus is helping you find what you need, discover what you want or achieve your goals with ease, while still providing you with the resources you need to raise your family in the crazy Washington, DC area.
As Heidi Smith Luedtke so eloquently says in her article this month, Living Your Life’s Dream, “Time may pass slowly on any given day. It is the weeks, months, and years that whiz by.” Twenty years have passed since my dream to create FAMILY Magazine began. Just recently, I met a woman who was a fellow Brownie leader with me when I first tried out the idea of creating a local resource for moms. We reminisced about discussing FAMILY before it launched, and her pride in knowing she had influenced that very first issue.
In the first issue of FAMILY Magazine, I did not have an article or letter to our readers. It did not occur to me that other moms would want to know about the people who created this publication. Since then, I have discovered that you do enjoy connecting with those who create FAMILY Magazine and indeed our shared experience of parenting is a great connection. During 2011, we will go back and revisit the experiences of FAMILY Magazine over the last two decades. It will be fun to explore how we’ve grown over the years together.
Do you have memories of twenty years ago? Come join us on our Facebook page and share with other moms what you remember from the beginnings of Washington FAMILY Magazine. We would truly love to hear your memories.
Parenting is all consuming, but it brings with it the satisfaction of creating a life. Our own needs and desires are sometimes put on a back burner while we raise our kids. I hope that you will read this issue of FAMILY Magazine and find enjoyment putting yourself first for just a moment. The laundry can wait and sandwiches for dinner won’t be the end of the world. Spend a little “mommy time” this New Year rewarding yourself for the incredible impact you’ve made on your family. After all, you deserve it.
Happy 2011 and I look forward to sharing memories with you all year long.
Happy Parenting, Brenda
Triva from 20 Years Ago:
Circulation of the first FAMILY Magazine was 18,000. The “paper,” as it was known then, was delivered to homes in areas of Northern Virginia where families with young children lived. By the end of the very first year, the circulation grew to 50,000. In 1994, FAMILY increased its distribution to parents in Maryland and DC. Four years later, we were the largest parenting publication on the East Coast. Today, FAMILY can be found in over 2900 locations where moms go with their kids throughout the Washington, DC Metro area.
New Magazine
New Website
New Resolutions and Goals
Another new year is well underway. It has brought with it the opportunity to begin fresh. No doubt 2011 will be a year with endless possibilities!
“A makeover shouldn’t turn you into someone else – it should lead to a better you.” Opra Winfrey
When we started planning our January 2011 issue, we decided to make some changes. 2011 is the year in which we celebrate our 20th year of publishing FAMILY, and it gives us a great opportunity to switch things up a bit. In preparation for this January’s issue, we let our imaginations run wild to change and redesign the look and focus of FAMILY Magazine. What you will read is a brand-new, terrifically improved, completely redesigned magazine, yet still geared towards helping you on your journey of parenting.
http://www.server-jbmultimedia.net/WAFamilyMagazine/sitebase/index.aspx?adgroupid=193954&view=double&fh=635
Not only did we change the print magazine, we have also enhanced our website (whew!). Please visit and enjoy our new easy-to-use search engine and improved layout. You will find it easier than ever to locate resources to help you raise your children.
On the heels of our twentieth anniversary, we are simplifying our look, focusing in on the issues you care most about and adding more to the two sides of motherhood – the mother and the woman. Our focus is helping you find what you need, discover what you want or achieve your goals with ease, while still providing you with the resources you need to raise your family in the crazy Washington, DC area.
As Heidi Smith Luedtke so eloquently says in her article this month, Living Your Life’s Dream, “Time may pass slowly on any given day. It is the weeks, months, and years that whiz by.” Twenty years have passed since my dream to create FAMILY Magazine began. Just recently, I met a woman who was a fellow Brownie leader with me when I first tried out the idea of creating a local resource for moms. We reminisced about discussing FAMILY before it launched, and her pride in knowing she had influenced that very first issue.
In the first issue of FAMILY Magazine, I did not have an article or letter to our readers. It did not occur to me that other moms would want to know about the people who created this publication. Since then, I have discovered that you do enjoy connecting with those who create FAMILY Magazine and indeed our shared experience of parenting is a great connection. During 2011, we will go back and revisit the experiences of FAMILY Magazine over the last two decades. It will be fun to explore how we’ve grown over the years together.
Do you have memories of twenty years ago? Come join us on our Facebook page and share with other moms what you remember from the beginnings of Washington FAMILY Magazine. We would truly love to hear your memories.
Parenting is all consuming, but it brings with it the satisfaction of creating a life. Our own needs and desires are sometimes put on a back burner while we raise our kids. I hope that you will read this issue of FAMILY Magazine and find enjoyment putting yourself first for just a moment. The laundry can wait and sandwiches for dinner won’t be the end of the world. Spend a little “mommy time” this New Year rewarding yourself for the incredible impact you’ve made on your family. After all, you deserve it.
Happy 2011 and I look forward to sharing memories with you all year long.
Happy Parenting, Brenda
Triva from 20 Years Ago:
Circulation of the first FAMILY Magazine was 18,000. The “paper,” as it was known then, was delivered to homes in areas of Northern Virginia where families with young children lived. By the end of the very first year, the circulation grew to 50,000. In 1994, FAMILY increased its distribution to parents in Maryland and DC. Four years later, we were the largest parenting publication on the East Coast. Today, FAMILY can be found in over 2900 locations where moms go with their kids throughout the Washington, DC Metro area.
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