Recap of #30SecondMom Anniversary Event with #Photos! by Elisa Schmitz

Celebrating 30Second Mom’s one-year anniversary was an amazing way to recap a year filled with growth, relationships and achievement. As I look back on the first of what I hope will be many years of making moms’ lives easier and more fun in 30seconds or less, I am filled with a deep sense of satisfaction at how much we’ve accomplished in just 365 days.

We started with a team of 25 diverse and talented contributors. We are now at 85 and growing; moms with various areas of expertise who are based in much of the United States – and even a couple of other countries! We started our editorial by covering nine lifestyle categories. We are now at 14 and growing!

At the anniversary event on October 26, we shared highlights from our first year and announced upcoming initiatives that will continue to build our brand to be recognized as the leader in trusted mobile content for busy women everywhere. 30Second Mom has only just begun!

Together with contributors, business associates, the media, fellow entrepreneurs, family and friends, we heard from Kevin Willer, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and 1871, where 30Second Mom is now based. Kevin is at the forefront of positioning Chicago as a major hub for digital entrepreneurship, and we were honored by his support of 30Second Mom.

We then listened to a wonderful keynote by Mary N. Dillon, president and CEO of U.S. Cellular, who is one of America’s most respected and inspiring corporate leaders. We were humbled and thrilled to hear her belief in 30Second Mom and her ongoing support of our initiatives, and were so grateful for her recognition of our achievements.

We saw a highlight reel sharing moments from our first year, and also talked about upcoming initiatives, such as the launch of our Pregnancy, Trending and Products categories, which ties into our new 30Second Mom Approved Products program, launching soon.

As a preview of our Approved Products program, we presented each guest with a 30Second Mom branded canvas tote bag filled with wonderful family products that were sent by companies looking to 30Second Mom to spread the word about what they have to offer. Details on our Approved Products program are coming soon.

Perhaps the most important part of our anniversary celebration was the deepening of 30Second Mom relationships. We had 12 contributors in attendance, many of whom met each other for the first time that night. It was like seeing a dear friend: The powerful sisterhood of 30Second Mom truly is like a family. No matter what area we specialize in, how many kids we have, how old we are, where we come from, etc., we are all united by the common bond of motherhood. It’s a tie that binds us in the sweetest of ways. That we are all 30Second Moms makes the bond even deeper.

I am so grateful to the contributors who came, and to all the business associates, media, bloggers, friends and family who were there to support and celebrate with us. It was a most amazing way to recap our first year, and kick off the second. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for being on this amazing journey with me!