Hot Times, Hot Ideas & Hot Mamas: Disney Social Media Moms Celebration

Wow, what a Wednesday in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona!  Temperatures were well into the hundreds, but that wasn’t the only thing that was hot!  I learned an incredible amount and took so much away from the amazing Disney Social Media Moms Celebration; my head is still trying to process it all.  Surrounded by countless established, creative, powerful, inspirational women really leaves you with a positive attitude and the drive to go out and conquer your dreams.  The focus of this event was on being a mom and being successful at finding ways to share your story and your unique perspective through your blog, social media channels, photos and products or ideas.  This touched home for me.  I love being a stay-at-home mommy to my little joys, but there are days I really struggle with walking away from the career I had worked so hard to achieve.  I am sure I would still make the same decision today because my kids are my world, but there is a part of me that truly misses the deadlines, the sense of accomplishment and the fulfillment of being a strong career woman.  After listening to today’s speakers and chatting with many of the established bloggers in attendance, I realize I can regain a part of that independent spirit through blogging, creating and continuing in this new endeavor of mine.  Deadlines? Yes! As Erin Glover, Disneyland Social Media Director and Lead Blogger for the Disney Parks Blog, shared, a simple Google Documents editorial calendar is vital to staying organized and ensuring you are continually publishing content and keeping yourself accountable. (The key to starting out!)   I feel a sense of accomplishment from my little, everyday tasks, such as getting laundry done, making boo-boo’s all better and teaching my toddlers valuable lessons, but I can once again feel the sense of career achievement by gaining a new brand sponsor, growing my own brand and reach or just the satisfaction of publishing a post I am completely proud of.  With every post I write, I am doing something I love and often times with a child on my lap or curled up next to me;  the best of worlds – mom and career woman. Sure, it is a slow start, but for a new blogger like me, it is so encouraging to hear from the innumerable ladies who have been able to live that life and succeed at creating their own dreams.

There are many more lessons I learned from this conference, such as Tracey Clark’s (Photographer, Author and one of the Disney Sisters) wisdom to “Look for magic to be found in the most mundane place” and to “Elevate the Everyday.” Also, it was wonderful to hear from Lori Lorenz, Director of Marketing and Business Development at HP, about all the ways HP is making life easier for moms with new products and great ideas.  Follow the hashtag  #HPSmartMom to see everyday moms putting them to use.   We also learned about the Huggies Brand MomInspired Grant Program and heard from a panel of three amazing moms who became part of this program and created their own products.  The panel was hosted by the incredibly talented Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media, Author, Radio-Host, Producer and so much more .  She is an unbelievably accomplished lady and a very motivational role-model.  If you have an idea, the MomInspired program is a great opportunity for you!  Nadine Bubeck closed our event with a detailed speech on her own journey to success and encouraged us to “write things down to make them a reality.”  Let’s not forget this was a Disney conference after all, so we received the Pixie Dusted pleasure of listening to Disneyland Public Relations Director, Michele Himmelberg, fill us in on what is new around the Disney Parks and Leanne O’Regan, Disney Parks Director of Social Media, shared a bit of the history behind Disney Parks Social Media complete with a shout out to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. (Woohoo!)  We of course also received goodies throughout the morning and fun activities such as Pin Trading and a photo prop area to add to the day’s magic.

It was an incredible and inspirational event that honestly went by way too quickly.  I hope some year to receive a coveted invite to the main celebration just so I can soak in several days of knowledge and empowerment.  I am completely grateful for the opportunity to attend this event and truthfully took away more than I ever thought possible.  Thank you ladies and your amazing teams for a special extraordinary event!

 

For more information about the Disney Social Media Moms Celebrations check out their website and follow them on Twitter.