Today we’d like to introduce you to Jody Vitali.
Hi Jody, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Charleston Moms is a part of City Mom Collective, a network of more than 80 sites around the country that provide resources and connections for parents. Charleston Moms was started in 2015 and when the founder was moving out of state, I had the opportunity to purchase the business, along with my Co-Owner Tiffany Nettles. We could see the positive impact Charleston Moms had on parents and businesses in the Lowcountry and wanted to continue to grow and expand this amazing platform.
In the nearly seven years that Charleston Moms has been around, we have become the go-to resource for moms in the Lowcountry. Our team of 30 contributing writers produces daily content that resonates with the moms in our community. From the funny and relatable to the raw and heavy, our writers share stories from every stage of motherhood and address issues that other moms can relate to. Our resource guides are some of the most popular content on our website. From summer camps and pregnancy and postpartum resources to kid-friendly restaurants and the best playgrounds in the area, these guides help our local moms navigate Lowcountry living a bit easier. Our sales and event teams help Charleston area businesses to put their brands and businesses in front of our large, targeted audience, and holding In-person events allows our community of moms to make connections face-to-face.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Is owning your own business ever a smooth road?! I’d be shocked if anyone ever answered yes to this question!
One of the biggest struggles I have faced as a business owner is operating a small business during a global pandemic. With this situation being totally unprecedented during my lifetime, there was no roadmap on how to lead a team, support our local businesses, or create the necessary resources for the parents in our community (all while also navigating these uncertain times in our own households).
The struggle of giving enough of what our community needed weighed constantly on me and our team. Seeing some of our favorite local businesses close down was heartbreaking, and there was an exhaustion and mental strain on moms that felt so hard to help from across a screen. But we found new ways to connect through virtual events and creative ways to engage our local moms through social media. We provided as much organic, local support to our area businesses as we could, and created new resource guides that were more applicable during these very different times. Our contributors wrote openly and honestly about the struggles we were all feeling as parents, and we continued to remind our readers that we were all in this together. With the pandemic still ongoing, running a business during these times continues to be a rollercoaster, but as long as our local moms and businesses need us, we are going to continue to be there for them.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Charleston Moms is the go-to online resource for parents around the Lowcountry. With daily content written by local moms, resource guides, and in-person events, our mission is to take some of the loneliness that moms often feel out of the motherhood journey. We also provide creative digital advertising solutions for businesses around Charleston and connect them with our local parents. With a constant influx of people moving to Charleston, we are often contacted by people looking for recommendations on everything from the best schools and neighborhoods to doctors, dentists, and everything in between. We love being able to point newcomers to the resources on our website and our local neighborhood groups in order to help them get settled. Our guides to family-friendly events around Charleston are also some of our most popular content!
I am most proud of the team behind the scenes that work so hard to make sure that our local community of moms has the resources they need, each story our writers share helps a mom know that they aren’t alone. It takes courage to write some of these very personal stories, and I never take that for granted.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
While it can sometimes feel intimidating to “network” it can also be one of the greatest tools in your business. Finding like-minded business owners that support each other is invaluable, but you have to be willing to put yourself out there! If you find a group that feels like it may be a good fit for you, make sure you introduce yourself and tell others what you do and what you’re hoping to get out of the group. But also remember that it’s a two-way street. Help others as much as you can. And remember that everyone’s time is valuable so if you find someone that may be a good mentor, appreciate the time that they take in answering your questions and helping you. You get out what you put into networking so make sure you’re clear on what you’re looking for in these groups.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@charlestonmoms.com
- Website: https://charleston.momcollective.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheCharlestonMoms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCharlestonMoms
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCHSMoms
Image Credits
Jennifer Lavelle
Belly to Baby Photography
Tiffany Hicks Photography
Christine Angeline Photography
