Mommy Lady Club by Courtney Gillard and Betina Powers
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[edit] Interview Questions
We are sisters and the authors of Mommy LaDy Club as well as the Co-Owners and Designers of a handmade online business called, LaDy LaDuke...Unique Items For Mothers & Women.
Courtney ~
"I've been married for 15 years, and my husband and I are recent empty-nesters with my 4 step-daughters grown and on their own. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson, settling there for the past 19 years. I started working in Real Estate in 2003, and then opened my own Residential Brokerage in 2007.
When I'm not working on LaDy LaDuke or Mommy LaDy Club, my husband and I like to travel, and work on DIY projects together, like restoring antique cars and landscaping. I'm a former ballerina and swimmer, and I try to keep up on my piano playing."
Betina ~
"I have been married for 13 years and have four small children. My oldest is in first grade and my youngest is 5mos. This takes up most and sometimes all of my time. My husband is silly and goofy and often becomes my 5th child....in a good way. He is in sales and marketing and works from home so we get lots of family time. I was born and raised in Arizona and still live here.
I love sports of any kind, and love to turn anything into a game or competition. I love to read, learn and try new ideas. I am always looking to improve on every aspect of my life. I thrive on being organized.
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Courtney & Betina ~
"When we started LaDy LaDuke, we knew we also wanted to start blogging. We wanted Mommy LaDy Club to be a very casual and fun place away from the business and more personal, but still connected to our experiences starting a business, and focusing on real Moms and other handmade artisans. We also brought in themes that fit our personalities, and that we knew we could write about.
We were inspired by our LaDy LaDuke logo, a Conde Nast style image of our "LaDy" sitting elegantly on a vanity bench next to an open umbrella. The capital "D" in LaDy, matches our LaDuke maiden name spelling. We transformed our "LaDy" image into her Mommy LaDy Club version--multiplied for our alter ego voices of fashion, fitness, romance and being CEO of Everything. We brought in Betina's son, the mascot of our Little Comedy Club, because we knew Betina could draw writing material all day from him.
Most importantly, we carried over our brand philosophy from LaDy LaDuke, which is to focus on the woman in every Mom, so that she can carve out something for herself in a busy, kid-filled world, and not lose how she feels as that woman. Finding the romance or the Mr. Darcy in our husbands, and sharing those stories does just that, and we developed this romantic diversion further into our weekly Battles of The Leading Men. Plus, there's nothing better than a shoe fix for the soul that you can find on our Just Shoes page."
Courtney ~
"I am definitely extremely busy! Keeping a blog going does take time, and I find that I must keep a very regimented schedule to stay on top of everything. I also just love it, and have learned so much from it that I can apply to our business. It's like finding a whole new world. The knowledge, connections and friendships I've gained are tremendous and precious. My husband would say I've become a blog addict!"
Betina ~
"Our blog has made me even busier, but it has pushed me and challenged me in ways I am grateful for. It has introduced me to so many other people and their blogs which feeds my thirst for reading and learning. I have learned the most from others on the blogosphere. I have rediscovered a love for writing, which doubles as a family journal of sorts. I love blogging!"
Courtney & Betina ~
"We hope to keep pushing forward in 2012--always trying to think outside of the box, and offer genuinely interesting, entertaining and unique content. We'd like Mommy LaDy Club to be a retreat and resource for Moms and Mom bloggers, where they always feel supported, and we'd like to continue to support other handmade artisans and Mompreneurs."
[edit] Mommy Lady Club's Blog Posts
[edit] LITTLE COMEDY CLUB......EMOTIONAL
"I always expected my son to be an athlete, like I and my siblings were, but he's just not that into it. I have learned a lot from him, though, and appreciate his tender heart. He's hilarious, kind, dramatic, fun and smart. He gets things. He sometimes wants to just hang out with the grown-ups and listen to our conversations instead of playing with the kids. And he retains EVERYTHING he hears. He entertains us always." Read more...
[edit] Business Insider: Taking Another Look at Giveaways...Am I a Blog Snob?
During the first couple years of our LaDy LaDuke handmade business, we must have given away close to 100 Feeder Frock nursing covers.
Giveaways on Mom blogs were one of the least expensive ways to get our product in the hands of our potential customers, and when you're new, you need the most exposure for the least amount of money you can find. Read more...
[edit] Mr. DARCY
Sometimes, it's just those small moments that capture your heart, like the way he still looks at you, gets your chair, or stops on his way home for a bag of m&m's to bring to you at the end of the day. It could be the words that you don't have to say--just a look or a kick under the table with a wink, that bond you both together like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy...just meant to be. Read more...
[edit] Connect with Courtney and Betina
Website: - Mommy Lady Club
Twitter: @LaDyLaDuke
Facebook: LadyLaDuke
Google Plus: Mommy Lady Club
StumbleUpon: Mommy Lady
