This time last year I was repeating the affirmation, “International moms will write for World Moms Blog.” (I can’t believe I just admitted that.) But, I was really nervous about launching the new blog, and it was nearing November 1st, 2010, my planned launch date.
Today we have over 50 international writers and maintain a wait list for USA writers.
And the list of countries that I hoped to be starting the blog with numbered to just three. It was more difficult than I thought to recruit mothers in other countries who wanted to write.
Today we write from 16 countries.
Back then, I decided our first post had to be from outside the United States, since we had a bunch of USA writers, and many of our first fans were, well, my friends in the US. So, I told Asta Burrows of Norway that she was first up!
And she immediately gave me a confident, “No, you go first!”
Ha!
I told her it had to be her, and she reluctantly went along with it. I am to this day, grateful. I first met Asta before we were mothers in Johannesburg. Little did we know that our Facebook connection after that trip would lead us to that conversation this time last year. And now we have shared so much in motherhood together through World Moms Blog.
Our first post was from Norway, The Story So Far, written by Asta Burrows.
The second day of the blog, I ran my own article, under my then pen name of Veronica Samuels. I repeated to myself the night before, “My article is going to be Freshly Pressed on WordPress tomorrow.” I even sent an email to the WordPress editors, asking them to consider our blog for their front page.
The next morning, I woke up, checked the front page of WordPress.com and there she was, my grandmother’s picture from the 1920s staring right back at me.
On our 2nd day of existence, World Moms Blog had graced the front page of WordPress. The post received over 800 hits that day, and the traffic increased to Asta’s article from the day before, too.
Turns out the editors received my e-mail AFTER they chose the article, and they were just as surprised at the coincidence as I was. So, I quickly learned that affirmations are more powerful than emails.
A Lost Piece of Americana by Veronica Samuels (Jennifer Burden’s then pen name) was our most viewed article.
Next most viewed was “The Circumcision Decision” by Kyla P’an of Massachusetts, USA.
The post with the most comments was Galit Breen’s “Raising Racism” from Minnesota, USA.
From that moment on, I felt something amazing was happening, like the universe was listening, and I still have that feeling.
The quick increased exposure led to e-mails from bloggers asking to write for us (Kirsten, Amy), and new followers to the blog that would later join us as writers (Fire Crystals).
I got BUSY, very quickly. But, I was also 5 months pregnant and knew that I would need help in the coming months. What had I gotten myself into?
The World Moms answered the call for volunteers, and an editing team was born. I admit to answering blog e-mails the day after my C-section. I had to learn not to check e-mail during late night feedings, or I couldn’t get back to sleep because my mind would race.
On the third day of the blog’s existence, I got the MacDaddy of all e-mails, or so I thought. A woman was contacting me from Ethiopia! I reread the e-mail a dozen times.
Wow!! It was a little unclear, her English wasn’t perfect, but I thought to myself that her story could just be amazing. I couldn’t wait to hear it!!
I e-mailed her back with lots of excitement and hope. I was on a role! Doors were opening!
I received a reply from Ethiopia. It turned out she (or whoever it was sending me the e-mail) was looking for an American man to marry, and she could make him happy in many ways, if you get my drift, and could I find her one? SPAM!!
I had gotten all pumped up for SPAM Mail!!! Oh, what a fool I felt like!! I was so embarrassed that I kept that one to myself until now.
World Moms Blog today has writers from Africa. In fact, we write from 7 continents.
The most remote place we write from is the city of Dili in East Timor, where writer Shaula Belour lives in the South Pacific.
World Moms Blog is run out of New Jersey, USA.
In my blog posts and social media I mention the friendships that we’ve made on the blog, the international Editing Team (the blog couldn’t exist as is without them), the blogging conferences, the UN Foundation Social Good Summit and conference calls with ABC News and Blog Frog about the Million Moms Challenge.
I am so grateful for the blog and for all of the interesting women it has brought together and for the social good that we plan to be a part of in the future.
We have come a long way since my nervous affirmations and the false oasis e-mail from Ethiopia!
The Universe is listening. It sees how we are doing amazing things like joining women from different cultures and different faiths in conversation around the common thread of mothering.
If we can start there, there is no holding us back in the togetherness and good we can create in the world as humans. We are a group effort, and we can work to help others and make the world a better place. The kind of place that we hope for our children.
Here is what we have in store for our Blogiversary celebrations!:
Check out the makeover of our logo, Lady World Moms Blog! She is evolving right along with us! And we hope you like her new look designed by my friend, Erica Joyner.
Today, we are excited to announce the launch our new Human Rights column! Nicole Melancon, the Third Eye Mom, will be editor to the new column, and Jennifer Prestholdt, our resident mom writer who is also an international human rights lawyer, will be the column’s regular contributor. We will also be soliciting guest posts to this column from our own international writers and from writers outside the blog.
Next, our very first “Link Up” begins tomorrow! We are inviting bloggers to write a post about motherhood and their culture and to link up to our site. Please show your support to these participating bloggers by commenting on their sites! Details about the link up can be found here.
Have you noticed our special “International Ambassador” badge to the Million Moms Challenge being run by ABC News and the United Nations Foundation? You can grab the badge from our “Buttons” page and add it to your blog, too, to show support for maternal and children’s health around the globe!
Also, this month we will be featuring a “Caption Contest” based on a drawing by the amazing Canadian animation artist, JC Little. Stay tuned for details!
I hope you continue to return to World Moms Blog to watch us grow, read our interesting stories and help us make the world a better place for our children and all the children whom we will never get the chance to meet.
Children are our inspiration.
— Jennifer Burden, Founder/Editor, World Moms Blog
Logo design by Erica Joyner Designs, Virginia, USA.
Happy First Blogiversary, World Moms Blog! Jen, you’re such a credit to the site, and an inspiration to us as mothers and writers. Being part of WMB has been such a great part of my blogging journey, and I can’t thank you enough for accepting me into the team and what I now consider, my international family.
May more amazing things happen for WMB!
Thanks, Alison. And, thank you for all your help from Malaysia. It is almost too convenient that in the middle of the night when I need to run an idea off of someone that you’re online because it’s your daytime! You truly help make the blog a round the clock effort! 🙂 I appreciate all your help!
Jen 🙂
Woohoo! Congratulations and Happy first Birthday WMB 🙂
The WMB lady sure looks so pretty!
And the evolution is inspiring.
Thank you, Alchemist!
You are a lifesaver since you took over the first tweets and Facebook posts on a daily basis. Your volunteerism helps out so much! And, thank you for always sharing our important posts in India! 🙂
Jen 🙂
Happy Blogiversary! Can’t believe it has already been a year – and I am looking forward to the next 🙂
Asta,
I still laugh about our conversations. “You go first!”, “No, YOU go first!” Thanks for being such a great sport through all of this! I appreciate your social media help, and for joining on early before we even had a site and giving me that confidence to get it started! 🙂
Jen 🙂
Happy Blogiversary! Just look at this amazing place that you’ve created- boot straps and chin up, lady- this is the beginning of something fabulous!
Galit,
Thank you for bringing your writing talent to World Moms Blog! I appreciate you always sending out our posts through your social networks, too.
And, thanks to Lauren for putting us in touch so early on! How lucky for us here! 🙂
Jen 🙂
Wszystkiego Najlepszego WMB!!!! Happy 1st Blogiversary! Jen, you’re doing such a great job here, and all those moms you’ve gathered in one place! It’s amazing! Wishing many more years!!!
Love the native tongue! 🙂 Thank you, Ewa. Thank you for being a part of all this fun and we love your pictures! 🙂
Jen 🙂
I love this blog. It’s become an ever-evolving and powerful community of amazing women and their stories. Thank you!
This is so nice, thank you! 🙂
It’s interesting to read about the history of this website I just joined. Way to go – great strides in one year.
Lady Jennie, we’re excited to have you writing from France! 🙂
¡Feliz aniversario WMB! Jen – you rock chickadee!!! I’m so glad you thought of me and invited me to join WMB – my first introduction into mommy blogging. I wish I had more time to write more, but even a little bit is therapeutic. And WMB has been an awesome opportunity to learn and share from so many wonderful moms across the globe! Thank YOU 🙂
Thank you, Eva! Thank you for being a part of World Moms Blog, and thank you for all of your help editing the Saturday Sidebar (and previously Friday Questions)! I’m glad that you are enjoying blogging! 🙂
Happy Blogiversary! Great thing you’ve created here, Jen.
Thank you, Robin! It has been a really fun project, and I’ve met so many interesting moms so far! 🙂
Happy Blogiversary! I have started reading your blog from another one of your contributors. An Inspiration to Dream from Australia. Heres to many more years.
It is so nice to hear the connections — we’re so happy that Fiona at Inspiration to Dream led you here. Thank you for commenting, too! 🙂
One down…many more to go (I hope)! Happy blogiversary World Moms!! Now to figure out this Link Up business. November’s a busy month for writers!
Dear Jen, Congratulations! Thanks for inviting me to join this amazing team! I love the serendipity which “called me” to contact you a year to the day you started this venture. I look forward to many more years of sharing. Best wishes from Cape Town! 🙂 <3
Happy blogiversary everyone! And especially to our wonderful founder and leader, Jen! I love being part of this community. And I am sorry I have been absent from comments lately. The end of October was just jammed! Good stuff, but I feel like I was in my own little world there for awhile. Anyhoo, cheers to everyone for a great blog!!! XOXO!
Congratulations!
So glad you followed your dream.
Cheers to you, Jen — and to all the wonderful world moms. You have created a really special community and I’m so happy to be part of it (far-flung location and all!)
Happy anniversary! Wow, this is pretty cool the number of writers you have from different countries. I think you’re the first blog I’ve come across like this so congrats!