Monique Reidy, A Connected Mom

The Web site www.connectingmoms.com recently interviewed and featured our own TheSavvGal.com co-founder and creative director, Monique Reidy. She shares her insights about motherhood and our favorite Web site.

What can you tell me about TheSavvyGal?

TheSavvyGal.com is a Web site designed for women who strive to be more successful and efficient at home, on the job and in the global community. Our goal is to encourage women to be self-governing and we aim to provide relevant information to help them in their quest to excel in life.

What was your inspiration for starting the Web site?

The Web site was born out of my graduate thesis project, which explored the impact of women’s magazines on American culture. Sitting through one focus group after another, I heard women articulate their dissatisfaction with the contemporary magazine options available. Not that there’s not a place for beauty and fashion, but women also want to become educated about investments, health, career, travel, and other relevant news to enable them to live more productive and meaningful lives.

Although women seem to love their print magazines, many of the gals we surveyed said they were seeking web-based formats from which they can access articles in bite-size pieces without hauling around weighty paper products. When my business partner, Bridget Graham and I launched TheSavvyGal.com, our goal was to provide women with a useful and worthwhile Web site able to meet their specific editorial needs while being sensitive to their unique schedule restrictions.

What would you say is your favorite section of SavvyGal?

I have many favorites, but if I have to narrow it to one, it would be Savvy Speech. This section offers readers tips on better communication, be it with the kids, husband, or boss and really empowers women with advice about what to say as well as how to say it for a more effective outcome.

How are you marketing the Web site and service to mothers?

_We encourage a sense of community among our readers and find that moms, especially, tend to gravitate to each other for camaraderie and social support through TheSavvyGal.com experience. We actively seek out moms through conferences we help sponsor and are involved in a variety of women’s groups and activities in which we invite moms of every sort to join us at TheSavvyGal.com. Our contributing writers range in experience from professional executives to women who have chosen not to work outside the home. The articles we feature benefit stay-at-home moms as well as the corporate gals and entrepreneurs. Our site is unique in that readers are invited to interact with us, and they freely pose questions that we attempt to answer though our content.

How many children do you have and what are their ages?

I have three “twenty-something” year-old daughters: Tawny, Nicole and Kimmy.

How do you handle the demands of motherhood and running SavvyGal?

Although my kids are young adults, they seem to still need their mother (imagine that!). I’m not juggling carpools and little league schedules any more, however, my “mom” hat is still securely fastened. Mothering young adult daughters poses different maternal demands: unlike raising teens, “twenty-somethings” actually seek out their moms for advice and reassurance.

The demands of motherhood are certainly less taxing physically, however, daughters never outgrow their need of support and direction and this can be time-consuming and emotionally challenging. I find that my daughters are much more attentive to me as a “mentor” than they ever were, and they are certainly more receptive and open to suggestions. They seem to value my experience and utilize me often as a sounding board. They respect the fact that I am involved in a fast-paced business and am not always immediately available, but they admire my work, and I think they are learning to balance their own lives by watching how I prioritize mine. The most significant benefit to being a businesswoman with grown kids, however, is the liberty to actually work on a project without frequent mommy breaks, and this is a long-awaited bonus.

Has there ever been a time when you have wanted to just throw in the towel and give up on this venture? How did you pull through?

Yes, for both mothering and launching a business! Living through the teenage phase with three daughters was tough and posed unique and relentless challenges, as they each seemed to take turns enduring some sort of “issue.” I was a single mom at the time and really struggling to make everything happen on my own. I worked during those years as well, and there was not a day I did not feel overwhelmed, exhausted and inadequate. I always felt like I was falling short as a mom, as well as a businesswoman because I was so divided between my duties and numerous obligations. _However, eventually the kids grew out of their teenage troubles and attitudes and they have evolved into three of my best friends.

On the business end, when Bridget and I launched TheSavvyGal.com, we encountered a variety of situations we never anticipated, much of which had to do with financing and time demands. We have often thought, is all this effort even worth it? However, fortunately, we have had wonderful support and feedback from our readers and newsletter subscribers and this keeps us moving forward. Starting a business from scratch and making sure every detail is managed properly and consistently is trying, but our passion to serve women helps us look beyond the daily minutiae as we press forward to what lies ahead.

What has been the best experience you have had with SavvyGal so far?

I have met some phenomenal women who are involved with The SavvyGal and they have made this venture immensely rewarding. We also have a Facebook group as well as a LinkedIn group and the members really value the networking experience with other like-minded women. The significant relationships I have formed through TheSavvyGal community have both encouraged and inspired me.

What is a typical day like for you?

After that first required cup of coffee, my daily responsibilities begin with the care of my three Shih Tzus. I feed the dogs and walk them every morning without fail. After I get ready for the day, I get into my home office, take care of routine tasks, and tend to ongoing projects and urgent needs. The Web site constantly updates and there are always ads to revise, articles to write or edit and art to update. Throughout the day, my daughters check in and report on their daily adventures and I will usually meet one of them for lunch at least once a week. I schedule meetings in the afternoons because I need to feel that I have my office under control before I move along to the next thing. I take a break and visit the gym, ride my bike or attend one of five Pilates sessions I take per week and then I return to my office to tend to more work. I stop working when my husband gets home around 7:00 pm (unless of course we have a pending site deadline).

Is there anything in the near future our members should look out for?

Our Savvy community is rapidly growing and members are asking for opportunities to meet other Savvy Gals. In the future we plan to offer Enrichment Weekends, Networking Getaways and conferences and seminars designed to help women connect. In the near future, we plan to feature Webinars and other online opportunities to encourage growth and education.

Can you impart any words of wisdom you would like to share with our ConnectingMoms members?

The challenges of juggling kids and work can be horrendously stressful. But your efforts will soon pay-off, and there’s always a wonderful return on your maternal investment. There is nothing more gratifying than knowing you have raised responsible, loving kids and this is probably the most significant accomplishment any mom can hope to achieve. No matter how urgent those business demands may seem, your kids need you more than your boss ever will.