When I started YMC almost a decade ago, it was just me-an overwhelmed new mom on a mission to connect with other like-minded mothers to celebrate and commiserate the rollercoaster ride of motherhood. I needed to know I wasn't alone. The message resonated. Readership grew, business grew and the team grew. Then we announced our partnership with Corus! Today over 60 people help make make YMC come to life on a daily basis, and with that comes a healthy cycle of change.
As the years passed and my comfort level managing a company increased, I noticed a few patterns. The big one is that most of us can sustain intense hard work for only so long before we need a change. This week, two YMC'ers left the team after four years of hard work. Eileen Fisher started as my assistant, eventually taking over the YMC Social Media title. We both learned a lot over the years and I know she will rock her new job. Ali Martell headed the YMC Editorial team, which is like playing a game of whack-a-mole. You never know what's coming your way everyday, but you do know that new, relevant and entertaining stories need to be published. Ali got those stories up for us and now she is taking a well-earned break to focus on her photography and writing.
But along with change comes new exciting growth, which is especially true at YMC these days.
First of all, I am so thrilled to announce that Jeni Marinucci will be taking over as Senior Web Editor of YMC. Jeni is an extraordinary writer and storyteller. For the last year she's been part of our blogging team and now Jeni's powerful voice will lead that team. Jeni and I already have some very exciting plans up our sleeve which we'll be rolling out slowly over the coming months.
I'm also very excited to have Candace Derickx take on the role of Social Media Manager. I met Candace six (!) years ago when she randomly showed up at a Tweet Up in Ottawa and soon after joined the blogging team at YMC. I've watched Candace navigate the social space with grace and enthusiasm as manager of our awesome #YMCCommunity of Influencers. Twitter parties, Stumbleupon, Pinterest, Facebook - Candace does it all.
Speaking of Pinterest, I'm very excited to announce Paula Coop Mccrory will be overseeing YMC's Pinterest and Instagram pages. Paula gave a kick-ass presentation about Pinterest during this year's Blissdom which showed me she's got what it takes to make the YMC Pinterest page even better than it already is. It's really important to me that YMC connects with moms on all the different social platforms, not just on our site. Expect a lot more buzz on both Pinterest and Instagram in the coming weeks from us (meaning Paula). Make sure you're following us there!
The heart of YMC is the team of talented bloggers, experts and foodies who pour their hearts into their well-crafted stories for you to enjoy. I am honoured, grateful and proud of the strong team of writers who make up the YMC editorial team. We are always looking for new voices to contribute to the site. If you're interested in blogging for YMC on a regular basis, you can find more information here. There are also writing opportunities for those of you who are looking for a chance to post occasionally.
YMC is my little (happy) company run by moms for moms. We're growing and changing, but at the heart of it, we're about connecting with other women (and guys) with kids to help us get through the challenges of modern parenthood. Change is good, right?
Do you have ideas on how YMC needs to change? I'd love to hear them. Feel free to leave them in the comments below, or if you'd like you can send them privately here.
So many interesting bloggers have come and gone from our Team. Have a look at where they are all now!
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