Sue Patterson’s path to becoming a homeschooling coach and community leader started when traditional school didn’t meet her child’s needs.

“I was a mainstream suburban soccer mom. I had no idea when I first had kids that I'd ever choose something so ‘radical’ as homeschooling! But when school didn't fit, I thought, ‘How hard can second grade be? Let's do this... and they'll always take us back if this is a bad idea!’  So we dove into adventures and the layers of school ‘have-to's’ faded away.  We had so much fun we couldn't imagine choosing to go back to school,” she says.

Sue’s family was a military family and they moved frequently which gave her the chance to see many different homeschooling and unschooling families in action. She was able to see what worked and what didn't.

Although Sue has a degree in Nursing and even taught in Nursing school, once she started learning about unschooling and saw the impact it had in her own family, she wanted to find a way to share the information with others.

​“I created groups, participated actively in person and online - whenever we moved. I've been a perpetual volunteer my whole life. I spent years helping others figure out how they could make something like this work,” she says.

In 2015 she turned her passion and experience into a business in order to share it with families who also find that school isn't the best place for their child, but aren’t sure how or where to start on the journey.

Sue says that although many parents think they need to duplicate school in their home in order for their children to be successful, that hasn’t been true in her experience. “I actually believe that homeschooling - specifically unschooling - is a Mother's Movement. It's when moms simply decide to override their fear and be the best advocate for their child - no matter what anyone else has to say,” she explains.

Sue’s children are all adults now and pursuing different paths and interests. She explains “One is working on his MBA, one working on her acting career with an Associate Degree in Fine Arts, and one raising my adorable (and only!) grandchild as a single mom and successful hair stylist. Parents who are considering unschooling often want to know ‘how these kids turn out’ - My kids demonstrate a wide variety of interests, and I'm hoping it shows that any child can flourish with unschooling.”

Sue says she is inspired by famous people like Elizabeth Gilbert, Martha Beck, Oprah, Hillary Clinton, and Heather Cox Richardson. I’m also inspired by average people who step out of their comfort zone and do something - even though they're afraid. I love those people! And I love smart people!”

She says one of her biggest struggles in her business has been the switch to charging money for something she did for free for many years and learning to balance that.

She would advise her younger self  to not allow criticism from others to keep her playing small - you only have one life. She’d also tell herself “Slow down. You don't have to figure it all out at once. Play with your kids more - you'll miss them!”

She also advises new business owners to not let others convince them to play small and to manage their fears because those will be the biggest obstacle.

When things are challenging, Sue says reading testimonials from clients she has helped reminds her that she really is an expert in her field. She also reminds herself she can solve whatever challenge she is facing that day.

Sue’s ideal referral is a mom whose child wants to explore, be curious, and maybe isn't that into academics. She loves to work with moms who may have resisted the idea of homeschooling because it is unfamiliar, but is excited about other possibilities and options.

She says she joined the MOB Alliance because she loves the power of moms and enjoys the networking and connection aspects of the MOB as a group.

When asked what she loves most about working for herself Sue says “Comfy PJs. Flexibility of schedules. I love not having a boss or any of the office drama that I had when I worked outside the home. So much wasted energy!  I like working whatever hours fit with my inspiration at the moment!”

Sue’s can’t miss offer is her Strewing Calendar subscription that  even non-homeschooling moms might find useful! It gives a fun celebration for every day of the month. It had been available only to her private coaching clients, but now anyone can take advantage of it. 
https://suepatterson.com/products/strewing-calendar-subscription

Listen to Sue’s Unschooling Mom 2 Mom podcast - https://www.unschoolingmom2mom.com/podcast/ 

Connect with Sue online at:

www.UnschoolingMom2Mom.com 
www.facebook.com/UnschoolingMom2Mom  www.Instagram.com/UnschoolingMom2mom www.youtube.com/c/UnschoolingMom2mom
​www.pinterest.com/umom2mom

Looking for ways to support your favorite businesses? Here are eight of our favorite ways to do that!

Tell others about their business and why you love them!

Don't keep your favorite mom-owned business a secret! 

Word of mouth is crucial, so make sure you are tagging them in social media posts, sharing their name with friends, and sending potential customers their way.

Leave a Five Star Review

Like word of mouth, reviews are incredibly important to businesses to help build trust and earn new customers and clients. 

​Make sure you are leaving reviews for mom-owned businesses whenever (and wherever) you can!

Make a Purchase at Full Price

Asking for discounts from small businesses - especially when they are friends or family - don't help them. Pay full price and show them what real support and respect of their work looks like. 

Follow, Share, Comment, and Like Their Social Media Posts

If you're not a small business owner, you may not be familiar with how impactful  sharing, following, commenting, and interacting with social media posts can be for your favorite mom-owned businesses. Trust us, it matters!

Shop the Largest Mom Owned Business Directory

The MOB Nation is home to thelargest mom-owned business directory. You'll find hundreds of businesses spanning nearly every service or product you could need. 

The directory is searchable by business name, keyword, and location. If you'd like to learn more about listing your mom-owned business, you can do that here.

Send Them Referrals

This is your chance to play business matchmaker!

Connect your favorite businesses so they can collaborate, send them referrals, look for ways to connect them with opportunities. 

Let Them Know You Are Thinking About Them

Let's face it  - juggling raising kids and growing a business is hard. It comes with extra challenges, disruptions, and fractured focus. 

If you have a friend who is a MOB (mom business owner), you probably already know how busy she can get. 

So even if you haven't heard back from her, send her a quick message checking in or asking her how she is doing. It will mean a lot to her - even if she doesn't get back to you right away. 

Stand with Them and Be an Ally

If your mom friend who runs a business is Black, Indigenous, a Person of Color, or part of the LGBTQIA+ community - they need you to step up and support them in extra ways - including not supporting corporations and businesses that promote or have a history of discrimination, being aware of laws passed in your state that could harm them or their families, and showing up for them when they ask. 

Celebrate Them

Here's to all the people keeping track of kids and inventory, creating videos in their car because that's where it is quiet, taking leaps while maintaining boundaries, always growing, doing hard things, learning more than they ever wanted to about taxes, marketing, and algorithms so they can grow their business and meet their goals.. 

If you'd like to be a part of a community that celebrates you, join the MOB Alliance or attend a MOB Meetup. 

“I am an exuberant maker, player, and do-er of all the things! I am a grown homeschooler, and homeschooling mom who always knew I would run my own business. I now own two - one as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and one as a jewelry designer and event planner. I recently published my first book, Connect with Courage, along with several self-published journals for parents and business owners. I love all heritage arts - crocheting, gardening, knitting, food preservation...all of it,” says Roya Dedeaux, founder of Royaboya Handmade.
​
Roya discovered the arts through an interest in heritage crafts including quilting, knitting, and sewing. She loved making utilitarian items beautiful. 

She says “ I love to get lost in the tiny details of stitches and fiber. I also was always an intense kid and used a lot of expressive arts as outlets growing up - I have kept journals and have done collage and mixed media since I was a very young kid. I use expressive arts in my therapy practice, and get to fine tune my clay and crochet art through making earrings and other jewelry!”

The mentors Roya looks up to have all shared the trait of being unapologetically "extra." “They dedicated their lives intensely and fully to their art forms - whether it was ceramics or Shakespeare - and become experts in what they did. They lived, breathed, ate, and drank their passions. They were bright, out-loud, and unabashedly interested,” she explains.
When things get challenging Roya focuses on her connecting with others.

"Running several businesses, which each have a variety of directions, is definitely a full-life job. I love that I do so many different things, so when one direction is challenging, I can turn to another direction and keep making progress there. But it's most helpful when I can do that while connecting with people. I love to see customers wearing my art jewelry, and hearing the connections they make ("those were my Grandmother's favorite flowers," or "that reminds me of the beach I used to go when I was little.") I love to support other small businesses through the Royaboya Handmade Bazaars. I love to watch the kids grow in their confidence as they get the training of the Youth Entrepreneur Program. I love working with clients, speaking at conferences, and running workshops.”

​​She would advise her younger self to keep going, be consistent and keep a bigger picture perspective instead of expecting a quick success. “Think about what your next three years will be like. Visualize your ideal life and work backwards. Don't apologize for doing "all the things," love that about yourself, drink your coffee, and keep going. Be playful - explore, be curious, be optimistic, and creative,” she says.

When asked what impact the MOB has had on her business, Roya shares that her Royaboya Handmade Bazaar has grown 4000% in one year. “I love that I have a real number to back up my personal, anecdotal experiences. The MOB has given me a place to voice my triumphs and trials. It's given me a group of people who support me, give me ideas, challenge me, and educate me. The amount of information I have learned from the MOB conferences, Meetups, and other talks is not quantifiable. I have implemented whole new systems that have saved me time and money. I have made connections with other business owners that have increased collaborations and sales. It has also had a huge impact on my mindset. It helped me take Royaboya Handmade from a hobby to a business, and gave me the tools to help support other small businesses as well,” she says. 

Her favorite MOB Alliance benefit is access to the private MOB Alliance community group. Roya shares her experience this way “It's an incredible community of women who share purpose and commitment to their goals. It's the place where I ask for help. It's the place I spend the most time online. It's the place I feel understood. I also love getting access to the Mini-Cons. It's so much education and information each time!”

Connect with Roya

Royaboya Handmade & Bazaar
www.royaboya.com
www.instagram.com/royaboyahandmade
http://facebook.com/groups/royaboyahandmadebazaar

​Speaker & Therapist
www.royadedeaux.com 
www.instagram.com/royadedeaux 

Podcast
www.instagram.com/playwithpurposepodcast 

People who juggle motherhood and owning a business have specific needs that come with combining two incredibly challenging things. They need things to work, to be efficient, to save them time, and to be easy to use and access.

In this blog post, we have grouped several tools and apps MOB Nation members use and recommend - along with a few testimonials from MOBs themselves about their favorites!

Social Media & Email

Canva

This is quickly becoming a small business owner’s all-in-one tool!

You may know you can create quick, polished graphics, but did you also know you can create workbooks, websites, business cards, videos, and slide presentations, too?

In addition to what you can make in Canva (nearly everything), you can now schedule your creations directly from Canva to the social media platform of your choice.

Although the Canva app isn't as easy or intuitive as the Canva website, they are upgrading it often.


WordSwag

This is a great app for creating quick text graphics on the go.

You’ll find over 200,000 free images to use as backgrounds as well as a selection of fonts, colors, and textures that give you enough freedom to create something unique, but not so many choices you can’t decide.

The image below was made with WordSwag.

MailerLite

One of the things MOB marketing pros universally recommend is having your own email list to connect directly with your clients. This puts you in control of when you reach out to your clients instead of relying on social media and changing algorithms.

MailerLite is similar to MailChimp in pricing, but is generally considered easier to use and has a clear pricing structure.

Nervous about switching email service providers? Switching is faster and easier than you think!

Not sure if you need an email list or what do with the one you have?Listen to this podcast by MOB COO, Gwen Montoya to learn more!


Business Tools

Airtable

At first glance, Airtable may just look like a pretty spreadsheet, but don’t be fooled. This is a powerful tool that integrates  with almost everything other tool you can think of (and if doesn’t, there’s probably a Zapier application for it)

“The free level of Airtable is really powerful. I use it to organize all of my clients' blog subscriptions, and I can share it all with my other writers. It's where I track due dates, when the writer is paid, where in the process each blog post is, etc. I love it!” - Kristin Rattan, Kristin Rattan Content Services

Clickup

Project management tools like Clickup (or Asana or Trello or even Airtable) are a must for busy MOBs!

Clickup has a fantastic onboarding series, intuitive design and interface, and a little bit of a creative flair that will make project management anything but dull.

Beyond that it is flexible enough to work well for the solo user or a larger team.

 Zoom

At this point, Zoom is in everyone’s toolbox, but it still earns a mention here because it is so easy to use and offers so much value for the price.

The MOB Nation has been hosting virtual Meetups via Zoom since 2019. For Meetups, the breakout rooms allow small groups of MOBs to network with each other before returning to the main “room”

Enhanced security features and easy to use controls make running virtual events simple and effective.

Simplecast

If you are looking for a podcast host, Simplecast may fit your needs.

This is the platform that hosts the MOB podcast,MOBcast Radio, as well as several other podcasts hosted by MOBs.

Simplecast makes it easy to upload your podcast and create show notes. If you’re ready to have your podcast listed on Apple, Spotify, and other places someone can listen to your podcast, Simplecast has clear instructions that will make getting your podcast heard fast and easy.

Hopin

2020 necessitated a huge shift from in-person conferences to virtual conferences. Some conference hosts simply used Zoom or another webinar platform.

Here at the MOB Nation, we wanted a solution we felt brought some of the fun and spontaneity of in-person conferences to the virtual space.

Hopin has options for virtual vending booths that include an option to chat with the vendor, main stage and backstage areas for speakers, and even a fun speed networking function that is one of the highlights of every MOBCON Mini!

MOB Nation Directory

Online directories are a way for mom owned businesses to be found by potential clients and collaborators.

The MOB Nation directory is the largest mom-owned business directory in the United States and, unlike some business directory listings, is fully searchable by the public. MOB directory listings also have space social media links, full descriptions, photos, and reviews.

Learn more about being listed in the MOB Directory.
​

Time Organization

Calendly

While there are many calendar scheduling options, Calendly is one of the simplest to use and integrates well with other apps and platforms.

It is extremely user friendly and you can set up your calendar in just a few minutes. At the paid level you have more options including payment at the time of scheduling.

Cozi

Cozi is designed to keep a calendar everyone in your family can use and update as needed.

Color coding family members means it is easy to see which appointment or event is for which person.

Cozi is my brain, without it I have no idea where I am supposed to be or when. It makes it easy for my husband and I to add events, notify the other person that an event is added, and lets you add lists (grocery, to dos, etc) so there's no more "I'm running to Fred Meyer, what do you need?" - AnneMarie Ketterman, Whimsy Burrow Children’s Resale


Grocery Delivery & Meal Package/Prep Services

The one thing mom business owners always need more of is time. Using services like grocery delivery or curbside pick up can save you hours each month.

You can even go further and use a meal prep service to make several meals at once, a meal kit service that delivers the raw ingredients needed for a meal or even a meal delivery service where the entire meal is delivered cooked and ready to eat.

And, of course, getting the whole family involved in meal planning and preparation is also a time saver. 

June’s featured MOB artist Tori Daw, owner of Healistic Reserve, describes herself as a heart-centered creative who sees and appreciates art in many forms.

Tori sees art as encompassing many roles in her life. Before leaving the industry to stay home with her autistic son, she was a cosmetologist for seven years. Her business, Healistic Reserve, is her way of expressing the art of mindfulness, moon rituals, and intentional rest.

Tori says she has always been an artist to some extent, but with COVID slowing things down, she was able to freely and fully immerse myself in my art as a tool for immense healing.

​She says Brain spotting therapy sessions with Kim Ludeman fostered major breakthroughs in her healing and ability to trust myself in her art. Tori also says “I am always in awe of and inspired by women who show up authentically and fearlessly. They just vibrate on a higher level.”
When things are challenging, Tori says knowing everything she needs is already within her helps. “Whether that means motivation, inspiration, or compassion. It allows me to trust in the ebbs and flows of life,” she explains.

She would advise her younger self to “Trust your unique voice and expression. Its value is found in your authenticity."

When asked about the impact being a part of the MOB Alliance has had on her she says “The MOB has empowered me to look past the “Stay at Home Mom with a Cute Little Side Hustle” trope and take my business and the excitement I have for it seriously. It has connected me with like-minded business people who also understand what it means to be a mom.”

Tori says her favorite Alliance benefit is attending MOB networking events at no cost and receiving discounted tickets for MOBCON and MOBCON Minis. “Not only do they provide invaluable education through speakers, but that is where the connections are made. And they are truly meaningful connections. Collaborations are amazing, and the friendships are irreplaceable.”

Order Tori's mug here

Connect with Tori Daw online:
​
www.healisticreserve.com
www.instagram.com/healisticreserve
www.facebook.com/healisticreserve
Tiktok: @healisticreserve
www.pinterest.com/healisticreserve
www.twitter.com/healisticreser

​

Donna Leathers, owner of Captivate Create LLC, had done everything from working on a ranch to training horses to website development to graphic design to project management. She says her varied background gave her a strong work ethic and sense of adventure.
​
She says she has always communicated through imagery with most of her corporate work including some kind of photography. After her first child was born and she decided to stay home photography became her career, but not without some convincing by a friend.

“A friend said I really needed to be a photographer, and my response was ‘but I like photography! I want to keep it fun!’ I decided to take the plunge around 2010 and have loved it,” she explains.

Donna appreciates the ability to go the extra mile when needed, set her own deadlines, and manage  work/life balance - all perks that come from working for herself. “I love that I can be my own accountability - and what I mean by that is that I can ensure integrity, consistency and quality in each job. If I promise something, I will make it happen.”
​
Last year, Donna decided to evaluate how she was working and hone in on a niche she loved. “I was an all around photographer before. My previous corporate life in branding and development really was something I missed, and I found that I really have a talent for headshots and image branding,” she says.

With a rebrand started in 2020, she hopes to grow to a full branding agency with employees.

One of the things that makes Donna’s photography business unique is a custom trailer that acts as her mobile photo studio. It was a concept she planned and designed. “It was a lot of work and I’m loving it. It is COVID-friendly with lots of ventilation, sanitation, separate entries, and other safety measures,” she explains.

Although COVID threw a big hiccup into her plans, she has continued to put work into her business and custom photography studio trailer. Donna says she needs to turn some of the branding and business expertise she shares with clients on herself. 

She advises anyone thinking of starting a business to think about their end goals and ten year planning to stay on course.

She would tell her younger self to not stress out too much and know that all experiences come together for good. She says “Everything I've learned at jobs along the way is something that I can apply with what I do now. It's funny, even my time in Montana (until I was about 20) on a ranch applies because I spent years hauling horse trailers and now it helps me drive my photography rig! Even when it doesn't make sense at the time, it all comes together if you are strategic and willing to look at how it helps!”

When asked what she does when things are challenging Donna says she leans on her overall vision. “Especially this year, I keep reminding myself to play the long game, and to help others do the same. Things might not immediately be perfect, but we can use this time to really polish our brands, fine tune our services, and be ready to go when things open up!”
​
Donna’s best referral is someone who owns a business and wants an all around branding package that integrates photography into their website, print media, social media and more. 

She says the biggest impact of being a part of the MOB Alliance has come through exposure to other business owners’ insights, experiences, and thought leadership that keep her inspired and motivated.

​Her favorite benefit of the Alliance is the focus on community over competition and focus on helping and lifting up other moms.

Connect with Donna:

www.ccpdx.com
www.instagram.com/captivatecreatepdx
www.facebook.com/captivatecreatepdx
www.twitter.com/captivatecreate 

May’s featured MOB artist, Jessica Johns, loves pizza and Star Wars, holds a black belt in Taekwondo, and enjoys Jujitsu.

She was raised in Montana and has been married to her high school sweetheart for 19 years. Jessica says she’s a proud baseball mom to her two sons and loves to laugh.

Jessica has always loved art, even as a little girl. “I would choose blank paper and crayons over a coloring book because I wanted to draw my own picture. I love that there are no rules in art! Art does not shut you in a box and tell you how to be or what to create. You can be your most unique and true self and share that with the world with a pen or paintbrush. That inspires me,” she explains. 

She says she is also inspired by the way art can evoke emotion in people. “My favorite thing is to create something beautiful, something fun, something special for someone, and see their smile and joy when they look at it. I create art to bring happiness to others.”

Last year, she made the decision to step into the art she has been creating her whole life and pursue it as a business.

Jessica names Michelle Obama as an influential figure. “I love her commitment to staying true to who she is and what she stands for, no matter what. She tells it like it is, doesn’t hide her personality and fights for things I also believe in!”

Her personal mentors are drawn from many places in her life who have shown her how to love, how to show up for each other, and how to be kind and fair.

Jessica says being a part of the MOB Nation is inspiring and she loves attending the weekly virtual  Meetups because of the connections and educational speakers.

​“The MOB has been such a great wealth of resources and connections for me. I officially joined the alliance this year and it was a fantastic decision! Not only is it inspirational to see other women, other moms, going after their goals, but everyone cheers you on, reaches out to help when you need it and is there to celebrate your success with you,” she explains.

When asked what advice she would give her younger self starting out, she says:

​“When you’re passionate about something, don’t let doubt get in the way of creating! Don’t let people tell you what you can’t do, how you need to dress, how you need to act, or what you can’t say or stand up for that you truly believe in! Don’t let anyone dim your spark or shut you into a box of mediocrity and sameness. Be fiercely you and stand up for yourself!”

Jessica also encourages everyone to  take a look at what you’re passionate about and make sure you incorporate that into your life. Passions should be pursued, maybe as a business, but also as something that can just fill your soul with happiness and light! It can be the bright spot that helps guide you through all the mess and ugliness that the world can be.

Order Jessica's mug here

Connect with Jessica:
www.instagram.com/jessicajohnsdesign
www.jessicajohnsdesign.com

You’ve heard it everywhere, “the money is in the list”.

As in, your email list.

You scour the resources online and you get started. You can’t wait to build your huge email list of adoring fans and eager customers.

I know. You’re still waiting.

There are truths that aren’t spoken about on the internet about building an email list.

First, the stuff you see online leads you to believe that building an email list is the way to earn major profits, even for brand new entrepreneurs.

Yes, email marketing is the most profitable digital marketing channel, by far.
Yes, building an email list is a smart idea, even for new entrepreneurs.

But what isn’t said is that building an email list for new entrepreneurs can be incredibly difficult.

You see people online who brag about getting thousands of people on their email list in 30 days.

It must be pretty easy, you think to yourself.

What you don’t know is how they did it. For example, they may have had a thousand people sign up for their list, interested only in a free giveaway.

A list of a thousand people that only want free stuff is worthless…they’re never going to buy from you.

Building a list of quality prospects interested in you and your business takes time.

Know this—a legit entrepreneur who is able to build an engaged email list in a jiffy is an outlier. So, if you’re slogging your way through it, and progress is slow, you’re not alone.

Second, you believe growing an email list is simple…build a lead magnet and they will come!

The truth? Yes, it’s simple. But not easy.

To create a good lead magnet, you need to know a fair amount about your ideal client. And for most new entrepreneurs, you just don’t have this info. Not yet.

Then, your lead magnet product should thoughtfully and intentionally prod your prospect along their buyer’s journey. Again, it may sound simple, but in reality, it’s not always easy to figure this out.

Here’s the thing—the lead magnet is part art and part science. When you’re first starting out, it’s going to be a lot more art than science, until you get more experience and objective data from real people (aka your ideal clients).

At first, give yourself some grace from the pressure of creating the one, perfect lead magnet.

Consider it a test.

And finally, you may have built the perfect lead magnet, but you’ll still have trouble getting people to opt in if no one knows it exists.

In other words, you still need to drive traffic to your lead magnet.

There’s a lot of moving parts to create a great lead magnet, so if you find yourself stuck at any point along the way, it’s completely normal. You’re fine!

Finally, you might believe that getting people to opt in to your email list is the hard part. Now that they’re on your list, selling is easy.

You’d be only half right.

Yes, it was hard to get people on your list in the first place.
Yes, it was hard to make sure they were the right people.

But there’s still more work to be done.

The next order of business is to nurture and build relationships with your subscribers in your emails. Are you greeting and welcoming your new subscribers into your world with an automated (and really epic) welcome series?

Then, because your audience isn’t necessarily ready to buy when you’re launching your program or unveiling a new product, you should consistently email your audience with quality and valuable emails.

They’ll buy when they’re ready, and usually only after you’ve built up your “know, like, and trust” factor with them.

So, if you’re ready to throw in the towel with your subscribers because you haven’t sold anything to them yet…don’t. It’s a long game.

To sum up, here’s the truth about building an email list and email marketing:

1. Building an email list can be an incredibly difficult and slow process, especially if you’re just starting out. Set realistic expectations and don’t get discouraged at the slow pace.

2. Creating a lead magnet is simple, but not easy. At first, it’ll be more art than science. Consider your lead magnet a test, and don’t forget that you’ll need to drive traffic to it.

3. Once you get people on your email list, you may not be able to convert them to a paying customer right away. Send your new subscribers through your welcome series, and nurture the relationship in their inbox over time to build your know, like and trust factor. Play the long game.


Like anything else that’s worthwhile in life, email marketing is hard. Stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with loyal subscribers who want to buy from you.


Congratulations, mama, for doing the hard things. You got this.

Jen helps you write e-mails and create sticky lead magnets that build relationships with your subscribers and get them itching to open, read, click, and, of course, buy your stuff! 

Connect with Jen here.

Here at the MOB Nation we are supporting, encouraging, and connecting mom business owners all year, but there is something extra special about Mother's Day!

This year, why not support a mom-owned business while you are finding gifts for the moms (and mom figures) in your life?

This round up includes just some of the variety you'll find on our Mom-Owned Business Member Directory. 

Happy shopping!

Show Mom a little extra love this Mother’s Day with Cherry River's CBD Bubble Bath Bomb Bouquet. Set includes four of Sweet Spring Bath Bombs scented with rose, violet, and vanilla, lovingly wrapped in a gift box before being shipped to your door, making this an easy at-home holiday you can celebrate with loved ones (or pamper yourself with some self-love in a box).

Each bath bomb contains 100 mg full-spectrum CBD hemp oil. Flowers not included.

Order here
Connect with Cherry River

What better why to celebrate Mother's Day than by celebrating and supporting another mother with the gift of a Gonzales Wine Club subscription!

You can customize your subscription with two levels of membership all which include swag, discounts, private events and direct communication with Cristina Gonzales, Winemaker & Owner.

Order here
Connect with Gonzales Wine

Let BeeBomber spoil the mothers in your life! Each gift box includes one Bee Soft organic luxurious hand and body Lotion, a Bee Kissed Organic Lip Balm, and a one of a kind custom pair of RoyaBoya Handmade earrings.

These stunning BeeBomber inspired earrings are a true work of art. Each piece has uniquely detailed handcrafted floral art on a bright yellow canvas, paired with a contrasting wood accent piece. You can’t help but smile and feel the joy when wearing these classy but chic earrings. Extremely light to wear. Many varieties to chose from.

Feel free to reach out to BeeBomber for a custom combination!

Order the gift box here
​Connect with BeeBomber

These wooden peg dolls are handpainted to look just like each member of your family. They are placed in a beautiful wooden shadow box customized with a painting of your home or another significant place.

A sentimental and meaningful piece of art that will bring joy for years to come.

Order here
Connect with Sudie's Corner

Magical Wooden Hair Sticks from the Woodland Wandolier - $38

Need your hands free, but still want to carry your wand? Wear it in your hair!

These exquisite hair sticks are made with a hardwood base that's strong and sturdy, ready to hold fine or thick hair.

Made with the same care and process as the Woodland Wandolier's magic wands, these hair sticks are a finished with a shiny leaf green lacquer and lush silver filigree pattern with white roses.
Order here
Connect with the Woodland Wandolier

Give yourself, your friends and loved ones a well-deserved “Me Time” break, alleviating stress in frustrating times.

SheSurvival Wellness and Humor Box includes:

• 11 cards with humor content to lighten your day
• Inhalation pouch from Cannafloria with fragrance of lavender – chamomile and hemp natural scent
• Mantra Mask repair and revitalization of skin
• Kush Queen relax CBD bath bomb
• Gold brass Purpose Jewelry Bracelet handcrafted by a survivor of human trafficking from International Sanctuary
• MyJane signature lip balm nano infusion of CBD – Champagne and raspberry flavor
• Vita Leaf CBD full spectrum CBD – 50 mg – 2 caplets per pouch (2 pouches)
• MyJane gold votive holder with vanilla-scented candle & Sleep Mask
• Door hanger: Keep Out – Woman in serious wellness recovery mode

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Connect with Calm Better Days

For the book lovers in your life! The Music of Bees is a new release fiction book by local Hood River author EIleen Garvin.

​The box includes exclusive recipe cards (recipes created by the author), local ingredients that you can use in the recipes, and a handmade dish towel with honey bees & lavender artwork made by local artist Lynn of Crisp & Tart.

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Connect with Waucoma Books

This is a unique handmade apron with big roomy pockets and convenient no tie crossback straps. It’s super comfortable and stylish and useful.

Made by a mom!

Regular size fits zero to 16. 
Plus size fits 1x-4x (custom sizing also available)

Order Regular size
Order Plus size

Connect with Nancy's Handmade Goods

Extra bling at an affordable price, for any mom - no piercings required!

These ear cuffs are made with pave crystals for a fun, versatile, and stylish look!

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Connect with Flor de Karonka

Mom hands do a lot of hard work and need some loving care - enter Hand Savior, a genius hybrid hand sanitizer, serum and brightener combined.

Made with CDC-approved levels of organic sugar alcohols that kill 99.9% of germs as well as hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture, Hand Savior is sure to brighten Mom’s day!

Naturally scented with Bergamot and Citrus so it smells divine!

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Connect with Wild Lilac Wellness

If you find yourself needing a little extra self-care in your day, treat yourself or that special Mom in your life to a spa-day at home with this special limited edition self-care gift box.

Comes with a Luxurious Shampoo Bar, Facial Bar and Massage Soap Bar that will give you an amazing shower/bath-time experience. Also included is a wood soap dish, soap saver bag and facial pad.

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Connect with Sacred Roots Soap Co

This stunning purple scarf has been dyed using natural logwood dye and the pigments of real leaves to create a one-of-a-kind botanical pattern. The silk fabric is soft and has a beautiful sheen. It feels so lovely around your neck! The natural dyes are permanent and washable.

The logwood dye made a rich purple background, which contrasts perfectly with the green and brown leaves. Real sumac and oak leaves were bundled with the fabric. Through a process of applying heat and pressure, the leaves left their pigments on the fabric in an exact replica of their shape. It is a beautiful piece of wearable art!

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Connect with Cedar Dell Designs

Royaboya's handmade polymer clay and crochet earrings and other jewelry pieces are always one-of-a-kind. They make great gifts because you know that you are getting a wearable piece of art that is completely unique!

Roya loves to play with different themes, from floral, succulents, and other botanical to geeky tv show earrings to animal print and geometric jewelry!

Although these earrings have big, bold color and style, the polymer clay they are made from is very light!

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Connect with Roya

This beautiful journal is the perfect gift for the creative mom.

The exterior is embellished with a print of Lea's original painting, "Transmission." 

The interior is filled with 120 pages of the perfect paper for all of mom’s musings. The pages are dot-graph filled for sketching, writing and bullet journaling. 5.5 x 8.5" makes it perfect for traveling. and it is spiral bound so it will open flat. These are locally printed and drop-shipped from Portland, Oregon.

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Connect with Lea

Gift Mom a bath with intention this Mother’s Day- Lunar Bath Ritual Collections include everything she needs for a high-quality, organic, plant-based, decadent bath experience.

She will melt into a moisturizing *bath bomb* before exfoliating her stresses away with a *body scrub*, and finish with a luxe *body butter* to give herself the attention she deserves. The essential oil roller reminds her of her worth every time she applies it in the weeks following.

The crystal and empowering affirmation card compliment the experience and further foster a ritual of self-care and appreciation.

Mother’s Day falls two days before the next New Moon, making the New Moon Collection the perfect gift for calling in joy and abundance.

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​Connect with Healistic Reserve

Handcrafted herbal eye pillow filled with herbs from our farm and organic flax. Custom blend of Roman chamomile, lavender, & peppermint is soothing and relaxing for moms who need a minute (or a few more!) to themselves.

Can be used heated or cooled, depending on your need, to ease sore, tired eyes, sinus pain, head stuffiness, and headaches. 

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​Connect with Garden Delights Herb Farm

This collagen exlir should be called liquid gold! Easy to incorporate into a morning routine, this is a gluten free, dairy free, soy free, GMO-free product. Aging backwards, looking good and getting compliments? Yes, please!

Simple, easy and will help mom look and feel great!

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Connect with Caren

Tired of waste and regular cotton rounds just not getting the job done? Try reusable cotton rounds from Heather's Treasures. Made from 100% cotton flannel. They are 2-ply and are made to last again and again.

Fabric rounds come in a charming glass jar. Choose from a wide selection of patterns and colors or just plain white is sure to please that special mom in your life. Use them and then simply put them in the wash. Each jar comes with a muslin bag for washing.

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​Connect with Heather

Brandy Cummings, owner of Pivotal Origins, describes herself as a mama, food fanatic, lover of Sherlock Holmes, Functional Nutritionist, and aspiring archer.

“Shows I've binged watched include Dexter, The Office, Wentworth, and The Mentalist. I'm a huge fan of making lists (well, more like a fan of crossing things off lists). Observation is my superpower. I choose where to vacation solely on what food choices are available. I used to be a blackjack dealer, and have a very irrational fear of whales,” she says.

She loves working for herself because of the time it gives her to be with her daughter.

Brandy originally opened business as a generic holistic nutrition practice in 2016.

“After several ER trips to the hospital as a teenager (where they freely handed over narcotics and sent me on my way), I had to spend a decade figuring out that what I ate had a profound impact on how my body felt. I thought, this shouldn't have taken this long to figure out. I need to help others.”


When she was starting her family she realized the gap in care that happened during the entire preconception to postpartum period. “I experienced no support when I miscarried, no support during the first trimester after becoming pregnant again, no nutrition advice from a holistic or functional perspective, was told breastfeeding had failed on day two of my daughter's life, and spent the next six months suffering with postpartum anxiety,” she explains.

That experience led her to talk to other parents and realize her story and struggles were not unique. She decided to refocus her business to support people through their entire pan-natal™ phase of life (preconception to postpartum) so that no one had to feel like she felt. This purpose has been her guiding principle ever since.

Brandy says she admires JJ Virgin, creator of the Virgin Diet. “She launched it sitting next to the hospital bed of her son Grant while he was fighting for his life from a tragic car accident. Her family was depending on that income and she was committed to getting her son back to 110% when every medical professional was telling her it was never gonna happen. She succeeded in getting him to 110% and has since gone on to create a community of functional and integrative practitioners and her new mission is to change the lives of a billion people. I have no doubt she'll meet and exceed that too,” says Brandy.

She says her biggest business struggle has been time management and the challenges that come with working from home with a toddler during a pandemic. The lack of childcare and juggling all the things that need to happen at home. Brandy says the key to making it work is communication and strategy.

She would advise a new business owner to focus on revenue generating activities first. “When you sit down at your computer, it's amazing how fast 4 hours can go and all you did was check emails, pay bills, and other admin duties. Those are important too, but do something that can pay you back first. Write a blog, make a video, social media post, meet with clients, or book a session,” she explains.

When things are challenging, Brandy says she remembers her purpose and her why. “When I look around, our population is not heading in the right direction. Rates of chronic disease are going up, autoimmunity is at an all-time high, children are getting chronic illnesses younger and younger. The health of a person when they become pregnant can have a direct impact on their grandchildren through transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. To me, the ultimate in preventative care is to catch people two generations before they're born. If we want to turn this ship around for our grand- and great-grandchildren, the time to roll up our sleeves and get to work is now,” she explains.

Brandy says her ideal referral is someone who is already following a natural/holistic lifestyle or is open to moving towards that and someone who is interested in optimizing their chances for a healthy conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum by doing everything they can before they conceive.

She also works well with those who have struggled to get or stay pregnant, those with an autoimmune disease or other chronic illness, and those interested in how to best support their reproductive health.

She often works with people who have felt as if traditional western medicine has left them with fragmented bits of information that no one can seem to put together to help them figure out what’s happening in their body.

Brandy prides herself on being a practitioner who looks at her clients as whole people and can help them connect the dots and have a clear picture of their reproductive health. 

When asked what impact being a MOB Alliance member has had on her business, Brandy says “I have met some amazing people through the MOB. I have met people I will probably be friends with forever. This relationship building is so different from other networking groups and I really love it. When I rebranded, it was pretty much all amazing MOB work. My logo, social media templates, website, and photos all came from the MOB. I may be biased, but I think they look amazing!”

Her favorite MOB Alliance benefit is being able to attend so many virtual meetups.

Her offer to MOB Alliance members is:

10% off all my services and 15% off therapeutic-grade supplements

Connect with Brandy:

www.pivotalorigins.com
www.facebook.com/pivotalorigins
www.instagram.com/pivotalorigins
https://channels.marcopolo.me/pivotal-origins