Save the absence of Michelle Kwan — who I would happily watch purely for artistry — this year was one of the best Olympics I can remember for women’s figure skating. The talent level was high and the top contenders delivering big in the moment. In contrast to the last Olympics, all of the medal winners not only stayed upright during their performances, but were impassioned and gutsy throughout.
However, I found it hard to stomach the immense nationalistic pressure that an event such as the Olympics breeds. Teens Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu were reminded repeatedly that U.S. women have medaled in every Olympics since 1968. And Mao Asada and Yu-Na Kim’s home countries were relentless in their pressure; clearly translating the message that not only would gold be a win for the home team, but it would be a huge victory against the opposing country — drawing the two skaters into longstanding cultural conflict. One of the announcers said that both skaters deeply felt that anything less than gold was not good enough in the eyes of Japan and Korea, respectively.
And clearly, it was not. Mao Asada’s face says it all in these photos. Like this one, where the caption could very well read, “I am so scared to go home. I would do anything for this to be a different color.”
Image credit: Vancouver 2010
Or this one. When Mao Asada is happy she’s got a megawatt smile that lights up her whole face; this is a forced flicker.
Image credit: Vancouver 2010
The concept that it was not enough for Asada to make history with two clean triple axels in one program (also historically, three overall across the short and long) and receive an Olympic medal just seems like an absurd amount of pressure for little shoulders. And as a parent, my heart truly aches for her, and I worry about the emotional fall out she will experience from the Olympics.
In contrast, it’s notable that among the top contenders, only Canada’s Joannie Rochette was spared. Though Canadians are a more mellow bunch in general (I can attest to this; I lived there for a few years), the death of Rochette’s mother just days before the short program ended up casting a completely different light on the experience. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that it didn’t matter what the result was; it was hugely brave and amazing just for her to be there.
If only every one of these skaters was embraced with that level of acceptance and admiration.
I have told this story in public but it still embarrasses me a little.
When I started Boston Mamas I was in a crazy place. I was trying to work my way out of my postdoctoral fellowship emotionally and physically unscathed, forge a new career, navigate early parenting, and cope with the loss of my father. While I built Boston Mamas — in the wee hours of the night, still working at Harvard/MIT full-time — I operated in a bubble, churning out content like a crazy person (3-5 posts a day on my own…what was I thinking?) and basically powering through with my head down.
My head was so far down, in fact, that I didn’t really read other blogs. Yes, I had a lot of crap going on, but I totally didn’t get the karma thing. Or that the online community could very well have helped me see my way out of my emotional fog.
I did eventually catch on (though still, weirdly, I largely was a lurker…I’m a better commenter now), and then a real turning point for me was the inaugural Disney mom blogger’s mixer. Meeting that group of amazing women in real life was so powerful. And it made me realize that despite living so much of my life online, at the core, in real life matters enormously to me. So much so that with a few exceptions (I’m looking at you Asha), I tend not to become a regular reader of someone’s blog until I meet them in person and get a read on their vibe. It probably seems totally weird in this space but that’s just how I operate.
All of this is to say that being at Mom 2.0 was pure awesomeness because it not only allowed me to connect with friends I read regularly, but also meet folks who, as of Sunday, have my loyal readership. So without further ado, here’s my People You Should Read: The Mom 2.0 Edition post; recommendations for friends old and new from the conference. If you were where I was at in 2006 – powering through cluelessly without reading other blogs (oh wait, then why would you be here of all places?), then the below will offer excellent fodder for exploration.
5 Minutes for Mom. Because Susan’s energy astounds me. And she’ll ever be my shopping BFF.
Alpha Mom. Because Isabel knows everything. Period.
Blog Con Queso. Because Laura gracefully managed to assemble 350 conference attendees under one roof and inspire us all.
Cecily Kellogg. Because you can’t help but be intrigued by someone who can pull so many random objects out of her cleavage.
Chookooloonks. Because Karen has remarkable magnetism and talent that is pervasive online and in real life.
Design Mom. Because Gabrielle not only is brilliantly creative, but she somehow manages to make you feel like you’re the only person in the room when you’re talking to her.
doobley-vah. Because Amy somehow manages to be an eloquent poet and artist, even when she’s swearing like a sailor.
Dooce. Because even though Heather is the most famous blogger on the planet, she remains grounded; we only met briefly, and she was truly lovely.
Faint Starlite. Because Esther tackles deep personal and professional matters with remarkable thoughtfulness.
Finslippy. Because in addition to sporting perfectly applied lipstick, Alice is a beautiful writer and an utterly lovely person.
Girl’s Gone Child. Because Rebecca is fun, passionate, and inspiring. Because of her session, I’m thinking of dabbling in the world of video. (One microstep closer to my father’s dream of me becoming a talk show host.)
Gwen Bell. Because Gwen’s social media smarts are so impressive, and she makes you want to meditate on the spot.
Her Bad Mother. Because we recovering academics need to stick together.
Joy Unexpected. Because Yvonne’s words and photographs are just as expressive as her amazing eyes.
Julie Pippert. Because Julie is incredibly thoughtful and articulate. And she uses rating scales appropriately.
Lisa Stone. Because I could talk to Lisa for hours. What a smart and lovely person.
Make and Takes. Because Marie makes even non-crafty people feel comfortable crafting with their kids.
Mamma Loves. Because Amie is, in fact, awesome in the now (not just in the 80’s).
Marketing Roadmaps. Because Susan gets off (her words) on distilling important regulatory information that the rest of us can barely comprehend.
Mediamum. Because Jo has a wonderfully strong point of view, which she delivers in that delicious Aussie accent.
Mighty Girl. Because Maggie is smart, stylish, and utterly adorable. She’s another one of those people who focuses their attention right on you in the moment.
Mom-101. Because Liz’s personal and professional posts alternate between being funny as hell, moving, or illuminating (and sometimes all three at once). Also, she’s the kind of friend who takes you under her wing if she detects you might be lost in a headwind.
Momtrends. Because Nicole is thoughtful and speaks her mind while (of course) being beautifully on trend.
Motherhood Uncensored/Mominatrix. Because Kristen breaks Asian Nation boundaries with her raw and hilarious writing about family and sex. (It’s particularly good reading for us waspy New Englanders.)
Petit Elefant. Because Allison creates awesome inspiration boards. And she carries off the looks in person too.
Pundit Mom. Because Joanne knows about and can analyze the issues beyond what I could ever dream of doing.
Red Neck Mommy. Because no one crafts a PR response like Tanis.
Rock and Roll Mama. Because Lindsay truly rocks her niche, while also stretching beyond it.
Suburban Turmoil/She’s Still Got It. Because Lindsay is truly gifted at both satirical and style writing. (Warning: considerable credit card damage ensued in February due to discovering her style blog.)
The Bloggess. Because Jenny’s the Czar of Nothingness. But she’s wonderfully everything too.
The Mom Slant. Because Julie makes you think. About the hard stuff you otherwise might shy away from.
Tip Junkie. Because I can’t help but align with a fellow tip junkie (or should I say the tip junkie?). Also, turns out one of Laurie’s neighbors in Texas is a good friend of mine from high school. Weird.
Laurie Smithwick. Because she’s lovely, down to earth, and is a gorgeous designer. (And she didn’t cringe when I told her I’m a self-taught designer.)
Emily McKhann. Because she and Cooper Munroe are amazing community builders.
I’m sure I’m going to kick myself later today for forgetting someone amazing. Please chalk it up to Olympics-induced sleep deprivation. I adored connecting with all of these women and more at Mom 2.0 Summit and I’m already looking forward to next year.
Finally, again, huge thanks to Care.com for making this trip possible financially, and also to my in-laws for taking care of Laurel while I was gone. I couldn’t have done it without both of these wonderful parties!
I’m not typically at a loss for words, but it’s been challenging for me to identify where to start when it comes to writing about the Mom 2.0 Summit. So I will start simple. If I were to use one word to describe this conference it would be AWESOMENESS.
However, if pressed to expand on the Mom 2.0 = Awesomeness equation, I would edit it to read:
Mom 2.0 = Awesomeness = ((Happiness x Thoughtfulness x Quality x Meaningful Engagement)2.0) – (Excessive Quantity + Any Drama Whatsoever)
Can you tell I logged several years at Harvard and MIT?
Now, allow me to address each piece of the equation in turn:
Mom 2.0 = Awesomeness =
Happiness.Gretchen Rubin was one of the keynote speakers and she is truly amazing — humble, smart, and kind. I bought a copy of the The Happiness Project at Mom 2.0 and started reading it on the plane ride home and adore Gretchen even more. Happiness truly matters, as was so very evident through the laughter and hugs translated throughout the conference. One night at a Mexican dinner out with friends we all laughed so hard that we literally were in pain. I welcome that kind of happiness pain any day.
Thoughtfulness. An extraordinary amount of thoughtfulness clearly was put into this conference. The details ranged far and wide (and some will be covered in points below). However, one telling example was a session led by Gwen Bell. She started by asking everyone to sit back from their laptops and smartphones, close their eyes, breathe deeply, and attend to the present moment. Though we weren’t always meditating, that degree of awareness and thoughtfulness was pervasive throughout the conference.
Quality. Similar to the thoughtfulness component, quality was evident throughout. And I found it particularly well reflected by the keynote panel including Heather Armstrong, Maggie Mason, and Gabrielle Blair. These women discussed a number of issues related to bloggers and brands, but what I found particular beautiful was the closing message of quality over quantity, particularly given that I am a firm believer that metrics are not indicative of the full picture. In fielding an attendee question about influence and numbers (from the perspective of a “small” blogger), Heather responded that it doesn’t matter how many followers you have. If you are involved, you are powerful; if you are engaging at all, you are influential. And Gabrielle followed to emphasize that it is not necessarily about the numbers, it’s about the quality of engagement. So true.
Meaningful Engagement. Speaking of engagement, Mom 2.0 is about fostering an open conversation between moms and marketers. And I was impressed by the examples of brand engagement I participated in. First was the Nintendo Wii Fit PlusTM yoga suite, which offered attendees an opportunity to engage in self care while learning about the product in an impressively appointed space (note to self: Buddha statues go a long way in making a conference room feel zen). Second, I was impressed by the Barilla dinner event. Admittedly, I was a little skeptical before going, unsure of what to expect, but it was more than a schmoozing dinner. Not only was it fun to hear from the passionate Barilla team about their Share the Table initiative, but then we engaged in that very practice with one person from every table cooking a pasta dish for the other members of the table. I was our table’s cook and there truly was a lot of love and joy in being able to share the table with friends. All of the above raised to the 2.0 of course, minus:
Excessive Quantity. I adored that this conference was purposefully swag light. Yes, there were welcome tote bags with a few things inside, but it was compact and thoughtful and then it was up to the attendee to check out the expo if they were interested in samples. I did not want or need more stuff so I went through the expo simply to thank the sponsors and learn more about what they were offering. It was perfect.
Any Drama Whatsoever. A tweet by Mir Kamin inspired me to add this last piece (or rather, non-piece) to the equation. I actually hadn’t thought about lack of drama because the conference sailed along so smoothly free of it. The organizers of Mom 2.0 deserve huge kudos for constructing things so beautifully, as do the attendees, for focusing on what matters: content and conversation with others.
I have additional thoughts about interpersonal engagement that I hope to share soon in a follow up post. Meanwhile, I wanted to express my gratitude to my generous sponsor Care.com for making this trip possible financially, and also to my in-laws for taking care of Laurel while I was gone. And this photo — taken by the utterly lovely Gabrielle Blair — is a fitting close for this post. Awesomeness is what I asked Katherine Center to write on my arm at the Mom 2.0 art exhibit.
