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Is Blogging Self-Indulgent? Top Mom and Dad Blogs.

Today I read a great post by Lisa Belkin on her favorite mommy and daddy blogs. As I looked through the comments, one particularly bitter reader caught my eye:

"No doubt we live in an age of voyeurism. Many of us obviously like to peek in on others’ lives, or at least what they describe as their lives. And then there are those who feel the need to talk about their own lives as if they’re more important or interesting than everyone else’s. I guess this is really what blogging is all about. Everyone becomes an expert just because they live and have experiences. God, how boring.

Bur what I want to know is how all of you have the time to read all of this self-indulgent pablum.

— dave"

I responded as follows with my comment:

"I think many of the women and men who put it out there in these blogs are fabulous role models on a number of levels. The women’s leadership project I run project deals with role models, so, I was particularly amused by the “indulgent” comment above. If talking about your experiences and lessons-learned is indulgent, then, I encourage everyone to have an all you can eat buffet on http://www.HotMommasProject.org. You’ll can indulge yourself right into a major textbook and help women, girls, and educators in the process.

Nice work Lisa

Kathy and The Hot Mommas Project team"

As mentioned in one of our insider blog posts, the social media community is THE BEST THING that has happened to our project: The Hot Mommas Project. Here you have a community of people self-identifying themselves with a "yes". Yes, they are willing to share. Yes, they are willing to learn. Yes, they want to connect. However you view this community, it is a tough-sell to unilaterally say these behaviors are a bad thing.

****************************

Below please find a list of blogs mentioned in Lisa's post:

Lisa Belkin writes for
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/

Belkin recommends

http://www.babble.com/ (see essay section)

http://www.babycenter.com/

http://crashcoursewidow.blogspot.com/

http://www.dailycoyote.net/

http://dooce.com/

http://hannahandlily.blogspot.com/

http://henrystrongingoldberg.blogspot.com/

http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/

http://www.mama-is.com/

http://www.mattlogelin.com/

http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com/
http://www.mommytrackd.com/
http://www.motherhoodlater.com/

http://www.pleasestoptherollercoaster.com/about
http://www.urbanbaby.com/
http://www.ivillage.com/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/parenting/

http://stephanieklein.blogs.com/greek_tragedy/

http://svmomblog.typepad.com/nyc_moms/
http://svmomblog.typepad.com/50somethingmoms/
http://svmomblog.typepad.com/deep_south_moms/
http://www.thecowgoddess.com/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Readers recommend
http://moms.alltop.com/

http://www.ajourneywelltaken.com
http://www.amalah.com/
http://antiquemommy.com/
http://www.anitadoberman.com/
http://www.askmoxie.org/
http://beanpaste.blogspot.com/
http://www.brainchildmag.com//
http://www.breedemandweep.com/
http://bullymom.blogspot.com/
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7779/jewish/Parenting.htm
http://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/
http://blog.cjanerun.com/
http://www.dadgonemad.com/
http://www.dadlabs.com/
http://daddy-dialectic.blogspot.com/
http://damomma.com/
http://diaperdutydiary.blogspot.com/
http://doesmommyloveit.com/
http://dysfunctionalbungalow.blogspot.com/
http://www.girlsgonechild.net/
http://www.hotmommas.wordpress.com/ (our insider’s blog)
http://www.insearchofgiants.com/
http://jtwoo.blogspot.com/
http://www.leciawphinney.com/
http://www.lesbiandad.net/
http://www.lookydaddy.com/
http://mamamanifesto.blogspot.com/
http://www.mamasworldwide.com/
http://www.momadvice.com/blog/index.htm
http://mommyscientist.blogspot.com/
http://www.mothering.com/
http://www.motherloadblog.com/
http://www.mombian.com/
http://www.momindex.com/
http://mommypoppins.com/
http://www.mrsdub.com/
http://www.myparentingsource.com/coaching/blogs.aspx
http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/
http://offsprung.com/
http://www.ohdeeoh.com/
http://www.onteenstoday.com/ (teen perspective)
http://parentingbeyondbelief.com/blog
http://thepathofthewarrior.blogspot.com/
http://www.savvydaddy.com/
http://www.schuylersmonsterblog.com/
http://sherrilynnsea.blogspot.com/
http://www.soulemama.com/
http://www.specialneedsmama.com/
http://www.sweet-juniper.com/
http://thedalaimama.blogspot.com/
http://www.trianglemom2mom.com/
http://twinchikawa.blogspot.com/
http://www.workitmom.com/
http://www.travelsavvymom.com/http://unringingthebell.typepad.com/

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The Hot Mommas Project is an award-winning leadership initiative raising self-efficacy of women and girls through exposure to role models. We produce case studies showing the full range of factors influencing a woman’s success. We are housed at the George Washington University School of Business and are the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation National Case Award. Learn more at http://www.hotmommasproject.org/ and through this personal letter.

If you want to participate in the project and impact education: NOMINATE a role model (yourself included) by emailing the Hot Mommas Project TODAY.

Winners of the case study competition will have the chance to be published in a major Prentice Hall textbook and win thousands of dollars in prizes. The contest goes through January 31.
*********************************

Why You Should Write Your Story for The Hot Mommas Project

The following is an edited version of an email sent from one inspirational woman to another as part of the Hot Mommas Project. Read below, and nominate someone you know - yourself included - as a role model. Impact women's education and make a difference this holiday season. The writing period ends January 31, 2009

December 18, 2008

Dear "Janet,"

When we first met, you told me your story about how you came to be at the position you are currently at in your life. It is a inspiring story. I have since volunteered to be on the Host Committee for The Hot Mommas Project. The premise is to develop a database of case studies for educators to use to teach young women and girls about the power that they have within to achieve great things through stories of real life women who have achieved personal and professional success and are true role models. Janet, you are a role model. Your story of entering a male dominated industry with no real background or education in it and through utilizing a philosophy of hard work, strong ethics and good old customer service, you have become a 'force to be reckoned with'. That is a motivational and inspiration story from which other women could learn.

I chose to do this for two reasons:

1. I have four daughters that I want to see develop into the tremendous women that I know that they can be and seeing "real" women making great strides is a way for me to assure them that it can be done.

2. I believe that every women has a "case study" inside of them. The Hot Mommas Project provides an opportunity for women to be recognized and to give the gift of their "case study" to other women to role model after.

I know you are an extremely busy woman and this may be something that you don't have time for. I hope it will be something that you will consider though. You would be surprised how easy it is to write 500-1500 words when you sit down to actually do it!

I would like to officially nominate you as a Hot Momma. Please take it as the compliment it is meant to be! Here's all the information.

BTW, there is a contest attached to it with some pretty cool prizes. Hope you will think about it. It is a George Washington University project and case studies could be published in text books.

Janet, thanks for sharing your story with me. Have a great holiday! For questions, you can contact Kathy Korman Frey and her team.

Tina Williams

P.S. Here's the latest Press Release

Here's the OFFICIAL NOMINATION LETTER:

Congratulations. I officially would like to nominate you as a role model for girls and women. I am writing to encourage you to tell your story at www.HotMommasProject.org. Your official nomination notice is at the following link as well as information on where to start:

Nomination link: http://hotmommasproject.blogspot.com/2008/11/nominate-role-model-to-help-women-girls.html

Where do I start? http://hotmommasproject.blogspot.com/2008/12/where-do-i-start-in-writing-hot-mommas.html

Here is the summary: As a Nominee you are authorized to go to www.HotMommasProject.org and write a case study about your personal and professional experiences. Please find more on the project, below and attached. Here is what to do if you are interested in becoming part of the project and impacting women's education:

1. Log on at www.HotMommasProject.org

2. Write your 500-1500 word case study using our case study wizard (see, below, what case writers are saying about this reflective process. We project 1 hour to 2.5 hours depending on how fast you write.)

3. Click "publish" and become part of our free online library available to women, girls, and educators. (Click publish on or before January 4, and be automatically entered into a drawing for one of 2 bags from Beijo's Luxe Collection selected especially for the Hot Mommas Project by Susan Handley. You can change your case up until January 31.).

Winners of the case study competition will have the chance to be published in a major Prentice Hall textbook and win thousands of dollars in prizes.

See judging criteria and prizes/winners at www.HotMommasProject.org for more. You will find a variety of case writer resources on the "case competition" section of the site.

The Hot Mommas Project team is available for any questions or additional information needs.

The Hot Mommas Project:The Hot Mommas Project is an award-winning leadership project raising self-efficacy of women and girls through exposure to role models. We produce case studies showing the full range of factors influencing a woman's success. We are housed at the George Washington University School of Business and are the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation National Case Award.

Here is what case-writers are saying:

"I really enjoyed the process of writing my case. It made me reflect."

"It was fun, the case wizard was clear, and the tutorial and sample cases helped a lot."

"The case study project on www.hotmommasproject.org is great. Just finished mine. Was therapeutic. Women, check it out."

"Writing my case made me feel like I mattered and that I have something to offer."

Find more links and how to get started in your nomination notice:

http://hotmommasproject.blogspot.com/2008/11/nominate-role-model-to-help-women-girls.html

“HOT MOMMAS PROJECT" ANNOUNCES JUDGING PANEL FOR CASE STUDY COMPETITION Hollywood Producer, Stay-at-Home Mom, Ivy League Professor Among Those Named

The award-winning women's leadership project, The Hot Mommas Project, announces its 2009 panel of judges. The judges will score cases/stories by women aged 18 and older who want to serve as role models and supporters for other women and girls. Submissions will be accepted through January 31, 2009.

Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV December 17, 2008 - What do the executive producer of the popular, box office hit “Lord of the Rings”, a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM), the most influential woman in social media, and a Harvard Business School professor have in common? They are all on the “Hot Mommas® Project” case competition judging panel announced on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets. Case-authors participating in the competition, which will run through January 31, have the opportunity to see their story published in a leading Prentice Hall textbook and featured in PINK magazine.

The “Hot Mommas Project” is an award-winning leadership project raising self-efficacy of women and girls through exposure to role models. The project produces case studies demonstrating the full range of factors influencing a woman's success. At the conclusion of the case study competition, all submitted cases will be made available to educators and others online. The goal of the project is to produce the world’s largest women’s case study library.

“I’m delighted to have such a diverse panel, because role modeling isn’t about just one set of skills. Our judges and case-writers embody a range of personal and professional abilities that you’d expect to see in authentic role models,” said Kathy Korman Frey, founder of the Hot Mommas Project and George Washington University School of Business adjunct professor of management.

Judges will read and rate a maximum of five cases. The cases will be rated based on quality of: professional / business and personal issues set forth in the case, as well as discussion questions, teaching notes, appendices, and links.

Karen Kerrigan, judge and founder of Women Entrepreneurs Inc., commented on the importance of the project’s work, “At leadership conferences I have participated in ranging from Harvard Business School to the Middle East, women want to succeed in both their professional and personal/family lives. The case study database resulting from the ‘Hot Mommas Project’ case study competition is a major step in the right direction.”

The Hot Mommas Project is housed at the George Washington University School of Business and is included in the mission of the GWSB Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence. The project is supported in part by a gift from Linda Rabbit, the recipient of a 2006 Coleman Foundation Case Award, published in a top Prentice Hall texbook, and recently nominated for Best Workshop by the US Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. To participate in the project, or nominate a dynamic female role model over 18, please contact The Hot Mommas Project team. Winners will be announced on March 10, 2009 in concert with International Women’s Day.

The Hot Mommas Project 2009 Case Competition Judging Panel

Adriana Alarcon Efrach – Part-time SAHM (Stay at Home Mom), part-time interpreter. Former Mexican diplomat and Executive Director of The Latino Coalition Foundation.

Ann Handley – Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, a marketing and social networking resource. Voted #1 most influential woman in social media.

Ashgar Mostafa – President and Chief Executive Officer of Entourage Systems, Inc. Winner of GW’s 2008 Award for Distinguished Entrepreneurial Achievement.

Barbara Kasoff – Co-Founder, President and CEO, Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. (WIPP).

Cynthia Good – Founding Editor and CEO, PINK Magazine.

Donna Messer – Canada's leading expert in networking. President of ConnectUs Communications Canada.

Ellen Mishkind Thrasher – Director, Office of Entrepreneurship Education, the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Karen Kerrigan – President & CEO of Women Entrepreneurs Inc., Founder of Small Business & Enterprise Council.

Lisa Osborne Ross - Executive VP of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Specialized Communications. Former Deputy Director, Federal Glass Ceiling Commission.

Marc Silverstein – Nationally-known host of Food Network and Discovery shows. Founder and CEO of On the Marc Media.

Mark Ordesky – Executive Producer, Lord of the Rings trilogy. Founder, Court Five Productions.

Myra Hart – Harvard Business School Professor (retired), founding officer of STAPLES.

Sameera Bazaz – SAHM (Stay at Home Mom), MBA, JD, CPA, former PWC & McKinsey consultant and Freemarkets Business Unit Leader .

Susan G. Duffy – Assistant Professor of Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Simmons College.

Susan M. Phillips Dean of the George Washington University Business School and former member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Shashi Bellamkonda – Head of Social/New Media Strategy at Network Solutions.

Susan Wilson Solovic – Founder and CEO of SBTV.com. Best-selling author: The Girl’s Guide to Building a Million Dollar Business.

Stacy Debroff - Nationally acclaimed parenting expert and bestselling author. Founder and CEO of www.MomCentral.com

Sharon Oliver – Cofounder of Meany & Oliver Companies, a commercial real estate brokerage. Commercial Realtor of the Year Award Recipient.

For up to the minute news on the Hot Mommas Project, see our #casewriter08 Twitter stream or main site at www.HotMommasProject.org.

To nominate a role model (yourself included) email us.

Building a Million Dollar Business Part Time #15b: Announcing Our Judges

Today we announce the Hot Mommas Project judging panel. They are awesome. Here is the press release. How do you figure out how to “announce” something? This is how I did it given that we are going guerrilla and, even if we had more money I wouldn’t spend it because the economy stinks:

1. Modeling - This is a nice word for copying people. I pretty much copied what I saw my friends and clients at the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation do when they released their Johnny Money Online Game (business simulation game). It was picked up by a lot of bloggers and such. Of course, it is really cool. But, if I may be so bold, what we are doing is really cool. (See updated ABOUT page). I found some of the sources below through that, and also fashioned my press release after theirs (JMOG press release).

2. Asking for advice - As I’ve mentioned lots of times throughout this blog, I rely on friends in PR. A lot. I am essentially co-dependent on Racine Tucker-Hamilton at GWSB communications. She reviewed our press release SEVERAL times. I will likely check in with Susan Apgood from News Generation and Candice McDonough in communications at New Line Cinema (I am not putting a link for Candice because people always stalk her and give her their headshots, so, I will spare her).

3. Social media - I am coming up with a few creative ideas, like 150-character descriptions of the judges to list on Twitter along with our hashtag term for the competition “#casewriter08″. More below.

We’ll see what happens as we broadcast this through a number of sources:

For the full version of this post, see our insider's blog.

Building a Million Dollar Business Part Time #15a: The Press Release Backstory

Pictured here: Didn't you hear about the new reality show? Toddler Renovation.

So here is really what is going on the morning of announcing judges for The Hot Mommas Project.

MUSIC: Can’t get M.I.A.’s Paper Planes from Slumdog Millionaire out of my mind, so, that’s the song to which the following events are set.

5.50 am

I get up, log on to www.888pressrelease.com (a supposedly free press release service) only to notice that the the press release I uploaded last night has been “rejected”.

For full post, see our insider's blog.

Cooking Class: A One Night Girlfriend Getaway

Here we are -The Shoe Coven - at Chris Leibner's for a cooking class. We are women. Who go shoe shopping together, and support each other. In addition to being a power player in the field of special ed, Chris is a master cook (www.JustSimplyCuisine.com) and Hot Mommas Project case author. One of the "founding mothers" in fact..of the Hot Mommas Project case library providing role models to girls and women across the globe. See Chris's case at www.HotMommasProject.org and see "case library" tab.

If you want to nominate someone as a role model (yourself included) email us at support@hotmommasproject.org. Our case study competition is live through January 31. Be a role model. Tell your story. About: www.hotmommasprojectinfo.wordpress.com.

This weekend..call a girlfriend or better yet, plan a girls night. I guarantee a huge ROI.