Owner/CEO's Name & Business's Name
Terry Starr and Bradi Nathan
Year Established
2009
Why is your business unique and what's your pitch?
In an economy that has forced moms to return-to-work (in 2009, the NY Times reported over 80% of jobs were lost by men), women no longer have the luxury of staying home. For those onramping or those trying to manage it all, moms needed a place to gain advice,support and solutions.
Called the "Facebook for Moms", MyWorkButterfly.com provides a safe haven and free resources for moms contemplating a return-to-work and working moms striving to achieve work/life harmony.
One year later, now in 112 countries, we have touched the lives of thousands. Our goal is to empower as many mothers as possible.
What led you to start the business?
Ten years ago, my partner, Bradi Nathan, left her huge career as Advertising Manager at Marie Claire in favor of motherhood. During this time, she heard from hundreds of smart, savvy moms who were all saying the same thing, "I don't know how to get back." Bradi knew there had to be a place for moms to go to get all the support they needed.
Fast forward September 2008, by a twist of fate, Bradi and I met at a bookstore through a mutual friend. After we said our goodbyes, she said, "I bought this book on online marketing by Scott Fox, called 'Internet Riches'. I wonder if it's any good?" To which I replied, "How weird? That's what I do for a living." (I spent 30 years in HR communications and online marketing, 5 of which at monster.com and building social networks). Bradi asked for my business card and she said she would call me.
She called me on my way to work the very next day. She said, "I have this idea. I haven't ever said it out loud. I have never told my husband. I feel like there needs to be a place for these moms to go." Bradi met me that very day for three hours. We never looked back. We conducted extensive research including a National Moms Survey (over 800 participants) to learn what moms were looking for from a social network, from employers and what were the obstacles they faced in getting back to work.
On January 15th (2009), on the birthday of Martin Luther King, another dream was born. At the home of Malaak and Chris Rock, who believed in our mission, Butterfly took flight. With the support of dozens of celebrities (including Kathie Lee Gifford, Jill Zarin, Emme, Danielle Monaro, Josie Bissett, Nicole Richie, Dina Manzo, Liz Lange, Dana Buchman, Gloria Allred, Lisa Bloom, Dr. Robi Ludwig and many others), who felt that our mission was not only important, it was necessary. They all agreed to provide MyWorkButterfly.com with their support, which included an exclusive video interview. We now feature a celebrity video on our site each month to inspire our Butterfly Moms, and let them know that they are not alone.
Our research guided us to enlist a Career Coach, a Psychotherapist, a national job board (10,000+ posts), plus experts in Work/Life, Parenting, Elder Care, Child Care, Money, Health, Education, Green, Fitness, Nutrition, Fashion, and more.
Our like-minded moms moms now utilizing the support of our experts, as well as the opportunity to network with Work-At- Home Moms, Entrepreneurs, Single Moms, Workaholic Moms, etc.
Lessons Learned
- We spent our first year building our brand and gaining traffic. We worked tirelessly, 24/7. Whatever opportunity came our way, we took it on, never saying no. Since we never knew when that 'big' opportunity was going to hit, we did it all, sometimes with little return.
- From those experiences, we learned to focus. Now, we spend our energy more effectively - on the three revenue streams we identified in late 2009. We rarely go off-course. We learned to say "no."
- We learned the value of press & viral marketing in growing our business, especially as a privately-funded start-up with limited funds. We became experts.