Disney Social Media Moms “On the Road Tour” #DisneyOnTheRoad

 I was not compensated for this post.

The NY conference began with  Maria Bailey, host of Mom Talk Radio leading  the morning session.  She discussed  how  the Disney Social Media Moms event started and why it continues  to be a huge success for everyone.  Disney is all about women in business; they are the Magic of the family by balancing /integrating pretty much anything that comes their way.  There are 8.5 million home-based businesses run by women in the U.S. and these women are the biggest consumers in the US. and contribute 1.7 trillion dollars into the economy.

I would love to say that this conference was all about Disney and how to get the most out of your trip, but  it isn’t.  It is really about making the most out of you brand and setting goals for yourself.  You also need to adapt these goals  as life changes and your children grow.  You can also learning from those who have done it ahead of you and getting their advice and expertise.  Lessons learned along the way and spreading the “Magic” in what you do everyday.

 

Though when we did hear about Disney it was  from Gary Buchanan the Social Media Managing Editor and Public Relations Manager for Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Parks.  You can follow with Gary on Twitter  @Gary_Jerry .    He told of all the new and exciting plans that Disney has underway this season including Monster U  and even showed a great time-lapse video of when Disney was open for 24 hrs straight and how some visitors made it the whole time  check it out here.   Disney always has something up their sleeve for everyone visiting.  Though I haven’t been in many years  I do remember the Dumbo ride and how exciting it was to go on.  They have now updated it with to dueling Dumbo rides and you no longer have to think of waiting on long lines.   They have transformed lines into themed ques  with story telling  in an air-conditioned tent.  I wish they had that when I was a child.    Oh! to go back and see the difference.   Listening to Gary speak about Disney was amazing. The energy he has is fantastic. He truly loves is job and it shows.

 Keynote Speaker:

Jenn Labit
Founder, Cotton Babies &
Creator, bumGenius, Flip, and Econobum

Jenifer Labit explained how she started a business with only $100.  She knew that when starting a family and having her first child  deciding between buying food and diapers was not  an option and cloth diapering allowed her family to save money to use for other important things such as paying rent.   When starting her business Cotton Babies she realized there had to be  options for any family at any income level and that is how several brands have come to be.  To this day 1 out of every 3 families have to choose between diapers/ child care or food.

While listening to Jenn speak that morning I learned some important things that you can take with you no matter what field of business you are in.

How to take your business to the next level:  Write down a plan,  What are your goals, When do you stop, What is your exit process.  What do you want to accomplish.  Look where you are going and focus on how you are going to get there.  Most importantly what is you Creative process What do you want as your outcome  are you learning from failure.   Major  take away As your children grow so will your business you  learn to evolve and adapt to change.

Next up was a panel of Moms/ business owners who stand behind a product and a brand, each telling a great story of how they got their product to be recognized and what challenges they have faced along the way.   Some were even winners  of The Huggies® MomInspired™ Grant Program

Mompreneur Panelists: Susanne Budofsky and Robyn Spritzer, Greater Than One Kids

Sandra Frawley, Founder of Babybindle®

Lauren Levy, Magnificent Baby

 Bonnie Marcus- Where Fashion Meets Paper

Something all these women agreed upon was that you must be willing to defend your product that you are endorsing, try to partner with bigger companies to help alleviate some of the bigger expenses such as getting trade marked or patented.  Make sure you have a contract.  Know your limit when speaking with others. making sure you don’t give away  your trade secrets how  so that they can take away  your “big idea”.  Always be aware of the connections you are making.   When you might be starting out with a product or idea in mind get involved with the business,  attend trade shows even just as a viewer socialize with those out there.  What is missing in the market  that you can improve upon.   You can even get tips from store owners  of where you would like your potential product to be sold.   “Don’t let fear stop you & don’t take NO for an answer”

Next up we heard from Michelle Stepney, PR Content Director  who gave some great tips for interviewing and being interviewed.   This also helps when to know what information is trying to be put across.  Those in the media are always looking for great soundbites and snippets to add in. Tips for a succesful interview would be to work on your conversation skills, be prepared do some research before hand.  If you don’t think you can handle it or aren’t the right person to be asked  find someone who can better assist.

To learn more about the speakers that are attending each conference you can check them out here. 

 

Follow all the excitement on Twitter – #DisneyOntheRoad

My business card was chosen at random to receive a prize pack from Cotton Babies.

 

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