Non-Mom 2.0

It happens once a year – Moms from all over the nation congregate in one place and talk all things women empowerment and advancement. It’s Mom 2.0. This conference brings 600+ moms together who boast more than just motherhood on their resumes; we’re talking about women who are leading bloggers, entrepreneurs, and marketers – needless to say, conversation comes easy. I was lucky enough to attend Mom 2.0 on behalf of our client, Domain. ME. So what happens when you throw a 24-year-old unmarried and childless woman in the mix? Comedic relief.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. So naturally, I read up on all the latest mommy trends: breastfeeding in public, to nanny or not to nanny, timeouts, and of course, how soon is too soon to have a cell phone?! I was ready for just about anything – except the reality of it.

Breakfast conversations typically started with what type of business they ran or what venture they were starting next. Then we moved on to popular adult topics. You guessed it – What’s good on Netflix, how do we keep ourselves healthy while still craving pizza 24/7 (okay, this was mostly just me, but I got some GREAT feedback!), and lastly, weekends away from their kids. I was happy to keep that conversation going, though I had no idea how that felt.

I was obviously misconstrued as a Mom. There were a few times I was able to boast about my adorable puppy, Duke, rather than showing pictures of my kids, and to my relief, these ladies LOVED it! It was like I was providing comedic relief for them. Turns out, I may have been the only non-mom at Mom 2.0. I was what these moms once were, childless and free. At first, it felt like I was rubbing it in their faces that I hadn’t gained any baby weight to lose, had to give up certain foods, or worse, never had to stop drinking alcohol for an extended period of time; however, it proved as one of the most unifying experiences. Before I knew it, I was making jokes with people I had just met, and talking about upcoming conferences, and planning reunions with these amazing ladies. More importantly, I learned some pretty invaluable life lessons along the way. I learned that you don’t have to sacrifice your own success if you want a family, that making mistakes is part of the process, and that saying “sorry” is overrated.

I’m truly grateful for my weekend at Mom 2.0, and to Domain. ME for letting me go on their behalf, and I’m excited to see what next year brings!