Club MomMe is a social events company for moms, moms-to-be and families in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.  Their events are social, educational and wellness-themed in order to help transition “me” into MomMe in a fun, communal setting.  Plus each event features lots of goodies in gift bags and giveaways, and of course food!

Each month, they host 4 – 8 events per month in a variety of event series like: Lunch and Learns for MomMes, Bump to Baby Series, Entrepreneurship for Moms, Daddy Bootcamps, Playdates, MomMe & Me Workouts and more!  Club MomMe was recently awarded the Circle of Moms Top 25 Mompreneurs Award!  I was lucky enough to “sit down” with founders Lane and Rachel and hear a little bit more about what they are and where they see themselves in the near future.

1. How did each of you meet?

Rachel and I met while volunteering through Junior League of Chicago. We were both on the same committee and, along with lots of other young women, were pregnant at the same time. We formed a natural bond with a small group of other women who were due around the same time of us over those fabulous things no one wants to talk about during pregnancy, baby gear and lots of late night emails and support for each other after our sons were born just a week apart.

2. Why Club MomMe?
We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have formed a bond during pregnancy and live in a city where women can find resources, services and products to support them through pregnancy and beyond (Google is not a resource).  There are so many choices out there now, for instance so many types of strollers, car seats and carriers, that choosing what you want for your upcoming arrival can be stressful and overwhelming.  We want pregnancy to be fun and exciting.  We decided to start Club MomMe when the boys were 6 months old and we wanted to share the resources that we found with other Moms throughout the nation. Having a small support group was invaluable to us and we want other women to feel that bond that we have. No one should go through pregnancy, child birth and the lifestyle changes that occur post-baby without a support person and MomMe friends!  That’s how Club MomMe was born!

3. Parenting clearly changed the way you look at the world.  You are now compelled to make a difference, why?

Rachel and I both feel the need to help everyone! We are compelled to make a difference in the world and we see it as Club MomMe is making a difference to someone during the most important part of their life: parenting. We want to share all of the knowledge that we’ve amassed through our support networks with other Moms. EcoSTORE USA is just one of the resources that we’ve found over the past year and the love to share with our MomMes!

We especially feel the need to protect the world that our children will one day inherit. Club MomMe allows us to create a place that one day our children can turn to when they become expectant parents and need advice. We want our little ones to know that parenting is not a competition, we don’t have all of the answers, and there isn’t a magic recipe for raising a perfect child, but that with love and support we all make it through even the worst times. Lane and I want to share the things that we want for ourselves and our children with the broader MomMe community.  We welcome conversation, but there is no place for judgement and attacks.  We believe that most parents can make the best decisions for themselves, their bodies, their children and their families, and these decisions may change over time and with different children based on where they are in life, their experiences, etc.  Who is to say that one way is better to do something than another?  With that being said, we do have certain opinions, and we like to share them in an educational environment that is not preaching, but more sharing.  For instance, we will only introduce eco-friendly and non-toxic products for mom, baby and home to our MomMes and MomMes-to-Be.  While we understand that they may not be the choice of all of our moms, we can and do choose which companies we choose to partner with and share with our community.

4. What are your goals for MomMe?

Our main purpose for starting Club MomMe was to be a support network for parents and expectant parents. A place where moms and moms-to-be (and Dads too!) can turn to for guidance and support during the transition into motherhood and navigating the ups and downs of parenthood. We want to make the process of turning “me” into “MomMe” fun, social, educational and communal.  We like for our communities to grow organically so that bonds last over a lifetime and not just a short period of a person’s life.

5. What makes Club MomMe different from other Mom ‘clubs’?

Our mission is not just to be a social club, but to really create a community of moms and expectant moms with all of the resources, services and products they need at their fingertips.  We address the full range of motherhood, from dealing with infertility, topics like Entrepreneurship for Moms who may not want to return to their former career or want to start a side business while staying at home, finding a work-life-baby balance, changes to expect after delivery, positive discipline for your toddler and topics that continue on through pre-school and beyond. Lots of other groups focus on support for a short-period of time. We want Club MomMe to expand a life-time. You never stop becoming a Mom, so you shouldn’t stop receiving support, making friends and connecting!

6. What have been your biggest challenges in the last year since you started MomMe?

Finding a balance! Everyday becomes more difficult and challenging to balance a toddler and a new business. Rachel works until late in the night PST, often when I’m waking up CST and I tend to work early in the morning. We are lucky that we are friends foremost and that has helped us overcome a lot of the hurdles that we face everyday in running a business.

7. What do you attribute your quick growth to?

We believe in Club MomMe with everything in our heart. Club MomMe is both of our second babies.   If we truly didn’t think what we were doing was important for parents than we wouldn’t have had such success the past nine-months! Our quick growth justifies the need for parental support networks in all ages and stages of life and in every city.

8. What can MomMes expect to see from you in the near future?

Club MomMe is expanding! We’ll be moving into at least two new cities on the west coast and moving south to Houston, TX. Lane will be managing the Houston expansion and Chicago and Rachel will be managing the West Coast expansion. You can expect to see events in new cities on the west coast by December and events in Houston in early 2013.