Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Kim.
Angela, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As an avid reader since childhood, I was born a storyteller. So naturally I majored in English and visual arts and wanted to be an English professor. I had my first baby, went back to graduate school and taught at a local university for a few years. During this time, I had my second baby and my first baby was diagnosed with SYNGAP1, a rare genetic disorder. This changed the course of my career and I had to quit my job to stay home as it was near impossible to find childcare for a special needs child. Even though I loved being a young mom of two, the two back-to-back pregnancies, dealing with my daughter’s special needs and not having any help at home put me deep into postpartum depression.
It’s during this time I had to do major soul searching and growing. I needed to find a hobby and creative outlet that can help me heal and find joy in motherhood again. Since I always loved reading and writing, I turned to mom blogs for support. It was during this time I wasn’t able to find much conversation around hard topics like postpartum depression and special needs parenting. I found a void and I wanted to fill it my stories. I felt that was my next calling. Thus, Mommy Diary was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest struggle was overcoming the fear of vulnerability. For the first time in my life, I had to admit that I was weak and that I needed help. I always felt the pressure of appearing perfect and happy, so I was afraid of what people would think when I began to speak the truth- that motherhood was very hard for me.
It was also hard deciding to share photos of my family and kids online because of all the scary stories on the news. I had to think hard about how this would affect my family. In the end, I decided not to make a decision out of fear because I genuinely loved photography and sharing my stories to connect and give hope to others.
Today my biggest struggle is balancing my work life and mom life from home. I work from my home and my home is my content studio so it’s really hard to know where my work ends and home life begins. In 2020 it’s especially hard because my kids have been home since March. And did I mention I have four kids? lol
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mommy Diary story. Tell us more about the business.
Mommy Diary is a lifestyle brand about all things motherhood, family, home and travel. I began the brand as a personal blog and it’s now run by a team of women who are passionate creators and tastemakers. I specialize in creating lifestyle content that’s elevated but approachable and sharing stories that are authentic and relatable. I believe motherhood stories are meant to be shared because when we do, we begin to understand that we are never truly alone in our thoughts and experiences.
I’m proud of being able to build a successful 6 figure business from a tiny office space in my home. I also raise a family of 4 kids which is a lot, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. What sets Mommy Diary apart from a sea of “happy” mom bloggers is that It sees motherhood as multifaceted and understands that it doesn’t have to always be happy and perfect to be worthwhile.
I always say motherhood is not meant to be easy, but it’s always worthwhile.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I don’t think bloggers and social media influencers are going away anytime soon. Now more than ever, people are seeking real, human connections online due to restrictions like covid-19 and changes in the workforce. Social media marketing will grow even more with more brands and advertisers turning to influencers and content creators to advertise their products and services. I foresee more people wanting to be an influencer, which will lead to a more saturated market. But I also believe there’s always room for a fresh voice and perspective, as long as you stay true to who you are. I also think more short-form video content like TikTok, IG Reels and Pinterest video will continue to be popular.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mommy-diary.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mommydiary/
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/mommydiaryblog?business_id=166299024008285
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mommydiaryblog
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mommydiaryblog/
Image Credit:
Esther Sun
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