Each week on the San Antonio Mom Blogs’ Facebook page a Fan of the Week is selected based upon their amount of interaction on the page. This week’s featured fan and San Antonio Mom Blogger is Laura Hernandez Aplin. Want to be selected as a Fan of the Week? Like San Antonio Mom Blogs on Facebook and participate!
Laura and I met when the company for which she worked hired me as a consultant. It was through our work together that I discovered Laura’s deep desire to learn more about, and become better at, her career as a public relations professional. She is continually committed to being the best at what she does. It’s no wonder, then, that when Laura ventured out to become a freelance consultant herself, her efforts were met with great success. Also a dedicated mom to her two-year-old daughter, Laura started her blog, PR Mommy, in early 2012.
You’re relatively new to blogging. Why did you decide to start?
Through my PR profession, I became a huge fan of bloggers with their dedication to their craft, love of food, and/or the desire to be best at what they enjoy doing the most. Specifically, I was a huge fan of the moms because, at the time, I was new to being a mommy myself and I really admired their own special voice. At the urging of a few fellow moms, I decided to start a blog to chronicle my journey into being a mom and venturing out as an new entrepreneur.
This month you’re celebrating the one-year anniversary of being self-employed! What has been the biggest challenge (as a professional and/or a mom) since starting to work for yourself?
Yes, and my husband and I are taking a cruise to celebrate both my business and our wedding anniversary. I’m super excited but nervous because it will be the first time that we are leaving the little one with grandma so we can take a romantic “vacation.”
With being on my own, I truly love the flexibility of it all as I know this is when to spend quality time my daughter. I want her to know that whenever she needs mommy, I’ll be there for her first. However, with being on your own you are accountable for your own success and financial gain. When you are starting off, as I am, you constantly have to prove yourself. When times get tough you don’t have the luxury of telling your boss (yourself) that you want to take time off and crawl under a rock. 😉
I really do have to give props to my husband, though. I don’t think I would have been courageous enough to jump off the financial cliff without his unconditional support.
Now that I’m out there, I have been able to hold steady and really surprise myself.
The Bubble Guppies birthday party you threw for your daughter was so cute. How are you going to top it this year? 🙂
Oh wow! My husband and I were way too ambitious with that one. We had too many ideas so this year we are going to look at investing in a Party Planet location, just because they help with the logistics and manage to clean up. However, I’m still dangling on the idea of doing a fun Dora the Explorer party with a scavenger hunt component of some kind or I would love to do a super girlie princess fairy party for little girls with cupcakes and costume jewelry. Stay tuned!
What are your favorite topics to blog about and why?
I’m still searching for my voice but I try to document special family moments and professional milestones with each post. I really do think about what I write and sometimes it will take several weeks until I write it all down because I have to be really inspired with what I write. It needs to mean something to me.
What are your three must-read blogs and why?
I enjoy reading all of my fellow blogger friends but I do love to follow Michelle’s Family Love in My City, Melanie’s ¿Qué? Means What?, and Lili’s My Tots Travel for their cultural tales and suggestions on things to do. Plus, I adore Stacy’s very simply-themed blog, Kids Stuff World, and I admire her pioneering efforts on Pinterest.
Congrats Laura on your 1 year business anniversary! You are such an inspiration as a business woman and friend!
Congrats Laura!!
Congrats on your 1 year business anniversary! To be a new mom AND to venture into entrepreneurship can be tough, but it seems like it was definitely the right move for you. It can be so reliving to have that type of flexibility, especially with a child. 🙂 Best of luck to you, Laura!