Inspirational Mom :: Randi Zuckerberg of Zuckerberg Media

While on a family trip in Tahoe this year, I received an email from the ladies over at Zuckerberg Media who wanted to see if I would like to collaborate together on some projects.  I remember looking through the company website and reading about the woman behind the company, Randi Zuckerberg, and was amazed at how much she has done and accomplished.  She was one of the early executives at Facebook and nominated for an Emmy Award in 2011. There are superwomen like her out there and I always find them inspiring.  It really comes down to doing what you want to do with your life, and not letting anyone or thing stop you from fulfilling your dreams!  That is one of the reasons, well, the main reason truthfully, I created dandelion moms.  It is so important for women to go after the things in life they really want – whether it be as a stay-at-home or work-at-home mom and work towards (it is tough work) being the best mom they can be and/or  building a company, inventing a product, writing a book, etc.  I do feel women can Have It All – but it just might mean doing these things at different times in your life. Everyone is capable – you just have to find what works for you.  Having It All to me represents having all that you want in your life – whatever that might mean for you!  It appears that Randi Zuckerberg hasn’t let motherhood slow her down and she recently created Dot Complicated, an online e-community and has two new books coming out this fall.  Read more about what she says was the inspiration behind created Dot Complicated and the challenges she faces balancing home and work life.  I think you will be inspired by her story.

What was the inspiration behind starting Dot Complicated?

Last year, I did a worldwide speaking tour. While most of what I talked about centered around tech trends and social media best practices, I found that during the Q&A, people consistently asked me questions about how tech is affecting their personal lives, career, and relationships. How to gracefully unfriend someone, or proper email etiquette. People were curious about how to manage human interaction with virtual interaction, and how to raise their kids in a world where text messaging takes precedence over a phone call.

So that’s where I got the inspiration for Dot Complicated, my e-community. Dot Complicated gives guidance to modern women (and men!) on how to raise their families with technology while being mindful of the impact of it. Along the way, I explain tech trends and give advice, helping my readers to “stay in the loop” and embrace technology in our ever-changing society. To subscribe to Dot Complicated, click here.

As a business owner, mom and wife, what are some steps you take to try to balance it all – attempt being the key word here as it is tough to keep it all balanced!

I try to stay balanced by setting realistic limits for myself. I know I can’t be everywhere at once, so I have to shape my schedule to my life. Sometimes that means going into the office later to feed my son breakfast– and then hopping back online and catching up on email after he goes to bed. Sometimes that means squeezing a trip to the gym in between meetings. To me, balance means writing in dates with my husband on my work calendar and recognizing that my relationship is just as important as any other commitment. Balance means giving the people I spend time with my undivided attention so the time I spend with them really counts.

Any news you want to share with Dandelion Moms?

I’m thrilled to announce that I am publishing a book with HarperCollins, due out in November. Two books actually– an adult book (preorder on Amazon) and a children’s book (also available on Amazon). The adult book, called Dot Complicated, talks about my personal and professional insights from my career at Facebook and lessons learned on balancing career and motherhood. I’ll cover a lot of the digital etiquette issues in my newsletter.

As an early executive at Facebook, Randi created and ran the social media pioneer’s marketing programs. She led the company’s U.S. election and international politics strategy and created Facebook’s live streaming initiatives during the 2008 Presidential Inauguration. Randi was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2011 for her innovative coverage of the 2010 mid-term elections that integrated online and TV coverage in unique formats.

Since starting Zuckerberg Media, Randi has produced shows and digital content for BeachMint, The Clinton Global Initiative, Cirque du Soleil, the United Nations, Conde Nast and Bravo, and has a wide range of projects in the works.