We would love to know about Boss Mom Crew. Please tell us in detail about it.

Certainly! My name is Danielle Melton of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am the founder of a global community for working moms, better known as Boss Mom Crew. As a wife, mother, school leader, and college instructor, I know first-hand about juggling work, life, and family. I created Boss Mom Crew to lend my spirit, passion, and voice to the working mom community. What started as a mission to solve a deep personal need to feel connected to other working mothers has propelled me to create Boss Mom Crew.

Founded in February 2020, our community, which started on Instagram, supports working moms from many walks of life. We are an inclusive working mother group, from the fantastic coffee shop manager to the Bravo TV personality to one of the top anesthesiologists in Dallas—our community embodies all types of working moms. Boss Mom Crew is here to provide a community and sisterhood for working mothers that seek connection, resources, and empowerment while showcasing and supporting their hard work, talents and propels them into fulfilling their purpose and passion in work and everyday life.

What is the main purpose of Boss Mom Crew? How does it work?

Boss Mom Crew's purpose is to re-imagine how women thrive in motherhood. In general, being a mom can feel quite lonely, then add a full-time career to the mix, and it can feel darn near isolating making it difficult to find our place in society. I know this first hand from my personal experiences. Many times I've been invited to events and I've kindly turned down the invitation. These declined invitations have been due to reasons such as: the time the event starts or ends, my inability to find a babysitter, the mommy guilt that takes over because I don't want to leave my children after being gone all day, or me just being exhausted from the hectic schedule and having the desire to just relax.

There were times I felt incredibly alone, and things were happening in my life related to being a working mom that my childless friends simply could not understand. This feeling of loneliness is common for many mothers. Studies show that 90 percent of mothers feel lonely since having children, and 54 percent felt "friendless" after giving birth (Today's Parents, 2018). Boss Mom Crew is challenging this narrative and is working to change this trajectory by tackling this issue head-on by providing a safe space for moms to build a meaningful life-long connection with other like-minded moms.

Another primary purpose of Boss Mom Crew is to challenge the working mom stereotypes. There is a stigma when it comes to working moms and our goal is to diminish those thoughts through conversation, resources, and connection. We will show the world that we can be both career-driven and an active parent while looking good doing so!

What is the one feature of Boss Mom Crew which makes it unique?

We have so many parts within Boss Mom Crew that make us unique. One thing that makes Boss Mom Crew unique is the fact that we are a non-traditional mommy community. We've all seen those mommy support groups on TV and in newspapers that showcase stay at home mothers, although those groups are lovely, working moms might still feel isolated in those groups. Our moms are career-driven, goal-diggers; their time is limited and valuable. With that in mind, Boss Mom Crew was created and designed to give working mothers a community in which they can feel free. I guess you can call us an 'enhanced mommy group'.

We go well beyond the surface level meeting; we created a space for fun, learning, and empowerment. One way we do this is by providing compelling programs and virtual events. For example, our monthly Coffee and Conversation is where we chat with extraordinary women (who happen to be working moms) in the field of motherhood, business, self-care/development, career, home life, entrepreneurship, and more.

Too often, we moms always give to our children, significant others, our home, and our career and forget to give to ourselves. Knowing that this is an ongoing issue for many moms, we create opportunities for them to focus on themselves. One way of doing so is through our Uncork and Unwind events. After the children are tucked in their beds, moms can attend this by invitation only event filled with fun, games, prizes, and don't forget the wine. Creating a space for moms to experience "me time" allows them to focus on themselves and recharge.

 Another unique feature of Boss Mom Crew is that we are a multicultural community. Our community embodies different races, backgrounds, and walks of life. With all of our differences, one thing we have in common is being a working mom and seeking sisterhood. This is such a beautiful thing. With all that is going on in today's society, Boss Mom Crew is striving to be that example and make the change we want to see in the world.

Our goal is to not only support moms on their journey of motherhood and career but also shine a light on their accomplishments. We uniquely do this by showcasing one's achievements and talents through our Boss Mom Highlights. Boss Mom Highlights are for those moms in our community who have done a phenomenal job in their career and mommyhood. We showcase one's photo, bio, and accomplishments, while the Boss Mom Crew community praises her for being the awesome person she is. The person receiving the Boss Mom Highlight gets an official certificate and a special note congratulating them for their feature. With all of our events, programming, and interviews, they are all created with our community in mind. We provide surveys to find out exactly what they want and give our community what they ask for, this is the key!

Boss Mom Crew community has grown fast and is inspiring women worldwide. What can we see coming from Boss Mom Crew in the near future?

The future looks bright for Boss Mom Crew. Watching our growth on social media and the love we receive from our community further lets me know how much Boss Mom Crew is needed, especially during these times. I am so happy that we are here and have so much more to offer. This is only the beginning! Our next venture is to launch our website. The website will have everything from merchandise, to blogs, to a membership program. We are incredibly close to our launch date, so stay tuned for those details.

What advice would you like to give to all the women out there who are starting now?

My biggest advice is to not give up on your dreams. This message is especially true for those who are working moms. What I always say is your children should not be the reason you don't pursue your dreams but should be the reason that you do. I encourage you to keep your eye on the prize and be willing to do whatever it takes to turn your dreams into a reality. Whether it's waking up hours early to work on your dreams or going to bed hours after the children are asleep, if you're willing to put in the work, you will get closer to achieving your dreams. This means that if you create a great foundation and build upon that, success will indeed happen.

Another great piece to this goal-digger puzzle is having a team of friends who have your back. Find those peers who are your cheerleaders, encouraging you not to give up and praise you every step of the way makes such a difference. With Boss Mom Crew, we can provide you that connection as we stand right beside you, cheering you on during the good, the bad, and the ugly. We understand that your goal-digger journey will not be easy, but we are here every step of the way. This, my friend, is what Boss Mom Crew is all about.

Where do you see yourself as a community in the next five years?

With our community's rapid growth, the sky's the limit. Five years from now, I envision many different areas developing from the foundation of Boss Mom Crew. This includes a podcast turned TV show on a major network and sold-out conferences worldwide. I believe that we will change the lives of millions of working moms across the globe as we become the leading mom community assisting in the growth of family, business, and career simultaneously across the world. The future looks bright for Boss Mom Crew and I am thrilled to share this journey with you!

Where can our readers connect with you?

To be part of our Boss Mom Crew community and stay up to date with events and our official launch, follow us on Instagram and Facebook or email me at bossmomcrew@gmail.com.