We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Berryman & Ashley Richards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle & Ashley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Motherhood can be isolating. It’s so much easier to make friends when we are younger and all going through many of the same life situations. It’s also hard to get quality time with the friends you are able to hang on to during motherhood. Sure, you might get together for play dates or birthday partied, but any mom know that’s not enough to fill your own emotional bucket. When you do pencil in a girls’ night, it’s hard to get ready because you are fricken’ tired and the guilt about leaving your family creeps in. You’ve been climbed on all day, have peanut butter plastered through your hair, and Netflix is calling your name because you know you need the energy to make it all happen again tomorrow. It’s hard to tap into your energy reserves for bonding time with friends. When Desert Moms Blog hosts events, they are free, they are fun, and they are incredibly intentional. It’s our goal to create an environment where moms will leave feeling energized and inspired. It’s a strange thing that there are so many of us going through the same motions and emotions every day, yet it’s all too common to feel completely alone in the journey. We wanted to shift that paradigm—to let moms know you’re NOT alone, you’re NOT invisible, and there is so much YOU still there underneath it all. There are a million blogs out there about babies and kids, but so few that serve Mom herself. That’s were we say a calling to launch the Desert Moms Blog community!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We are both marketing professionals in our “day jobs”. Desert Moms Blog has provided an outlet where our professional pursuits and personal passions collide. Both of us having a marketing background has helped us grow Desert Moms Blog to a reach that many other “mom blogs” haven’t, and that is important to us. Every new follower is one more woman that know she has a community!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are so passionate about Arizona and the Phoenix area! Any best-day-ever has to start with a hike–Camelback, Toms Thumb, Pinnacle Peak, and Sunrise are among our favorites. After getting our sweat on in our breathtaking natural playground, brunch is required. After having the morning to ourselves, we’d grab the kids and head to McCormick-Stillman Train Park followed by a staycation night or two at one of the area’s resorts. Fairmont Princess and J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge are our favorites for the whole family.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The foundation of our story began when we first met on a local leadership committee for MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers). That organization does so much for moms when we’re in the throws of life with little ones, and we are grateful for the connection it provided us when we needed it so deeply. Every new mom should sign up for a local MOPS group immediately!

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