Episode 76: Creating a National Movement with Stephanie Flies

Created for This with Danielle Roberts

Steph is the Founder & Director of City Moms Blog Network (since this recording, they've changed their name to City Mom Collective); growing the network after founding its original site, Scottsdale Moms Blog, in 2009.

Now living in the greater Minneapolis area, she oversees the national network by spearheading growth strategies, sales initiatives and shepherding and encouraging an ever-increasing number of moms managing individual local parenting websites.

What happens when you lean into how God's created you and what he's called you to.

After her first daughter was born, she felt the urge to serve moms in her area. Blogging was just beginning and she helped create an industry. Scottsdale Moms Blog launched about 9 years ago born out of a heart to serve her local community. The heart is to create local communities with motherhood being the center of it.

While it's a secular blog, it's still a ministry. They have women of all faiths that participate and own sister sites.

We grow when we invite others to take part in what we're doing.

Early on they invited other moms to volunteer and write for them. They then brought on entrepreneurs who want to grow blogs in their cities and they bring on volunteer writers and that's led to growth.

At first it was difficult to release control and start to delegate. It's freeing to allow others to do kingdom work. Someone encouraged her to say "you decide" and allow her team to decide. It allows them to believe that she belives in them. It might not be done the way that you would have done it, but it will get done and the results will blow you away.

This is Steph's personal ministry. She started Scottsdale Moms Blog as a way to reach all moms, not just moms in the church. She knew that not every mom was going to step foot into the church, even to a MOPS group. I knew I needed to create a sense of community outside the church.

It's not easy to be a Christian person in a secular business, because culture does not gravitate toward Christian values. She's become good at being PC from a business sense, however, the way I do business and the way I treat people is always based out of the foundational truth of the gospel and the Bible. The values of the business may be a little different than other businesses.

If you don't know what your business values are, you can use this free resource I've created to help you identify those values. Click here to download it.

I always feel like a person's business grows out of what their values and mission statements are. Values and mission statement don't have to be Jesus all over everything. You can live out of your relationship with Jesus through your values.

City Moms Blog's values are not specifically Christian, but they do come out of the Bible. The writers have to adhere to the values with their writing. Steph's prayer is that readers would also pick up on those values.

One of their values is respect and they want to create cultures of respect.

Steph's advice is to always learn. If you are not leaning into a growth mindset and the ability to learn from anyone is that you are not leading. Find the way you learn and make space for that as a priority. The learning aspect of life often goes to the bottom of the priorities, however, it's important. You have to put the important things on the calendar first then everything else around it.

Be open to any criticism that comes your way. Look for the kernel of truth in it. You can learn from it and adjust accordingly.

Seph's social media info: City Mom Collective Instagram | Steph's Personal Instagram

Referenced:

Bob Goff's Instagram