Meet Tara Mandy, former editor of New York Magazine and founder of a must-read website for city moms called StrollerTraffic.com.
Examiner: What was your inspiration for StrollerTraffic?
Tara: When I was planning my wedding, I was really frustrated with the lack of advice being published for brides in the city who were focused on fashion and trends. To provide that kind of resource for city brides, I started BFF Bridal with a partner. After I became a mom, my interests naturally migrated toward babies and kids and I found there to be the same kind of need for city moms focused on trends and style. So I left BFF Bridal and created StrollerTraffic to offer that kind of content for city moms. To distinguish ourselves from other parenting blogs and sites, we offer authoritative content from our panel of experts and our Scouts, who are real moms in cities all over the country spotting trends and dishing the "Scoop" for our readers.
Examiner: Tell me something unique/interesting about yourself.
Tara: Well, despite raising my daughter in Manhattan and being something of a poster mom for city moms, I actually grew up in a log home on a dirt road in rural Vermont, where I was often late for work because I had to wait for the cows to cross the road.
Examiner: What do you love most about being a city mom?
Tara: I love that I can do something different with my daughter every day. Whether it's a picnic in Central Park, taking her to the art museum, or having play dates with kids from every imaginable background, the diversity of experience is probably the best part about raising a child in the city.
Examiner: You have some really great offerings on your site, such as the Checklist, Scout Scoop and Swag. As a mom, what is your favorite?
Tara: I have to say my favorite is the Checklist. It's a comprehensive list of what every expecting mom needs for her baby. I first got the idea when I was pregnant. I went to register for my baby shower and I ended up in tears because I stood looking at a wall of bottles and had no idea where to start. I began researching and asking every mom I knew for advice on what I needed for my baby, and then created the Checklist. I passed it around to other expectant moms and they loved it. They were so grateful because that time can be so overwhelming. I think it is an essential resource for any mom, which is why we offer it for free on StrollerTraffic as a download-able .pdf document.
Examiner: Tell me about "Stroller Swag". What is that?
Tara: Swag is free stuff and perks that celebrities get for just being who they are. We thought our readers deserved their own Swag, so every week we offer big discounts on high quality brands, which are only available through StrollerTraffic.
Examiner: Since starting StrollerTraffic, what kind of feedback have you received from other moms?
Tara: Moms love the design of the site. They really love that it is simple and not cluttered. They also rave about the Scoops because they are quick, easy and informative.
Examiner: Your site offers a weekly "Traffic Report". What is that and how can we get it?
Tara: The weekly Traffic Report is a column about a subject we think is on the minds of city moms, and it always includes some form of expert advice or opinion. Our traffic reports can be about anything from shopping trends to pool safety to healthy snacks. Moms can get it by subscribing to our newsletter (it's free!). Just go to our website and click on the "sign-up!" button to subscribe. StrollerTraffic will send a confirmation email to confirm the subscription. Once you confirm, the Traffic Report will arrive in your inbox every Tuesday morning.
Examiner: In addition to your weekly Traffic Report, you also post some great stuff on Facebook. What do you hope moms will get out of following StrollerTraffic on Facebook?
Tara: What I love about our Facebook page is that it gives our readers the opportunity to contribute ideas and comments on the articles and Scoops they read. I tend to post my favorite Scoops on there as soon as they are available. It's also a great forum for moms to meet and be social with each other over topics covered by StrollerTraffic.
Examiner: Thank you for taking time out of your busy working-mom schedule for Examiner.com readers. We look forward to seeing more from StrollerTraffic!
Tara: Thank you!
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