Case Study: Building a Movement Through Strategy and Support
When I joined The MOB Nation (MOB = Mom Owned Businesses), it was a small, informal Facebook group rooted in Portland, Oregon. The idea was born from the need for community, support, and visibility for moms building businesses.
I saw not just a gathering of mom business owners, but the beginning of a movement that gave moms who ran businesses a place for community, education, personal growth, and connection.
As part of the founding leadership team, I helped guide The MOB from a casual online group into a national membership organization - complete with local chapters, paid memberships, a strong brand, and national media recognition.
Our small team worked collaboratively, each contributing based on our individual strengths. My role centered on marketing, strategic growth, visibility.
Strategic Marketing and Brand Growth
From the beginning, I focused on building the foundation for long-term growth:
Messaging & Brand Positioning: I helped refine how we talked about The MOB - not just as a networking group, but as a bold, inclusive movement built to support moms who were running businesses and families. Our messaging had to resonate with overwhelmed solo business owners while also building credibility in the broader business landscape.
Website & Visibility: I created and managed our public-facing website to clearly communicate our mission, showcase member benefits, and support local chapters. With a solid SEO foundation, we began showing up in search results for those looking to connect with or support mom-owned businesses.
Content Marketing & Storytelling: I developed and led a content strategy that focused on highlighting members and their wins, focusing on educating the public about the importance of shopping small and local, and sharing resources to help mom-owned businesses thrive. These stories helped us attract new members, media attention, and drove traffic and sales for our members.
Public Relations & Media: I supported PR efforts that earned us consistent media coverage in both local and national outlets. These placements played a crucial role in building trust and authority as we grew, as well as introducing the MOB to new locations as our chapters expanded.
Social Media & Email Strategy: I created and executed ongoing strategies for connecting with our growing audience, driving engagement, and converting interest into membership. I prioritized authenticity, education, and community over algorithms and gimmicks.
Outreach & Expansion: As the organization expanded across the U.S., I supported new chapter leaders with marketing tools and strategies to help them grow their local communities within the national framework.
Supporting the Mission
At the heart of every strategy was one core goal: to make sure mom-owned businesses were seen, valued, and supported.
Whether that meant spotlighting a solo maker in a small town, helping a business owner prepare for her first pop-up market, or connecting a member with resources to grow her service-based company, I always came back to, “How can we support them and how can we help more people find them?”
Collaborative Leadership
Our leadership team was built on mutual respect and shared vision. We encouraged each other to take the lead in areas where we had strength, and we trusted one another to try new ideas, build new systems, and push the movement forward. While I led most of the marketing and visibility work, it was our collaboration that allowed the organization to grow in such a meaningful and sustainable way.
Recognition & Impact
Our collective work didn’t go unnoticed. The MOB Nation was featured in:
The Huffington Post: “A New Way for Women to Connect and Thrive”
CBS8, KHON2, The Seattle Times, Clark County Today, Review-Journal, and more
Numerous local publications as a standout organization supporting women in business
We also received multiple local and national awards that celebrated our innovative model and community-driven mission.
The Legacy
Although The MOB Nation no longer exists, the years I spent helping to shape and grow the organization remain some of the most rewarding of my career. The systems we created, the visibility we achieved, and the lives we impacted speak to what’s possible when strategic marketing is rooted in purpose - and when women come together to build something bigger than themselves.
