Work at Home Moms Talk Radio

We are certainly buzzing around here about Danielle Smith, owner of the blog ExtraordinaryMommy.  Listen in to our chat to hear about her inspirational view of motherhood (and how she does it all!) and learn about her very original weekly web show called “The Spin Cycle.”

Could you tell us about your family and how you came to be a WAHM?
I am a mommy to Delaney (almost 5) and Cooper (just turned 3 yesterday) and married to the greatest guy in the world.  Intelligent and funny, he makes me laugh every day and is the BEST daddy ever!  The small people are everything wrapped up in two tiny packages – they are amazing and challenging, curious and crazy, lovable and a whole lot of work!  Jeff and I met working in TV – I was the weekend anchor and he was the weekend sports guy.  When we stopped doing TV right around 9-11, we decided to move to his hometown, outside St. Louis – rather than head to mine (Southern California).  So, now I am a California girl living in the Midwest. I worked as a wedding planner through having both kids, but had the notion I wanted to do something ‘mom’ related.  A serious roll-over car accident in April of 2007 convinced me I should be spending more time with my family and following my passions.  So, I created ExtraordinaryMommy.com

One of the things you do is host of “The Spin Cycle”, a weekly web show on MomTV every Wednesday night at 9pm EST.   Can you tell us a little about the show, and what’s on tap?
With a background in TV, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to create my own show on MomTV.  I knew I wanted to be able to talk about hot topics/current events and mom-related issues….  The name came to me as I was explaining the format to a friend – I want to keep people current – talk about things that you are talking about with your friends and family, but maintain a balance as our family and work lives spin around us.

The essence of your blog is that you acknowledge that every mom is extraordinary.  What do you want readers to get from your blog?
More than anything, I want moms to remember that what they do every single day is extraordinary – in fact, moms are extraordinary just by ‘being’. We are all things to everyone – we wipe runny noses and teach A,B,C’s, we manage our homes, we heal hurts with a kiss and coach our kids through disappointment and pain, we work as a team with our spouses AND struggle to maintain our pre-family identity.  It is a lot to shoulder, but we do it.  And not matter what, we keep trying – to be a better mother, a better wife, a better friend and a better woman – that makes us extraordinary.

What do you think are the keys to success for a work-at-home mom?  How do you manage a successful business and a busy family?
There’s a key???  You simply MUST share it with me! J I think I manage because I keep laughing.  I don’t take myself or my work too seriously. I know that my family is the meaning and love behind everything I do.  If I am not spending time with my family, I have nothing to write about/talk about – they are my motivation.  I keep a WAHM’s standard hours – I am busy during nap and quiet times and I am up late at night when all is quiet.  I have to work hard to maintain ‘myself’ in the process – remembering to eat well, get a decent amount of sleep and EXERCISE.  I wish I could do it ALL every minute of the day – but I do know my strengths and weaknesses!

Want to keep up with Danielle?  Subscribe to her blog, catch The Spin Cycle on MomTV, or follow her on Twitter @extraordMommy. And hop around the other Moms Talk Network blogs to hear what else Danielle has to say!