For our second installment of our City Mom column, and the first of a brand new decade, please allow me to introduce Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit to my readers. Annemarie has run the very successful Yoyo Mama for three years now, helping moms of the under-five set keep it all together.
Jane Photo is also donating to a series of new organizations this year. Each time a reader leaves a comment on any post on this blog, Jane Photo will donate $1 to our charity of choice for the month, up to a total of $200 per month. January’s group is Vancouver’s Battered Women’s Support Services. Please take a moment to make a difference–and tell your friends! Comments on Facebook don’t count; you must actually navigate to the blog and comment there.
Some words from Annemarie:
What was your process in starting Yoyo Mama?
I had always liked daily emails like dailycandy.com and when I became a mum I realized there wasn’t anything like that with local information and products, so I decided to start yoyomama.
When did you begin it?
We launched in the summer of 2007. I had book published by Random House that spring Healthy Mum, Happy Baby: How To Feed Yourself When You’re Breastfeeding Your Baby (www.healthymumhappybaby.com) and as soon as I was done the PR for that I got started on yoyomama.
Where did you get the name? (Love it, btw.)
I had the name “kidbits” in my head for ages – ie. little bits of info for kids, but the url was taken so I was brainstorming names and then one day when I was eating lunch with my two-year-old and six-month-old and between the two of them I was up and down every minute for more of this and that, or a cloth, or another drink. “Mummy’s not a yoyo you know!” I finally cried in exasperation. And that was it – yoyomama. After all mums are physical, mental and emotional yoyos. One day you’re Mary Poppins and the next you feel more like Miss Hannigan from Annie.
Did you have another professional endeavor before YM?
I was the Web Strategist for Media & Public Relations at SFU. I’d also done lots of freelance writing, mainly for the web, and written a book.
What does YM offer to Vancouver area women?
I like to think of it as short hits of helpful, hip info that makes your life with kids easier. Whether we discover a great new place to hang out with kids, a super fun toy or family-friendly events, we’re all about searching out great finds (and eco-friendly ones whenever possible) for mums with kids of five and under.
What do you think your greatest accomplishment with YM has been?
Honestly? Writing (mostly by myself) an article five days a week for two and half years. We have only missed our “delivery” once and that was due to a technical glitch. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started! Also, I’m very proud of the fact that we test everything before we recommend it, and that we offer feedback to our readers from real moms.
What advise would you give other moms looking to begin their own businesses?
Be sure your partner and your family and support network are on side, you’ll need them! And research, research, research. A great book for entrepreneurial mamas is The Boss of You: Everything A Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business (http://www.laurenandemira.com/). It’s about envisioning the business you want, not the business that’s going to make you millions so you can have a big yacht.
Many mums start their businesses because they want to have more time with your kids. If your business is a success that may not happen. But you will have a way more flexible schedule.
Tell us about your kid/s.
I have two girls. M is six and in grade one. She’s such an oldest child and very dramatic to the point of doing things like watch herself swoon in front of the mirror. She came out knowing what she wanted and she still does and you cannot make her do something she doesn’t want to do. Which I foresee being an issue when she’s a teenager but I hope will also stand her in good stead in life.
L is definitely a second/youngest child. She’s ever so slightly crazy, has no fear and gives the best hugs ever. She’s very physical and loves to twirl around till she’s dizzy. She’s going to be trouble because she knows how to be charming to get what she wants. She loves to try and be like her big sister. They play endless, complicated, dress up/princess games together that only the two of them understand and put on concerts for us.
Is there a general mom tip you could share with Jane Photo’s readers?
Someone told me this once and it’s so true and so hard to remember. The days are long but the years are short. I can’t believe I have a six-year-old already. It truly seems like just the other day that she was born. 
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