Motherhood is often likened to a journey: unpredictable, challenging, and yet, deeply rewarding. In this intricate dance of raising the future generation, many mothers often seek a beacon, a guiding star to navigate the tumultuous seas of parenting. Jamie Taylor, with her “I Am Mom Summit,” has emerged as that beacon for countless mothers worldwide. Let’s dive deep into Jamie’s journey and the summit that’s changing lives.
I was blown away at the magnitude of the event and the benefit I received from attending I Am Mom Summit. It was filled with inspiring stories and down-to-earth, invaluable help for parents raising children. I filled a notebook with ideas and quotes from the speakers. For several days I reflected on the messages I had heard and began implementing some of the recommendations given.
This summit is all about helping moms, which is in line with our mission at Mommy High Five of making life easier for parents. I decided to reach out to Jamie Taylor, founder of I Am Mom Summit to be featured as one of our Inspiring Moms. Jamie had some poignant words of wisdom I am so excited to share! We even decided to use Jamie’s interview as an episode in our first season of our Inspiring Moms Podcast, which was brought about in part by what Jamie had to say.
Team Taylor
Jamie met her husband Mike when they were country dancing. Jamie said Mike looked like a cowboy. He asked her to dance to her favorite song (“She’s My Kind of Rain” by Tim McGraw). When they learned that they went to the same university, they decided to get together to study (Jamie admits there wasn’t any studying done). They’ve been together ever since.
Jamie and Mike have been married for 20 years and have 5 children. They call themselves “Team Taylor”. As a family, they have lived in New Mexico, North Carolina, and Utah. Team Taylor has a family cheer every night that includes the mantra “work hard, play hard”. They love playing games, being outside, dancing in the kitchen every night, and having family movie night.
I love that they recognize their family is a “team” and that they can work hard and play hard together. Kids (and families) really need the bond that comes from being a team with each other. And the world would be so much better off if all kids knew how to work hard!
The Beginnings of I Am Mom Summit
The idea for I Am Mom Summit began in 2018. After 10 days of taking care of 4 sick kids while Mike was busy helping put on a virtual event for work, Jamie said she was exhausted and depleted. She asked Mike why there wasn’t a summit for moms. His response? “Let’s start it.”
The idea was that there is so much information for parents (maybe even too much) so why not gather people and information together in one arena? It would be a way to motivate and empower moms. Jamie said they wanted the summit to be free of cost and available to parents of all backgrounds and situations. That meant it needed to be virtual. And the content would be available for 10 days so parents would have time to watch it when it was convenient for them.
With all the negativity thrown around about motherhood, Jamie said she wanted the summit to be “something where moms walked away feeling educated but also proud to be a mom.”
Summit Results
After about a year of hard work, they put on the first I Am Mom Summit in 2019, which included 25 speakers. They had 13,000 attendees that year with an 80% attendance rate, which is exceptional in the virtual world (and this was before virtual meetings were really a thing).
Since 2019, I Am Mom Summit has featured speakers from across the globe including parenting experts, medical experts, influencers, professional athletes, and many more. With experiences and ideas from so many different backgrounds, the speakers give participants strategies to make their parenting more effective. In addition, participants leave feeling emboldened and ready to continue on in the parenting journey.
Jamie noted that motherhood is the most important job in the world, but there is no formal education to prepare moms. The hospital just hands you a baby and you have to figure out what to do. The summit is a way for moms to come together and learn from each other how to best raise happy, resilient, kind children.
Jamie told me “Part of the beauty of parenting and motherhood is you learn as you go, and you grow as a person yourself. It’s kind of exciting that you can create your own path and not everyone’s path is the same.” I Am Mom Summit encourages moms to keep trying, to push through, and to parent children the way you feel they should be parented.
I have now participated in the Summit both virtually and in person. My parenting has improved and adjusted as I have gained new perspective and tools to better provide my children with what they need to be successful and happy.
Filling the Need
I love that Jamie saw a need and was proactive. Rather than waiting for someone else to step in, Jamie stepped up and out of her comfort zone and got started. She surrounds herself with people who know how to do the things she doesn’t. Jamie has a team of volunteer moms who are helping to run the Summit. Together as a team they are making a difference for families around the world.
Moms who have participated in the Summit would agree that the work Jamie and her team are doing is important and much needed. They tackle some of the topics that are most relevant in today’s world including keeping kids safe and connecting with them.
Looking to the Future
With dreams of taking the summit on a nationwide tour and even incorporating live events, Jamie has recruited volunteers around the country to help in her vision. By incorporating both virtual and physical interactions, I Am Mom Summit will be able to reach and inspire women throughout the world.
I am excited to watch the evolution of the Summit. I found positives in both the in-person and online events I attended, and I know Jamie’s vision will continue to provide support and motivation for moms everywhere.
Personal Inspiration
Usually when I conduct an interview, it’s all about me asking the questions. Jamie caught me a little off guard when she started our interview by asking questions about me and about Mommy High Five. At the end of our interview she asked, “What are your goals? What’s keeping you from achieving those goals? What are you going to do about it?”
These questions which Jamie posed to me have made all the difference. I had been thinking about starting a podcast but didn’t know how to go about it. When I told Jamie my idea, she told me to stop being afraid, find people who could help me, and just jump in. She was really the catalyst that got Inspiring Moms Podcast started. I will be forever thankful for her gentle push which gave me the courage to try.
So, if you are reading this, I encourage you to take Jamie’s advice. Think about what you want most, what’s keeping you from doing or achieving it, and decide what you are going to do about it. You might be surprised at how empowering it is!
Jamie’s Encouragement for Moms
Jamie had some great encouragement for moms. Here are some of the things she said:
- “You are enough. You are the mom for YOUR kids and that what makes our world so interesting and fun is we’re all different. We come with our own innate gifts and talents and that’s what we are going to provide to our specific families.”
- “It’s so easy to have the mom guilt and compare yourself. Focus on your strengths and you will thrive. Let go of some of your weaknesses.” Jamie told me she isn’t a great cook or a decorator. Once she learned to let go of the guilt of those weaknesses and embraced her greatest strengths (including gathering people together to show love) she was able to find more joy.
- “Find your mom mentor or your tribe to relate and build you up; it makes you feel better.”
Advice for Starting Something New
I asked Jamie what she would tell women who want to start something but are worried or unsure of how to get started. She outlined specific steps that I have found valuable in my own journey, and I know they will be helpful for you as well.
- Figure out your why. Discover why you have this passion or desire. What is motivating you to want to try this? For Jamie, she wanted women to feel valued and important and for them to have a voice and support.
- Find your people. Jamie recommends finding people who will support you through your journey. That means people who will help motivate and encourage you. It can also mean building a team of people to work with you, especially on things you don’t know how to do or don’t have time to do.
- Find out what’s holding you back. What is keeping you from achieving your goal? Jamie recommends writing out a detailed list so you can see where you need to focus and how to let other people help.
- Be yourself. In a world of influencers, Jamie says not to worry about what other people are doing and be yourself.
Conclusion
In a world filled with countless parenting resources, Jamie Taylor’s “I Am Mom Summit” shines bright, not just for its content but also for its purpose. It’s a testament to Jamie’s passion, dedication, and her unwavering belief in the power of motherhood. In the end, Jamie’s message is clear: every mother is valued, every journey is unique, and together, they can conquer any challenge.
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