November 9, 2011

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“I don’t know how she does it?” It’s a common question, but even more relevant when you ask a savvy entrepreneur that manages to blaze a trail in stiletto’s, tackle motherhood like a pro and stylishly invoke hundreds of thousands of women to march to her uber cool mommy beat.

If by chance you were wondering just ‘how she does it’ – Lyss Stern is content to tell you – over a Starbucks Latte at one of her NYC events where double cappuccinos … and double strollers are welcome.

Stern, the CEO of Divalysscious Moms, a premier events- based social network for mom’s, mom’s to-be and their babies, seeks to bridge the gap between a glam, pre-baby lifestyle and a post-baby life where, well, let’s just say there are more midnight feedings than midnight soirées.

Learn how Lyss Stern built a hip social community to reach city dwelling diva moms, co-authored a book — optioned it for a feature film –  all while, mixing up the ingredients of her favorite tips for mom entrepreneurs.

How I Got Started:

DivaLysscious Moms is my passion. In my mind, it was not a leap of faith – I knew it was my calling. My 9-5 life started in the celebrity-driven, glamorous world of personal and event publicity. However, I was ready for a change. I went back to school to get an advanced degree in Early Education, and started teaching.

Fulfilling and secure, teaching is an amazing profession. However, seven years ago, when I had my first son Jackson, I realized that something was missing.

New York is the world’s most exciting city, a playground for everyone – ironically, except for moms. I was stuck outside – with my amazing son strapped into his carriage – as I watched.

My “new-mommy” friends wanted to shop for the hottest clothes, go to the newest movies, discuss events – but we seemed to be relegated to diaper-talk and the merits of one bottle brand over another. Important issues, of course, but not enough.

I needed these moms to feel gorgeous, sexy and confident… even better than they had before having kids. This is why I launched DivaLysscious Moms. My motto: Stilettos, sippy cups, strollers and Starbuck Lattes go hand-in-hand with this uber cool, modern group of women.

For me to be the best mom I can be, I needed to have a career that made me happy. Ultimately, the risk to my family was greater if I was frustrated, than if I took the chance. I had invested heavily in myself (college & two masters degrees) – and had a young son… but education means thinking, trusting my instincts. My husband understood the extra burden this might mean for him, but he also realized it was worth the risk.  And it was.

Today Divalysscious Moms is 276,000 women-strong and growing. I am building my business and my brand – all while doing something that is fun, challenging and completely satisfying.

 Best Success Story:

This is a very hard question to answer. There have been so many wonderful, memorable success stories to date. However, the most recent was finding out that the book that I co-wrote, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself (Random House) has been optioned into a motion feature film.

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