Odalys Quevedo

Odalys Quevedo is an online and social media written content expert. As a copywriter, she helps drive traffic to social media accounts and websites by focusing on strong written content with an eye for SEO and using the best hashtags. Almost two years ago, Odalys made the jump between being a stay-at-home mom to being a full-time mompreneur. Her latest endeavor, Virtual Mom Collective, is an online community for entrepreneur moms to connect during the quarantine.

M: What is Virtual Mom Collective?

Odalys: Virtual Mom Collective is a group of moms who come together online to help each other cope with #thisnewnormal. We host monthly webinars for moms who need extra support and community engagement. Our April webinar on the 11th was our official launch, and covered such topics as mindfulness, reconnecting with your children, cooking fun meals for your kids, and coping with anxiety. We already have our May panelists lined up, and it will be a diverse group of speakers - from a fashion stylist to a teacher, and more. Grab your cafecito or glass of wine, and join us on May 9th at 11am for some pre-Mother's Day mingling and info! 

M: Why did you decide to start this community?

Odalys: The one who spawned the idea for this group was my friend Denise. I interviewed her a few months ago for my Mom Boss Series on my blog, and we kept in touch. When COVID-19 became a problem in the U.S., and we had to begin "staying home" and "social distancing," Denise reached out with the idea for a virtual mom community, and asked me to be the Co-Founder of Virtual Mom Collective. In less than a month, we've reached over 300 followers on social media, and we are blown away by the response we are getting. Being a mom is already hard, and being a mom during quarantine is even harder - there's no reason why we have to do it alone.

M: Where do you see Virtual Mom Collective in 10 years?

Odalys: In ten years, I see the Virtual Mom Collective moving from the virtual world of the internet to a real-life conference with seminars and group events to help mothers learn to navigate motherhood and find community.

M: How has being a mom influenced your work?

Odalys: Before I became a mom, I used to do psychotherapy, but most of my work was done from 3pm to 9pm. This would have left very little time for me to spend with my children on weekdays. So when my daughter was born in 2014, and with the support of my husband, I became a stay-at-home mom. After a few months, I found that as rewarding as being a mother was, staying home with my tiny baby all day was lonely. I took her to a baby gym and started doing playdates every week, but it still didn't fill that void for me - I needed to create something. Then in 2016, our daughter started daycare, and I decided to start blogging as a way to connect with other moms and women. At first, I would blog whenever I found a spare moment. Finally, after three years of blogging, I finally told myself, "As much as I love connecting with other women online and blogging, it is hard work! I need to find a way to make this into a business." So I started scheduling times to write, and treated blogging like it was a job. At the beginning of 2019, I took the skills and discipline I learned from blogging, and set out to start a business. Now, I'm a copywriter, branding consultant, social media/community manager, and blogger.  

If it wasn't for my daughter, I never would have wanted to set an example of a strong female role model by pursuing my passion of writing a blog, and I never would have met Denise. And who knows what would have happened with Virtual Mom Collective?

Q: What advice do you have for other entrepreneur moms?

Odalys: Give yourself permission to pursue your passions. If your work can be your passion, even better, it's ok to dedicate time to your craft and work. It's ok to have a life outside of being a mom and raising children. Taking time for you will make you a better mom and person. 

But above everything else, my biggest piece of advice is: be kind to yourself. Being an entrepreneur is hard, being a mom is harder, and being both is possible if you take it one step at a time. 

If you want to know more about Virtual Mom Collective, contact Odalys here!