Back in 2008 blogger/brand relations were in their 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus phase (to quote Talladega Nights, one of my favorite movies.) I’d been blogging since late 2005 and was just starting to see the potential for moms to influence brands, politics, and more, via the written word online. I honestly started blogging simply for a creative outlet, a little virtual Xanax, if you will. I never knew it would become a professional hobby that has opened many doors for myself and for my family.

It was spring 2008 when I received an invitation to join about 50 other mom bloggers at Johnson & Johnson’s Camp Baby event which was, as far as I know, one of the first big brand conferences bringing a national company together with active bloggers from across the United States to discuss the issues most important to moms. This was before I was using Twitter or even Facebook. I was a just a babe in the social media woods at that time but you could really feel the excitement generated by all these social media savvy women under one roof.

One of the dynamic women I met at Camp Baby was Colleen Padilla from Classy Mommy. Colleen is a smart cookie mama with an MBA from Cornell whose blog and brand has led her to work with brands such as T.J. Maxx/Marshall’s and Tide, and she’s even been featured in the New York Times. She founded a very successful blog based primarily around product reviews. At Camp Baby I also met Jane Couto, sister of Audrey McClellend, founders (along with their mom) of MomGenerations.com It’s fun to see that now just three years later their careers have absolutely skyrocketed and they’ve carved their own niche, Audrey’s being relevant, achievable, and fun fashion advice for moms. AND? She’s mingled with the likes of Tim Gunn on the red carpet.

Both Colleen and Audrey are sharing their insight, tips, and personal anecdotes about successful careers as digital moms in their new book, The Digital Mom Handbook.

Even though I’ve been blogging for nearly six years now (thud) and I have also enjoyed some success working with brands, The Digital Mom Handbook was a helpful refresher on tips for successfully leveraging social media. Although I haven’t quit my day job, the perqs I have received, not to mention all the amazing people I have met and friends I’ve made thanks to blogging and social media, have been incredible. I’ve stalked Keifer Sutherland at a Hollywood event co-sponsored by Honda, I’ve put on my test drive course driving helmet at Ford, I’ve gotten my gamer girl mojo on at Nintendo’s world headquarters, I’ve started writing about family travel, and I’ve test driven a Nissan Quest on summer family vacation.

If you want to learn how to find your passion and your tribe, read real life success stories from bloggers you may already follow (like me!), and also learn basic nuts and bolts about such things as different types of revenue streams, suggestions on blog networks to join, and insight from a PR professional on how to get you and your social media brand noticed, this is a great book for all levels of social media experience. And hey, you can read what I have to say (pages 191-192…ahem.)

Blogging successfully takes considerable time and effort. It’s not a get successful overnight scheme. It’s something I truly love doing. And that, to me, is success.

Want to win your own copy of The Digital Mom Handbook, written by my friends Colleen Padilla and Audrey McClelland?

Simply leave a comment on this post about why you want to win this book by midnight Wednesday, October 5, and I’ll select a winner at random.

Good luck ya’ll!