Bloggers From Omaha #1 – Heidi Woodard

I launched MaternalMedia back in February 2012 — around the same time I left a company I had worked at for 14 years to accept a job at a new employer. I had been professionally blogging for momaha.com, the Omaha World-Herald’s parenting site for several years, and had been a regular guest on the Pat&JT Show on Q98.5 FM.

That meant, in 2012, I was freelance writing for a couple clients in addition to my 9-to-5 community outreach job, had a weekly blogging gig and radio segment, was building my personal (and uncompensated) MaternalMedia brand, and had two of my three kids in six total sports. I had a friend ask me how on earth I was able to do it all and challenged me to write down on paper each of my responsibilities.

When I stepped back and saw everything spelled out in a bulleted list in terms of what I was attempting to “balance,” it made complete sense as to why I was feeling pulled in too many different directions.

It was shortly thereafter I decided to voluntarily say goodbye to my paid blogging gig (ouch!) and further pursue what fueled me the most – making community connections, building an audience on both the radio and MaternalMedia, and diving headfirst into new challenges by rallying with parents much like myself.

I developed the GiveTheGameBack idea in the fall of 2014 and launched the movement to reclaim the game for developing athletes everywhere the following January. Through many hours on the sidelines watching pint-sized children compete, I saw the need to encourage parents and promoters of youth sports to get out of the way and let the kids play. This passion all began with a single moment between me and one of my sons.