If you’re a parent of a school age or younger child, chances are you’ve heard of Macaroni Kid. They’re known around most cities as one of the go-to online destinations for finding out what’s happening in and around town when it comes to kid and family friendly activities. For those not living in the kid lane, Macaroni Kid publishes weekly, hyper-local e-newsletters and websites featuring events, activities, products and places for parents, kids and families. They host local events and parties and connect with their communities via their rich and extensive social media channels. On top of 500+ local editions, Macaroni Kid publishes several national editions focused on special interest content: Macaroni Kid Family Travel, Macaroni Kid Family Wellness, Macaroni EATS for the family foodies, Macaroni Kid Family Safety, Stroller Traffic and Macaroni Kid National.
Macaroni Kid can be found in hundreds of communities across the United States and each of these is managed by a local Publisher Mom or Dad. These online publishers are what many would consider local influencers – they know their local communities and their local communities know them. Our local Macaroni Kids are run by two such moms, Amy Ghiglieri and Holly Christy. Want to know where kids eat free on Tuesdays? Ask Amy and Holly. Interested in finding a gymnastics class for your preschooler to try? Ask Amy and Holly. Looking for indoor activities to make it through winter with your sanity in tact? Ask Amy and Holly, read their packed-full-of-info weekly e-newsletters, or just click over to the Macaroni Kid site that fits your location and get the answers to all of your questions.
Macaroni Kid in Frederick and Beyond
Combined, Amy and Holly operate four Macaroni Kid sites and newsletters in and around the Frederick area-Macaroni Kid Frederick, Macaroni Kid Westminster, Macaroni Kid Mt. Airy-Damascus-Urbana, and Macaroni Kid Germantown-Clarksburg. Their goal is to make daily life more enjoyable for today’s busy families and they do this by spending their days connecting local businesses to local families in meaningful ways via their websites, newsletters, social channels, community events, and meetups.
Photo Courtesy MAD Fitness
Making an Income Online
Everyone has heard about moms making money online, but there are few more positive and inspiring examples locally than Amy and Holly. The two have been able to carve a real business with real income out of their partnership with the Macaroni Kid brand, “The support MacKid provides their publishers is fantastic. They take care of the tech side of the business by keeping our websites operating seamlessly on the backend, leaving local publishers to focus on their communities. We’re also able to share ideas and learn from each other through annual meetings, online groups, and informal brainstorming sessions with other local publishers,” shared Amy.
With the support of the Macaroni Kid brand and the connections they’ve forged with local business owners and their communities, Holly and Amy have created a thriving, home-based business, “Our advertisers love us because we’ve got a huge audience of engaged, clicking, local parents to spread the word about community businesses that make life more enjoyable for the busy family.” They’ve grown their e-newsletter mailing list to over 34,000 subscribers and have over 15,000 followers on their social platforms, “We’re in such a unique position – having a platform that’s effective for our advertising partners and an audience that’s engaged,” explained Amy.
Photo Courtesy Macaroni Kid Frederick
Life As an Online Business Owner
The idea of working at home is an appealing one to many, but the stereotype that at home workers are sitting in their pajamas all day is just not the reality, especially when it comes to such a community centered business like Macaroni Kid. As Amy and Holly explain,while they do enjoy a flexible schedule, and often are able to work from home, they also have the added bonus of being able to spend a ton of time connecting with business owners and families in the community as they scope out event venues, meet with business owners, attend planning meetings with vendors, attend grand openings, and host events. No two days are the same and rarely do they get to spend all day in their pajamas.
Photo Courtesy FCPL
There are also some drawbacks to work at home life that people don’t often appreciate. Many complain of being lonely and missing out on in office interactions while others express that it can be challenging to stay on task with assignments. Amy also noted the challenge of finding balance and leaving work at work, “When your laptop is your “office” and it’s always right there, it’s difficult to set boundaries and not be constantly responding to emails, said Amy.
In the end, it seems that Macaroni Kid has provided Amy, Holly, and their families an opportunity that our entire community is benefiting from. Amy summed it up best, “Macaroni Kid has provided us with such a deep connection to our communities that wouldn’t be possible with any other job. We get to help local businesses make their dreams a reality and help families to create countless memories together.” Sounds like a winning combination for Frederick County for sure.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.