Interview with Patricia Cobe, co-author Mompreneurs®
Interview & Article by Alice Seba, editor of
InternetBasedMoms.com
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In case you don't already know,
Patricia Cobe is a nationally recognized authority on work-from-home
business. Pat, along with her co-author, Ellen H. Parlapiano, have appeared
on numerous TV and Radio shows across the country including, Oprah, the CBS
Early Show, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, CNN and CNBC. Their
first book, Mompreneurs®: A Mother's Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Work at
Home Success, has been featured as a top trend-setter in Time Magazine,
Business Week and other large publications. We are honored to have Pat drop
by and share with Internet Based Moms.
About Pat & Her Work from Home Career
Prior to the birth of Pat's first child, Pat had been working as a magazine
editor. Like most of us, she didn't want to go back to an office all day
long and leave her child to be cared for by someone else so many hours every
week. That's when she decided she would take her career in a new direction
and began freelance editing and writing. |
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Pat began by calling everyone she knew to let them
know she was out on her own. She had her first freelance assignment
when her son was three weeks old and worked steadily from there.
Looking back on her work from home career, Pat says she would change
very little. However, she says she would have taken a little more
time off instead of diving right in so soon after her son was born.
Perhaps, she reflects, she should have been pickier about the jobs
she took and might have chosen more interesting and career-advancing
work. In the end, things seem to have worked out just fine for this
mother of two.
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Pat is happy with her choice to stay home and work and says the
freedom and flexibility is the best part. She has always been able to set her
own schedule, to work around her kid's school hours, attend their functions,
performances and sport events without ever having to ask her boss for
permission.
Pat's Advice to Aspiring Writers
"If you don't have contacts in the publishing field and can't get a paid
assignment, write for free just to get published and get noticed. Websites
welcome free articles, so find one in your specialty and offer to write a couple
of pieces. Print them out and start a portfolio of clips. You can also contact
your local newspaper, a local or small magazine, even your community or school
newsletter. It's important to get clips to show or send to editors you are
interested in writing for."
Pat also recommends the publication, "Writer's Market". It is a great source to
show what types of articles magazines and other publications are purchasing.
This book also provides contact information for each publication and it can
generally be found in your public library.
In addition, Pat recommends going to writing conferences or workshops when
possible.
On Working in a Partnership
Pat and Ellen originally formed their partnership when they contracted to write
their first book. They lived near each other and had worked together before on
magazine articles. Their friendship bonded through a group called Westchester
Mothers Who Write. This was a group that met once a month to exchange ideas,
leads and referrals over lunch.
They decided to write a book (Mompreneurs®) for and about work at home moms
because they saw so many moms doing just that in their area. When asked what it
was like to work together in a partnership, Pat says the two women always
divided everything in half. For the books, they each did half the chapters and
at iVillage, they divide their time on the message boards and in chats.
Although, they always strive to divide the work equally, Pat says this is the
biggest challenge of working in a partnership. Pat stresses the need to ensure
that no partner feels overburdened. Always keep the communication lines open and
put everything in writing, even if you are best friends.
Just this year, Pat and Ellen formed an LLC (Limited Liability Company). Pat
would recommend this to anyone working with a partner as it decreases your
liability and legalizes your partnership.
The Importance of Networking
In Mompreneurs® Online: Using the Internet to Build Work @ Home Success, Pat and
Ellen stress the need for networking. When asked about the role of networking in
her success, Pat states that she began her business, the Internet was not a
reality and she did a lot of face-to-face networking. This included joining a
couple of professional organizations, attending their meetings, going to press
events and conferences when she was able. By doing so, Pat remained "visible" to
her potential clients and the clients would think of her when they had an
assignment.
In the writing of Mompreneurs Online® and Mompreneurs®, networking was
absolutely crucial. These books required the two authors to reach out to other
work at home moms through phone calls, written surveys, email and the Internet
to find antecdotes and case studies to include in their books.
They also contacted professional associations that dealt with women-owned
businesses to acquire information. These organizations got to know Pat and Ellen
as the "work-from-home experts". This led to speaking engagements, TV and radio
spots and their regular column and message boards on iVillage.com.
Pat's Number One Home Biz Tip
What is Pat's single most important piece of advice to a work at home mom? She
stresses that there is no reason to feel guilty for hiring a babysitter or using
day care if it's necessary. Also, moms working from home should realize that at
some point, it may likely be necessary on a part-time basis. As children grow
from infants to toddlers, their demands grow as well. Part-time child care gives
moms the time to make important phone calls and time to get some uninterrupted
work done. Once children are in school, it may be easier to work around their
school schedule and any extra child care may not be necessary.
Mompreneurs® in the Future
Pat and Ellen are looking to do to more consulting work with corporations that
want to reach out to mom-owned home business or that want to set up
telecommuting programs.
They envision speaking at more conferences and are considering giving their own
workshops about starting and running a successful home-based business.
Finally, Pat and Ellen plan to expand their Mompreneurs® trademarked brand
beyond books and magazine articles. Keep your eyes open, Mompreneurs® may be
coming to your town.
Patricia Cobe is an accomplished writer and
nationally recognized work from home expert. She has co-authored two books with
Ellen H. Parlapiano: Mompreneurs®: A Mother's Practical Step-by-Step Guide to
Work-at-Home Success 2nd Edition (Perigree, June, 2002) and Mompreneurs
Online®: Using the Internet to Build Work@Home Success (Perigree, 2001).
Their website is
http://www.mompreneursonline.com and you can also find them on iVillage's
Work Channel.
Come on over to
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grab your FREE 7-day Trial pass and full access to mentoring, learning
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