Mom Commerce Media generated enough revenue to triple its business since 2021 by implementing a strategy that seems counterintuitive in a digital-first creator economy: focusing on in-person events for women and mothers. 

Founder Eryn Vargo, a former corporate marketing executive who helped launch the platform in 2013, has built a hyperlocal media company that hosts over 50 annual events while maintaining digital and print channels to connect Central Florida mothers with local and national businesses.

“It was back when blogging was becoming very popular. wanted to create a group of local mom bloggers and bring people together, build community, and create a network of moms and voices in Central Florida,” explains Eryn about the company’s origins. 

What began as a community-building effort transformed as she recognized that mothers needed connection and resources while businesses needed genuine ways to reach this valuable demographic.

“It quickly then grew to a way for businesses to collaborate and present their brand, their product, their services to Central Florida moms in a very unique way so they can capitalize off of the reach of our platform to advertise with us, sponsor events, and just join in on the community,” Eryn says.

The Omnichannel Business Model: Digital, Print, and In-Person

Mom Commerce Media employs a multi-channel approach that spans digital, print, and in-person touchpoints, each serving both its mother [and women] audience and business partners.

“We are a very unique platform,” Eryn explains. “First and foremost, on the B2C side, the business-to-consumer side, we provide resources, content, different perspectives, community building, and over 50 events a year for moms in our community and non-moms, too.”

This consumer-facing operation forms the foundation of their business model. 

The second component is their B2B operations: “We work with local businesses to promote their brand, service, or business product to our audience. They do that by advertising on our website and sponsoring content. We have our newsletter and our social media channels that they advertise on, too.”

Mom Commerce Media also emphasizes in-person events. “Without the in-person events that we have, I think there would be something lacking for our clients,” Eryn notes. “There’s something to be said about giving them the opportunity to directly connect with these women in our community to have those conversations so that they can ask questions and directly get answers from someone in person.”

The company also maintains a print publication focused on one particular part of Central Florida. “While many people will tell you they think print is dead, I beg to differ,” Eryn asserts. “And I think many people in marketing and advertising would also beg to differ.”

A Calendar of Community-Building Events

Mom Commerce Media’s event portfolio includes:

Prosper and Flourish Networking Events: Monthly in-person networking for women business owners from September to May, with educational components focused on business growth for small to mid-sized businesses. “It’s giving you insight into a very particular area of running a business that is beneficial for most people who are smaller to mid-sized businesses,” Eryn says.

Family-Focused Annual Events: These include an inclusive egg hunt designed for children of all abilities, including those with mobility challenges or sensory issues, and a Santa event in winter.

Women’s Wellness Event: “That’s our biggest event,” according to Eryn.

Bloom Event: A celebration of motherhood featuring flower arrangement activities, professional photos, and community building.

80s Mom Prom: A summer social event focused on fun and connection.

Weekly Coffee and Connection: Every Friday, Mom Commerce Media hosts co-working meetups at different coffee shops across Central Florida.

“We live in this incredible digital era and have all this digital access at our fingertips; it’s amazing. But at the same time, the more we get into that, the further we get away from true authentic connection with people,” Eryn notes.

Mom Commerce Media’s modus operandi is based on a fundamental understanding of human nature: “We were built for connection. We are beings that were built for community. And you’re seeing now that it is very impactful in real life. There’s just not the same digital connection that you can get with someone in real life.”

‘Perception is Reality’: The Power of Networking

A core philosophy driving Mom Commerce Media’s approach is Eryn’s belief that “perception is reality” in business—a concept she shared during her roundtable discussions at the recent Mom 2.0 Summit.

“What people seem to forget in business is that perception is reality. So what you think my business is- is what it is to you,” Eryn explains. “Without me connecting with you and having that connection more than once, you’ll never truly understand what my business is.”

This insight informs the company’s networking-focused strategy for themselves and their businesses. “That old-school mentality of in-person connection—there’s something to be said about it,” Eryn asserts. “Digital is amazing, but in-person brings a whole new level to those relationships.”

For creators and business owners, Eryn adds, this means consistently showing up and explaining their value proposition: “If you’re not out there explaining who you are, taking up space, and being proud of your business, no one’s going to know about it. They’re not going to be intrigued enough to ask you questions.”

Depth Over Reach

Instead of adopting a metrics-driven focus, where follower counts and engagement rates often dominate conversations, Eryn prioritizes community depth over broad reach.

“The mom creator economy is very interesting because it’s not all about your numbers,” she observes based on her experience at the Mom 2.0 Summit. “There’s been that misconception for years and years that you must have this huge following to be considered viable for some of these campaigns and these promotions. It’s more about the depth of your audience, not the reach.”

Eryn sees this trend continuing: “I think people understand that depth is more important than the reach.”

Validating a Vision

As a first-time attendee and roundtable speaker at Mom 2.0 Summit, Eryn gained valuable insights while sharing her expertise on networking.

“It was such an incredible experience, not only as just a mom going to an event, but as a business owner, as a creator, as a speaker, as running that round table,” she explains. “The event speaks to all those different parts of who I am.”

Her roundtable sessions focused on “connections, relationships, and networking,” drawing on her experience building Mom Commerce Media. “The feedback I’ve gotten on our roundtable has been all five stars, and people resonated with it and loved it,” Eryn shares.

Attendees particularly connected with her perspective on networking: “The biggest question from the people locally is ‘How can I plug into what you’re doing?’ Which was incredible because they saw the value of the in-person element.” Others asked about overcoming the discomfort of networking, to which Eryn advised: “Really, you have to just show up and do it. And the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll get.”

The summit also inspired new initiatives for Mom Commerce Media. “My team was with me at this event, and we looked at each other and were like, ‘We need to go back to the drawing board on a few things and refine what we’re doing,’” Eryn shares. “We’re going to lean into all our ideas about our podcast and Substack. After being at Mom 2, we realized the importance of those areas.”

Expanding the Model

Mom Commerce Media plans to expand throughout Florida, aiming to grow its Women in Business program and establish satellite locations to bring women together in other areas.

“We are planning on growing our Women in Business program called ‘Prosper and Flourish,’” Eryn states. “We are looking at satellite offset locations to bring women together in other areas. We’re looking to grow our hyperlocal influence throughout Florida.”

The company sees particular opportunities to serve what Eryn calls the “middle of the road” businesses—those between startups and established large corporations—often lacking support resources. “The ‘Prosper and Flourish’ community was created out of a need of my own, of trying to find my tribe of business people.”

For professionals looking to build engaged communities around their brands, Eryn offers straightforward but powerful advice: consistency is key.

“You have to show up. And whether that’s in person or online, you just have to show up and be consistent,” she emphasizes. “Even when it’s hard and you feel like there’s no point in doing this anymore, you still have to show up, and it pays dividends if you are just consistent.”

Beyond consistency, Eryn highlights genuine connection: “Focus on true connection and finding your tribe of people in the business world that you can connect with and relate to. It is a game changer as you’re trying to grow your business to have people who truly understand where you are.”

She also reminds creators not to overlook the importance of clearly communicating their value proposition: “If you’re not educating people on who you are and what you do, they have their own potential misconception about your business. And so it’s really important to ensure that you are in your community in multiple ways, trying to grow your business from that standpoint as well.”