When I first met Kate Hall three or four years ago, I already knew we had a lot in common. As the founders of two local publications (myself with Downtown Short Pump and Kate with RichmondMom.com), we clicked and became friends almost instantly.
Over the years, we ended up partnering on a number of projects, from her website redesign to her monthly charity events at The Wine Loft, Wine Down Wednesday (which raised over $20,000 for 35 local non-profits during the time of Kate’s involvement). With common interests and a large overlap in our respective sites’ demographics, it was a natural fit.
Kate’s site, which has become a huge local source for moms (and dads) in Metro Richmond, attracts thousands of loyal visitors every month. She also grew a respectable social media presence over the years on Twitter and through her Richmondmom Junkies Facebook group.
In 2012, Richmondmom even attracted the attention of executives at General Motors Chevrolet, who selected Kate and a few other Richmond bloggers, including our fearless leader, Kelly Vance, to drive a Chevy Traverse across the country to Austin, Texas for the SXSW Music Festival. See From #RVA to #USA! Why Big Brands Love the Little Guy– Richmond GRID
The gang of four visited tornado-ravaged Tuscaloosa, Alabama and raised money for Adopt-A-Classroom. See Richmondmom Hitting the Road for SXSW– Richmond.com
A writer at heart, Kate published a local history book series for children (Richmond Rocks! and Richmond Rocks! The Spooky Sequel). Eager to focus on her writing and storytelling, Kate recently announced that she was passing the torch. See Hip To Be Round buys Richmondmom.com– Richmond Times-Dispatch
New blog parents, Christa Donohue and Brian Roome of Hip To Be Round, saw the opportunity as a natural fit. See Carytown store buys digital media business– Richmond BizSense
The cards, distributed at locations around town and available online as a free PDF download, help families save money on essentials and fun outings alike–from museum visits and portrait packages to tutoring and hotel stays. See MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Save money at Richmondmom.com– NBC12
A published author of a local history book series for children (Richmond Rocks! and Richmond Rocks! The Spooky Sequel), Kate will continue to pursue her writing interests and engage in speaking opportunities related to building a brand using social media.
Below is a video I produced documenting the group’s trip to SXSW in Austin.
