Kathy Zucker

Award winning writer • startup founder • mom of 3

Speak Up

The #FlintWaterCrisis Could Happen To Any of Us

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Sick children. Adults. Neon-colored water. Sounds like something out of a horror movie, right? Except this is taking place right now in the United States. And? This is not the first time this has happened. Today, I learned that in 2004, lead poisoning also contaminated the municipal water supply of an American city. Which one? Washington D.C.

So what happened? When officials were first notified of the water crisis in the nation’s capital, their response was speedy and thorough, right? No. In what was eerily echoed in Flint, MI in 2015, officials first denied there was a problem and then falsely claimed there was no health risk. Every single person in those municipalities was poisoned with lead for years longer than necessary.

We all make mistakes. Some errors have greater ramifications than others. The right thing to do? Is to own them right away. Apologize. Do our best to fix them. That is NOT what happened in either Washington D.C. or Flint.

Why am I so passionate about this issue? Because I have experience with lead poisoning. A routine blood test turned up elevated lead levels in one of my children. The kid had been sucking on magazine pages. And magazine ink? Contains lead. You can be sure I instantly cut down on the access to reading materials for all three of my kids.

There is no safe minimum for lead exposure. Also? Lead stays in your body for the rest of your life. My kid has undergone annual lead testing as a result of that early reading – fortunately the lead has not impacted neurological development. My heart goes out to the thousands of parents in Washington D.C. and Flint, MI who will be dealing with the ramifications of their children’s poisoning for the rest of their lives.

How can you help? Raise your voice. Contribute your time and money to something that is a nationwide crisis waiting to happen.

Why? Because your town could be next.

Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.

Help Friends Look Their Best

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None of this clothing will work, she says. I look up. I am sitting in a dressing room chatting with my friend and her husband. We are about to go on national TV together. She looks amazing in a blue top. I am wearing pink. And the third guest? Is wearing jeans. A turtleneck. And holding an array of business suits for the wardrobe manager to inspect.

My mind races. Slows. We are about the same size. She can wear one of my spare outfits, I say. I pull them from the ziploc bag. Red. Blue. Peach. They will need to be steamed. Sue from wardrobe instantly zeroes in on the peach. Do you have a camisole? she asks. I have one, my new friend says. In minutes, she is dressed to go onstage. Jeans. Camisole. And? My peach top.

Why have I done this? Shared my clothing? Because it is the right thing to do. I do not know if I will ever see this person again after today. But going on national TV? Is a once in a lifetime experience. And knowing that she looks her best? Is all the payment I need.

Television was something I stumbled into. A friend sends me a casting for a national morning show. They are looking for children ages two to twelve. I have two kids who meet the requirements. I check the time stamp. This posting is recent. It’s worth a try. I email the casting director with pictures of my kids. A few days later, I hear back. Both your girls are adorable, she says. Can you bring the big one in to be fitted for a costume?

Soon, my family is appearing regularly on television. Aren’t you going on the morning show because it’s Halloween? a coworker asks my husband. Friends begin messaging me. If you know of any opportunities, please let me know, one says. Opportunities appear that I promptly share on social media. The requirements are extremely specific for families with children of a certain age. And then? The castings begin to come in for women. I am pulled in for emergency appearances that turn into girlfriend outings where we go on national television in the morning and then head to lunch. We are back in New Jersey in time for school pickup.

What should I wear on TV? a friend asks. I dig through my dresser to find all the outfits I have worn on television. Take pictures. Post them on social media. These are the preferred colors. Ignore the copious wrinkles. Clothing should fit tightly, to the point where it is almost too small. Questions pour in. What should kids wear? a friend asks. I have no idea. I reach out to producers. The response is immediate. The clothing rules for kids are the same as for women. Here is a recent modeling photo of my toddler to give you an idea of what works on camera.

I create one secret social media group to handle all the requests. Another for kids. Soon, I see the conversation moving onto private accounts. The producers have colonized my friends. I make one last social media post thanking the producers for an amazing segment that let me test myself to the limit. And then I let go of the reins.

Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.

Invisibility Is Not a Super Power

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We have to fight to be visible

I have been invisible for most of my life.

How is this possible, you ask? I am a graduate of an Ivy League college. A person with a long corporate career, followed by a longer one as an entrepreneur. I am an international award winner. The mother of three children. A wife. A community leader. And yet, despite all that, I am frequently ignored. My words go unheard.

Invisibility is unmistakable. You create something incredible, that takes a tremendous toll on your time and life obligations. People around you ooh and aah. And then? Nothing. Silence as time piles up to bury your achievement.

The first time it happens, you think, oh, people in charge of media decisions don’t know about it. So you reach out to them. Create relationships. Help others. Foster friendships. And the next time you do something amazing? You make sure they know about it.

Still nothing.

By the eighth or tenth time it happens, you know this is no fluke. You are being ignored. You watch people around you receive rave accolades for far lesser achievements. The message is clear. You don’t matter. Your achievements don’t matter.

At this point, you have two choices. You can bow your head, accept the inevitable and bury yourself in busy work. Your children need new shoes. Snow boots are almost impossible to find. You move away, seeking a new beginning. Maybe things will be different somewhere else. But they are not. Because the reason why you are invisible? Is because you do not fit the accepted paradigm of success. You don’t have the right look. Did not come through the proper channels. Maybe, if you work hard and keep trying, you will receive the occasional article written about you. But as long as you keep going through traditional channels, people will expect you to fit a recognized model of success. To pay your dues to the system. And even then? The gatekeepers may not let you through.

There is an alternate route. It is a long, arduous one. A friend will tell another friend how amazing you are. You meet. Are introduced. And then? You do something that showcases just how incredible you are. And? You do it publicly. As publicly as possible. And then? Other people — because there are always people watching — will see it. They will file that information away. And then tell another friend, who two years later will contact you with an offer that is perfectly tailored to what you stand for.

Two years? you ask. Yes. That is how long it takes for word to spread. But once people know about you? There is no stopping you.

Will you make mistakes? Absolutely yes. Will the repercussions be severe? Also yes. Because you are doing things publicly, you open the floodgates to both the good and the bad. But when the alternative is to toil endlessly in private and receive crumbs of recognition, hate mail feels like love letters.

Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.