art

Black. Hispanic. ‪Asian‬. Curly hair. Straight hair. Blonde hair with blue eyes. Male. Female. What do all these things have in common? They are all versions of my ‪baby‬.

How is this possible? you ask. My ‪kids‬ are ‪‎mixed-race‬ ‪Chinese‬ and ‪Jewish‬. For the last two years, ‪artist‬ ‪Laura Tuzio Ross has crafted ‪doll‬ versions of my youngest ‪child‬ while experimenting with ‪ethnicity‬ and ‪gender‬.

We rarely get to look at ourselves from outside our comfort zone. I have to say it was a shock to visit my ‪social media‬ feed and see pictures pop up of my baby that took me a minute to recognize. But yet, there was something familiar about every one. And each time? I ‪loved‬ my child no matter what configuration she appeared in.

I have been writing for the last seven years. In the beginning, I wrote to share information. But then, writing became the gateway to conversations. I  made friends who have opened their hearts and lives to me and my family. I have learned about broadcast journalism. Art. Startups. Social media. Talk shows. Each time, I come away filled with awe at the incredible amount of work, dedication and skill that goes into each profession.

Everything that is worthwhile in life takes sacrifice and hard work. I am grateful to be able to get glimpses of so many different experiences when people share their personal and professional lives with me.

---

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

What does your husband think about your career? he asks. I pause. It’s hard, I respond. I am changing so quickly and moving so fast that he has trouble keeping up. He is getting whiplash. But this is what I have to do. People are copying my work. I am not the best mom. The best writer. The best anything, really. What do I do better than almost everyone? Speed and energy. That is actually how I was described for an awards ceremony, as an energetic entrepreneur. The people copying you won’t be able to keep up, he says. They will drop out. That has been my experience, I answer.

We are sitting at my dining table, sipping coffee. He has driven an hour to deliver the illustrations I commissioned as a special surprise for people very dear to me. When I put out the call for help, I had no idea what to expect. So when a graphic artist of his stature responded, I was stunned. And with each step of the process, my delight has increased. I watch the drawings take shape over a weekend. Faces are inked in black. Detail is added. Color. It is like watching people I love suddenly appear on a movie screen. His skill and years of training are evident with every stroke of the pen.

For the last six months, I have been thinking about how to make an impact at an annual sports event. Last year, my husband and I created art that caused everyone at the competition to race out to the local printer to make copies. This year? I want to make an impact that will awe and inspire everyone who sees it. And the best way to do that? Is to amp up the winning concept. I knew what I wanted to do, but had no idea how to execute it. So I did what I always do in a dilemma – I posted on social media. And the response? Stunned me.

People instantly began tagging friends. Within hours, I had multiple responses. Pitches on email. One stood out. We quickly friended each other on Facebook. Began chatting on messenger. And by the end of the day, I had a project plan, complete with budget and timeline.

And the results? Have far exceeded my expectations. Yesterday, I received the final illustrations by amazing graphic artist Dave Ryan of Red Anvil Comics. I cannot WAIT to share them with the people they depict – I am practically bursting with the surprise. But anticipation? Makes gifts extra sweet.

---

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

I first met Laura Tuzio Ross in 2012, when a dear ‪friend‬ introduced us. For years, I had been hearing about her. To finally meet her and her three beautiful ‪daughters‬ was a wonderful experience. Because Laura’s ‪‎business‬? Is a ‪family‬ affair. On the day I attended a ‪doll‬ show where Laura was exhibiting her creations, her ‪mother‬, ‪kids‬ and the ‪boyfriend‬ of the oldest one were all in attendance. And they were all helping.

One year later, I picked up the ‪baby‬ doll that Laura ‪designed‬ to look like my youngest ‪child‬. To get a chance to hold my baby even when she is grown up is a ‪priceless‬ ‪gift‬. And what made it even more special was learning that her ‪daughter‬ helped create the doll that I took ‪home‬, by rooting the baby-fine hair.

Laura employs other moms in her ‪Philadelphia‬ workshop, and allows them to bring their ‪children‬ to ‪work‬. Being able to grow a business while helping other ‪parents‬ is an incredible gift to the world. My hat is off to Laura for her ‪‎amazing‬ ‪art‬ and business ‎skills‬.

People think that when you have a child, your world ends. And it does. But here is the thing. You get to go places you never would have gone without your child. I have spent endless hours in museums and kid spaces. And because of that, I now have business relationships with some of the largest companies in the world. Plus? I get to combine that with bits and pieces of my past, to create partnerships that are unusual and have significant reach.

When you attend kid events dressed for business, that is how people will treat you. You signal your intentions with what you wear. Every time you go somewhere, it is an opportunity to make a friend. And when you stay connected with those friends via social media? You build powerful relationships with people with different areas of expertise. Each of those friends is part of a knowledge pod that you may need once a year, once a decade, or never. But when you need information, it is super easy to activate a knowledge pod because the relationships are already in place. And this is a two-way street – when you share your knowledge with friends, it makes it much more likely you will get information when you need it.

---

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