We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mona Andrei a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mona, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I believe that the saddest thing in the world is forgotten potential. My goal in writing my book, SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood, was to encourage young, single mothers to remember who they are; mothers, yes. But more importantly, they are individuals with goals, dreams, and aspirations of their own.
We were not put on this planet to do laundry.
The other message I wanted to share in SUPERWOMAN is that guilt is a lie. As single mothers, we often feel guilty. We worry that we’re not giving our children enough. And guilt takes away our sparkle. Finding what makes us sparkle from the inside (for me it has always been writing and connecting with readers) makes us happier individuals and in turn better parents.
Mona, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was twenty-four years old when I became a single mother to two very young children. At the time, my eldest was three years old and my youngest was still a baby. It was an unhappy time in my life. It was when I realized that Mr. What-Was-I-Thinking, the father of my two daughters, was not committed to the family we had started together.
The final straw came one evening after I’d just tucked in our two daughters for the night. I was reading in the living room when he told me that he was going out for the night and needed $20 for the cover charge to get into a bar.
To make a long story short, I told him that it was my last $20 until my next pay and that I needed to buy baby formula. He took the $20 anyway. I later found out that there was no cover charge.
Although single motherhood was not what I had imagined for myself, that’s when I decided that I’d had enough. That’s when I decided to leave him.
This is also when I realized that for everything I wanted in life, only one person could get it, and that person was me. I also realized that for everything I wanted in life, only one person could get in my way: also me.
This is when I discovered the 3 Cs.
I was scared; I needed Courage.
I was doubtful; I needed Confidence.
I was dissatisfied; I needed to make a Commitment to myself to create a better life for me and my kids.
It took time and perseverance but with these 3 Cs, I am now an established author and award-winning humour blogger.
And now with my book, SUPERWOMAN: A Funny and Reflective Look at Single Motherhood, my goal is to remind other single mothers that they are not alone and more importantly, to encourage them to remember who they are and find their sparkle.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a blogger and author, for me, is connecting with readers. I often get messages (emails and PMs) from readers telling me that something I wrote made them chuckle or made them feel less alone.
This means the world to me. It means that I’m helping people on a personal level.
With all the terrible things going on in the world, we need more laughter. We need to support each other and connect in a more meaningful way. Social media makes it easy for us to do that.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social media is all about being “social.” It’s about being yourself, authentic, and genuine. At the same time, it’s also about providing value.
The rule of Marketing 101 prevails. The biggest question behind everyone’s interest is: “What’s in it for me?”
Telling followers and connections about the lunch you enjoyed is one thing. Tagging the restaurant and/or telling a more meaningful story around that lunch is what brings posts to the next level.
- https://www.amazon.com/Superwoman-Funny-Reflective-Single-Motherhood/dp/1947976222/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9Y2REGUFMTIW&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7uvbfEsLrifPxlYD5sUOK0mr_p3ATgw_l-49Uay7-AjBpK2TEktNfcPJadHzedOtih0dQ9v6Jq–JvavwSfZCh_CjrVzaCe6nClr4w2G-NqJQfk2s_eh2b7v1F6pMllR1f87mXF1CSM8FtowQ8sf8yVayozrxQiHf4PLasITja9S5zYhFKutaisLSJ_Sp_WuJjNmrvzk2vMjFt8lf0rawbITgDDMsMIJIWjGqiOuiJk.qud-t0zcLCH3ecgoubkJpXNvoBlYtl772g67gdoa9-M&dib_tag=se&keywords=mona+andrei&qid=1709203883&sprefix=%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-1
- https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/superwoman-a-funny-and-reflective-look-at-single-motherhood/9781947976221.html?searchType=products&searchTerm=mona%20andrei&relatedTerms=mona%20andrei
Contact Info:
- Website: Moxie-Dude.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mona_andrei
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoxieDude
- Linkedin: ca.linkedin.com/in/monaandrei/
- Twitter: https://Twitter.com/TheMonaAndrei
- Other: MonaAndrei.com