Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenna Liu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jenna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

My goal and the motivation behind my company, is to leave a legacy of empathy and strength for my daughter. For all our daughters. The Sixx Cool Moms mission is to elevate motherhood to the 21st century, so when and if my daughter has her own child, it will be in a world that respects the sacrifice and power of motherhood. We are getting there, but we are not there yet!

Jenna, 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’m Jenna Levine Liu, the founder of Sixx Cool Moms: The National Network of Social Groups for Moms. I had a full-time career as a political advertising specialist when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter Poppy. During my second trimester, I realized that most of my friends lived a 45-minute drive away from me. While traveling 45 minutes for brunch or happy hour works when you are kid-free, once that 7-pound bundle of joy shows up, the distance was too much to build a real support network.

So, I did what any other basic suburban mom does, I joined some Facebook groups in my area. Once I got into the world of Moms Facebook Groups, I realized that I was not a good fit for them, and they were not a good fit for me…so I started my own.

I had no intention of turning my group into a profitable space, but that initial chapter grew quickly. The messaging came across as authentic, funny, and relatable. It was and still is a true judgement-free zone for moms to talk about the reality of child-rearing, while also sharing their interests, hobbies, and life stories.

After a certain point in my growth, chapter members were reaching out about advertising. Since I had 12 years of advertising experience, I offered to help. I wrote copy and promoted members for free, but that got time consuming. I still had a full time job and was entering the 2020 political cycle. At that point I decided to start charging a small fee for advertising, and businesses were paying. So, I charged a bit more, and they were still paying.

That was my lightbulb moment. One chapter is one thing, but multiple chapters across the country? Well now we are talking real advertising dollars. I believed in my idea of elevating motherhood to the 21st century, and it was time to implement.

I launched my LLC in March of 2020, right before the start of the pandemic. My intention was always to be an in-person events platform, but I quickly pivoted once the shutdown took place. During the pandemic, moms all over the country were coming to Sixx Cool Moms to join chapters or start their own. They were trapped at home with their family, working full-time jobs, handling virtual learning for kindergarteners, and having no space to relax and decompress… except on the internet.

It was very difficult to be a mom in 2020 and 2021, and we offered a safe space to connect and foster life-changing friendships.

What started as one 500-member chapter, has turned into 47 chapters in 18 states with 110k Cool Moms. In addition to our Facebook communities, Sixx Cool Moms offers in-person events, retreats, workshops, and business development opportunities to moms across the county.

For advertisers, we took the traditional influencer marketing model, and transformed it into a community approach. We start the word-of-mouth, and our members pick it up. We support local businesses, and they support our members with deals and discounts.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building a reputation as a startup can be a challenge. Early in my endeavor, I invested in a wonderful lawyer who helped me get a trademark for Sixx Cool Moms with zero issue. Once I had my IP secure, I hit the branding hard. We have stylish ‘Be Cool” bumper stickers with our website listed. When members come to an event, I have someone put bumper stickers on every car. (They are magnets, so easy to remove.)

When those members leave on a “Be Cool” sticker, our message is automatically all over town.

At Sixx, we are sticklers for authenticity. We do not push products we would not use, and our messaging is consistent and strong. ‘Elevate motherhood to the 21st century.’ Say it enough and people start to listen.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

When I launched my initial Facebook chapter in July of 2019, my only goal was to make mom friends in my neighborhood. When members started to ask about advertising, I did it for free until it became too time consuming. After a few months, I started to charge a small fee to write and post their advertising copy, and people were paying. Then I charged a little more and they were still paying. That was my lightbulb moment.

One chapter is one thing, but a whole network of chapters. Well, that’s real advertising dollars and I think I can turn this into a profitable organization.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sixxcoolmoms.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixxcoolmoms
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sixxcoolmoms/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sixx-cool-moms/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/coolsixx
• Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@sixxcoolmoms

Image Credits
Candidly