When I was called up to the stage at #Mom2Summit, I had no idea what to say. I truly thought that one of my fellow nominees with much bigger fan bases would win the Iris Award, so I made myself content with the honor of being in their company. When I reached the microphone, I said that I'm just lucky to do what I love.

I do feel lucky. I dreamed of being a writer since I was a kid, so I still want to pinch myself sometimes. But even when you get to pursue your dreams on a national platform, it's still work that consumes you, and constantly thinking about how to improve, and finding ways to be as open and thoughtful as possible. It's worth the time to be the best I can be, and there is always room to be better.

I love working with a team made up of women who not only value what I do, they encourage and support me and my writing and they care for my words in a way that speaks to the parenting themes of their site.

Yes, there will always be people who don't believe in you, don't value you, and would rather see you fall. Don't spend your valuable time worrying how to win them over. Let your work speak for itself and focus on those who lift you up, elevate you, motivate you, and inspire you.

Thank you TODAY Parents for featuring me on your site after the Mom 2.0 Summit Iris Awards. I feel so grateful to have the support of the TODAY Parents team along with all of YOU.

https://www.today.com/…/iris-awards-mom-2-0-honor-best-mom-…

And the winners are...