momstown Niagara amazed by the Inspiration and Motivation gained at Conference

Beautiful lake view at Fern Resort

  This weekend I attended the semi-annual momstown conference at Fern Resort for some serious brainstorming and idea sharing.  I never expected that it would be a life changing experience!  I get a little emotional as I think about all the new friends I made and all the kind words of support and encouragement I received from my fellow momstown chapter owners.  If I have ever been feeling overwhelmed, scared or nervous about becoming an entrepreneur, I have the comfort now in knowing that I have an entire support team and sense of family with these inspirational women from across Canada. 

  Only a few months ago, while camping in the Finger Lakes Region with my sister Jillian, she mentioned this wonderful organization to me and we immediately felt the need to bring momstown to Niagara.  Becoming a mom at a young age, I can totally relate to the feeling of disconnect from friends, being at home on maternity leave and feeling bored and isolated.  I was inspired by so many ideas and success sharing stories from other momstown owners this weekend that I can't wait to start implementing in Niagara, so I can provide moms in my community the same sense of family and support that I received from my fellow momstown mamas.

 We arrived in style in our Honda CRV, provided by Honda Canada at the picturesque Fern Resort in Orillia, ON, where we were absolutely spoiled  from the moment we checked in until the moment we checked out.  They are such an amazing family oriented resort, open year round.  I highly recommend every family make Fern Resort their next family getaway.  Did I mention that it's all inclusive? There are so many activities for everyone.  My arms are still sore from the zip line, which is probably geared towards the kids since my feet were dragging on the ground, but that's the kid in me!  Perhaps a fitness challenge will be implemented into our calendar of events this winter?  It's pretty sad that my arms are this sore from a seven second zip line ride!

Another sister team - momstown Edmonton

  We also got down to business, boardroom style and I can honestly say I've never seen brainstorming and collaborating like this before.  Brilliant ideas bouncing off one another and productivity were apparent.  So much was accomplished here that I'm sure that boardroom had no idea what hit it!  Maybe it was the sugar high provided by Black Magic that created such a high level of energy!  Delish!  I think it was having so many brilliant minds all in the same room!

   The creativity kept flowing, even into our fun time.  Try playing Mattel`s Apples to Apples with this creative group.  Not an easy win, but I tend to get pretty competitive and don't like to lose!  We also received a variety of books from Scholastic, but with so much info packed into each day I was too exhausted to open them.  I can't wait to read "I Love You, Little Bear" to my two year old this week.  And of course, you can't take a trip to Orillia without visiting Casino Rama!  We didn't win anything but that's okay.  We all came out as winners due to the success of our conference.

Jillian, Erin & Ann-Marie Burton - Founder of momstown.ca

  We're headed for an incredible year in 2013.  It's amazing how momstown has grown in just five years, since it was founded by Ann-Marie Burton in 2007.  We're all so lucky to have a true leader in her, who works so hard to ensure our success and is so passionate about creating a difference in the lives of families across the country.  This experience for me was one I will never forget.  I learned so much this weekend and feel so confident in my decision to pursue self-employment, because I truly believe in what momstown's purpose is - "to connect mom's in our community" and I can't wait to share it with all of you!