GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — A one-of-a-kind conference is returning to the Lakeshore next month.
"Inspired Mama" is again hosting their "MamaCon" at the Grand Haven Community Center on March 19.
"I've just always felt that getting moms together is super important," said Inspired Mama's founder and creator, Samantha Cutler.
Inspired Mama was created to bring moms together to find a community of support and understanding through tough times of parenting. They host fall retreats, outings, book clubs and more, but one of their biggest events of the year is the winter MamaCon. The conference is a one-day event that brings together shopping vendors, motivational speakers, breakout groups and more, just for moms in West Michigan.
Cutler, who lives in Spring Lake, has been a mom now for 17 years. As she's raised her four kids, she's realized being a mom isn't always easy, and that's okay. That's why she created a community of support that's just for moms.
"I've just always felt that when I'm in a room with other moms, you kind of feel normal," Cutler said. "You may think you're the only one with the struggles that you're going through or you think you're the only one, but then you hear other moms start to talk and they're like, oh my gosh, I'm not crazy. This is this is normal. Everyone has struggles."
Cutler said she had always seen conferences for like-minded people and how successful they were. That's when she thought, "Why isn't there a day like this just for moms?"
So she found her own solution to that question by creating MamaCon.
"It's a place just for moms to go and be pumped up with fun music and inspirational speakers, in a room full of people that know what they're going through," Cutler said.
Cutler described the event as a place to bring moms together and connect them.
"To make them feel like they're not alone, especially after everything we've been through in the last couple of years," she said. "It's a time to come out and join together again, and to see that we all have struggles, and we're all still loving our role as moms, but we kind of need to hash things out with other moms sometimes."
The day includes a morning speaker and a coffee social hour, then a huge room of booths for shopping with vendors that are all catered to moms and families. There are then two breakout sessions for each mom, and there are nine choices.
"So of the nine, moms will get to go to two of them," Cutler explained. "And they range so that moms really get to plan their day and how they're feeling, and how they want that day to be."
"So whether they choose mindfulness and meditation, or they want to do Enneagram and parenting, the moms really get to choose their day and what they could use the most," Cutler added.
There will also be an afternoon speaker talking about the importance of physical therapy, and later, a keynote speaker. Then you can end the night with an optional night out.
Cutler also wants to make sure people know that MamaCon it is for moms with kids of all ages, and anyone is welcome with a group of friends or alone.
"I know a lot of the moms who have come to the first conference, they've met such great friends either at the conference or during the night out together and I love seeing these moms get connected."
"So you've got the new moms, the pregnant moms, and then you've got the moms that maybe have high schoolers or kids in college or even older," explained Cutler. "And it's good to see that because you have all different kinds of perspectives to learn from."
Inspired Mama also offers fall retreats, guided book groups, coaching and life mapping.
This is the third MamaCon. Cutler said she is excited to see what more West Michigan moms have to offer.
For more information or to get your tickets, just click here, or head to their website or Facebook page.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.