Today we’d like to introduce you to Jess Kilbane.
Hi Jess, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio., but moved to Austin with my (now) husband in 2012. After spending a few years teaching science and special education in Austin ISD and Round Rock ISD, I had my daughter and transitioned into being a stay at home mom. At this point, I was home full-time and teaching fitness classes for FIT4MOM Austin. I loved being able to have a mom community and really started to learn the importance of local connection. Feeling like I wanted to connect with even more moms who were in the same stage of life, I started blogging and teaching myself social media and digital marketing. Through this self-teaching, I started writing for local publications like Austin Moms Blog and my own personal blog, Playdates and Prosecco, as well as running the digital marketing for FIT4MOM Austin. I felt like I had really found a passion that worked with my newfound mom life and still allowed me to have a meaningful, creative outlet!
After a few years of writing, learning, and growing my skillset, I began working for Special Olympics Texas as the Unified Marketing and Communications Manager. I LOVE that I get to fuse my passion for inclusion and helping others with my love of marketing and being creative. I’m now a mom of two while running my blog through my personal Instagram account @jesskilbane and a local account for families called @aroundgeorgetown.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For me, the biggest struggle has been finding a way to feel fulfilled as a professional while still being as present as possible with my kids. One of the ways I accomplished this was by ensuring I found myself a career where I could work remote and be flexible in my working hours so that I can still be a part of things like the elementary school PTA or the room mom for my son’s preschool class.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Absolutely! I consider myself a content creator more so than an “influencer”. I work with primarily local brands, businesses, and venues to market their services and products. I specialize in fitness, fashion, and adventure, with a big emphasis on family adventure! We absolutely love where we live and I think that really comes through in my work. I strive to stay local when possible and it’s really important to me to curate my feed so that it’s relevant to both my family and the moms and families that are following along. I used to say yes to any opportunity that came my way and now I’m much more strategic with my partnerships to protect both my “brand” and my family time.
A lot of content creators and “influencers” get shamed for being fake or simply looking to get paid. For me, it’s been an incredible experience that has led me to some of my real-life best friends! I’ve found that Instagram is an amazing way to connect with other moms, plus it really pushes me out of my comfort zone at times. We have visited new places, tried to new foods and restaurants, and made a lot of local connections and new friends through Instagram. I think a lot of moms appreciate having an online “friend” that can help them navigate the tricky world of new motherhood. Plus, who knows, maybe we’ll become friends IRL one day! 😉
I also recently started a yoga teaching training program (shout out to Soul Strong Yoga in Round Rock), so if that’s your thing, be on the lookout for some in-person yoga classes in the future!
Contact Info:
- Email: playdatesandprosecco@gmail.com
- Website: www.playdatesandprosecco.com
- Instagram: @jesskilbane & @aroundgeorgetown
Image Credits:
Images 1, 2 (plank, sitting in bed): Logan Fahey Photography Images 3,4, (yoga pose, family downtown): Jessica Rockowitz Photography
