An Interview with Mompreneur Martine de Luna of MakeitBlissful.com

How can we oftentimes forget the one’s closest to us? I’ve been interviewing a lot of amazing women entrepreneurs and who do I forget to interview? I forget to share the story of my amazing partner-in-crime (and when I say crime, I actually mean business. Lol!), Martine De Luna.

Okay, let me tell you more about Martine, for those who don’t know her (which is quite impossible, since she’s practically a celebrity to moms). Martine de Luna is a lifestyle design advocate, student of life, a WAHMderful woman; wife to Ton for six years, and mom to Vito for four. An old soul with a love for long walks, books, quiet days on holiday, and a passion for visual storytelling, Martine loves being a “sociable introvert,” a blogger, a writer, and an amateur photographer (mostly on Instagram). Oh, by the way, she ‘says’ she’s an amateur, but I consider her a Pro because she create these amazing photos especially on Instagram (I hate her for this! All of my pictures on Instagram look crappy! haha!). Before becoming a full-time freelancing WAHM — mostly doing online coaching, copywriting and community management — Martine used to be an English teacher, a youth counselor, a magazine staff writer and editorial assistant. Her goal in life? To live each day joyfully despite all odds, and to find “bliss” in the ordinary everyday of being a wife, mom, and student of life.

Interview with Mompreneur Martine de Luna of MakeitBlissful.com

Ginger: Oh my geee! How could I forget you! Good morning, Marts! It’s nice to have you here at MommyGinger.com! I’m really excited to have learn from your experiences and I’m sure other people would love to hear your stories, too and how you made it to where you are now. So, can you tell us more about your brand/business? What is it about and how long have you been in business?

Martine: My brand, Make it Blissful, is really a statement, a collective and a mindset. I started it on my blog, which was formerly called “Dainty Mom.” Through the blog, I offer blog-related events, like blogging and writing workshops. I also offer collaborations, either with other blogs, or with brands that I feel “click” with the Make it Blissful way of thinking.

I also offer freelance digital media-related services, on my professional site, Martinedeluna.com. I launched this about a year ago, when I wanted to step up my freelancing game and go into offering services on a full-time basis. In the past year, I’ve worked with women-run businesses, like wedding blogs, style/fashion blogs and businesses, creative businesses, advocacies, and personal bloggers, mostly through blog consulting, branding, and copywriting.

Ginger: With all of these services, who is your primary market?

Martine: Women who have great ideas and need help in putting them into an online platform that will help them in their businesses.

Ginger: I’m just curious, how did you come up with this idea?

Martine: These services I offer — blog coaching, copywriting, developing website experiences, even personal brands for women — they were all based on skills I’d learned as a creative social media manager in a U.S. based business that I used to work for (offshore). During my stint there, I learned how to blog beyond just lifestyle blogging; I learned branding, social media basics, some online marketing, that sort of thing. I was also exposed to brands and businesses abroad, because these were the clients we worked with. A lot of the blogging and social media practices I learned were so different from the local blogging and social media culture. I thought, why not teach these tactics to individuals, so that they could build up their online platforms (websites and blogs) in a way that felt professional, like “DIY PR” or “do it yourself branding.” I called my initial offering “blog coaching,” because I began doing one-on-one freelance coaching with people who wanted to launch a serious, long-term blog.

I also saw that there was a need for busy business owner-women to manage their blogs and social media accounts more effectively. These powerful women often don’t have time to manage these platforms; they are busy building up their businesses. I started offer “web & blog management” for these women, so that I could manage running content, editorial, photography, and make sure their blogs and websites regularly came out with quality content. I likewise complimented this on social media by being their community managers, too.

Ginger: Amazing! Knowing that this mission would really be hard work, were there any obstacles that you faced when you decided to pursue becoming a Mompreneur?

Martine: Well, I’m only breaking into the local coaching scene. It’s picked up over the last few months. I feel the challenge is in balancing it all: your personal/family life, excelling and improving in your coaching and services, finding time for continuing education, etc. Because I work now on a “per project” or retainer basis, I have to make sure I’m constantly marketing myself and putting myself out there in front of potential clients.

Ginger: What are three traits that you think a Mompreneur should have when starting their own business?

Martine: I think going solo — whether as a freelancer or mompreneur — takes gumption. You have to be willing to take risks so that you can discover where you can really thrive. Of course, you should plan financially and prepare your reserves before going into solopreneurship, into mompreneurship. You also have to learn how to organize your life according to your priorities. You’re your own boss when you become a freelancer, a mompreneur, and that can be both a blessing and a burden! I think mompreneurs and solopreneurs should also have a solid community of like-minded people that they can connect with on a regular basis, especially on days when things get challenging. For instance, I began a community called the WAHMderful Life, in partnership with Manila Workshops. These women are all work-at-home moms, and they find support, encouragement, even work, when they connect in our exclusive Facebook community group, set up especially for them. You can’t be a mompreneur and “be an island.” Find your tribe; grow with a community. They can help you keep going, even during your down and low days!

Ginger: That’s good advice! That’s true. A lot of the support that I got was also through that network. Marting, how about sharing with us any unforgettable moments or lessons that you learned as a Mompreneur?

Martine: I’ll share just one lesson: You have to design your life and be humble about learning how to do things better. Having an outlook of lifelong learning and “life hacking” can take you through your most trying times as a mompreneur.

Ginger: What advice can you give to other Mompreneurs?
Martine: Stay humble. Never stop learning how to do things better. Hire a mentor or a coach to be your constant sounding board. (I owe much of my success to the training and mentorship of business coaches and blog mentors.) Live out your mompreneurship like you’re at the top of your empire: delegate, hire the help you need, create systems so that you can focus on your priorities: family, marriage, and the bigger picture of your business.

Ginger: What are tech tools that you use for your business?
Martine: I can’t live without WordPress! Every business — whether online or offline — needs to have it and leverage it towards their brand, their sales efforts, their lead generation. It’s not just for blogging. With WordPress, you can literally run your business from anywhere in the world.

Ginger: Thank you Martine for sharing with us your insights on being a momprenuer and for sharing your experiences. We wish you more success in all of your endeavors!

For Martine’s contact details, you can see it listed below. Thank you for reading this interview and watch out for more interviews with inspiring mompreneurs!

Contact information of Martine De Luna:
Website www.makeitblissful.com (blog) | www.martinedeluna.com (professional)
Email address info@martinedeluna.com
Mobile Number 0917-8591126
Facebook Page facebook.com/makeitblissfulblog | facebook.com/martinedelunasolutions
Instagram account: martinedeluna
Pinterest: martinedeluna
Twitter: martinedeluna