At Genes2Teens, we love to celebrate how the digital world has connected communities surrounding parents and created a space to interact with each other, ask questions, share advice, and gain insights on surviving parenting challenges. The rise of parenting blogs that discuss motherhood, kids, and related topics is a heartening example.

Today we chat with a mom and blogger who’s a true inspiration on her remarkable motherhood journey and the beautiful lessons of life. She shares what motherhood means to her, experiencing the online world of blogging as a mom, and how she empowers other women to work hard and embrace who they are without guilt.

Meet Camille Walker, who blogs on My Mommy Style and hosts the Call Me CEO Podcast.

Motherhood is hard but worth celebrating in its entirety as a woman and the person you are becoming every day.

1. Camille, thank you for gracing this interview! Please tell us a little about yourself and what you do.

I am a wife, mother of four, blogger, podcaster, and business coach. I have spent the last 10 years creating content to enrich families and encourage mothers to live their best lives. Women and mothers deserve every happiness life has to offer.

2. Looking back, where did it all begin?

I’ve always been a lover of people, education and challenging myself to learn. My formal education is in family and consumer sciences, as I had planned to teach in the field of adult roles, finances, or child development. Life took me into the field of finance as I worked as a mortgage broker upon graduation.

The year 2008 shook me and my world completely. It was the year we all experienced the market crash that resulted in most banks closing and many people losing their homes and jobs.

The year I lost my job but gained my greatest role, as my oldest was born that same year. I was finally a mother—the thing I have always wanted to become.

Within a few years, I was itching to share, teach, and reach beyond the walls of my home. Becoming a mother is and remains my favorite everything, but I knew I would be my best self if I continued in that spirit of learning and sharing. I started a personal blog when my baby was born and a few years later created My Mommy Style. A place where mothers could embrace who they are and know that their instinctual self is the person their child needs.

I have worked with brands like Disney, Nintendo, Target, and West Elm through the years. I have adored building and sharing content that uplifts families, enriches homes with recipes, and creates a deep sense of family—one memory-making day at a time.

I am now running a team that helps me continue my blog as I spend more of my day sharing stories of businesses built by mothers on my podcast, Call Me CEO. It is the BEST.

3. What’s in the name “My Mommy Style?”

My Mommy Style is all about embracing your intuition as a mother. I’ve always felt like, as mothers, we are quick to doubt ourselves and our ability to nurture our children the way we think best suits us. I want each mom to know that your intuition is there for a reason. We’re not all meant to do things the same.

4. “Embrace the mom you are” is quite an interesting tagline. Can you elaborate on what this means for you to embrace who you are, and do you think motherhood changed your personality?

The tagline was originally created when I was writing with three other moms. We shared our different perspectives on important topics and invited others to do the same with welcome arms.

Exclusive breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding? Disposable diapers vs. cloth diapers? Who cares. We care about moms that love their kids. Those individual decisions don’t change the love a mom has for their kid.

My personality? Yes and no? I think we evolve as humans as we learn and grow, so I know I am not the same as when I started. However, I’m still fun-loving, adventure-seeking, and love to get lost in a good book. I think I have a much deeper sense of empathy for a variety of situations.

If you’re a mom who’s said, “My kid would never,” You quickly learn that you’re not the one in charge. Humility and grace are requirements for you and your kids. We’re all learning as we go along.

5. There’s more to us than just raising kids; this is clearly defined throughout your website and the many hats you wear in your busy life. How do you make it all work?

I take breaks, look at long-term goals, get help, and communicate. It is one of the main reasons why I started coaching other women on hiring virtual assistants or accepting help in other areas of life.

I have a cyclical amount of energy. I am motivated by reaching goals, spending quality time with my family, and making memories. If I’m honest, traveling with my family is my lifeblood. So building my business has created many opportunities to travel, and that has meant the world.

Find what motivates you and keep showing up. You’ll get there.

6. You have been featured in several notable publications. How do you get creative ideas to stay relevant and relatable? What’s your go-to mantra whenever you’re in a creative rut?

The life around me inspires me. My kids are always into something and I love creating. I research a lot and love the process of learning something new.

My mantra is everyone I meet is my superior in some way. There is something I can learn from this person.

7. What are the three things that a mom-to-be must know?

• Days are long, and years are short. That doesn’t mean there won’t be days when you’ll look forward to a shift in your life. It is nothing to feel guilty about. Let it inspire you to create what you want.
• Every stage of motherhood is challenging yet amazing. Every stage will pass. Try to soak up the good parts and shake off the bad.
• Create support around you: people, hobbies, passions, and nourishment. Fuel your body, soul, and mind with things that uplift and inspire you.

8. How did your upbringing influence your thoughts on becoming a mom one day?

My parents raised me to love life and people and with a large extended family, we loved traveling to different places. We were active and fun-loving, spending many summers on our boat and in the mountains.

My parents were both educators and that impacted my life a lot. I watched my mother sacrifice a lot raising 5 kids but also spending time nourishing her interests and selling products like porcelain dolls and ceramics to help pay for our lessons and activities.

My parents worked as a team and I wanted that for my family too. I love that my mom kept her interests and talents alive while raising 5 kids.

9. What do you enjoy the most about parenting in the digital age?

I love that we can capture so many memories and keep them close, that we can connect with parents from around the world, and that your imagination is your only limit.

10. Much emphasis is placed on the teen years, but what would you say are the key lessons you have learned while parenting at different stages?

Where do I begin!? A child’s mental health is the best investment you’ll ever make. More often than not, the investment comes in the form of your time and your listening ear.

Each stage comes with a level of trust and letting go, allowing your children to make decisions for themselves. It is a trip and goes so very fast.

11. Any favorite child-friendly activities to try this summer?

My website has a free summer learning series packed with fun ideas. One of our favorites is fruit trains made from blocks of watermelon. Other activities we also love are simple water parties, BBQs, and s’mores under the stars.

Go on a bug scavenger hunt, swim in the lakes, and take a trip to the dollar store to pick out your favorite treats. Eating pizza on a picnic blanket under a fireworks show is pretty awesome. Give that a try!

12. A day in your life…

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of routines and daily schedules:

• 6:30 am: Wake up.
• 7-8 am: Do pilates.
• 8 am: Get the kids ready and out the door.
• Mid-morning: This has always been kid time, but I’m right in the middle of summer and going into my first year of kids in school full time (so weird). Because it’s summer, we have chore charts we do in the summer, swim lessons, and dance classes.
• After lunch: I usually spend a couple of hours getting work done, doing interviews, answering emails, and making coaching calls. The perfect time for them to play with friends. As I write this, I am on the back patio with 10 eight-year-olds having a water party at my house. It’s crazy and that’s okay. We like going to our local pool, theme park or spending the days with cousins and friends.
• Nighttime: Dinner, but it isn’t always homemade. We play pickleball in the back, hang out with our dog, and watch Disney-themed series like Marvel, Star Wars, or classic movies.
• 9 pm: Bedtime for kids. I then hang out with my amazing husband.
• 10:30-11 pm: My bedtime.

13. Tell us about the critical role your family plays in your career and everyday life.

My kids have been involved in what I’ve created online since the beginning. I often share my goals, failures, and achievements with them. They are my reason for everything. Recently, they filmed a Tv segment with me for a toy store. I always ask permission for their involvement and they love the perks.

14. How early should you teach your kids the importance of work and making financial decisions?

We started in the beginning. My husband is a certified public accountant (CPA), and together we have made work and finances a hands-on subject. Our oldest two (14 and 11 years old) have their own savings accounts linked to a debit card we opened when they were around 8 years old.

Our younger two have active kid accounts, but we recently realized that our local credit union has cool incentives for kids, so we are switching to those.

We positively talk about work. We work hard so we can play hard. Open communication about why I’m working or why dad isn’t home is all part of that puzzle. It’s how we have a home and food to eat. It’s a blessing to have work and help other people.

15. In what way do you hope the workplace will be different for your kids?

I felt my choices were a bit limited when I was growing up. I knew I wanted to be a mom and stay at home with them. So it felt like an either/or thing.

Now, there are so many ways you can make money from home if you choose to do it that way. That is why I built the 60 Days to VA program so other moms could work at home and create a schedule that allows them to be with their kids as well. Seeing what has happened to my students as they bravely took that step has been fulfilling.

I hope my kids can all find something that taps into their strengths and allows them to impact the world positively. It’s so fun to watch them become who they’re becoming. I want them to feel capable, curious, and not afraid of failure because that is how we learn.

16. One thing that stands out on your page is the vast display of wonderful recipes to try at home. What prompted your love for cooking and recipe development?

My old blog partner Melissa was the brains behind most of the recipes on our blog. It was a sad day when she moved on to other things. I did teach a live cooking show on Facebook for a year that brought in thousands of live viewers with my friend Shane. You can find those episodes on YouTube still. For me, it’s always finding something my family will eat because if I cook food and they don’t eat; it drives me crazy.

17. As a confessed Disney addict who enjoys a high-energy, fun trip at Disney world and sometimes a relaxing family trip, what would you say are the common ground rules for planning a vacation with your family and how to make the most of any trip?

Know what you’re signing up for and set your expectations for that. Disney trips are meant to be thoroughly planned and energy-draining because you should fit a lot into the day!

Take a step back and drop expectations of how your kids will behave. Taking breaks midday for busy-filled days is essential for success. Start early, take a nap, and come back for more. Magic happens when you plan well and then roll with the punches. I have blog posts about this specifically as Disney requires a plan.

For our relaxing trips, we plan one outing a day and lots of swimming. My kids love to have time to explore, hike, and let the day take us where it will.

18. What is the one parenting book that changed or influenced your parenting style, practices, and principles?

It has to be How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk.

As parents, we often assume we know exactly what our kids need or want to hear. This book focuses on creating space to allow your children to ask for advice if they’d like it.

So, for example, after listening to your child express frustration, sadness, or confusion, you are meant to say a lot less. Words like, “Uh-huh,” “Yeah,” “Tell me more,” and “How did that make you feel?”

After that, you might ask if they know what they want to do about it. If your kid says they aren’t sure, you can ask, “Would you like to hear what has worked for others in the past?” And then offer up examples or ideas.

Then you ask, “Do you think that might work for you? Or, “What do you think about that?”

It is easy to be in advice mode, so I work hard to incorporate this practice to help my children trust their instincts and become decision-makers themselves.

19. Message for the stay-at-home mom trying to dip her feet into this digital world of blogging and podcasting or any parent who wants to grow an online business?

There is space for you; you have a voice and story to be shared. If you feel called to do something, DO it. Life is too short for what-ifs.

The stage of motherhood is such a small window of life. Never think your possibilities of personal growth are over once you become a mother. Cherish the time you have.

There is room for you to expand and grow, and you’re a better person/mother/friend/wife when you take time to nourish yourself. As women, we have seasons of life that allow us to nurture our nest and then reach beyond our homes’ walls. Honor your energy and your capacity; this is not a race.

20. What is on the horizon for your personal brand?

I’m leaning more toward coaching women to start and grow their businesses and to look for assistance in hiring to help nurture their businesses. I love it. I want to keep sharing stories on my podcast, Call Me CEO, of mothers building businesses and on my blog, My Mommy Style, to enrich families.

In sum

Parenting blogs are worth their weight in gold. The opportunity to collect real stories and experiences and become a part of a supportive online community is one you shouldn’t pass up.