THE AMBER WEITZER PODCAST SILHOUETTES OF SUCCESS | MARLYNN SCHOTLAND | EPISODE 44 | SHOW NOTES
FEATURED GUEST
She is a wife, mother of two and I think she’s just getting warmed up! She grew up in Portland, Oregon, went to college 3,000 miles away without ever visiting East Coast (Emerson College in Boston). She met her husband in college and they’ve been together for 28 years (married for 20). She started blogging under Maternity to Madness in 2004, when her son was 5 months old then founded and ran one of the first mom entrepreneur organizations in the US – the Power MOB (Mom-Owned Businesses) for five years. They had hundreds of members, monthly business events, playdates, and mom social hours, and an annual conference and annual Mom Shop.
She later had a daughter in 2007 and over the next few years, also worked as a Regional Sales Manager for a San Francisco startup, became President of the local chapter of a women’s entrepreneur organization, held a few Board positions with various professional organizations. She closed some blogs and combined a few others and rebranded as Urban Bliss Life around 2011, focusing on food, wine, and travel. After closing her creative agency, Urban Bliss Media, in 2015ish, she then went full-time with blogging and recipe development for food & beverage brands and working with tourism bureaus for travel media.
So, again a quick recap, she has a robust and creative background from news anchor to PR to Blogging, sparking a movement of Mom Owned Business, photography, sales and is now focused on food, wine and travel and tourism plus…not one but TWO cookbooks! Please meet Marlynn Schotland!
CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS
Abundance: Sweet and savory! Marlynn shares how she never thought she would write a cookbook, let alone two in one year! She tells us that when life gives you an opportunity, just say yes and take the leap. The cookbooks are to help busy Mom’s and families with quick and easy meals and easy, fun baking for teens or all of us. The second, new released baking cookbook is a gift and ode to her children! Marlynn reflects back on her supportive parents, how she loved reading, writing and recalls special memories of being in the kitchen with Mother and Great Grandmother who lived with them since Marlynn was born-a true blessing. She talks about learning to be an intuitive cook, observing from them and now able to pass it on to her children and all of us with her books.
Elevate: She talks about being so inspired by life and others succeeding, seeing them shine. As she talks to us about lessons, she has learned over the years Marlynn has discovered that she is now able to parse and focus on what is in alignment with her values, truths and what doesn’t speak to that. She talks about being better at saying “no” to things that don’t align. Even great opportunities might not be great opportunities for us, wow! She notes how we need to lean on other people and it is tough to try and do it all ourselves. In 2019, she overcame breast cancer-she is a survivor and this time helped her embrace exercise and be more aware of the health and benefits. She is so very appreciative of her supportive family and friends circle.
Savoir-faire: Living in Portland, she talks about living your bliss. Food, Wine Travel have always inspired her and she feels they are connectors, thus Urban Bliss. I see a pattern here, Marlynn talks about how she never thought she would pursue WSET but it was recommended to her to gain more knowledge within her passions, she did pursue it and recently earned WSET2 with Distinction! She has more fun projects in mind for the future, so stay tuned in!
RESOURCE LIST
MARLYNN SCHOTLAND
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BOOKS:
The Super Easy Teen Baking Cookbook
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker Meal Plan Cookbook
OTHER:
Padma Lakshmi
