We Are All @ChiefHotMomma

Today Stan Faryna got me thinking about my Twitter moniker: @ChiefHotMomma.

A) The truth is, I’ve never been crazy about it. For people who know me – it’s very “not me.” This also could be called “Why I hate the name @ChiefHotMomma” – but I thought that sounded too bitter.

B) But, as I explain to Stan – below – it’s not about me.

Read it and weep, yell, laugh, agree, or not…we’d like your comments. And I use “we” purposely.

Excerpted from the comments on unofficial blog of Stan Faryna

“Stan… I have to say that when we first started the Hot Mommas Project you might be surprised to find: I [was against the name]!

I am from DC ..[from a]..conservative background…

When I started teaching at GW is when things changed. Students? The name spoke to them…

When we talked about women doing it all – women of all ages, around the world – you know, they didn’t want just another acronym. This was a big wake up call for me in my power suit.

So we tested it. I was SURE everyone would agree with me.

Two people agreed with me.

One percent of the 100 we tested genuinely hated the name “Hot Mommas Project” and the other 1 percent was: “Liked it, but was concerned what others would think.”

Are you kidding me?

This was a name I used as a joke for my consultants in the flex-work firm I ran – and now it had gone public through an academic award we won at a conference (our very first “case study”). People were coming up – academics – saying “I have a Hot Momma for you.”

Seriously? A new vocabulary of sorts was being created at this conference.

Anyway…this…and the testing was still not enough for me.

I went to the feminist community. THEY were going to nix this name. I KNEW it.

“Ummm, Kathy…Don’t you know the new trend in feminism? You should if you’re teaching Women’s Entrepreneurship.  It’s about taking back words. It’s about having more fun. That is true power. It’s about not apologizing. Your name is not offensive in this context. On the contrary – it is consistent with the new trend in feminism.”

Great.Now I was stuck with this name everyone liked but I had intended to be an “in-house only” term. 

Fine. Whatever. Good for branding. Business. I get it. Moving on.

My intern Esther and I headed out to @GuyKawasaki’s for a party. Even he was interested in what we were doing.

It was 2008. Everyone in Silicon Valley was on Twitter. Esther and I – Facebook only – look at each other, look down, and madly start signing up for Twitter. It appeared peer pressure was not over. Who knew ?

“Es, what should my name be? @Kkf? @kkfrey?” I asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” she said “@ChiefHotMomma!”

To me – and anyone who knows me – the name goes with the project and is a mild joke. I am the person who has food in my hair at most times – or in my teeth – and may very well have my pajama bottoms on at school drop off.

This is not about appearance. This is about so much more.

It’s about power –  and finding it – wherever it may be. Whether you have your GED and are a recovering burn victim (one of our authors) or a princess (another one of our authors) or a student with lupus (another one) or US Veteran and single mom trying to keep it together.

We are ALL @ChiefHotMomma.

We are all dynamic women with something to share, and teach in The Sisterhood of Success.

We all have value. But with just another acronym…will anyone listen?

Today we are the world’s largest women’s case study library. Women’s stories – plus our award winning teaching tools – increase confidence up to 200%.

That’s pretty hot.

Thanks for allowing the monologue – and thanks for your cool insights…Cool Daddy.”

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[learn_more caption=”Inside scoop_Nerd Notes”] In retrospect, the more women I have seen whose eyes light up to be called a “Hot Momma” (a fun-slash-edgy term) and then turn around and have their case published in a leading Pearson Prentice Hall textbook. To me…that is pretty cool. It is bridging the divide between what interests people, and students, but the credibility to make people feel important and heard. On a personal level, yes, I still cringe when people call me @ChiefHotMomma. I wonder what is going to give – us or them. I saw academics running around saying “Hot Momma.” The definition of the word was changing.  As Ariana Huffington says, “Smart is the new sexy.” My test is always to place a male in the same situation, and if he wouldn’t back down – I won’t. But, unfortunately, we are held to a different standard. Hyper-sexualization is a HUGE concern in the women’s leadership community, specifically for girls. Many are calling for specific teaching packs for girls, not just Gen Y and Gen X. So do I one day see the name transitioning? I do, but probably because of our global appeal (Hot Mommas is American slang), the teen mom reality shows (this happened since we were founded in 2005), and a larger global vision we have for the brand. Open to your feedback. [/learn_more]

Suggestions for future names WELCOME sisters and brothers. xo and rock on. KKF