Macaroni Kid started 11 years ago when Joyce Shulman hit the publish button on her brand new website.
In the years since, Macaroni Kid has grown to 560-plus hyperlocal sites, with publishers in 42 states. We're international too, with a handful of awesome Canadian publishers. Each of our publishers maintains their own websites and event calendars, and sends out an e-newsletter once a week. Together, Macaroni Kid publishers have more than 2 million subscribers.
The most amazing number of all: This past August, Macaroni Kid celebrated its 500 millionth site visitor. That's right. Moms, dads, grandparents, and caregivers have turned to Macaroni Kid half a BILLION times to help them find their family fun.
'I never imagined the impact'
Joyce, who before becoming Chief Macaroni Mom was a commercial litigator, came up with the idea of Macaroni Kid because it wrapped up all the things she believed in: The importance of community and family, the power of play, and the deep well of underutilized mom talent (there are a few dad publishers too!).
"I knew there was a business with Macaroni Kid," she said. "But I never imagined the impact that Macaroni Kid would have on its publishers."
Macaroni Kid has empowered hundreds of women to start their own business. They come from rich and varied career backgrounds, with titles like journalist, aquarium biologist, teacher, NASA engineer, and police officer... and that's just the start.
"The sisterhood Macaroni Kid publishers feel is unbelievably strong," said Charlotte Linde, the publisher of Macaroni Kid Cedar Rapids and the co-publisher of Macaroni Kid EATS, one of the seven national newsletters Macaroni Kid publishes each month. "We laugh together, cry together, travel together -- and get better every day together. We truly work together to achieve that goal every day."
Just last week a publisher in Alabama, whose property was damaged by Hurricane Michael, turned to other Macaroni Kid publishers for advice when she was unable to complete a project for her Macaroni Kid site.
But instead of advice, the Macaroni Kid community instantly stepped in to help. That very night, other publishers updated Tamaran Scarborough's calendar and completed her project.
"I cannot tell you what an unexpected, totally giving surprise that was," Tamaran said. "I was overcome with tears and truly humbled."
Looking forward: Continuing to connect
Looking forward, Macaroni Kid publishers are planning to continue working hard to enrich the communities where they live, work, and play by supporting local families, businesses, and organizations.
Looking back over the last 11 years, Joyce Shulman can't believe how far Macaroni Kid has come from the very first time she hit that publish button from her home in the Hamptons.
"I could never have foreseen the relationships I would build, the friendships I would forge, the love I would find, or the heartbreak I would endure," she said. "I've worked harder than I ever imagined possible, lost more sleep than I care to admit, and worried about pretty much every aspect of this business pretty much every single day. And I've loved pretty much every single moment of it."
Happy Mac-aversary, Macaroni Kid!
Interested in joining Macaroni Kid? We're always growing! Find out more information about joining our team!
