The man behind Mamavation (how to survive being married to a blogger)

Mark Segedie with “Baby Bookieboo.”

Blogging for a living is both strange and wonderful, and sometimes, it can be stressful on a relationship. Just ask Mark Segedie, the man behind Mamavation, blogger Leah Segedie‘s brilliant obesity prevention campaign for families championed by moms. (If you’re not familiar with her, start stalking now. You’ll thank me later.)

“Blogging is an interesting career path that adds entirely new dynamics to a relationship. I know this from first hand experience,” said Mark.

Wow. When I saw Mark’s intro to the interview questions he’d answered for me, I knew he GOT it. He’d been there. And he could help others. Because Mark isn’t just a supportive spouse, he’s an active part of Leah’s business. And it’s not just any small side business. In case you didn’t know, Leah’s kind of a big deal. Mark did such a great job answering my questions, that I’ll include them below in their entirety. You see, blogging is my passion, but it’s not my husband’s. He understands and appreciates my desire to pursue this career, but it isn’t easy on him. You feel like your whole life is on display. And I have a feeling there are many other blogging partners out there who feel the same way.

Why do you support Leah’s blogging efforts? 
I support Leah’s blogging efforts for several reasons. The main reason is because Leah is so passionate about her career in blogging. Quite simply, seeing Leah happy makes me happy. I understand that feeling when you find something in life that you can throw yourself into 100%. Leah has found that in blogging and I want to support it any way I can. All of the other reasons are a distant second to this.

Was there a time when you weren’t as supportive? Why?
Of course, I wasn’t always as supportive as I was now. In fact, there was a period of time several years ago when I outright resented Leah’s blogging. As anyone who has tried to work online knows – it takes A LOT of time and effort to be successful. The near-constant meetings, conferences, writing, editing, socializing, etc add up to a hectic lifestyle that can put enormous strain on the family. It also doesn’t help that social media is anything but a 9-5 job. Many of the events take place during prime family time in the early evening. It is easy to get caught-up in the demands and excitement of this fast-paced world and it is easy for spouses to feel left out. That’s how I felt as Leah’s career started to really take-off.

How do you feel about Leah sharing personal information about you or your family?
I’m surprisingly ok with Leah sharing personal information about my family. Surprising because I come from a very private family. When Leah first started blogging I was a little hesitant. This quickly passed once I realized that sharing our personal trials and triumphs helped others with their own lives. Today I’m almost as open as Leah with the sharing of personal information.

What is the best part about having a blogging wife? What is the worst part? 
The best part of having a blogging wife is definitely the opportunities to experience amazing things while helping others. Leah and I have done things that we only dreamed of thanks to her career in social media. The worst part is the time commitment which I mentioned earlier.

Any words of advice to husbands/partners who don’t support/understand their partner’s blogging?
The best advice I can give to husbands/partners that don’t support/understand their partner’s blogging is to COMMUNICATE. Ask questions about what your spouse does and listen with a thoughtful ear. This is obviously a passion for them on some level much like watching football, golfing, or cars is to many guys. If you feel like your spouse is spending too much time online – tell them. Don’t let the resentment build-up and fester inside of you. As with any other part of your relationship you have to communicate in order to be successful.

Also, don’t be afraid to offer to help your spouse with her blogging. I started helping Leah with small technical issues on her blog which gradually grew into me helping her with more of the business side of things. Before I knew it I had become an integral part of Leah’s business which meant that I got to spend more time with her while supporting her passion – a definite win-win for both of us.

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Well said Mark, well said. Now, I’d like to hear from you. Are you a blogger? Married to a blogger? What challenges have you had with making this career work with your family? Any tips you can offer? This is what I love most about blogging. The opportunity to reach out to others and create a community around an issue we’re passionate about.