The Mom Connection

Adrienne Richardson was pregnant with her first child when she was laid off from her job as a publicist in Philadelphia. It was right before Christmas, 2005. But the sudden unemployment turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to her.

Thanks to a state program that inspires and trains unemployed workers in the field of their choice, Adrienne — who knew nothing about the magazine business — got the money and time to develop an idea: a glossy targeting the moms of South Jersey.

Now celebrating its one year anniversary, Adrienne’s dream magazine is circulated in six counties from Cape May to Burlington, and mailed to the homes of thousands of her subscribers. She prints 38,000 magazines a month, delivered to 800 locations where they are given away. 

But South Jersey Mom is different from the freebies that are full of content paid for by advertisers. The magazine takes on the issues that others ignore, like domestic violence, autism, body image disorders, postpartum depression.
The latter, Adrienne knows well. She was devastated by PPD after her baby was born.

“I felt lonely and lost,” she says. “I thought, there have got to be other women out there who’ve gone through what I went through.” Readers responded with their encouragement. The magazine struck a chord with many moms.

Adrienne has big plans to expand to Central and North Jersey editions, and beyond.
She’s a believer in localism — content that is relevant to readers’ lives and the world they know.

And in the power of motherhood. In her letter to readers she writes: “Your family might not tell you this every day… but what you do is irreplaceable and you are amazing women.”

Tags: postpartum depression

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