6-02-2024 3:52am

New Local Author Book Release - Best Mom Rockford

Erin Sturm, the visionary behind Stateline Kids, has embarked on a remarkable personal and professional journey that reaches its pinnacle with her latest triumph—the book Best Mom Rockford.

Erin, a local parent herself, is the creator and founder of Stateline Kids, the go-to community site for kids' events, activities, and information in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Her marketing background and personal experiences as a parent navigating the local scene have been instrumental in making Stateline Kids a valuable resource for area parents and caregivers. Her dedication and hard work in finding the best places for local family fun have significantly impacted the community, making her a familiar face in the neighborhood.

It was in 2018 that the Roscoe resident noticed the need for more centralized information about local events and activities and decided to act. Erin says, "I knew this resource existed in bigger cities. I had seen parent websites and social media pages for Chicago and Milwaukee, so I thought, well, I know how to do all the components of this, so I'll do it." She adds, "I was sure other people would like to see it too because there had to be more people than just me looking for this information. That's basically where it all started." Her commitment to addressing this need has filled a local gap and led to the successful expansion of Stateline Kids, now well-known and well-regarded by local parents.

Erin's professional background, including her bachelor's in English from NIU, seven years at Thermo Fisher Scientific, and completion of an MBA at NIU, laid the foundation for her entrepreneurial journey. In 2014, she started the Sturm Agency for marketing and social media management, which she ran concurrently along with Stateline Kids until 2021 when Stateline Kids had grown big enough to put all of her focus into that.

In January 2023, Reedy Press approached Erin to author the book Best Mom Rockford. Reedy Press has a 'Best Mom City' series of guidebooks that help parents plan activities for kids in cities like Rockford and St. Louis. Erin, who had always wanted to be an author, jumped at the opportunity and produced a comprehensive guide for parents and caregivers featuring local activities and places with significant community involvement. The book took about one year to write.

Best Mom Rockford is not just a guide but a testament to the vibrant community. It includes seventy-five categories of activities and places for parents and kids.

Erin's dedication to her children is evident in the book, as she dedicates the book to them on the first page and includes pictures of them throughout it. She says, "My kids are very tired of hearing this, but all of the things I try to do are for them. They're always my inspiration for everything. My whole life is for my kids."

She also ensured the community was involved in the book's production by crowd-sourcing photos from Stateline Kids readers. Many readers sent Erin pictures of their families enjoying local events and fun places to consider using in the book.

Best Mom Rockford is widely available online, or you can pick it up locally at Inkwell Books and Threads in Rockton, Barnes and Noble in Cherry Valley, and Rockford Art Deli.

You can also purchase your copy and get it signed by the author at one of her upcoming meet-and-greet events:

June 26 at the Kids' Market at Rockton River Market, Rockton, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
August 3 at Science Saturday at Severson Dells Nature Center, Rockford, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Erin's advice for aspiring authors and entrepreneurs is both uplifting and practical. She encourages, "Don't put your dreams on hold because of your life circumstances, whatever they may be, especially if you're a mom. You can find little pockets of time to work on something and accomplish something very big with small chunks of time. Just start, and I think you can do it."