Get To Know Us:
Navigating the world as a stepparent is challenging, beautiful, different, and downright scary. But for many, it can also be isolating. Born from a longing for real + raw connections, our founders, Marisa Donnelly and Franco Zavala, created Step By Step Parents to be not only a space for honesty, growth, and self-reflection but to build a community they were so desperately longing for.
As you explore these pages, you’ll find tangible resources, firsthand accounts on the ups and downs of the blended family life, candid advice, heartfelt reflections, actionable tools and tips, and an opportunity to connect with like-minded parents who are really—step by step—walking in your shoes.
Meet Our Founders:
Marisa Donnelly
Marisa is a writer/editor, teacher, founder of Momish Moments, and bonus mama to an amazing eleven-year-old boy. She is passionate about creating spaces for stepparents to know they’re not alone and find resources to grow.
Franco Zavala
Franco is an actor, host of The Professional Stepdad podcast, 60-second storyteller, and stepfather of five who loves sharing wisdom, insight, and anecdotes about fatherhood.