Why is the stepparent journey so isolating and frustrating? Why are some of the only resources available online focused on complaining or venting? What if there was a community and resource hub that was dedicated to uplifting and changing the narrative around being a stepparent?
This is where Step By Step Parents first began.
Almost four years ago, our co-founder, Marisa Donnelly, became a mother figure in her boyfriend’s son’s life. As she tried to navigate this new path, she began scouring the internet. She was desperate for connections, for community, and for finding others with whom she could relate to as she stepped forward in her bonus motherhood journey.
But unfortunately, her searches came up empty.
Time after time, she found groups dedicated to complaining about biological parents, accounts talking about the bad, and meme after meme about the ‘evil’ stepparent narrative. Frustrated and lonely, she created Momish Moments — a website, community, blog, and resource base for parents — both bio and bonus — to learn, grow, and celebrate the beautiful craziness of raising kids.
About a year after launch, Marisa met Franco Zavala (Step By Step Parents co-founder) on a Facebook forum. Excited by his passion and unique story — as a stepfather of five — she invited him to contribute to her platform.
And the rest was history.
Franco Zavala became a stepfather when he reacquainted with his high school sweetheart. Passionate about wanting to shift the way steppfathers are seen, he created The Professional Stepdad Podcast as well as a TikTok channel dedicated to his fatherhood experiences.
Both of our founders were driven to do something more with their platforms, with their voices, and with their personal experiences. They collaborated, created a podcast episode, and decided to launch Step By Step Parents — what you see right here.
As this platform grows, our vision is to build purposeful connections, create actionable resources, and develop a space where parents can learn and grow together.
Please join us, network with us, share your stories with us, and let’s change the narrative.
Featured Image Credit: Bernard Hermant