What “For Profit” Means

There has been some discussion lately in the Tanglewood Moms group about how Tanglewood Moms is a “for-profit” business. 

We know there are a lot of new faces in the group and perhaps you don’t know its history or how and why this group exists. We have made this our jobs so that there is a place to go where moms can seek advice and get a multitude of answers, and a place where businesses (whether sponsors or not) can comment and/or post directly in the group to let you what they do. We have group rules which ensure this is a group you will want to be a part of for many years to come. Healthy Facebook groups, especially of this size, need rules, not to censor people, but to make sure there is a level of decorum and transparency in what is being discussed. 

Tanglewood Moms was started by two women as a Fort Worth moms’ group in 2011. In 2015, Victoria Wise, one of the founders, started TanglewoodMoms.com, a blog and business directory listing as a way to share interesting things in the Fort and to help promote small businesses. This is how I got involved. I came on as a content writer and eventually took over management of the website.

Dinner with some of our amazing writers at my house.

In 2017, Victoria and I started Madeworthy Magazine, a local interest magazine that is free to anyone who wants it, either through subscribing or by picking it up from Tom Thumb or Central Market. We write about amazing people through editorial features and about things that make Fort Worth great. It’s a joy to produce.

As the group grew, we spun off several buy/sell groups to give our members the opportunity to engage in local commerce and to save things from going into the landfill. Many of you make a good amount of money from selling things in these groups or finding great deals on gently used items. We spend hours upon hours each week moderating all the groups, fielding what at times are quite nasty messages from people who think we’re doing everything wrong (seriously, I got called a CUNextTuesday because I didn’t answer a message about the sale of some clothes on Christmas day, and this is mild compared to some messages!), all while putting out a magazine. 

December 2023

Our “for profit” groups and our magazine that is free to all support two families. We are working moms who are the main breadwinners of our families.

Here’s what “for profit” means for us:

•       “For profit” means that our kids get braces.
•       “For profit” means that our kids can go to college.
•       “For profit” means that our families are taken care of.
•       “For profit” means that we can pay our writers for their work.
•       “For profit” means that we can continue these groups that many of you tell us you count on.

Because I work for Tanglewood Moms, I was able, as a single mom, to cut down the number of contract jobs and hours I worked so that I could spend time with my children. I was able to go from working 90+ hours a week doing five jobs to working 40 to 50 hours a week doing one job. I now go to every play, presentation, competition, and award ceremony. I am part of my children’s lives because I work for Tanglewood Moms.

June 2023

Remember the kerfuffle when we suggested that maybe we would charge a dollar per sale in the buy/sell groups? That was because Victoria wanted to pay me for the time I spend moderating the buy/sell groups while paying another person to help moderate part-time. She wanted to make my life better. However, there was a huge outcry, so we didn’t change the way we run the buy/sell groups.

People expect to be paid for doing their jobs. Attorneys are paid for their knowledge and their time. Teachers are paid (not well, but that’s for another day) for their expertise and their dedication. The cashier at the local fast-food joint gets paid for doing their job. 

 Well, this is our job. We spend every day doing our job, yet we’re expected to do it for free.

We get it. We do. When Facebook was first introduced, it was free. However, they had to start accepting advertising to keep it going. When Tanglewood Moms started, it was free. And it is still free. We don’t charge membership fees. We don’t make you pay a subscription.

We love Tanglewood Moms. It’s a unique place, full of really good people who support this community we worked so hard to build and to continue. And it’s also a woman-owned, woman-operated business that supports two families. We’re proud of what we do, and we hope you continue to enjoy the fruits of our collective labor because without you we would not exist. 

After an editorial meeting, driving Victoria around in my loaner car.