CircleBumpCheckedFilledMedicalBookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxCheckBoxFilled

Brooke Mahan, Meg Resnikoff, Elle Walker

What’s Up Moms Partner and Co‐founders
save article
profile picture of Cassie Kreitner
By Cassie Kreitner, Senior Editor
Updated March 2, 2017
Hero Image
Image: Courtesy of What's Up Moms

In 2013, Elle Walker turned to the internet for advice on how to handle a plane trip with her newborn daughter. She grew frustrated that she wasn’t able to find visually driven, reliable content to read and digest before her baby woke up from naptime. “[Moms] don’t have a lot of time, but we need this information and the camaraderie,” Walker says.

She reconnected with her former Stanford classmate Meg Resnikoff and another mom friend Connie Kin. Playdates at Walker’s house doubled as brainstorming meetings, and in June 2013, the trio launched their YouTube channel with four videos, including an introduction, broccoli soup how-to, restaurant survival bag and baby gender reveal. “When we told people we were going to create video content for moms, they didn’t believe in the concept,” Walker says. “Then we started getting positive comments and that gave us confidence and validation to keep moving forward.”

As the videos started gaining traction, the unthinkable happened. In November 2013, Kin—whose radiant personality in What’s Up Moms’ song parodies and “Mommy Hauls” helped her gain a loyal following—passed away unexpectedly from childbirth complications. She left behind her husband, Andrew, a 3-year-old son, newborn daughter and millions of devoted What’s Up Moms fans.

But with the full support of Kin’s husband, Walker and Resnikoff relaunched the channel with partner Brooke Mahan (already a guest host on the channel) and the team started producing videos three times a week. In 2014, the team scored their first big win: a Kohler-sponsored branded video. “Getting six million views on this and being praised for it in Ad Age made us confident that we were creating something unique in a valuable niche,” Resnikoff says. “At that point, we felt that if we committed to this, we could build something really big.”

Now, with 1.1 million YouTube subscribers and more than 35 million monthly video views, the What’s Up Moms team recently signed with talent agency CAA and are moving toward daily video content. No matter how big they get, Resnikoff says their mission remains the same: “We want to do whatever we can to make women’s jobs as moms easier and give a smile or laugh because we know they need that.”

Life in balance
“As moms we want to try to do everything and be everywhere, but in the end something always suffers,” Resnikoff says. “To me, you can ‘have it all,’ just not all at once. We’ve learned the importance of asking for help and picking great partners, from supportive husbands to coworkers.”

All in the family
“My kids went through a phase where they didn’t want to participate, and that was reflected in our content,” Resnikoff says. “But my 6-year-old daughter now wants to be in every cooking video. It’s a rare and unique situation to have your kids want to be involved in what you’re doing.”

Focus group
“A lot of our ideas stem from personal experiences,” Walker says. “We see Facebook as a platform to connect with other moms to see if these concepts are relatable and things the audience cares about. The topics we cover evolve and mature with this feedback.”

The sisterhood of motherhood
“The videos have evolved to be more about moms as a whole rather than us as individuals. Our ongoing goal is to work with more moms, whether it’s working moms, stay-at-home moms or ethnically diverse moms,” Resnikoff says. “We’ve always wanted to represent and showcase as many moms as we can and make this a community-driven platform.”

save article
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

Andy Cohen attends The Real Housewives of New York Premiere Celebration at The Rainbow Room on July 12, 2023 in New York City.
Andy Cohen Shares Why Toddlers Are Harder to Deal With Than Housewives
By Wyndi Kappes
Bugaboo Dragonfly Seat Strollers recall
Bugaboo Recalls Dragonfly Seat Strollers Due to Injury Risk
By Wyndi Kappes
mom and toddler sleeping next to each other while holding hands
Toddler “Nap Traps” Mom in Relatable Viral Video
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
mom and toddler at playground during winter
This Mom’s Hack Is Perfect for Winter Playground Visits
By Wyndi Kappes
mother reading with baby on rocking chair in nursery room
Inchstones Is the Biggest Parenting Trend for 2024, Pinterest Says
By Wyndi Kappes
hanna andersson bluey collection
Hanna Andersson's Sold Out Bluey Collection Is Back in Stock
By Wyndi Kappes
Emily Wilkinson and Baker Mayfield attend the 2023 Rolling Stone Super Bowl Party at The Clayton House on February 10, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona
Buccaneers Quarterback Baker Mayfield & Wife Emily Expecting Baby Girl
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Paris Hilton and Carter Reum attend the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Paris Hilton Learned How to Change Diaper a Month After Son's Arrival
By Wyndi Kappes
Former US tennis player Serena Williams attends the CFDA Fashion Awards at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on November 6, 2023
Serena Williams Shares Breast Milk Hack to Help Treat Sunburnt Skin
By Wyndi Kappes
mother wearing hospital gown and holding newborn baby in hospital room after labor and delivery
These Are the Best Maternity Hospitals in America, New Report Reveals
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
70 year old woman gives birth to twins
70-Year-Old Ugandan Woman Gives Birth to Twins
By Wyndi Kappes
postpartum mother exercising at home next to newborn baby
Study: This Much Exercise Helps Prevent & Treat Postpartum Depression
By Wyndi Kappes
close up of cut cantaloupe fruit
CDC Urges People to Avoid Cantaloupe as Salmonella Outbreak Grows
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Singing to Baby Is Crucial for Language Learning, Study Says
Singing to Baby Is Crucial for Language Learning, Study Says
By Wyndi Kappes
Sam hunt and his wife Hannah Fowler
Sam Hunt and Wife Hannah Lee Fowler Reveal Sex and Name of Baby No. 2
By Wyndi Kappes
certified pre loved snoo from happiest baby
How to Save Almost 50 Percent Off the Cult-Fave SNOO Smart Sleeper
By Wyndi Kappes
pregnant actress Uzo Aduba arrives for the 76th Tony Awards at the United Palace in New York City on June 11, 2023
Orange Is the New Black's Uzo Aduba Welcomes Her First Daughter
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin at disney world with their 3 children
MMA Star Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin Welcome Baby No. 4
By Wyndi Kappes
jennifer garner and her children next to a headshot of jennifer garner on the red carpet
Jennifer Garner on Why “a Little Benign Neglect” Is the Key Parenting
By Wyndi Kappes
baby tooth in child's hand
Toss or Treasure: Jake Johnson Sparks Debate on Keeping Baby's Teeth
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List