Moms to Know: Natalie Zfat
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, which invites many opportunities that encourage parents, teachers, schools and students around the country to pursue initiatives and access resources that create safer communities for our youth.
The first step to prevention is education.
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As bullying and cyberbullying have evolved from one generation to the next, a local mom and digital media expert is the perfect place to start for awareness, tips and relatable support for Tampa Bay families.
Please share how you got your start in the digital space, and what lead you to create a business of your own?
Natalie Zfat: I like to joke that it would have been harder not to start my social media business than to actually start it.
Back in 2011, social media was becoming a major line item for companies, and the demand was high for digital consultants. Three of our earliest clients were Adidas Women, Levi’s and Showtime Networks. In my first year consulting, I was able to both hire my first employee and triple the salary I had at my full-time job.
It was a great learning moment for a budding entrepreneur: When your services are in high demand, you owe it to yourself to create a supply.
In what ways have you differentiated your brand from other digital marketing professionals to create such a robust expert platform?
Natalie Zfat: I started my career in journalism, writing for “Rolling Stone” and then “Forbes” and “Entrepreneur.” Having an editorial mindset—knowing how to tell a compelling story, select the most arresting photo and headline, and interview someone most would be intimidated by (like Bono at U2’s movie premiere) has provided “The Edge.” (Sorry; puns are an occupational hazard.)
Very few women plan to raise a child on their own. How has this part of your journey shaped your career as an entrepreneur?
Natalie Zfat: I’ve always been proud to run a successful business, but never more than after I became a mother. Knowing that I am providing for my family, and that my son gets to have a healthy, strong, successful female role model is the best satisfaction.
What is something you want other single moms to know that you’ve learned along the way?
Natalie Zfat: My best advice for moms (single or otherwise): Advocate for yourself. Move swiftly from the passenger seat to the driver seat. In one-third of marriages, women stay because they can’t financially afford to leave.
So whether you are a single mom, married mom, married single mom, working mom, stay-at-home mom or considering becoming a mom: Believe in yourself, and advocate accordingly. You – and your kids – will be glad you did.
October is National Bullying Awareness Month, and we are in the middle of a cyberbullying pandemic. How can parents keep their kids safe online?
Natalie Zfat: Cyberbullying has become a pandemic of its own in recent years, with 21% of kids aged 10-18 saying they’ve been cyberbullied, but only 11% of those kids telling their parents. And it’s often not obvious from your child’s social media profiles that this is happening.
It’s on us as parents to look out for signs of bullying (cyber or otherwise), which include a change in friends’ groups, not wanting to go to school or a decline in grades.
What other tips or resources can you give parents about teaching social media literacy to their children that have access?
Natalie Zfat: Give your kids a social media literacy assessment before you give them a phone. And you don’t need to be a social media expert to do this. The assessment could be as simple as showing your kids images that were generated with AI and asking if they know how those photos were created.
For a more mature kid, show them a news article and ask how they would verify the validity of that story (including checking the URL and confirming that other reputable sources are reporting the same information).
Where are your favorite places to go in Tampa Bay with your son?
Natalie Zfat: Dairy Joy is one of our favorite spots. We also love Busch Gardens, Meacham Urban Farm, riding the trolley to GameTime in Ybor, visiting Armature Works (love Graze) and frequenting Columbia Cafe at Tampa Riverwalk (live music on Friday and Saturday nights!). We are also SO excited to attend our first Tampa Bay Sun game in a few weeks!
Signs that your child may be experiencing (cyber)bullying:
- Friend groups have changed.
- Your child does not want to go to school.
- There is a decline in grades.
Photo credit: David Zhou Photography | Originally published in the October 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.