Rising Stars: Meet Sarah Small

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Small. 

Hi Sarah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The origins of my blog are rooted in the outings I’ve had with my local playgroup and the adventures I’ve had with my husband and son. I joined a local playgroup when my son was almost a year old. I left the full-time workforce when my son was 3 months old and struggled to make friends and get out of the house with my son. Through my involvement with the playgroup, I became more confident to plan plate dates and explore new playgrounds and indoor play places around our city. At the same time, our family prioritized exploring somewhere new each week. We were rarely home, always off to explore somewhere new in Cincinnati. Then, the pandemic hit. For me, transitioning back to never leaving the house wasn’t easy. After a few weeks, I realized that not only did I enjoy creating activities at home to engage my toddler but also sharing the activities on my social media accounts. In my pre-mom life, I worked in digital marketing, but never in content creation. However, I quickly realized how much I loved creating and sharing content about things to do with young children. When One Little Small launched in May 2021, it included reviews of playgrounds and indoor play centers, as well as comprehensive lists of seasonal attractions, such as splash pads and pumpkin patches, around Cincinnati. OLS has grown to include bucket lists and shopping guides with my favorite toys and kid gear – and most recently, my pregnancy and welcoming our daughter in July. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, there have definitely been bumps! While my background is in digital marketing, there has been a big learning curve on building a website and running social media channels as a content creator rather than as a user. I’ve spent a lot of time looking things up and watching videos, but I still have a lot to learn! 

However, I will say that once I made the commitment to finally create my blog, I have received a lot of support and help that has made it easy to push through any challenge. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a local blogger/influencer in Cincinnati. I am known for things to do and places to go around Cincinnati with little kids. I write reviews on playgrounds and indoor play centers, as well as compile lists of seasonal attractions (such as splash pads, pumpkin patches, and where to see Santa) and top 10 lists. 

I also strive to paint a realistic picture of motherhood. My pictures aren’t perfect, and I strive to share challenges I face, along with the highlights. It can be difficult to put yourself out there and feel vulnerable, but for me, it is more important to be authentic than perfect. Because when I first had my son, I found a sea of photos of perfect mothers on social media, but not anyone going through the same challenges as me. If sharing my experience helps one person, then I think it has been worth putting myself out there. 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In influencer marketing and content creation, I do see qualities such as authenticity, accessibility, and relationship with followers becoming more valuable. I also see content creators having a stronger sway when it comes to changes on major social media platforms and algorithms. But from where I’m standing, these changes look to be positive for creators and consumers. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://onelittlesmall.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/onelittlesmallblog
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onelittlesmallblog/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/onelittlesmallblog