I it is often said – and rarely debated – that being a mom is the hardest job in the world. there are no 40-hour weeks. there are no coffee breaks or bonus programs. and more often than not, there is little recognition. From the first diaper to the high school diploma and beyond, being a mom means making sacrifices for the sake of your child. and while the job lacks glamour and praise, few things in life are more rewarding.

The job title of mom comes with a laundry list of other job titles –personal chef, round-the-clock counselor, teacher, chauffer service, housekeeper, best friend, mentor, advocate and boo-boo kisser. But what happens when the title of business manager gets added to the list?

Becky anderson is one of several moms in the Shreveport-Bossier City area balancing both titles of mom and manager, or “mom-a-ger,” as pop culture has come to define the role. anderson’s son, aaron Carpenter, was cast into the limelight when his instagram profile garnered national attention in 2012.

Since then, Anderson has tirelessly devoted her time to managing Aaron’s career, schooling and home life. And at this point in her son’s career, Anderson feels she’s better suited for the job than anyone else.

“He trusts me and trusts that I have his best interests in mind,” Anderson said. “Nobody is going to look out for you more than your mom.”

But taking charge as both mom and manager offers challenges, too. Mom-a-gers get a bad rap from society’s assumptions about them, stemming in part from A-list celebrity mom-a-gers. People are riveted to watch mom-a-ger Kris Jenner build the Kardashian empire for her children, at times to their exhaustion at her overbearingness. Or read in the headlines about Dina Lohan’s aloof behavior as her actress daughter, Lindsey, seemed to spiral out of control.

Michele Odom, mother of Miss Louisiana 2012 Lauren Vizza, said she is “no Kris Jenner,” but the job comes with a certain degree of scrutiny.

“People automatically assume you’re one way. But who better to help a child navigate through life than his or her parents? We try not to worry about what other people think and just hope the decisions we make are not coming from a wrong heart or attitude,” Odom said.

“Parents just need to come from a good place and stay close with their children. You don’t have to be perfect, just willing to listen to them.”

On the coVer: ella and matthew davidson lead Photos: (from left) becky anderson and aaron carpenter, lauren Vizza and michele odom, ella and matthew davidson, hanna and debbie unverzagt

Mom: Becky Anderson

Mother to: Aaron Carpenter

Claim to Fame: Instagram and other social media profiles

Raising a teenager in today’s world of social media likes and followers can be worrisome enough for the average parent. But imagine if your teen had more than a million followers across their social media platforms.

In 2012, Shreveporter Anderson’s life was turned upside down by her 15-yearold son, Carpenter’s, rising social media status. She went from being an average Facebook user to someone who spends the majority of her day combing social media sites to monitor her son’s profiles.

“My husband and I are on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Vine watching all day long,” Anderson said. “We raised him to be very grateful and appreciative of what he has. We explain to him that he can’t depend on this, and he still has to be himself. He has kept his integrity through all of this and continually remain himself.”

Anderson admits she didn’t understand the full magnitude of Aaron’s online popularity until a trip to the Galleria in Dallas two summers ago.

“Aaron sent out a message on Instagram and Twitter saying he would be at the mall if people wanted to come meet him. Almost 200 people showed up,” Anderson said. “Moms were there, bringing their kids to get Aaron’s picture with their daughter. One mom asked me, ‘Do you have a daughter, too?’ I said, ‘No, I have a son and that’s him.’ That was the first time I had ever seen girls looking at my kid and cry.”

What started as Aaron’s funny take on emojis and comic strips via Instagram, has evolved into an unexpected business opportunity. Anderson travels with Aaron several times each month to participate in the MAGCON Tour, a meet-and-greet convention that puts Aaron face-to-face with thousands of his fans across the country.

In addition to traveling to appearances with Aaron, Anderson sorts the fan mail that arrives at their local P.O. Box each day, brimming with teddy bears, ChapStick, love letters and more. More importantly, Anderson is responsible for reviewing any offers Aaron receives and poring over the contracts to make sure they align with the family’s values.

“We take it very, very seriously when Aaron gets offers from people. I crawl through every letter of the contracts because of the things I know I don’t want Aaron to get caught up with,” Anderson said.

When the family is not traveling, it is back to school work and laundry at home. The time is extremely valuable now days since much of their life is spent on the road.

“We don’t talk much about what the future holds. Aaron is a freshman, and he will finish school. I remind him that social media is not his life, and MAGCON may be gone tomorrow,” Anderson said. “I hope this lasts a long time for him, but what’s most important is maintaining who you are in life no matter what your surroundings may be.”

The Beauty Queen

Mom: Michele Odom

Mother to: Lauren Vizza

Claim to Fame: Miss Louisiana 2012

Michele Odom considers her daughter Lauren Vizza an unlikely beauty queen. Vizza didn’t spend years grooming for pageants like many other girls. Instead, she was an all-star soccer player who learned determination and the spirit of competition on the field.

During her senior year of high school, Vizza’s blossoming soccer career was permanently sidelined by double knee injuries. She was no longer going to be a collegiate soccer player, but she continued on her path to Louisiana Tech University, and on a whim, decided to participate in the Miss Tech pageant with several friends.

“There’s no makeup in soccer.

But God made Lauren so naturally beautiful,” Odom said. “Pageants are known for being catty, but Lauren never saw the other girls as a threat. She approached it just like soccer. You leave it on the field. You give it your all, and sometimes the result is that you win, and that’s the success in life.”

In 2012, Vizza earned the Miss Louisiana crown, but by no means was her path easy. It was a three-year journey to earning the title, and with little knowledge of pageants at the time, Odom said the process was not about changing Vizza but refining her. And if Vizza had decided this was what she wanted to do, Odom wanted to offer her full support.

“When Lauren was younger, I decided that no matter what her dreams were, I wasn’t going to dampen her spirits. The world will do that itself. Parenting takes on a whole other realm when your child is in college. You’re there for them, but you can’t micromanage,” Odom said.

“Lauren and I work together. We’re a team, and I support her because I’m her mom. I love her the most in this world, and I always have her best interest in heart. So, when she decided to do pageants, I said, ‘What do we need to do to make this work?’” As Vizza spent the year fulfilling her Miss Louisiana duties, Odom was by her side and said the experience brought them closer. Having already sent Vizza off to college several years prior, it was an experience Odom couldn’t have anticipated.

“She was busy 24 hours a day, traveling back and forth and having to be gracious. That’s when you see the result of how you raised them,” Odom said.

“I am not a stage mom. I am more interested in Lauren’s heart and her focus. I didn’t think Lauren was great because she was Miss Louisiana, but because she was Lauren.”

The Guitar Hero

Mom: EllaDavidson

Mother to: Matthew Davidson

Claim to to Fame: Acclaimed guitarist and winner of the 2011 Robert Johnson Blues Foundation New Generation Award

Judging by appearances, Matthew Davidson seems like an ordinary 16-year-old Caddo Magnet High student. He exhibits boyish charm, with shaggy hair and laid back style, but that shouldn’t fool anyone. Matthew, an acclaimed guitarist from Shreveport, has played with the likes of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, jammed on stage at the B.B. King Blues Club and given more than 260 live performances in his years.

Exhibiting a passion and natural talent for guitar as early as three years old, Matthew’s mom, Ella Davidson began creating opportunities for Matthew to cultivate his talent.

“His dad and I both tried to do everything we could to support him. We started taking him to guitar lessons in second grade, and looked for any opportunities for him to perform. Whether that be at school or ARTBREAK, we searched for any opportunity for him to learn more and play more,” Ella said.

In 2007, Matthew won his first electric guitar in the James Burton Foundation’s Guitar Showdown. Since then, Matthew has formed his own band, been selected for the Kid Kraddick in the Morning Rock Camp Band and was the 2011 winner of the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation New Generation Award. All of which were followed by the release of his debut EP in 2012 and his single release, “Heartbreaker,” in 2013.

With Matthew still being a high school student, Ella has chosen to manage Matthew’s career herself, a fulltime job that requires hours of research.

She also books Matthew’s appearances at festivals and venues and keeps a watchful eye to make sure those places align with Matthew’s values and image.

“We are learning as we go. I spend a lot of time reading industry publications to see what other people are doing. We look at what successful musicians have done and emulate their best habits,” Ella said.

“At this point, I’m best suited for the job because I know Matthew’s strengths and what venues would be a good fit for him. I don’t always plan to be his manager, but for now, I don’t think anyone will work as hard as I do for my own child because I have a greater desire for him to succeed.”

Ella admits being a manager and a mom to Matthew has changed the dynamic of their relationship. Conversations can be more like business meetings, but Matthew’s career has also brought them closer in many ways.

“My hopes are that Matthew can achieve what he really wants, which is to have a successful, long-lasting music career. All I can do now, while he’s still young, is lay a strong foundation,” Ella said.

“I’m limited in what I can help him accomplish, but I hope I can lay the foundation in hopes that someone will pick it up and run with it. When that time comes, I look forward to tagging along for the ride.”

The Singer-Songwriter

Mom: Debbie Unverzagt

Mother to: Hanna Unverzagt

Claim to Fame: Local performer and songwriter

Music has been a natural pursuit for singer-songwriter Hanna Unverzagt. Growing up with her father performing as a local musician and her mother working in radio, Hanna was immersed in music from an early age. She developed a passion for music sitting in her father’s lap as he played the piano, and note by note her natural talent began to emerge.

“Hanna started writing music when she was 15. She wrote four very good songs. The kind of songs that you can’t get out of your head, and you keep singing and singing them,” Debbie Unverzagt, Hanna’s mother, said.

“In one year, she wrote about 20 songs. She recorded a CD with her dad in our music room, and what you hear on the album, vocally, was all done on the first cut.”

Debbie began booking performances for Hanna at local bars and venues, and because of her age, made sure to attend each gig. She sent out event invitations on Facebook and created promotional posters announcing her daughter’s performances. But most importantly, Debbie never wanted to push Hanna.

“I want Hanna to be Hanna,” she said.

“My friends would always ask me, ‘Why doesn’t Hanna try out for American Idol?’ I would tell them that if that was what Hanna wanted to do then she would come tell me she wants to do that. I’m not going to be the stage mom who tells her to ‘play here’ or ‘do that.’”

Rather than push Hanna in a certain direction, Debbie approached Hanna’s career as a teaching opportunity. Hanna, now 20-years-old, books her own performances and sets up for each gig herself.

“I told her a very long time ago, when she was very young, that she was the boss of herself, and school was like a job. It was her job, and she had to do it herself,” Debbie said.

Hanna still performs locally, and it is not rare to spot listeners and fans singing along to Hanna’s original songs. But for now, her music career has taken a backseat to her education, and next year, Hanna will transfer from Louisiana State University-Shreveport to the University of New Orleans.

It is interesting for Debbie to watch Hanna’s choices and evolution into adulthood. Much like Hanna’s natural musical abilities, in her adolescence, Debbie exhibited a passion and natural talent for art and now spends her time teaching others.

“I always liked art but never pursued a career in it when I was young. Just like Hanna isn’t necessarily driving for a music career,” Debbie said.

“Just because I didn’t have the training doesn’t mean I can’t do it, and maybe that’s how Hanna will be with her music career.” •