This article was initially published on Canvas Rebel. To read the original article, visit Canvas Rebel.
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Becky Remley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Becky thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Those who know me best would say I’m “type A” to the max. I’ve always had a clear picture of what I envision for my life and what I plan to achieve. I’m not a risk taker and don’t appreciate change whatsoever. I would have a spreadsheet for every part of my life if my husband would tolerate it. Entrepreneurship was never in my grand plans or something I had given a second thought to. I didn’t see myself owning a business but instead, saw myself achieving at a career I held dearly for a local government entity for 10+ years. My career gave me total stability and very little change. As I look back now, I laugh at the plans I thought I had in store for my life and career. I planned heavily and yet couldn’t have anticipated the amazing journey I was about to embark on.
In May 2017 everything changed. I became a mom to a sweet little girl named June. I entered parenthood confidently, with my perfectly written birth plan in hand, ready to meet my baby girl and start our new life as a family of three. Soon my plans were out the window and 37 hours later, my daughter was here. I had spent so much time preparing and yet nothing went my way, a hard lesson to learn when you’re a control freak.
I entered parenthood utterly exhausted, yet I was told and believed this was normal. When you become a parent, you kiss your sleep goodbye for 18 years. It felt like a rite of passage for every mom to experience. I kept this mentality for the first 4 months of June’s life until I reached my breaking point. I had returned to work and was holding on by a thread. My commute was groggy, my relationships strained by exhaustion. I wasn’t giving the best of myself to my employer or my family.
After some late-night Googling, my husband and I decided to hire a virtual pediatric sleep consultant. To our amazement, EVERYTHING changed for the better. Within two weeks my daughter was sleeping for 12 hours every night and taking 3 naps a day. I was feeling like myself again and feeling the fog lift. I often wondered why nobody had suggested a sleep consultant to me earlier. Sleep is such a hot topic in every mom group I’m in, surely others know about these magical sleep ladies too. From my own searching and asking other moms, I realized that there was nobody local to Northern Colorado who was offering tailored sleep services to tired parents like me. Most parents didn’t know that this was an option and were aimlessly suffering with sleep loss due to having no where to return.
In October 2017 I returned to my once loved career, and I realized that my heart was no longer there, and I needed to make a big change. I anxiously said goodbye and started the framework of what eventually would be my business. In early 2018, Sleep Solutions for Children was born. It was risky, I was losing all stability. Nothing was guaranteed anymore, including a paycheck, and I knew I had to work hard to achieve what I knew I wanted for my business.
I’m so glad that I took that leap of faith because I now see that this work is where I belong. Helping families achieve their best selves through adequate sleep is where my heart is. I’ve seen parents on the brink of collapsing, close to divorce, close to losing their jobs. Moms and Dads who are struggling with postpartum anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and psychosis, all brought on by and/or exacerbated by long term sleep loss. I can’t express how incredible it is to walk beside a family and watch their life change for the better. I am so honored when a family chooses me to go on this journey with them.
Since opening my business I’ve opened myself up to more risks and allowed some flexibility into my plans. Have no doubt, I am still very “type A” and have no plans on changing. I have big hopes and dreams for the families I will help and the impact I will continue to make for sleepy parents in Northern Colorado.
Before I was a sleep consultant, I was a mom. How incredibly rewarding it is to look into a bright future of entrepreneurship.
Becky, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a pediatric sleep consultant, I work with the families of children who are between 4 months to 6 years old who are experiencing exclusively behavioral sleep challenges. I embrace a holistic approach to sleep training meaning I take more than just the child’s age into account when forming my plan. Factors such as family dynamics, temperament, development, neuropsychological differences, medical needs, oral motor needs, prematurity, and family preferences all go into my work with a family. Sleep is not one size fits all and what you will find with my techniques is that they are adaptable to meet the need of each individual child. Every family has unique needs and deserves the ability to change their child’s sleep for the better with confidence.
I offer my services to both local families who live in Northern Colorado and virtually to families who wish to work with me but live in another state or country. I value a personalized approach and love meeting my clients in their home whenever possible or on Zoom when working from afar. You’ll often find me swaddling a newborn, bottle feeding a baby, or playing a game with a toddler that I’m meeting for the first time. I realize that there is a level of trust that families need from me when asking me to help with their child’s sleep needs.
The first step in a sleep training journey is a discovery call where I get to know your child and family for about 15 minutes over the phone. We will discuss your child’s current sleep challenges, what your goals are, and decide whether we’re a good fit or not. When a client decides that I’m the right fit for their family, our partnership begins. Unlike online sleep consulting programs and webinars, I seek to build mutual trust with your family so we can be honest and open through this process. I pride myself on the high level of support and accountability that I provide for each of my clients. My services include in-home or virtual consultations, customized sleep plans, gentle sleep training methods, sleep monitoring by app, and coaching by phone, text, or email. For families who are feeling especially anxious, single parents, or parents of multiples, I offer in-home bedtime support or full night support where I am with you and your child through the entire first night of sleep training.
As you get to know me, you will find that I’m a lot like you, deep in the trenches of parenthood with my own toddler and 1st grader. You’ll see that I understand where you are coming from because I’ve been there. I’m so passionate about sleep and believe that all parents should be living their best life, not just surviving.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The single best strategy I have used to build my clientele is through good old networking. I would estimate that 80% of my clients are referred from a past client of mine or another professional in the community. I’ve spent years cultivating and maintaining relationships with my referral partners. I often reach out to thank them for a referral, ask how their business is going, or drop in with a treat for the staff. I’ve built friendships and found countless passionate women who I’m so lucky to linking arms with to help families in the community.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I believe that consistently offering a high level of services and going above and beyond is what has built my reputation within this market. In an industry that has very little regulation, practically anyone could call themselves a sleep consultant with very little or no training, the market is saturated with sleep consultants with great claims yet very little tangible results. After 5 years in practice, I am one of the top suggested and referred consultants in most Northern Colorado Facebook groups, several large medical practices, and within the birth and postpartum community. I’ve worked hard to gain the trust of families and offer consistent results time and time again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sleepsolutionsforchildren.net/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sleepsolutionsforchildren
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sleepsolutionsforchildren
Image Credits
Lily & Lotus Photography