In this episode, we’re chatting with Angel Leung — a registered nurse whose deeply personal story inspired the creation of Baby Bean Consulting.
After navigating her own experiences with pregnancy loss, Angel focused on building a business that provides compassionate support to women going through similar journeys. Here, we explore Angel’s story, and the innovative ways she’s helping women and workplaces address miscarriage and birth trauma.
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and related emotional experiences. Listener discretion is advised.
What You’ll Learn
- How Angel’s personal journey inspired innovative healthcare solutions
- Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship
- Strategies for workplaces to improve support for pregnancy loss and birth trauma
- The role of advocacy in improving women’s health and systemic change
Guest Bio
Angel Leung is a Registered Nurse and the founder of Baby Bean Consulting, a business dedicated to supporting women through miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, and birth trauma. Combining her clinical expertise with personal experience, Angel advocates for better healthcare practices, expert education, and systemic change to ensure women receive the compassionate care they deserve.
Resources mentioned
- Baby Bean Consulting – Website
- Angel Leung on LinkedIn
- Baby Bean Consulting on Instagram
- Angel’s Playbook - Lessons for Starting Your First Business
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I remember he just looked at me and he just said
Angel, I watched you fight sohard for us when we went through
our losses.
I watched you know how tonavigate it.
Do it and do it, again andagain.
And now I'm watching you do itfor our friends and for our
family.
What about everybody else?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome back to Radio Front Desk by JNAP.
I'm your host, denzel Ford.
Today, we're joined by AngelLeung, a registered nurse who
transformed her personalexperience with pregnancy loss
into a mission to help others.
Angel founded Baby BeanConsulting to address critical
gaps in healthcare and providemuch-needed support for women
navigating miscarriage,pregnancy after loss and birth
(00:46):
trauma.
In this episode, she opens upabout turning pain into purpose,
launching a business as a newmom and giving companies the
resources they need to supportwomen through loss.
It's a powerful, honest andinspiring conversation, but it
may contain content that issensitive for some listeners.
Take a moment to decide whatfeels best for you and let's get
(01:11):
into it, angel.
Welcome to Radio Front Desk.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
How are you doing today.
I'm good.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'm going to start by referencing an interview that
you did with Front Desk Magazine.
So in that interview you talkedabout a very personal story of
yours about a miscarriage andhow that experience really
helped you see a need inhealthcare and create a business
idea.
I just want to read somethingfrom that article.
So you said you're reflectingon a moment in your life that
(01:47):
impacted how you came to thinkof your business and you said I
remember clearly thinking when Iwas at that point.
Is there someone I can talk to,where they could just hold my
hand and help me feel less alone?
So I wonder if you could takeus in to that journey with you
and like how did you use thatexperience to create the idea
(02:07):
for your business?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, my husband and I, when we were trying to grow
our family, we went throughmultiple pregnancy losses.
And the truth is thatmiscarriages are common and it
happens.
It can happen to anybody.
And so I felt like, as a, Iwasn't truly prepared for the
heartache.
And professionally I'm aregistered nurse and so I know
(02:30):
the health care really well.
But even then it was reallyhard to navigate the health care
landscape, to figure out how toget connected to the right
resources, figure out how toadvocate for myself and,
honestly, to simply just figureout my next steps.
And I think, reflecting on thataspect of my journey, that was
a pivotal point of me realizingthat we do have a gap in our
(02:53):
healthcare and I am uniquelypositioned in a space where I
have the knowledge and the skillset to help women through the
healthcare system.
But then I also have the livedexperience, the experience where
I can be compassionate and Ican recognize what they're going
through.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It's such a courageous thing to even just
notice that, but how do you gofrom noticing that need to
actually coming up with abusiness idea and then taking
action on that?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah, that's a great question.
It didn't happen overnight and,to be honest, the push came
from my husband and it came fromone of our conversations where
this friend was also goingthrough a loss.
And I remember having a chatwith my husband and I was going
off of my nursing brain beinglike, oh my goodness, she needs
(03:45):
to be doing this, she needs tobe asking for this, and like
this is her next follow-upappointment and this is what she
should be doing.
And I remember kind of likerunning the plan through with my
husband and I remember he justlooked at me and he just said,
angel, I watched you fight sohard for us when we went through
our losses.
(04:05):
I watched you know how tonavigate it, do it and do it
again and again.
And now I'm watching you do itfor our friends and for our
family.
What about everybody else?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
What would you say?
Your first actual action itemwas to making it a business.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I remember in my mind thinking what would I even call
this business?
And asking my husband, and hewas like I think we already have
the answer, angel.
And he brought out the littleportrait, the painting portrait
of Baby Bean, which was apainting that a dear friend of
ours had painted for me when Iwent through my very first
miscarriage.
(04:42):
We had referred to our littlebaby as our little baby Bean,
and when we miscarried thatpregnancy, my dear friend had
searched up ways to honor apregnancy and she painted us
this beautiful little portraitand we had nicknamed that
portrait Baby Bean.
And so my husband was like Ithink this is the center of it
(05:03):
all.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I love that and if any listeners want to see that
portrait, there's a picture ofit in Front Death magazine.
It's very adorable.
Thank, you.
So once you start having thoseinitial ideas, I imagine there
would be some doubt in there.
What was that experience likefor you?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
I think I was just honestly so naive experience
like for you.
I think I was just honestly sonaive.
I was in a state of my life andmy business as an entrepreneur
and as a mom where I just Ilooked at it and it was so black
and white to me there was aneed and here is a solution.
And I think that it was becausein my mind I was like, well,
I'm a nurse, I'm clinical, Iknow my stuff and I'm good at it
(05:46):
.
I know how to help women whenit comes to a pregnancy loss.
But I didn't actually give ittoo much thought when it comes
to the business aspect and tokind of like add a bit more
depth of like how I went into it, I actually started baby bean
consulting at the very tail endof my maternity leave with my
youngest, and so I was at acrossroad of my career and my
life where I had to make thedecision do I go back to my job
(06:09):
or do I quit and go full on, gostraight into this venture, this
entrepreneurship of running myown business?
And I don't think I thought toomuch about it.
I just, in my mind, I had agoal, I had a passion and I knew
I had the skill set to do itwell and so I was like, let's do
this.
And we were in hindsight Idon't think we were super
(06:31):
prepared Like I didn't even havechild care lined up when we
first launched.
Like I was momming and I wasbusinessing, I was doing
everything all together and myhusband was stepping in to help
out whenever he could with hisfull-time job.
So it was intense, but it alsowas I think it was the biggest
learning curve in my career andit was really worth it.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
It's almost like you kind of have to go into it like
that.
You kind of have to go inheadstrong and you know, push,
because you're doing something.
That's.
It's a really big deal to starta business and to create, like
create something out of an ideaand then take it forward.
So take us into what youcreated, take us inside Baby
Bean.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
So Baby Bean.
What we specialize in doing iswe come alongside of women to
offer nursing support whenthey're going through a
miscarriage, a pregnancy afterloss or experiencing a birth
trauma.
So, in essence, what we do iswe utilize our nursing skills
and our very intimate knowledgeabout the healthcare system here
(07:33):
and we offer compassion, but,most importantly, we offer
resources to get them connectedto their next steps.
And so, for instance, ifsomeone is in the depth of a
miscarriage they're experiencingit right now we meet them where
they're at and we help themunderstand what's happening to
(07:54):
their body and what are theiroptions?
The reality is that our healthcare system is stretched very
thin and so oftentimes womendon't have the ability to talk
to a family doctor.
They might not have a familydoctor.
Women don't have the ability totalk to a family doctor they
might not have a family doctor.
So we come in to help themarticulate their needs, because
the truth is that sometimes,when you see a doctor, you may
(08:15):
only have 30 seconds to talkabout your medical problem, your
concern, and then you have tomove on right.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
I think the most I've ever gotten is like 15 minutes.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, exactly.
And so how do you come in whenyou're in the depth of your
grief, when you are losing yourbaby and you have to figure out
how to articulate your needs andsay, ok, well, I also am asking
for this blood work and thisdiagnostic testing, and I think
I need mental health support,and when can I try again?
You have all these differentthings floating around in your
mind.
How do you articulate it andadvocate for yourself?
(08:43):
So we come in and we have thesechats with you ahead of your
medical appointments.
So you know, so you areprepared, you're informed and
empowered to actually ask forwhat you need.
The stats are one in fourpregnancies end in a miscarriage
, and so oftentimes it's deemedas oh, it's common, it's okay
and it's not your fault, and so,therefore, women are often made
(09:05):
to feel that, well, my doctorsaid it was common, it wasn't my
fault, so I guess I should beokay, I guess I should carry on,
I guess I have to move on.
And so we come in and we wantto validate your emotions.
We want to make sure that whatyou're going through is hard and
it's unique to you.
Yes, you may know a friend, aco-worker, a mom, a sister or
(09:26):
another family member who alsowent through a miscarriage.
But everyone's miscarriage isdifferent.
Everyone's experience and theirhealing and their whole process
is different.
So let's make sure that wehonor your journey and get you
the support that you need.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Can you talk to us about the transition from like
being a nurse in a hospital towell, the kind of care you're
offering now, but also justbeing your own boss and owning a
business?
That's a big transition.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
When you are working as a nurse, typically you face
your patients, right, you are,you're interacting with them,
but there is a lot of tasks thatyou have to do and when they're
acutely ill in the hospital,your main goal is make sure that
they are alive and that you canget them to wherever else they
need to go.
(10:18):
So they've come to your unit.
So you work on a cardiac unit.
They came in for a cardiacissue, so you stabilize them,
you care for them and then youhave to discharge them because
they're not going to stay in thehospital forever.
So you work on the next stepsand you get them out the door
and you hand them to the nextperson.
When you work in the acutesetting, it's very fast paced
and you think on your feet allthe time and you don't
(10:39):
necessarily have the time to sitdown and say I'm so sorry that
not only did you have a heartattack, but you also lost your
cat and your brother moved outof town.
Like you don't have time toacknowledge these big life
transitions for your patients,the most you might be able to do
is like sit there with them,chat with them for a bit, ask
(11:00):
them how they're doing, makesure that they're emotionally
stable, but you also have sixother patients you have to take
care of, right.
But when you are your own bossand you run your own business,
you have a little bit morefreedom of how you want to
structure your time.
And I think there's that pivotof like.
I don't view the women that Iwork with as my patient because
they are a client.
(11:20):
Now, right, they're coming tome because they have a need and
so we work together and ourinteraction now have
transitioned to I'm not justhelping you with your medical
conditions and your concerns,but there's also that client
aspect of like how can I makesure that this is what you need?
And ultimately, from thebusiness aspect, this is what
(11:42):
you're paying for.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, it's such an inspiring, mission-driven
business.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Hey there, christina, here Just a quick moment to
share that this episode isbrought to you by Jane.
We know how much heart you putinto building a practice you're
proud of, and that's why we'rehere to make things like
scheduling, charting andpayments run a little smoother.
If you'd like to take a peekhead to janeapp forward, slash
pricing, because we love a goodbonus.
Don't forget to use the coderadiofrontdesk for a one-month
(12:10):
grace period.
Okay, I'll keep it short andsweet.
Back to the episode.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
So how do people find you?
You have such a unique businessmodel.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
So the majority of our clients currently do come
through word of mouth, which ishuge.
But we also have had to learnin our young business journey
that sometimes we have toreassess Initially.
When we first started, I wasvery focused on networking
within the healthcare realmbecause, as a nurse, that's my
(12:40):
bread and butter, that's whereI'm comfortable.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So were you looking to get referrals from other
professionals, kind of as whatyou were doing?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Exactly.
Yeah, we were makingconnections with other
healthcare providers,practitioners, thinking that it
makes sense for referrals tocome from them.
But then we came to therealization that the truth is
that miscarriages don'tdiscriminate.
It can happen to anyone at anypoint in their fertility,
motherhood journey.
And so we have had to pivot andrealize that we also have to
(13:09):
connect with the corporate world.
We also have to connect withother businesses, not just the
ones in healthcare, but just anygood old business out there,
because they have employees,they have female working
professionals who may be goingthrough a miscarriage, who needs
the support, and so what's abetter way to reach them if not
(13:30):
through their company, throughtheir HR, through their support,
right?
And so we've had to really kindof come up with different ways
and ideas to connect with thecorporate world, which is huge,
for it's a huge learning curvefor me because, again, as a
nurse, I know nothing about thebusiness world.
And so it was exciting, it washard, it was challenging, but it
(13:52):
was also so worthwhile makingthese connections because, in
turn, people found us.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
So when you say they make the connection, you get in
touch with somebody and thenthey somehow promote your
service within their company, isthat what's happening?
Speaker 1 (14:07):
no.
So we are coming into companiesoffering workshops.
So so, baby bean, we do theone-to-one client services and
support, but we also offercorporate workshops, educational
workshops.
Because, let's say, for JNAP,you have a team, you have a
manager, right, and you have ateam member who comes up to the
(14:28):
manager saying I justexperienced a pregnancy loss and
I'm going to need some time off.
How do you respond as themanager?
How do you respond in acompassionate, helpful way?
The standard response is oh,I'm so sorry, um, take some sick
leave and take your vacation.
And, um, if you run out of sickdays, you can have unpaid sick
(14:50):
leave.
Or it'll be like oh, maybe youshould connect with hr or um,
take, take the time you need,but let me know when you will
come back.
That is the standard response.
Right, but how can we go onestep further in educating
managers, helping themunderstand, like, what is your
team member actually goingthrough?
So we offer a workshop calledMiscarriage 101.
So that's when we come in andwe provide educational content
(15:11):
on like so what is a miscarriage?
What is your team member goingthrough, what are they feeling,
what are they physically goingthrough and what are their
options and support right now,and how can you step in as a
manager to be compassionate andto actually be helpful?
And then we also work withcompany HRs to figure out
realistically, how do weactually get this to work for
(15:34):
your team members?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
It's fascinating because your work is actually
changing the world of businessin a way.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Mental health was not really a big buzzword 10 years
ago, 15 years ago, but here, inthis current day and age, every
company out there has mentalhealth support Everybody is
talking about.
Here's your mental health fund.
Go see a counselor, go see atherapist.
Your mental health matters.
Mental health day we're allabout it.
Same with fertility 10 yearsago, no one talks about
(16:05):
fertility.
But in this day and age, wehave here's your fertility
support.
Here is a funding that you canaccess if you need fertility
support.
And so when you think aboutfertility and mental health, you
also then have to think aboutwhen someone goes through their
fertility journey.
Inevitably, they may go throughloss, because fertility journey
is not always rainbows andsunshines right Like it can be
(16:27):
really hard, and so how are youthen supporting them when
they're going through a loss?
That's why you need dedicatedmiscarriage support for
corporates, and so that's onething where I think we are
pivoting, changing and trying toadapt to the modern world of.
Miscarriages have been aroundforever, but how do we make it
so that women are supported?
(16:47):
in this current time, when theygo through one.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, what's something that surprised you
about running a business?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
that surprised you about running a business.
I think something that I wasnot anticipating was that not
everyone's going to be yourbusiness BFF, and I say that in
a sense of like.
Again, I come from thehealthcare world, so in the
healthcare realm you kind ofknow all the main players, you
kind of know everybody, becauseyou need to know this doctor to
be able to refer to this personto whatever service they need,
and so in healthcare things arevery clear in a sense of like
(17:28):
whose role is what and who aremy allies?
Who can I connect with?
Who can I refer to?
In the business world?
It was a huge learning curve forme, because I've come to
realize that, oh, there's somany other businesses and
entrepreneurs out there andeveryone's doing their thing,
everyone's doing good stuff, butnot everyone is going to
necessarily become your businessBFF, and I had to learn to not
(17:52):
take it personally.
And for me it all stemmed fromwhat do I need to do?
I needed to know my own reasonof why I started my business.
I needed to stand firm on mywhy.
Why did I start my business?
And those who really get in,those who really want to help,
will come alongside of you andthose who might not connect,
that's okay.
(18:12):
It's not that you know I'm notdoing a good job or that they're
like mean, it's more so.
Just like, at this point in ourbusiness ventures we might not
click, we might not cross roads,and that's OK.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I'm fascinated that you're calling that out, because
a lot of people we talk to onthis podcast they mention things
like building community andbuilding connections with your
network in your city or yourtown.
What they don't mention is thatnot everyone is going to
actually want to connect withyou just because you try.
So I appreciate that you'recalling that out.
(18:46):
There's an emotional side ofrunning a business and I mean
for me, I would think that wouldfeel a little bit like
rejection if someone was like Idon't want to partner with you,
but you're just saying it's okayLike you go, do you?
And I'm going to keep going anddoing me.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Absolutely, I love that I like how you again
honestly captured it with theword rejection.
It does feel like a rejectionat times and it does feel like,
oh, I thought what you do andwhat I do kind of like it would
align and that we would havecollective clients like it may
sense, or like in my mind.
I'm like, oh, this would be agreat partnership, of course we
(19:22):
should pursue this.
And then sometimes people justsay nope, thanks, and they move
on.
And it's okay for me to be like, oh yeah, that was a bit harsh,
but that's okay.
And then I move on and I justrealize that you know, it's okay
, it might not be the time rightnow, maybe down the road, or
maybe it's just not the rightpartnership, and we move on.
There's so many otherbusinesses, so many other
individuals and at the end ofthe day, we can't please
(19:44):
everybody, and not everyone ishere to please me either.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
So last question If you had to give someone out
there, at an earlier stage oftheir journey, one piece of
advice for getting startedgetting off the ground, what
would you tell them?
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I think, at the end of the day, when you start a
business, it's your business.
Right, you are starting it.
You may have other people whoare supporting you, cheering you
on, but at the end of the day,you're starting your business,
so you need to really believe init, and I think that that is.
It may sound like a clicheadvice because, yes, of course
everyone's gonna be like, yeah,do what you love, do what you're
(20:23):
good at, but I think theessence is that you need to
really really believe in it.
You need to really actually bepassionate about it, because
there will be days where it isso hard about it.
Because there will be dayswhere it is so hard, there will
be days where you literally wantto be like, yeah, that's it, I
am done, like I have to shut thedoor and I'm just going to go
(20:44):
back to my good old union joband be okay with that.
And I think that, starting yourown business, you have to be
strong on your own.
You need to know that you cando this.
You need to know your why andyou also need to give yourself
that grace to know that you knowother people's success doesn't
(21:05):
cloud why you exist, and I thinkthat, as a young business like
there, were many times that Ifelt like, oh my gosh, look at
that person, look at thatbusiness.
But then I get reminded I havea very strong village behind me
and I get reminded all the timeof Angel.
You do this because you care,you do this because you live
through it and you know thatyou're making a difference.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
I feel so many inspirational vibes from this
conversation, not just aboutstarting a business, but I think
it's also just like in life.
I'm like I'm going to applythis to everything right now.
Aw, thank you.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
It's been a joy, Thank you so much for having me.
It is such a joy to be here.
I really loved our conversation.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Thanks for tuning in to Radio Front Desk.
If you found this episodehelpful, it would mean so much
to me if you gave it a ratingand leave a review letting me
know what you think.
And if you're a fan, you cansubscribe to Radio Front Desk on
Apple Music, spotify andwherever you get your podcasts.
I remember he just looked at me and he just said
Angel, I watched you fight sohard for us when we went through
our losses.
I watched you know how tonavigate it.
Do it and do it, again andagain.
And now I'm watching you do itfor our friends and for our
family.
What about everybody else?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome back to Radio Front Desk by JNAP.
I'm your host, denzel Ford.
Today, we're joined by AngelLeung, a registered nurse who
transformed her personalexperience with pregnancy loss
into a mission to help others.
Angel founded Baby BeanConsulting to address critical
gaps in healthcare and providemuch-needed support for women
navigating miscarriage,pregnancy after loss and birth
(00:46):
trauma.
In this episode, she opens upabout turning pain into purpose,
launching a business as a newmom and giving companies the
resources they need to supportwomen through loss.
It's a powerful, honest andinspiring conversation, but it
may contain content that issensitive for some listeners.
Take a moment to decide whatfeels best for you and let's get
(01:11):
into it, angel.
Welcome to Radio Front Desk.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
How are you doing today.
I'm good.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'm going to start by referencing an interview that
you did with Front Desk Magazine.
So in that interview you talkedabout a very personal story of
yours about a miscarriage andhow that experience really
helped you see a need inhealthcare and create a business
idea.
I just want to read somethingfrom that article.
So you said you're reflectingon a moment in your life that
(01:47):
impacted how you came to thinkof your business and you said I
remember clearly thinking when Iwas at that point.
Is there someone I can talk to,where they could just hold my
hand and help me feel less alone?
So I wonder if you could takeus in to that journey with you
and like how did you use thatexperience to create the idea
(02:07):
for your business?
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, my husband and I, when we were trying to grow
our family, we went throughmultiple pregnancy losses.
And the truth is thatmiscarriages are common and it
happens.
It can happen to anybody.
And so I felt like, as a, Iwasn't truly prepared for the
heartache.
And professionally I'm aregistered nurse and so I know
(02:30):
the health care really well.
But even then it was reallyhard to navigate the health care
landscape, to figure out how toget connected to the right
resources, figure out how toadvocate for myself and,
honestly, to simply just figureout my next steps.
And I think, reflecting on thataspect of my journey, that was
a pivotal point of me realizingthat we do have a gap in our
(02:53):
healthcare and I am uniquelypositioned in a space where I
have the knowledge and the skillset to help women through the
healthcare system.
But then I also have the livedexperience, the experience where
I can be compassionate and Ican recognize what they're going
through.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It's such a courageous thing to even just
notice that, but how do you gofrom noticing that need to
actually coming up with abusiness idea and then taking
action on that?
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Yeah, that's a great question.
It didn't happen overnight and,to be honest, the push came
from my husband and it came fromone of our conversations where
this friend was also goingthrough a loss.
And I remember having a chatwith my husband and I was going
off of my nursing brain beinglike, oh my goodness, she needs
(03:45):
to be doing this, she needs tobe asking for this, and like
this is her next follow-upappointment and this is what she
should be doing.
And I remember kind of likerunning the plan through with my
husband and I remember he justlooked at me and he just said,
angel, I watched you fight sohard for us when we went through
our losses.
(04:05):
I watched you know how tonavigate it, do it and do it
again and again.
And now I'm watching you do itfor our friends and for our
family.
What about everybody else?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
What would you say?
Your first actual action itemwas to making it a business.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I remember in my mind thinking what would I even call
this business?
And asking my husband, and hewas like I think we already have
the answer, angel.
And he brought out the littleportrait, the painting portrait
of Baby Bean, which was apainting that a dear friend of
ours had painted for me when Iwent through my very first
miscarriage.
(04:42):
We had referred to our littlebaby as our little baby Bean,
and when we miscarried thatpregnancy, my dear friend had
searched up ways to honor apregnancy and she painted us
this beautiful little portraitand we had nicknamed that
portrait Baby Bean.
And so my husband was like Ithink this is the center of it
(05:03):
all.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I love that and if any listeners want to see that
portrait, there's a picture ofit in Front Death magazine.
It's very adorable.
Thank, you.
So once you start having thoseinitial ideas, I imagine there
would be some doubt in there.
What was that experience likefor you?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
I think I was just honestly so naive experience
like for you.
I think I was just honestly sonaive.
I was in a state of my life andmy business as an entrepreneur
and as a mom where I just Ilooked at it and it was so black
and white to me there was aneed and here is a solution.
And I think that it was becausein my mind I was like, well,
I'm a nurse, I'm clinical, Iknow my stuff and I'm good at it
(05:46):
.
I know how to help women whenit comes to a pregnancy loss.
But I didn't actually give ittoo much thought when it comes
to the business aspect and tokind of like add a bit more
depth of like how I went into it, I actually started baby bean
consulting at the very tail endof my maternity leave with my
youngest, and so I was at acrossroad of my career and my
life where I had to make thedecision do I go back to my job
(06:09):
or do I quit and go full on, gostraight into this venture, this
entrepreneurship of running myown business?
And I don't think I thought toomuch about it.
I just, in my mind, I had agoal, I had a passion and I knew
I had the skill set to do itwell and so I was like, let's do
this.
And we were in hindsight Idon't think we were super
(06:31):
prepared Like I didn't even havechild care lined up when we
first launched.
Like I was momming and I wasbusinessing, I was doing
everything all together and myhusband was stepping in to help
out whenever he could with hisfull-time job.
So it was intense, but it alsowas I think it was the biggest
learning curve in my career andit was really worth it.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
It's almost like you kind of have to go into it like
that.
You kind of have to go inheadstrong and you know, push,
because you're doing something.
That's.
It's a really big deal to starta business and to create, like
create something out of an ideaand then take it forward.
So take us into what youcreated, take us inside Baby
Bean.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
So Baby Bean.
What we specialize in doing iswe come alongside of women to
offer nursing support whenthey're going through a
miscarriage, a pregnancy afterloss or experiencing a birth
trauma.
So, in essence, what we do iswe utilize our nursing skills
and our very intimate knowledgeabout the healthcare system here
(07:33):
and we offer compassion, but,most importantly, we offer
resources to get them connectedto their next steps.
And so, for instance, ifsomeone is in the depth of a
miscarriage they're experiencingit right now we meet them where
they're at and we help themunderstand what's happening to
(07:54):
their body and what are theiroptions?
The reality is that our healthcare system is stretched very
thin and so oftentimes womendon't have the ability to talk
to a family doctor.
They might not have a familydoctor.
Women don't have the ability totalk to a family doctor they
might not have a family doctor.
So we come in to help themarticulate their needs, because
the truth is that sometimes,when you see a doctor, you may
(08:15):
only have 30 seconds to talkabout your medical problem, your
concern, and then you have tomove on right.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
I think the most I've ever gotten is like 15 minutes.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, exactly.
And so how do you come in whenyou're in the depth of your
grief, when you are losing yourbaby and you have to figure out
how to articulate your needs andsay, ok, well, I also am asking
for this blood work and thisdiagnostic testing, and I think
I need mental health support,and when can I try again?
You have all these differentthings floating around in your
mind.
How do you articulate it andadvocate for yourself?
(08:43):
So we come in and we have thesechats with you ahead of your
medical appointments.
So you know, so you areprepared, you're informed and
empowered to actually ask forwhat you need.
The stats are one in fourpregnancies end in a miscarriage
, and so oftentimes it's deemedas oh, it's common, it's okay
and it's not your fault, and so,therefore, women are often made
(09:05):
to feel that, well, my doctorsaid it was common, it wasn't my
fault, so I guess I should beokay, I guess I should carry on,
I guess I have to move on.
And so we come in and we wantto validate your emotions.
We want to make sure that whatyou're going through is hard and
it's unique to you.
Yes, you may know a friend, aco-worker, a mom, a sister or
(09:26):
another family member who alsowent through a miscarriage.
But everyone's miscarriage isdifferent.
Everyone's experience and theirhealing and their whole process
is different.
So let's make sure that wehonor your journey and get you
the support that you need.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Can you talk to us about the transition from like
being a nurse in a hospital towell, the kind of care you're
offering now, but also justbeing your own boss and owning a
business?
That's a big transition.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
When you are working as a nurse, typically you face
your patients, right, you are,you're interacting with them,
but there is a lot of tasks thatyou have to do and when they're
acutely ill in the hospital,your main goal is make sure that
they are alive and that you canget them to wherever else they
need to go.
(10:18):
So they've come to your unit.
So you work on a cardiac unit.
They came in for a cardiacissue, so you stabilize them,
you care for them and then youhave to discharge them because
they're not going to stay in thehospital forever.
So you work on the next stepsand you get them out the door
and you hand them to the nextperson.
When you work in the acutesetting, it's very fast paced
and you think on your feet allthe time and you don't
(10:39):
necessarily have the time to sitdown and say I'm so sorry that
not only did you have a heartattack, but you also lost your
cat and your brother moved outof town.
Like you don't have time toacknowledge these big life
transitions for your patients,the most you might be able to do
is like sit there with them,chat with them for a bit, ask
(11:00):
them how they're doing, makesure that they're emotionally
stable, but you also have sixother patients you have to take
care of, right.
But when you are your own bossand you run your own business,
you have a little bit morefreedom of how you want to
structure your time.
And I think there's that pivotof like.
I don't view the women that Iwork with as my patient because
they are a client.
(11:20):
Now, right, they're coming tome because they have a need and
so we work together and ourinteraction now have
transitioned to I'm not justhelping you with your medical
conditions and your concerns,but there's also that client
aspect of like how can I makesure that this is what you need?
And ultimately, from thebusiness aspect, this is what
(11:42):
you're paying for.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, it's such an inspiring, mission-driven
business.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Hey there, christina, here Just a quick moment to
share that this episode isbrought to you by Jane.
We know how much heart you putinto building a practice you're
proud of, and that's why we'rehere to make things like
scheduling, charting andpayments run a little smoother.
If you'd like to take a peekhead to janeapp forward, slash
pricing, because we love a goodbonus.
Don't forget to use the coderadiofrontdesk for a one-month
(12:10):
grace period.
Okay, I'll keep it short andsweet.
Back to the episode.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
So how do people find you?
You have such a unique businessmodel.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
So the majority of our clients currently do come
through word of mouth, which ishuge.
But we also have had to learnin our young business journey
that sometimes we have toreassess Initially.
When we first started, I wasvery focused on networking
within the healthcare realmbecause, as a nurse, that's my
(12:40):
bread and butter, that's whereI'm comfortable.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So were you looking to get referrals from other
professionals, kind of as whatyou were doing?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Exactly.
Yeah, we were makingconnections with other
healthcare providers,practitioners, thinking that it
makes sense for referrals tocome from them.
But then we came to therealization that the truth is
that miscarriages don'tdiscriminate.
It can happen to anyone at anypoint in their fertility,
motherhood journey.
And so we have had to pivot andrealize that we also have to
(13:09):
connect with the corporate world.
We also have to connect withother businesses, not just the
ones in healthcare, but just anygood old business out there,
because they have employees,they have female working
professionals who may be goingthrough a miscarriage, who needs
the support, and so what's abetter way to reach them if not
(13:30):
through their company, throughtheir HR, through their support,
right?
And so we've had to really kindof come up with different ways
and ideas to connect with thecorporate world, which is huge,
for it's a huge learning curvefor me because, again, as a
nurse, I know nothing about thebusiness world.
And so it was exciting, it washard, it was challenging, but it
(13:52):
was also so worthwhile makingthese connections because, in
turn, people found us.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
So when you say they make the connection, you get in
touch with somebody and thenthey somehow promote your
service within their company, isthat what's happening?
Speaker 1 (14:07):
no.
So we are coming into companiesoffering workshops.
So so, baby bean, we do theone-to-one client services and
support, but we also offercorporate workshops, educational
workshops.
Because, let's say, for JNAP,you have a team, you have a
manager, right, and you have ateam member who comes up to the
(14:28):
manager saying I justexperienced a pregnancy loss and
I'm going to need some time off.
How do you respond as themanager?
How do you respond in acompassionate, helpful way?
The standard response is oh,I'm so sorry, um, take some sick
leave and take your vacation.
And, um, if you run out of sickdays, you can have unpaid sick
(14:50):
leave.
Or it'll be like oh, maybe youshould connect with hr or um,
take, take the time you need,but let me know when you will
come back.
That is the standard response.
Right, but how can we go onestep further in educating
managers, helping themunderstand, like, what is your
team member actually goingthrough?
So we offer a workshop calledMiscarriage 101.
So that's when we come in andwe provide educational content
(15:11):
on like so what is a miscarriage?
What is your team member goingthrough, what are they feeling,
what are they physically goingthrough and what are their
options and support right now,and how can you step in as a
manager to be compassionate andto actually be helpful?
And then we also work withcompany HRs to figure out
realistically, how do weactually get this to work for
(15:34):
your team members?
Speaker 2 (15:35):
It's fascinating because your work is actually
changing the world of businessin a way.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Mental health was not really a big buzzword 10 years
ago, 15 years ago, but here, inthis current day and age, every
company out there has mentalhealth support Everybody is
talking about.
Here's your mental health fund.
Go see a counselor, go see atherapist.
Your mental health matters.
Mental health day we're allabout it.
Same with fertility 10 yearsago, no one talks about
(16:05):
fertility.
But in this day and age, wehave here's your fertility
support.
Here is a funding that you canaccess if you need fertility
support.
And so when you think aboutfertility and mental health, you
also then have to think aboutwhen someone goes through their
fertility journey.
Inevitably, they may go throughloss, because fertility journey
is not always rainbows andsunshines right Like it can be
(16:27):
really hard, and so how are youthen supporting them when
they're going through a loss?
That's why you need dedicatedmiscarriage support for
corporates, and so that's onething where I think we are
pivoting, changing and trying toadapt to the modern world of.
Miscarriages have been aroundforever, but how do we make it
so that women are supported?
(16:47):
in this current time, when theygo through one.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, what's something that surprised you
about running a business?
Speaker 1 (17:02):
that surprised you about running a business.
I think something that I wasnot anticipating was that not
everyone's going to be yourbusiness BFF, and I say that in
a sense of like.
Again, I come from thehealthcare world, so in the
healthcare realm you kind ofknow all the main players, you
kind of know everybody, becauseyou need to know this doctor to
be able to refer to this personto whatever service they need,
and so in healthcare things arevery clear in a sense of like
(17:28):
whose role is what and who aremy allies?
Who can I connect with?
Who can I refer to?
In the business world?
It was a huge learning curve forme, because I've come to
realize that, oh, there's somany other businesses and
entrepreneurs out there andeveryone's doing their thing,
everyone's doing good stuff, butnot everyone is going to
necessarily become your businessBFF, and I had to learn to not
(17:52):
take it personally.
And for me it all stemmed fromwhat do I need to do?
I needed to know my own reasonof why I started my business.
I needed to stand firm on mywhy.
Why did I start my business?
And those who really get in,those who really want to help,
will come alongside of you andthose who might not connect,
that's okay.
(18:12):
It's not that you know I'm notdoing a good job or that they're
like mean, it's more so.
Just like, at this point in ourbusiness ventures we might not
click, we might not cross roads,and that's OK.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
I'm fascinated that you're calling that out, because
a lot of people we talk to onthis podcast they mention things
like building community andbuilding connections with your
network in your city or yourtown.
What they don't mention is thatnot everyone is going to
actually want to connect withyou just because you try.
So I appreciate that you'recalling that out.
(18:46):
There's an emotional side ofrunning a business and I mean
for me, I would think that wouldfeel a little bit like
rejection if someone was like Idon't want to partner with you,
but you're just saying it's okayLike you go, do you?
And I'm going to keep going anddoing me.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Absolutely, I love that I like how you again
honestly captured it with theword rejection.
It does feel like a rejectionat times and it does feel like,
oh, I thought what you do andwhat I do kind of like it would
align and that we would havecollective clients like it may
sense, or like in my mind.
I'm like, oh, this would be agreat partnership, of course we
(19:22):
should pursue this.
And then sometimes people justsay nope, thanks, and they move
on.
And it's okay for me to be like, oh yeah, that was a bit harsh,
but that's okay.
And then I move on and I justrealize that you know, it's okay
, it might not be the time rightnow, maybe down the road, or
maybe it's just not the rightpartnership, and we move on.
There's so many otherbusinesses, so many other
individuals and at the end ofthe day, we can't please
(19:44):
everybody, and not everyone ishere to please me either.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
So last question If you had to give someone out
there, at an earlier stage oftheir journey, one piece of
advice for getting startedgetting off the ground, what
would you tell them?
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I think, at the end of the day, when you start a
business, it's your business.
Right, you are starting it.
You may have other people whoare supporting you, cheering you
on, but at the end of the day,you're starting your business,
so you need to really believe init, and I think that that is.
It may sound like a clicheadvice because, yes, of course
everyone's gonna be like, yeah,do what you love, do what you're
(20:23):
good at, but I think theessence is that you need to
really really believe in it.
You need to really actually bepassionate about it, because
there will be days where it isso hard about it.
Because there will be dayswhere it is so hard, there will
be days where you literally wantto be like, yeah, that's it, I
am done, like I have to shut thedoor and I'm just going to go
(20:44):
back to my good old union joband be okay with that.
And I think that, starting yourown business, you have to be
strong on your own.
You need to know that you cando this.
You need to know your why andyou also need to give yourself
that grace to know that you knowother people's success doesn't
(21:05):
cloud why you exist, and I thinkthat, as a young business like
there, were many times that Ifelt like, oh my gosh, look at
that person, look at thatbusiness.
But then I get reminded I havea very strong village behind me
and I get reminded all the timeof Angel.
You do this because you care,you do this because you live
through it and you know thatyou're making a difference.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
I feel so many inspirational vibes from this
conversation, not just aboutstarting a business, but I think
it's also just like in life.
I'm like I'm going to applythis to everything right now.
Aw, thank you.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
It's been a joy, Thank you so much for having me.
It is such a joy to be here.
I really loved our conversation.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Thanks for tuning in to Radio Front Desk.
If you found this episodehelpful, it would mean so much
to me if you gave it a ratingand leave a review letting me
know what you think.
And if you're a fan, you cansubscribe to Radio Front Desk on
Apple Music, spotify andwherever you get your podcasts.
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