Being a new mother is hard. This is especially true when there are a load of other things to care for and worry about. When the hospital time is over, parents are sent home and left trying to figure out what to do from there. Necessity and personal experience helped Denise Stern found her company. Let Mommy Sleep, a newborn nursing agency helps parents get off to a great start by helping with newborns. We sat down with Denise to learn more about her business, her background, and advice for entrepreneurs.
What's your background and what led you to start your business?
Unfortunately in our country, mothers often get kicked out of the hospital after less than 48 hours postpartum. This leaves new mothers with little education about infant care and no recovery time after giving birth. When I had my twin daughters, I had a son who was seventeen months old, a husband with no paternity leave and was suffering from health complications. Out of this personal experience, Let Mommy Sleep was born.
My degree is in Public Relations and I owned another small business prior to Let Mommy Sleep for 5 years so the logistics and operations of a start up were already familiar to me.
Tell us about your business
Let Mommy Sleep is the elite baby nurse agency in the Washington, D.C. metro area and is expanding nationwide. We have an expert team of Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Post Partum Caregivers that provide overnight infant care, evidence based education, lactation consultations and sleep counseling. LMS has garnered local and national media print, radio, and appearances and was recognized as a leading woman-owned business by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We also participated in the exclusive White House Summit on Working Families 2014 with the President of the United States and other national bipartisan leaders. Our detailed approach includes intensive research, customized documentation systems, continual staff training and impressive community outreach. These factors, along with glowing testimonials from clients and an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau, continue to make Let Mommy Sleep the industry leader.
How did you come up with your business name?
I was sitting in bed brainstorming business names, and I decided, “Let’s just cut right to the chase and call it what it is…Let Mommy Sleep.”
How has it been being a “mompreneur”?
To me, there’s no better job than mine! It allows me to work from home and be attentive to my own family while helping others. In the early days of the business, I was working around the clock. We started with just 4 nurses. Now the business has expanded to 34 nurses and 4 home office team members I love extending this work opportunity to other moms.
What is Mission Sleep?
Mission: Sleep, the non-profit arm of LMS which delivers free overnight infant care to military families with a partner who is deployed, wounded, or deceased at time of baby's arrival. To date over 4,500 hours have been awarded to deserving military families.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners?
Have a viable and well-researched business plan. It’s great to do something that you love and are passionate about, but there are many aspects of business that aren’t “fun.” Know your local business laws, consult with mentors and understand your budget. The numbers will always tell you the right decision.
Why is the DMV (DC, Maryland & Virginia) a good place to be an entrepreneur?
As our nation’s capital, Washington DC is at the foreground of innovation. With so many professionals, government agencies and military, the D.C. area is consistently an area of growth.