How do they do it? Some moms just seem to have a enviable superpower. They’re successful at what they do and balance work with family while seeming perfectly put together. We found nine super cool Southern California moms who we think are awesome and deserve to be recognized.
Lisa Druxman
Chief Founding Mother of Stroller Strides
Moms across the U.S.A. have Lisa to thank for losing the baby weight, as one glance at Lisa and her accomplishments will motivate anyone to get outside and push that stroller to fitness and beyond. She started Stroller Strides in 2001 as a way for new moms to get back in shape, have fun and connect with other like-minded moms. It’s now a national phenomenon with over 1200 locations and 150,000 participants. Not only is Lisa a mompreneur, she’s an author, earned a Master’s degree in psychology, a pubic speaker and has been recognized on multiple national media outlets. The motto of Stroller Strides is, “Helping moms make strides in fitness, motherhood and life.” Lisa does just that, while living in San Diego with her husband and two kids.
Lucy Postins
Founder and President of The Honest Kitchen
It started as an interest in how to feed her own dog a raw food diet that’s both nutritious and economical. What started in Lucy’s home resulted in a successful San Diego-based pet food company, The Honest Kitchen, who has raised the bar when it comes to what we feed our precious pets. Ingredients are human grade, minimally processed, organic when possible, sustainable and the end product is a labor of love. Lucy overseas the all operations, corporate development, strategy and marketing. She keeps her role as CEO clearly divided from her other role as a mom, in order to stay focused in the moment–even if it means she works a bit later. And, yes, The Honest Kitchen office is pet-friendly.
Joann Woolley
Instructor and Founder of Sign4Baby
Have you ever wondered what your baby is thinking? Thanks to Joann Woolley, owner of Sign4Baby, SoCal families have the opportunity to find out. Joann learned sign language as an infant in order to communicate with her mother, who is deaf. She combined her unique talent with her desire to teach and worked extremely hard to build one of the most well-known sign language companies in San Diego. Networking in real life and on social media has been key to Joann’s success along with following the advice of her business coach. Classes are offered all over the county and with Joann’s upbeat personality, they are always a blast for both babies and parents.
Kristin Ahmer
CEO, President and Founder of The Sili Company
The Sili Squeeze, a reusable pouch that allows kids to enjoy mess-free pureed food while on the go, started as a drawing made by Kristin at her kitchen table. Now her two-year-old, San Clemente-based company has added the Sili Squeeze with Ease for resistance-free feeding. Kristin’s background in apparel manufacturing gave her some familiarity with the development process, but it still takes a lot of work and determination. She sourced designer and manufacturer right here in California. Kristin has even created a family-centric environment at The Sili Company, where kids come first.
Dara B. GreenPresident of Seaside Nannies, Inc.
Dara took her background as a career nanny and preschool teacher and formed Seaside Nannies, San Diego and Orange County’s premier nanny agency. Dara is a local go-to source for local media, an advocate for families and children, as well as a highly-respected business woman. Dara employs a more personal approach–no online forms here. Families are met with at home, in person to source needs and assess the overall dynamic. It’s a strategy that’s worked. Despite her success, family time is a priority for Dara who enjoyed dedicated to spending weekends enjoying both land and sea with her family. SoCal Families go to work with peace of mind, thanks to Seaside Nannies.
Vanessa Bryant
Founder of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation
She might be married to a famous basketball player and the mom of two kids, but she manages to find time to help improve the lives of kids and families in need through the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. The foundation has provided basketball scholarships to the Kobe Bryant Basketball Academy and helped address the issue of youth homelessness in Los Angeles through various initiatives. Though a devoted, hands-on mom, Vanessa stays balanced by scheduling an hour of “me time” each day.
Giselle Baturay
Owner of Granola Babies
This power mom runs the largest natural boutique and resource in Orange County, Granola Babies, which now has locations in both Costa Mesa and Long Beach. Each product in the store is hand-selected by Giselle and geared toward natural and holistic living. Not only does she have her fourth baby on the way, she’s busy organizing OC Pregnancy & Beyond coming up in May, which last year brought over 550 pregnant and new mothers to connect OC vendors. And, Giselle is Reiki Practitioner, Aromatherapist/Herbalist, Childbirth Educator, Lactation Educator as well as a lover of life.
Heather Irvine
Founder of Newborns & Beyond
She’s been successfully coaching and guiding overwhelmed parents for over 11 years. Heather is an Infant Consultant and Pediatric Sleep Coach who developed Good Nite Baby programs to meet the needs of babies with sleep problems and their tired parents. Though Heather is located in Orange County, clients can reach her via phone or email. Quick tip from Heather: When you follow a child’s sleep cues, you should find that they fall asleep faster and have a more restorative stretch of sleep. She puts her experience to good use at home as the mother of 5 children.
Sandy Clark
Founder and Owner of Double Blessings
Sandy is the creator of the San Diego Bebe TWIN, the #1 selling twin nursing pillow since 1995. Not only that, eco-conscious moms rave about her San Diego Bebe Nursing Pillows (shown above), which allow moms to nurse in comfort and privacy. Her pillows are sold in her online store, Double Blessings, along with other favorite baby products. She started her business the year her twins were born and now they are in college! Sandy survived the recession by re-inventing and even re-naming her products, showing determination, skill and overall awesomeness. Her advice to moms who are looking to bring a product to market? Surround yourself with people that have solid business experience and integrity. Also, test your product or service with a local focus group before jumping into production too quickly.
We know there are dozens of power moms out there. In fact, we bet you’re one of them! Who else do you think deserves a spot on our list?
