Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Kushner.
Hi Rebecca, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2018 I earned my Master of Occupational Therapy and started working in pediatrics. I loved it, especially working with families who needed and wanted lots of education about their child and their needs. I continued working as an OT when I had my first daughter, Ayla, in December 2020.
When Ayla was born, many of my friends were also giving birth, and with limited access to resources during the pandemic, I noticed lots of my friends seeking advice from me. My husband always said it was because I would share from my experiences honestly, openly and gently, both from the perspective of a new mom and a therapist.
I was working part time and wanted to expand a little. My friend Jackie had built her community at NMS a few years prior and connected me to Alex to teach a playgroup. It worked well with my expertise and my schedule, so I thought, why not?
In 2022, I had my second daughter, Romy. I was more immersed in the NMS community and began to shift more toward teaching here than working with clients. I was able to use my skills as an OT while truly connecting with moms and babies during such fragile times of life.
When the franchising opportunity came up, I knew it was the right move for me (and my family!). To be honest, I never saw myself in this position. I really struggled with the fact that I’d completed this higher education degree and wasn’t going be using it in the traditional sense anymore. But, I realized, motherhood is an occupation, and this is the place where it starts.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been an interesting, thrilling, and somehow still smooth, ride. I was fortunate enough to purchase the flagship New Mom School location, essentially picking up from where the founder, Alex, left off. I inherited a staff, a client-base and a relationship with key partners in our community. My job has been to nurture these relationships, while continuing to grow the business and our community. I’m not inherently a business-minded person, I never would have described myself that way. I just felt, and feel, so passionate about what we do here, that I was willing to push through and learn along the way. That being said, I’ve always been described as a connector, and I came into this knowing nothing about how to run a business, but I knew the heart of our program and how we truly change peoples’ lives. Being a mom to two young kids and a business owner of course has its challenges. Sometimes I feel so grateful for the fact that I can make my own schedule and be there for all their school drop-offs, pick ups, events, etc, and other times I feel like I have so much on my plate I haven’t really spent time with them in a few days.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
New Mom School (NMS) is a franchise, I own the flagship location AKA NMS Newport Mesa. We were founded in Orange County by Alex Spitz in 2012, and since then it has evolved into what it is today. NMS was born out of a need for moms to be cared for after baby arrives. We all know that during pregnancy, most of us receive wonderful care and attention from the medical providers we see. Once baby arrives, the focus shifts to baby, with the exception of the 6-week followup appointment for mom. Moms are often left feeling lonely, isolated, and like they are the only one going through the ups and downs of early motherhood. There is also not enough information, yet somehow at the same time, too much information out there. Social media can be helpful, but we never really know where that information is coming from. This can often be confusing, leaving moms searching for more answers. Our research-backed, expert-led curriculum focuses on mom and baby in the 4th trimester. Since moms are placed in cohorts with other moms who gave birth within a couple weeks of each other, they are really “in the trenches” with one another. Our different series include Newborn (0-3 months), Infant (3-6 months), Rising Toddler (6-12 months), Toddler (12-18 months) and Second Time Mom (for 2nd, 3rd + time newborn moms). Each series is 8 weeks. We are most proud of the thousands of moms’ lives we’ve impacted over the years, as we fundamentally change the way new moms are cared for.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We work closely with the OB/GYNs, pediatricians, and other birth workers in our community to ensure moms know about New Mom School when they are pregnant or have recently given birth. We also love meeting other relevant providers and programs in our area, so that we can continue to expand our network and provide moms an array of resources. These types of people include lactation consultants, sleep consultants, pelvic floor therapists, fitness instructors, doulas, social workers, MFTs, psychologists, mental health therapists, massage therapists, among others. It’s truly a win-win, when these providers are referring to us and we are referring to them.
Pricing:
- $525 pre-registration for first or second (and beyond) time expecting moms
- $575 registration for moms who have already given birth
- $575 registration for our Infant series (3-6 month babies)
- $375 for our Rising Toddler (6-12 mo) and Toddler series (12-18 mo)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newmomschool.com/newport-mesa
- Instagram: @newmomschool_newportmesa
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/new-mom-school-costa-mesa?osq=New+Mom+School
Image Credits
Kiley Stewart
