Meet Melody Tu-Bigney of Nature Bound

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melody Tu-Bigney.

Hi Melody, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
When I graduated from college, I thought I knew what I wanted; I got a job as a branch manager of a retail baking center, bought my first home, and things were going well. Five years later, my first child was born, and I started looking at my life differently. I wanted to be a present mother, I wanted to have a close relationship with my son because I never had that with my mom. I have no memory of my mother until I was 5, and even when we moved to Italy to live with her, I just didn’t feel a close bond with her. Anyways, working long hours networking after closing time to drum up business just didn’t align with what I wanted, and I felt more and more unhappy with this aspect of my life. Five more years went by, and I was blessed with 2 more kiddos, but my third son’s arrival was almost the end for both of us; I woke up in the middle of the night in a pool of blood and was rushed to the hospital. I remember looking at a red light after red light as my husband drove right through them, and the last thing I remember hearing was a woman’s voice screaming, “Shit, she’s turning blue!” After that day, I knew I needed to take action and follow my heart. Soon, I came across a company that provided guided outdoor play activities for kids with a focus on developing fundamental skills to help children thrive, and I could feel my face light up as I read about their mission to help more families spend quality time outdoors. We are an outdoor family, and even the fondest memories of my childhood involved camping, hiking, or just being outside pretending to cook with leaves, rocks, and whatever I could find. My father was a military man and believed that nature is the best teacher. He would take us to remote places often and just let us go freely as long as he could still see us. Playing independently allowed us the freedom to explore, and we made small decisions on our own and often relied on our instincts. I loved wandering in nature, catching insects, especially dragonflies, and fireflies, and as I grew older, my appreciation for it only grew. I immediately applied to get certified and began offering classes on weekends so I could still work a corporate job and have my husband and kids join my classes. Seeing the positive impact I was making in the community, I wanted to expand my offering to provide additional classes, add bilingual classes to make use of my multilingual skills, and provide additional tools that could help kids with social-emotional learning with nature at the core. In early 2023, as I watched a monarch butterfly with crooked wigs fly out of our garden after about 2 weeks of trying, the words Nature Bound just popped in my head. Nature has only one goal, and that’s to thrive. Even if conditions are not perfect, it finds some way to overcome. I reached out to the city, and they had been looking to add nature-based classes to their catalog, so I started the process. Soon, I left my corporate job behind and began offering weekday classes, bilingual Chinese Mandarin classes, private classes for special groups, and private events. We have now helped hundreds of kids to learn outdoors while learning to appreciate and take care of Mother Nature. 

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 taken some twists and turns for sure, but challenges help us grow, help us get better and stronger so having an appreciation for them is really the first step. The transition from a corporate job to self-employment took some adjusting; I had my banking background for the financial part, but there was so much more I needed to learn. I had to find and refine a flow for my days with all the different aspects of running my business while still picking up kids after school, helping them with homework, and taking them to after-school activities; productivity now definitely looks different, but I found some great resources for small businesses through non-profits that provide education and mentorship. Self-doubt sometimes creeps in, and I must pause to listen to my heart and trust my instinct. This has not only been a journey of entrepreneurship but also self-discovery. I realized that it took me so long to finally do what I wanted to do because my mother was chasing her dreams of becoming an opera singer, and when she let me study in Italy, I felt she left me behind. This was partly because my father resented her, and I was afraid that the same would happen with my family. I also found out that for the first few months of my life I spent my weekdays with a nanny so my mom could rest and work then she would pick me up on the weekends. Even though I was only a tiny baby and have no memory of it, it certainly affected me and our relationship. These are negative programming in the subconscious I carried with me from childhood, and I worked through them with energy work and movement. That’s why I’m so excited about the new program we’re working on as it can help kids with healing and self-regulating so they can be their best selves. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are an educational organization with a whole-child approach, offering nature-based, mindful, and fun learning programs for children from 18 months to 8. Our flagship program is our nature play Tinkergarten classes, where each season, we focus on one of the eight fundamental skills children need to thrive- creativity, empathy, wellness, problem-solving, persistence, sensory, communication, and focus. Our classes are held at local parks, and families can choose between English and bilingual Chinese. We also offer free community events throughout the year to celebrate holidays and special nature events with the community. I have started developing my own curriculum around Chinese cultural events to help new generations of Chinese Americans pass on the traditions. Looking to the near future, the new program we’re rolling out this year introduces the world of energy to children through imaginative stories, music, and movement. Combining principles from ancient healing traditions, we will help children take charge of their own path toward physical, mental, and emotional well-being that is sure to stay with them for life. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
So many people to be thankful for! I have families who have been with me from the time I was just offering a weekend class; it’s been amazing to watch these children grow in their skills, but I also learned so much from them. My husband has been so supportive through my journey, being a true partner in daily life and handling it all when I injured myself. My mother-in-law has been a huge blessing helping with the kids when we have conflicting schedules. My children, who inspire me every day to be a better version of myself, have been the source of motivation when I run into challenges, and they inspire me in their own play. I also recommend all small businesses to take advantage of services provided by SCORE and OCIE SBDC, they provide anything from educational resources to mentorship from seasoned business owners who volunteer their time. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natureboundoc/