Exploring Life & Business with Michelle Roundy of The Mommy Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Roundy.

Hi Michelle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I took over as the owner and CEO of The Mommy Center in September 2024. A year before that, I had started a Mommy & Me music class business named “Music In Motion.” With that music class business, I became the music provider at The Mommy Center. I was teaching in 7 locations around Orange County, but The Mommy Center was always my favorite location to teach at, because it was beautiful, always clean, and it was close to my home. I never dreamed that I would one day become the owner. After several months of teaching there, the then current owner mentioned to me that she was ready to pass ownership on to the next person. I gave it lots of thought and it just seemed perfect for me, so I applied as a potential new owner. After our formal interview process, both she and I felt really good about it, and we moved forward with transferring ownership. I am so passionate about helping moms and their children, so this is a perfect fit and a dream job for me.

The reason I am so passionate about supporting moms is because I have experienced a lot of different aspects of motherhood, and have really had times of struggle. The way I have gotten through is through friendships and education, so that is what I love to provide for other moms.

I had 3 biological sons, and had postpartum anxiety and depression with each birth, along with significant breastfeeding difficulties. Following those births, I had 4 pregnancy losses in a row. That took a terrible toll on my body and on my mental state, and has developed a passion in me for supporting moms who have gone through pregnancy loss. After healing from those losses, my husband and I chose the path of adoption through foster care. We received a call asking if we would take newborn twin girls that very same day- they wanted us at the hospital in an hour. We said yes and met our daughters that night. We were in the foster care system for 2 years before being able to finalize the adoption. Our girls have some special needs, and our oldest son has some severe mental health challenges. Being a mom to children with these needs has made me stretch and grow, and has given me a large amount of compassion and a desire to support other moms going through hard times.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like with any business ownership, it has not been a completely smooth road. I would say the most challenging part is balancing my work and home life. As a mom to 5 children, most of whom are still very young, it is a daily challenge to find the time, energy, and capacity to do both work and home life well.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Mommy Center?
Our Mission Statement: The Mommy Center Mission is to build a local community of moms who are thriving and confident in motherhood through genuine friendships, and expert guidance- because motherhood isn’t meant to be done alone.

Tagline: Moms Thriving Together

The Mommy Center specializes in prenatal and postpartum support for parents. Before birth, parents can attend classes to learn how to care for the baby (diaper, swaddle, feed, soothe, burp, etc). They can also attend infant CPR class, and birthing class.

After the baby arrives, moms get to come each week for 10 weeks and are grouped with other moms who also had a baby within a month or two of them. Each week moms share “Joys & Challenges” of motherhood. Our instructors give guidance, tips, and encouragement as needed. Each class also features an educational topic. Our expert speakers are all excellent and knowledgeable in their fields. Topics include lactation, pelvic floor, sleep, motor development, mental health, speech development, relationships, car seat safety, and more.

Something that sets The Mommy Center apart from others is our judgement free space. We create an environment in which moms know they are safe to express how they are feeling, and will be shown compassion and understanding. We really focus on the mental health of moms, and openly discussing mental health challenges. Another aspect that sets us apart is that we are not a chain. Since we are a small and cozy group, we know the names of the moms and of their kids who walk through the door. We also have thought through all the details of support, which includes physical support. The Mommy Center keeps a snack bar stocked that is completely free to our moms. We know that their baby is fed, but often the moms have not fed themselves. For this reason, we give them items such as protein bars, granola bars, fruit, flavored water, and caffeinated beverages as needed to get through the day!

Brand wise we are the most proud of the safe, inclusive and judgement free space that we have created.

We have been voted “Best Mommy & Me” in Orange County for 3 years, and have received Yelp’s “Most Beloved Business” award for the last 2 years.

We volunteer at GiGi’s Playhouse- a Downsyndrome Achievement Center- by providing music class to their members every month. We partner with local service oriented businesses to bring free classes and education to our families as well.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I love the podcast, “Good Inside with Dr. Becky.” This podcast, as well as her book, “Good Inside,” informs much of the parenting advice we give our families.

The app the helps so much at work is Asana. It is a task management app that helps keep our team on the same page and make sure that tasks get done on time.

Pricing:

• Mommy & Me 10 Week Series $515
• Prenatal Classes $65-$90
• Mommy & Me Music Class $20
• Playgroup 8 Week Session $225

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.themommycenter.com
• Instagram: @mommycenteroc

Image Credits
Mica Rodriguez Photo