Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Barrera.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started in 2015 I became a first-time mom. While everything in my life seemed to be set up for this next phase (strong marriage, happy home, great job), I really had no idea that bringing a little person into the world would turn it all upside down. It was a whirlwind of emotions, often very conflicting.
The first few months were tough. I relied heavily on classes designed for new moms to meet friends and built a solid support system around being a mom. When my daughter was four months old, I went back to work and it was a struggle for me to find balance as I was constantly running from one full-time job to the other. During this time, I felt disconnected from my support system of new moms and completely lost sight of myself and my own needs.
Within three months of being back at work, I came to a breaking point and decided to quit my job in order to build a graphic design business of my own. While it was no small feat, I found that this new flexibility to continue to do what I loved while also reconnecting with my support system, creating time with my daughter and taking better care of myself made all the difference in terms of my satisfaction with motherhood. I’d finally found the balance between my professional and personal life I’d been yearning for.
As time went on, and I made more mom friends, I began to realize that the imbalance I experienced when I became a mom was a very common theme in my conversations with many women from a variety of circumstances. I heard over and over that full-time working moms wanted more freedom and time for themselves and with their kids; and moms who were at home with their kids also wanted time for themselves as well as time to pursue other hobbies and interests. I’ve always believed in paying good fortune forward and the wheels started turning around how I could be a catalyst for creating more balance and fulfillment among all moms in the way I’d done in my own life.
In the beginning of 2018, I was inspired to begin co-mingling my different groups of both working and stay at home mom friends. I made it a resolution to host monthly events for these women who may not otherwise cross paths to get to know each other and take the time to do something for themselves. Serendipitously, in June of the same year, an opportunity to have a dedicated physical space to continue to manifest this vision opened and the concept for The Mama Cocoon was officially conceived. We designed this space with lots of flexibility to provide a truly multi-purpose platform for mamas to create, launch, and grow their own businesses while also making a difference for our local mom community.
Almost one year later, I am still in awe and so inspired by what the community has brought to life here! In less than 12 months, we have been honored to provide the space for a variety of offerings, including: yoga and fitness classes, support groups, parent & baby classes, beauty and healing treatments, paint nights, professional workshops, co-working, maker mama marketplaces, movie nights, family gatherings, ceremonies and parties to name a few.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve learned that launching any new business comes with a distinct set of challenges. Launching my design business in retrospect was a lot easier because I had 15 years of experience in the field and a pretty good handle on the industry when I chose to go out on my own. But creating a community center that hosted a variety of activities that I wasn’t even qualified myself to run was a whole new ballgame!
And the business concept itself was unique. I am the sole “employee” and our leaders and instructors are credentialed and insured to run their own businesses while renting out our facility space. But things like how much to charge for rental, what legal documents were needed, how to support the growth of these businesses operating in our space, etc. were things I had to learn along the way. And I am still learning! Some lessons are more expensive than others, and it continues to be a week to week process.
I also had to re-evaluate my boundaries and work-life balance in this process. My design business is a M-F gig and as long as I meet my client’s deadlines, I have a lot of flexibility in terms of when I work. But a community center is truly a 24/7 job! Not only is our space available for rent all days of the week, but I also must keep up with various points of communication (email inquiries, phone calls, updating the website, social media, etc.). I’ve learned to streamline some of this by putting some processes in place to help alleviate the need for me to constantly be “on call”. Hiring a person to be onsite regularly, a dependable (and flexible) cleaning crew and having automated systems for social media posts, contracts, invoicing, etc. have been game changing investments for me in this business!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Mama Cocoon – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The Mama Cocoon and Papa Saloon make up a multi-purpose rental and co-working facility that provides a place to meet up, work, and play. We also offer classes, groups, and services supporting all things parenthood. Our guiding principle is “for the community, by the community” and everything offered in our space is provided by residents of Ventura County. Our mission is to create a safe, nurturing, and empowering space where our guests leave feeling more supported, connected, and inspired than they were when they came in.
What sets us apart from others is our ability to host so many different types of offerings within our space. Many places exist that offer services for parents, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen any that offer all that we do in one place.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I fell in love with Ventura when my husband and I moved here for a work opportunity for his company five years ago. We have both lived in many cities and states and we are both very comfortable here and happy to call this home for the foreseeable future. One of my favorite parts about being in Ventura is that it’s still a quiet and relatively unpopulated beach town in Southern California. The pace is calmer, and housing is much more affordable than neighboring cities. Yet you still have easy access to both LA and Santa Barbara when you want more. It’s really the best of all worlds.
I honestly can’t think of anything I dislike about this city! If my husband and I didn’t have our own businesses, though, it would be harder for us to live here since Agriculture is the predominant (only) industry in the area.
Pricing:
- Upstairs conference room or downstairs studio space: $24/hour
- Treatment/service room: $14/hour
- Co-working: $5/hourly, $24/day pass
Contact Info:
- Address: 2261 Palma Drive, Units 1-2, Ventura, CA 93003
- Website: www.themamacocoon.com
- Phone: 805-603-9121
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_mama_cocoon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themamacocoon/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mama-cocoon-ventura
Image Credit:
Meghan Schade Photography, Anna Elledge Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
