Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie del Valle.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I was pregnant with my son I had wanted to sign up for a CPR class. Having been busy with all the prepping that comes with the arrival of a new baby coupled with the fact that he decided to come a couple months early, I never made it to the course. Fast forward to two weeks after his birth, he started choking and turned blue in a matter of seconds. Luckily my Mom was with me at the time and she acted and was able to get the obstruction out. I felt awful that if it hadn’t been for her being there the situation could have ended in a completely different manner. I took a CPR class as soon as I could and eventually became friends with someone who taught the courses. One thing led to another and soon after I was teaching CPR to anyone and everyone who wanted to learn. What started out as a side project eventually spiraled into a full-blown business. We now have partnerships with many doctors’ offices, nanny agencies, home health agencies, pediatric clinics, and surrounding cities, and a ton of other businesses. We run classes daily at our office for anyone who needs or wants to take a course and offer a free CPR course once a month.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always struggles with being a business owner. When we first started I put my entire savings towards opening our doors to the public. I worked two jobs to be able to pay the rent on the office space and purchase the startup supplies. I didn’t want to take out a loan for these things but hoped to be able to make ends meet. The first two years were a struggle but luckily, even though it was paycheck to paycheck, we made it through. Cost increases have made it difficult to keep the prices the same, but we try to stay affordable because the last reason we want people to miss an opportunity to take one of our courses is the cost, which is why we do offer the free class.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We have been providing CPR, AED, and First Aid training since 2004 and opened our doors in Burbank back in 2009. We offer the courses daily at our location but travel out often for group classes. We try to form partnerships with local business and stay active in our community. Our instructors try to make learning CPR a fun yet informative process. We want everyone to walk away from the course feeling confident in the skills they learned with the hopes that they’ll never have to use them but with the training to be able to act quickly if they do.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up here in Burbank and attended all BUSD schools eventually graduating from John Burroughs High School. I played sports most of my life whether it was for school, local organizations, or on travel teams. I think I was always a little more on the reserved side as far as my personality goes. Like any other teen I spent a lot of my youth hanging out with my friends and finding things to get into. I have been very fortunate to still know many people in the area and have seen many people I grew up with in my classes.
Pricing:
- Friends and Family CPR $40 (for people not needing a certification for work or school)
- Heartsaver CPR/AED $55 (non medical CPR certification)
- Basic Life Support $60 (BLS for the Healthcare Provider)
- Heartsaver CPR/AED and First Aid $75
Contact Info:
- Address: 2216 W. Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91506 - Website: www.handstoheartcpr.com
- Phone: 8186872059
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: h2hcpr
- Facebook: h2hcprinc
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hands-to-heart-cpr-burbank-2
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.
