We were lucky to catch up with Kelsey Flores recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My journey into the sleep consulting business actually started from a place I never anticipated. Prior to having my daughter in March 2022, I had no idea that it was even a profession.

At first, I learned about sleep consultants when a speaker visited a parent group I was part of. It piqued my interest because sleep was a big priority for my family. I knew I couldn’t be the type of parent I wanted to be if I was completely exhausted, so it was something my husband and I had already discussed as something we wanted to make sure we focused on.

Then life got turned upside down. When my daughter was just two months old, I was diagnosed with a very rare cancer called choriocarcinoma. It only affects about one in 160,000 women, and begins in pregnancy. Suddenly, sleep wasn’t just a luxury, it was something I needed for survival. I was going through chemo with a newborn and I needed rest more than anything in order to heal.

So that is when I dove into research about how I could gently help my daughter sleep so that I could also get the rest I needed. It was in this research that something became clear to me— there is a huge gap in the sleep world! Everything I was reading about how to help a baby sleep had no consideration of a child’s developmental stage. My background is in child development and education, so seeing this was especially alarming to me. All that I read was just about picking a method: cry it out, Ferber, whatever, chair, pick-up-put-down, etc. without ever thinking about how the child’s current stage of development was playing a role in the specific sleep issues they were displaying.

For example, a 9 month old who isn’t sleeping due to separation anxiety vs a 2 year old who isn’t sleeping because of a developmental leap need very different approaches! These are completely different stages, and yet many traditional sleep recommendations and methods treat them all the same. I knew I could do better!

So I decided to pursue training. I studied with Sweet Sleep Academy and I also took additional Holistic Sleep courses. Through my classes and practical hours, I learned how to combine sleep science with what I already knew about child development. That education gave me the confidence to put the two together in a way that parents could actually use.

That is when I decided to start up Peaceful Peanut! With the intention of bringing this gentler, more intentional sleep approach to families. I wanted to create a program where parents could be met at their comfort level and still find the sleep they needed to be the best parent they could be. A program that took into account the developmental needs of a child to develop a respectful sleep plan, rather than just jumping into a one-size-fits-all sleep training. Sleep, or lack there of, is an enormous part of the baby and toddler stages. By helping families achieve the rest they need, I feel that I truly am changing their lives for the better, and I am so honored to be able to do that each day!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Kelsey Flores, and I am a certified pediatric sleep specialist. I started Peaceful Peanut Infant and Toddler Sleep Consulting with the goal of creating a non-intimidating sleep program that is accessible to families so they can get the sleep they need to be the best parent they can be. I have a masters degree in education with an emphasis in child development, and I’ve really used that to shape the way I help families and run my business.

What sets my business apart is the set-up of the products that I offer, and the “teacher-spin” that I have put on my guides and classes. My best seller is my Compassionate Sleep Training course, taught through a virtual workshop-style model. Instead of just handing parents a one-size-fits-all method, I use my experience in education to guide them through a process of figuring out the root cause of their child’s sleep challenges and creating a plan that is tailored to their child while also respecting their family’s goals and comfort levels. It puts the parents’ knowledge of their child first, and combines their child’s developmental stage with sleep science to come up with a plan that will work!

I also offer quick “Grab-and-Go” plans for parents who want something more immediate, and a Toddler Sleep Guide full of creative, tried-and-true ways to get your toddler to actually WANT to sleep! I’m really proud of offering something that meets families where they are and helps them feel confident about their child’s sleep. I truly feel that my guides and courses are unlike anything else you can find from other sleep programs.

How did you build your audience on social media?

It’s kind of funny because I’m not a huge social media person by nature. I never really liked being on it that much, and I definitely didn’t imagine myself growing an audience. But now I’ve grown to about 18,000 followers, which I’m extremely proud of.

The key for me was staying true to myself. At first, I tried to do what everyone else was doing: lots of polished, salesy posts that seemed to work for others, but that just wasn’t me. So I pivoted my approach. Instead of constantly pushing products, I started sharing things I would want to see. Things like quick sleep tips parents can try tonight, little motherhood hacks, relatable struggles, and just supportive messages to remind people they’re not alone.

I think that’s what really helped me build my audience! Just being real and sharing my journey. People seem to relate to that, and it turns out you don’t have to be a social media fanatic to build a community. My advice is to just be yourself and share what genuinely helps you- people will connect with that.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think what’s really built my reputation is my relatability. I’m not just someone with the degrees and certifications, I’m a mom of two little ones. I have a ten-month-old and a three-year-old, so I’m right in this stage of life alongside the families I work with. A lot of my connections come through mom groups, and those are the same groups I, myself, have been a part of. So when parents share their sleep struggles or even just the day-to-day challenges of motherhood, I get it. I’m living it too. That shared experience builds trust.

Another big part of my reputation is that what I teach actually works. Hundreds of families have used my guidance, my courses, and my products and have seen real results. These are strategies I’ve used with both of my own kids too! They both sleep through the night, take consistent naps, and are thriving. I know firsthand that these tools work, despite my kids being very different sleepers at the start. Parents talk, and word-of-mouth has been huge for me. When people see something working, they want to share it.

And finally, I think people can tell that I’m in this for the right reasons. I’m not doing this for the money; I’m doing it to help families. That’s something I’m really passionate about. I do not believe sleep should be a luxury! It should be attainable to all who have the knowledge and tools. Better sleep makes parents healthier, calmer, and more present, and that benefits the whole family. Better sleep also makes healthier, happier babies! That’s why all of my courses and guides are priced under $40. I don’t believe families should have to pay hundreds of dollars just to get the rest they need. I think people see that my heart is in this work, and that’s a big part of why I’ve built the reputation I have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://peacefulpeanutsleep.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacefulpeanutsleep/
• Other: Direct Link to Services: https://stan.store/peacefulpeanutsleepconsulting