Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angel Leung. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angel , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

A year ago, I took a risk.

And on the scale of risks it was probably a larger one – I left my stable nursing job, I gave up my union benefits, I forfeited years of seniority, all to start a business, Baby Bean Consulting. The driving force to make this shift was my passion to see change in healthcare; specifically to see women being provided with the support and care they need during a miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, or birth trauma.

The facts are that 1 in 4 pregnancies result in miscarriages. Additionally, 1 in 100 women experience recurrent pregnancy loss. My journey included 3 losses and it was heartbreaking. And even with excellent doctors/specialists supporting me, combined with my intimate knowledge of healthcare from my professional training as a Registered Nurse, it was still an uphill battle – available services had long waitlists, referrals would take months, required diagnostic tests would take weeks more…

My experience led me to want to see a change in our healthcare system. There is a gap of support for women going through some of life’s most challenging seasons. So I decided to BE the change and start something that no one else has done before!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Baby Bean is innovating in healthcare and doing something unique to fill a gap that unfortunately exists. We are allied health providers, Registered Nurses by trade, and our private services are for women who are experiencing a miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, or birth trauma. We support our clients by helping them navigate the healthcare system, coordinating their care, and empowering women to make informed decisions.

I started this business because of my own lived experience of pregnancy loss. These life seasons are already so physically challenging and emotionally devastating… but the hardship is further compounded because I then also needed to be my own medical advocate if I wanted to access consistent, quality care. Too many times, our medical system was stretched too thin to provide the knowledgeable, timely, and empathetic care for women – I am passionate about supporting women so that they, in turn, can realize their own success!

(1) What ‘problem’ do you solve?

Here’s the reality – 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage; complicated pregnancies happen; trauma/grief can all too easily overshadow excitement; and postpartum transition is hard (ask any new parent!) never mind finding care for yourself or baby.

Baby Bean is here so that women are not left to figure things out alone. We fill the gaps by advocating for our clients, helping coordinate their health services after a loss, and making sure they feel empowered and informed to receive the best possible care.

(2) What’s the biggest challenge you face as a new startup?

Awareness – Baby Bean is ‘innovating’ in an established sector and bringing to market a new service that is so needed.

Miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, and birth trauma support is NOT often talked about or acknowledged. Breaking down misconceptions and getting people on board for change can be slow and painful!

(3) Tell us what success looks like for you?

Our vision of success is seeing healthcare invest in women. Specifically, during a miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, or birth trauma.

What women really need is empathetic care during difficult times – care that is timely, knowledgeable, and genuine. We are passionate about women receiving the highest quality of care from all healthcare providers.

It all comes back to Baby Bean’s role in supporting women so that they, in turn, can realize their own success!

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Empathy is at the core of HOW we support our clients. Our clients recognize that they are receiving the highest quality of care because Baby Bean invests the time to fully understand their story/needs/goals.

All too often, clients feel that their medical providers gloss over the details, or skip to the easiest solution, blurt out a textbook answer, or leave questions unanswered. What sets us apart is not technical expertise (we have that too!) but our lived experience, our compassion, and our ability to be provide genuine and empathetic care.

The reality is that THIS is what healthcare should always look like… but even more so for women going through miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, or birth trauma.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Business is a cycle of hypotheses. Entrepreneurs live and breathe this reality so it is only natural for there to be moments where it is necessary to pivot.

Baby Bean was founded on the idea that there was a gap in the medical system. Thus it was only natural in our early days to connect with public health and speak with local doctors, the health authority, outpatient clinics etc. There were so many great conversations with individuals that understood our cause and saw the need for the service we provide. However, it became apparent over time that these connections were not converting into us helping more women.

So the decision was made to branch out and venture into arenas that we had not previously explored: corporate & community.

This change wasn’t easy but what it led to was a whole other dimension of interactions which individuals who had the ability to influence: from HR professionals looking to support their employees, to business groups wanting to highlight support for the working women, to holistic community health collectives seeking out an expert in relation to miscarriage/pregnancy after loss/birth trauma.

Baby Bean is a young business looking to disrupt a behemoth that is the healthcare industry. What drives us to accept continued change and constantly adapt is our unwavering passion to see women receive the support and care that they deserve!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.babybeanconsulting.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babybeanconsulting/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/baby-bean-consulting/

Image Credits
Robin Bonner Photography