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

Kelsey, appreciate you joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Here’s a fun, more relatable version of your story with a bit of personality:

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As a pediatric occupational therapist, I work mostly with babies who have feeding challenges, and at the time, I was running my own private pay practice, feeling pretty good about my caseload and consistent referrals. I was a solo act, holding it down, when one day I got a call from a wonderful pediatric dentist I collaborate with. She’s my go-to for tongue and lip tie releases. She had a family that needed to be squeezed into my schedule ASAP. They had travel restrictions and needed support before and after the release, and I was thrilled to be included in what felt like a high-profile case. I said yes, of course!

This baby was dealing with torticollis and head shape differences from being squished in the womb, birth trauma, and some tight muscles that were causing them to always sleep on one side of their head. With the family getting ready to jet off soon, I didn’t want to wait around, so I decided to be a bit more proactive. I taught the parents how to reposition the baby during sleep to help balance out the skull shape. A few days later, they were already seeing progress and feeling like super parents! Everything was going according to plan.

Or so I thought.

Cue the dramatic phone call from my dentist friend. She asked if I’d heard from the family recently, and I was all proud to tell her how great things were going when she dropped the bomb: the family’s pediatrician had told them what I suggested was dangerous, completely out of my scope of practice, and then went after my dentist friend for even involving me. To make matters worse, that pediatrician was *my own kids’ doctor.* I instantly felt like the floor dropped out from under me. Was my entire practice about to go up in flames? Would I never be able to see babies again?

Luckily, my dentist friend wasn’t going to let me spiral alone. She reached out to several other providers in the area to get their take on whether I had overstepped. Here’s where I’m so grateful for being a social butterfly because everyone she called knew me, respected my approach, and stood up for me! It was a major reminder that having a network of supportive professionals is priceless. We’re all technically competitors, but we’ve built this culture of collaboration over competition that really saved me.

I did end up switching pediatricians for my kids, but funny enough, someone else from that same practice now refers clients to me regularly. And the best part? I still get pictures of that sweet baby, now with a perfectly round head!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi there! I’m Kelsey, a passionate Holistic Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Certified Lactation Counselor. With over a decade of experience in Early Intervention, I’ve had the privilege of supporting families and children aged 0-5, allowing me to craft tailored treatment plans that address their unique needs and concerns. My journey in occupational therapy has taught me that comprehensive care, focusing on the whole individual rather than isolated issues, is key to fostering sustainable progress and preventing future complications.

My deep dive into the world of pediatric therapy was inspired by personal experiences during my pregnancy and early motherhood journey. Despite my extensive background, breastfeeding proved to be a challenging ordeal, leading me to explore the realm of TOTs (tethered oral tissues). Even with my education and training, we still struggled in the first few months, though then were able to have a beautiful breastfeeding relationship for 2.5 yrs. Throughout her early years, I realized the significance of understanding and addressing these concerns early on, prompting me to delve into further research and acquire specialized training to better support both my family and my clients.

Here are some of the certifications and trainings that have enriched my practice and equipped me with a diverse set of tools to help children and families thrive:

– Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) with Healthy Children Project

– When Baby Can’t Suck with Nina Ayd Johnson of Food Smart Kids

– Myofascial Release (MFR) with John Barnes (Adult + Pediatrics)

– Craniosacral Therapy (CST) with Upledger Institute (CS1 + CS2)

– Total Motion Release for TOTs (TMR) with Susan Blum

– Assessment & Remediation of TOTs with Talk Tools

– SOS Approach to Feeding with Dr. Kay Toomey

In my practice, I integrate various modalities such as infant massage, soft tissue mobilization, oral motor and early myofunctional therapy in feeding therapy, ensuring a holistic and comprehensive approach. I’m a life long learner and constantly adding to my toolkit!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

The biggest thing with social media? Consistency. And now for my dirty little secret… I actually started really using Instagram as a Young Living rep. Yep, I know, I know—but hear me out! I got lucky because my team lead was a pro at teaching how to grow on social media, so I got a crash course in sharing and selling online. It was basically social media bootcamp! How to approach being on stories, what works best for different types of content. This was all prior to reels and TikTok, but I knew the basics to be able to study what others were doing and continue to build.

These days, I try to keep things real and show up as my true self—nothing too perfectly curated or polished, because who can keep that up? It’s exhausting! And let’s be honest, if you can’t be consistent, you can’t expect to grow. So, I’m all about showing up as I am, and that’s been the key to keeping things sustainable.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Most of our new clients come from word of mouth referrals from friends or other providers in our network. I try to connect with as many providers as I can online and in-person!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bwelltots.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwelltots
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bwelltots