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

Rochelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

When I was a child, I was always fascinated by birth. At the age of 10, while my friends dreamed of becoming princesses and ballet dancers, I announced that I wanted to be an obstetrician when I grew up. I attended my first birth when I was 17, supporting my cousin and her husband while she gave birth to their daughter. That wondrous moment galvanized my decision to pursue a career in medicine and birth. The license plate on my car even read OBGYN2B and that is the path I focused on in high school and college … until I decided to marry my best friend who happened to be entering a career of military service.

I spent the next several years moving around the country with him, working in early childhood education, but always felt that something was missing. The birth of my own two children reawakened my desire to work in the birth field. It allowed me to realize that pregnancy and childbirth was where I was meant to be. I treasured every moment of my pregnancies and read voraciously. When my friends’ husbands were deployed, they asked me to be there when their babies were born. When my children were old enough, I returned to school.

While in nursing school, I took a doula training course thinking it would help me be a better labor and delivery nurse. Instead I found a name for the role I had assumed with so many friends and family members. Becoming a certified childbirth educator and lactation consultant allowed me to expand my knowledge and ability to support pregnant women and families. I knew that this is what I was supposed to do and finally felt complete.

The best part of my chosen career is that it allows me to do something I enjoy without compromising the most important job I have – that of wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. Working with pregnant and new families isn’t my career, it is my passion. I enjoy being able to meet people and help them navigate the transition to parenthood. I feel so blessed to be able to do what I like and love what I do!

Why did we open a store? Through the years, clients and students frequently asked me, “Where can you buy a …?” or, “How do you use a …?” I envisioned a place where people could come in and take a class or, find the perfect product to meet their needs during pregnancy and the first year of their baby’s life. Not an overwhelmingly huge store with aisles and aisles of stuff, but a place where you could pull up a chair and ask someone questions. A place where someone would help you choose the right items for you and then show you how to use them. My intention is that Babies in Bloom embodies that dream.

Rochelle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Rochelle McLean. I am a board certified lactation consultant, perinatal educator and owner/founder of Babies in Bloom. I became a doula and lactation/childbirth educator over twenty years ago. I have always had a passion for teaching and gravitated to pregnancy, birth and babies.

While working at a local hospital, I saw a need in our community and started a breast pump rental service out of a spare bedroom in my home. Parents began to ask for other care products and we quickly grew out of the bedroom and into our first retail storefront in 2007. We added a wide range of classes for pregnant and new parents, as well as babies and toddlers. We host educational and networking events for other professionals who work with people in the childbearing years. We also sponsor a large yearly baby expo to bring together products, providers and parents in a fun but educational atmosphere.

We offer a curated selection of items like developmental toys, safe feeding products, baby carriers, cloth diapers, car seats and strollers. Our staff are specialists who can do more than just ring up a purchase, they are able to listen to you, learn your needs and help find the best solution for your family. We think it is important to do more than say just rent a breast pump. We will show you how to put it together and use it before you leave the store. Having that one-on-one instruction and help is so important.

The core mission of what we do at Babies in Bloom is to educate and support. We know this time in a family’s life can feel overwhelming – whether it is struggling to learn how to feed your baby or trying to choose the best car seat. Our staff are experts and are here to help give you the information you need to make the decision that is best for your family.

One of the best compliments we often receive from people is that this is the first place they come after having a baby. They feel it is a sanctuary where they can feel safe to ask questions, feed their baby or even shed a few tears. We love serving our community and being a hub for those important first years.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We keep in touch with clients via a regular email newsletter, as well as on social media. Our newsletter is not just a list of classes and products, but we include educational articles, recipes, etc. to help make things easier for our community. As far as social media goes, we are active on Instagram and Facebook, and also have three unique groups on Facebook, too: The Hive (our community chat group), Lactation Lounge (our breastfeeding support group) and our Special Needs Parent Connection (our support group for parents of kids with special needs).

We are so thankful for our boutique customers. We offer a generous shopper rewards program – Bloom Benefits – where customers earn discounts on future purchases. We also offer services like free car seat installation with the purchase of a car seat and a free baby wearing fitting with the purchase of a baby carrier.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

From the very beginning, networking with other birth professionals has always been a cornerstone of our brand recognition and identity. When we refer a client to another service or professional and that client is happy, we feel more confident sending more people their way. Over the last fifteen years, we have have formed deep relationships with others who work with similar people in the area and many of them feel that Babies in Bloom benefits their clients enough to refer to us often.

But the main reason we have been in business for so long and continue to be successful is because of a staff of amazing, talented employees that truly love working with our clients AND the clients sharing our business with their friends and family. Word of mouth means everything to a small business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.babies-in-bloom.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/babies_in_bloom
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/babiesinbloom
• Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/babies-in-bloom-vista-2