We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Doyle & Juliana Schewe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.
Hi Sarah & Juliana, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Nature’s playhouse was created by parents, for parents, over 11 years ago. Our story has always been to recognize the value of a “village”. Through our own personal journey and difficulties of parenthood, we wanted to re-image what it means to have support systems for parents and caregivers. To meet families where they are, as experts of their own family and by honoring the unique experiences of parenthood. We see our team, and mixed-use space, as a central part of that support system. It’s why it is important for us to provide an array of services by a skilled team who deeply appreciates what it means to have a “village”. We took the challenges we experienced, along with the skills of being teachers, social workers, therapists, birthing specialists, etc. all professionals, committed to helping families thrive, but in a comprehensive model. One that provides a holistic range of services to support family wellness in a space that embraces the whole family navigating those needs together.
Sarah, 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?
Nature’s Playhouse has been serving the Metro Detroit community since 2011, where we offer a wide range of services for families of young children including an all-natural playspace, wellness classes, birthing and lactation support with a team of International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants, pelvic floor physical therapy, fitness classes, free support groups, family enrichment classes and mental health services. We currently have eleven mental health providers, each certified in the treatment of perinatal mental health and mood disorders. We are actively involved in many community partnerships to broaden the reach of existing services and to create new ones that can be offered either in our space or at other venues in the community. We bridge the many gaps in services that leave families feeling isolated and unprepared. Equally important was to tell the story. We knew that Advocacy and Education would be at the forefront of our services. For example every June we co-lead and help fundraise for Postpartum Support International’s Climb Out of the Darkness. The world’s largest event raising funds and awareness for the mental health of new families. We are most proud when we hear families have found comfort, healing and strength in navigating parenthood at Nature’s Playhouse.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
After having a traumatic birth experience, I (Sarah) quickly realized that one hospital birthing class was not going to prepare us for bringing home a baby. As a licensed clinical social worker, working with families for several years, I also know how critical those first years are for a family. I had this overwhelming feeling that we could do so much more to support families. I found Nature’s Playhouse and thought this is what is needed, in every community, reflective of that community, where families could go with very young children. Although the current owners of Nature’s Playhouse were also transitioning into a new phase for their family. Thus we worked together to preserve Nature’s Playhouse continuing a co-ownership model. I (Sarah) knew that if we were to keep this space running it too would need a village. So I reached out to several colleagues, specialists, professionals, those in the birthing community that were considered to be some of the best. We came together as strangers but with one thing in common, a commitment to seeing families find their way. Yet little did we know that we would become family for each other.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
During the pandemic, when all in person services and classes were canceled, we really thought that was the end of our journey with Nature’s Playhouse. Saturday was the last day of our in person classes, at that time, and we used the better part of Sunday to pivot to online classes and telehealth for our counseling services. From mid-March to July, we offered free online fitness and family enrichment classes to our families. These were uncertain times, but the need hadn’t changed. Thus many of our Nature Playhouse families took solace in being able to still connect with us and our instructors. Our class outreach expanded from our local community to other parts of the United States, Canada, Australia and Costa Rica. Part of our mission has always been to have our services accessible to all and a pandemic wasn’t going to change that for us.
We’ve been committed to expanding the broader support network for families from the start. We are actively involved in many community partnerships to broaden the reach of existing services and to create new ones that can be offered either in our space or at other venues in the community. These many partnerships allowed us to continuously shift, explore new ideas, fail, adapt, try again and maintain our mission even during the most difficult of situations like a pandemic. We grew at the pace of our relationships and promoted the values of taking care of one’s family not only with the families we serve, but by those who serve those families.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.naturesplayhouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturesplayhouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturesplayhouse
Image Credits
Juliana Schewe Sarah Doyle Robert Jackson