Last February 3, Mommy Mundo had another exciting day of back-to-back events. In the morning, aspiring Mompreneurs got together for Mommy Mundo’s first Mompreneur Meet Up of 2018, entitled Start the Year Smart. This was followed by Pregnant Pause 18, attended by a full house of moms and dads-to-be. Guests were treated to a cozy set-up in Manila House, located in BGC. It was a triple treat for the mommies who got to relax, connect, and learn from guest speakers. Mommy Mundo founder Janice Villanueva facilitated an interesting discussion on best practices for starting your own business. Tiffany Tuazon of The Nest Attachment Parenting Hub, Em Matias Sulit of Gamechanger Inc, and life coach and publisher of The Sunday Night Journal, Aurora Suarez shared their personal experiences and advice for moms who dream of making the leap to Mompreneurship.

Tiffany Tuazon left a career of graphic designing when she saw potential in the baby product market. While she was pregnant, she became the local distributor of the K’tan Baby Carrier, and the rest is history. Today she has three branches of The Nest Attachment Parenting Hub, offering curated baby products to Filipino moms.  She had left sound advice for inspiring entrepreneurs, “Organize your business and finances, it will save you a lot of time and errors. Also, practice sound business ethics. Take pride knowing that what you’re doing is your original work. And lastly, deal with people professionally at all times.”

Ems Matias Sulit came from a fast-paced, jet-set career with a global logistics company. Her job required trouble shooting and problem-solving skills that she carried onto her mompreneur adventure. She now owns Gamechanger Inc that caters to various companies’ logistical requirements. “In this day and age, the idea of being a Mompreneur has become very romanticized. Before you jump in, know your finances and how long you can sustain your family without a salary. Don’t measure your success against the success of others. Never compare your page 1 to someone else’s page 100,” shared Ems.

Before pursuing her passion, Aurora Suarez worked with of one of the country’s leading publishing companies. She joined the publishing world with the hopes of writing her own book. But with her hectic lifestyle, she wasn’t able to do so. Her dream of writing her own book has finally come true with The Sunday Night Journal. Today, she is a certified life coach and full-pledged Mompreneur. “Wherever you are now, know that everything is unfolding properly. Whatever challenges you face helps you become who you’re supposed to be,” she advised the audience. When she was setting up her business, someone told her not to put the habits of the corporate world into her Mompreneur life. She challenged everyone to pause and think about what will make running their own business a joy and a pleasure.

Being a Mompreneur takes a lot of time, courage, sweat, and tears. But our speakers showed that it’s all worth it in the end. Take your time in discovering what you’re truly passionate about. You’ll find that at the right time, all the skills you’ve learned throughout the years will help make your Mompreneur dream come true. Plan your business well, and if in doubt, know that you can always count on your Mommy Mundo community for advice and support.

After the Mompreneur Meet-Up, we changed gears from business to parenting. Pregnant Pause 18 welcomed parents with babies arriving just a few months away. Expecting couples learned all they could about pregnancy, preparing for a safe delivery, and real parenting solutions from pioneering childbirth educator Rome Kanapi.

Kanapi walked parents through the first signs of labor, breathing and relaxation techniques, and managing labor pain. Breastfeeding and infant massage techniques were also taught to the eager group of moms and dads.

It turned out that the fun was just getting started. Mommy Mundo, together with Baby Dove, threw a surprise baby shower for all the attendees! With the parents’ exciting and daunting journey ahead, they need all the help they can get. Baby Dove helps give parents the confidence that they’re providing the best care for their baby with its range of gentle skin care products.

Laughter

Learning

Partnership

Fellowship

These made Pregnant Pause 18 the most memorable yet.