Spotlight on Mommy -- Nanette Meneses, Creator of the Happi Tummi

This week's Spotlight Mom is Nanette Meneses, the creator of the Happi Tummi.  This product has won numerous awards, and has helped a countless  number of parents whose child(ren) suffer from colic.  I am speaking from experience-- a child with colic is no fun for everyone!  We have 2 daughters, and both experience(d) colic.  But, I will tell you more about this when I do a Feature Friday post, with a giveaway and coupon code.  Today, I wanted to share my interview with this amazing mom entrepreneuer, Nanette Meneses.  Enjoy!

 

Name:  Nanette Meneses

Company Name/Product/Service: Happi Tummi

Company Location: Carlsbad, CA

Company Website:  www.happitummi.com

Facebook URL: happitummi.com

Twitter Handle: @ happitummi

Age of Company: 7 years

Favorite Inspirational Quotes: poem:

Never give up, Never lose hope.

Always have faith, It allows you to cope.

Trying times will pass, As they always do.

Just have patience, Your dreams will come true.

So put on a smile, You’ll live through your pain.

Know it will pass, And strength you will gain. Charlie Remiggio (Motivatioinal poet)

Favorite Book: Oh, I have so many it depends on the topic. For inspiration: I love: The Magic of Believing and The Greatest Salesman in the World and for manifestation: The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity and Think and Grow Rich. For Health: I love “You Can Heal Your Life” It talks about the power of your mind and how so many illnesses are manifested by our thoughts. So if we change our thoughts our bodies will heal.  This book made a huge impact on my life when I was in my Thirties and my doctor told me I probably could not have children, since I had so many female organ issues.  At 34 I went on a mission with my body to heal it myself. I was introduced to this book years prior and went and revisited.  This book, combined with other holistic approaches, I completely healed myself.  At the age of 39 I married and was pregnant immediately at 40 and had my second one at 43.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.  How many children do you have?  What are their ages? Your hobbies? Etc.

I have 2 children, a boy that is 5 and an 8 year old daughter. I have a step-daughter that is 24 – my buddy! I am very blessed.  My children are my life! I never thought I would love anything so much! I laugh every day because of them.  They all have such unique personalities and character.  My business is my hobby.  I love what I do. I thrive to make a positive difference in people’s lives. My goal has always been to leave this world a better place by whatever I can contribute.  When Happi Tummi was born and I decided to share it with all the other children and parents in the world, it seemed like that was one of my true purposes in life. To help create Happy Families!  A Happy Baby, toddler or child, helps create a Happy Home.  My motto in life since I was a little girl was “To Be Happy” I always tried to find the Joy in Life.  There is so much to Love in everything and everyone.  There are many ways to look at things, however most of us either look at things in a critical matter or in a positive matter.  I feel so much better when I look at the beautiful things in life. It makes the day so much more fun!! When Life gets tough, get tougher!!! Don’t let life happen to us, make life happen!!! 

Briefly explain your business.  How did it come about? 

Happi Tummi was born out of necessity. My first born had terrible colic starting at 24 hours old.  She would cry inconsolably for hours.  I took her to every type of specialist up and down the California coast looking for a solution. Not any one thing would work consistently or calm her down for any long period of time. One day a mother from Iowa, watched me helplessly trying to calm my daughter, when she heated up a bag of field corn and placed it on my daughters belly.  My daughter immediately stopped crying.  After about 40 minutes, she started crying again and it did not work as well again.  After much research and trial and error, I decided take a combination of an old Latin remedy my mother used for centuries and combined it together with what the doctors, herbalist and natural health practitioners had recommended.  And IT WORKED!!!  My daughter slept for 6 hours straight.  It was a miracle.  Then it kept working. We were all happy.

Then one day I was reading in a magazine that 85% of Baby Shaken Syndrome was as a result of a colicky fussy baby. Everywhere I went or read, I realized there were many parents that were struggling with the same thing. A fussy baby they could not calm down no matter what.  One night I woke up at 3 am and realized I needed to share my discovery. I decided to have them made and donated them to orphanages and to anyone I knew had a fussy baby.    I received an overwhelming response of all the things it was calming and relieving. Hence, The Happi Tummi went to market!  

What is a typical work day like? 

Wake up, check my emails and my phone messages before the children wake up. Get children ready for school and take them.  Go to work and respond to more emails and review what  I need to do for the day. Make phone calls to our sales team or create marketing programs, meet with our team, schedule meetings with pediatric health professionals..

What has been a struggle while starting up your company?  

Juggling the kids and the business. I waited until 40 to have children and then I create a new baby.  I now am at peace with it all, knowing that it is good for my children to see that I am passionate about something I love and that we are making a difference in the world.

What did you do in your past work life? 

I was an Executive coach and a Marketing Specialist.  I worked creating promotional programs in the Sports Entertainment industry.  A fun job!

What have been some of your major successes? 

Raising thousands of dollars for the MDA Telethon, since I was 7 years old I would put on promotional programs, starting with a carnival in my neighborhood.  Then at 26 I had raised over $100,000 to donate to MDA as a result of a promotion we did with 7-11 stores.  Was a V.P. of Marketing at age 26 for a Fortune 500 company.  At 30 years old I was Marketing Director for a professional NFL football team. I started my own Marketing consulting company at age 30, promoting professional football players and a Roller Hockey team in Anaheim. Married at 38 and had 2 healthy children starting at age 40 after being told I would not be able to have children.

What have been some of your major challenges?

Keeping Life in Balance.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going? 

I love what I do.  I believe in our product. Giving a service to people that help make life easier makes every day worth any challenge that may come our way. Every time I get  testimonial, on how “we saved their lives”(we really just helped make life easier), or my children wake up and say how much they love the Happi Tummi.  They remind me often, of how awesome it is and how we are making so many babies and mommies happy.

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family? 

I have learned to put everything on my calendar.  From the time I plan on spending quality time with my children, to the doing whatever it takes to move the company forward, to calling and saying hi to my best friends that support me, to calling my father and family members to check in. And of course I add in working out or  time for myself.  It doesn’t always happen, however, I make an effort to be better at it every day.

What is next for your business?  

Our goal is to make Happi Tummi a household name.  That it is available for parents all over the country in every drug store, retail chain, hospital, etc. It truly makes a difference and helps calm and soothe most fussy babies.

Do you have any advice for other mom entrepreneurs that are starting out and struggling, or are on the fence about starting a business?

Keep your eye on the end dream!  No matter what, every day just do one thing towards your goal. And when you have a bad day, just remember tomorrow is a new beginning!! When things are meant to be, they will happen with ease.  Listen to your intuition.  If things don’t go as planned that is a message to look at another option to get to your end dream.  It may just not be the right place, person or time in that situation.  Look to see all the elements of the business and work on a different area.  If you really listen to your inner voice, you will know what to do next and keep on going until you achieve your dream.  ENJOY THE JOURNEY!!!! MAKE IT FUN AND LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING!