Grab a cup of tea, read on, and learn from this wise, inspiring woman.
The lowdown:
Ronee Welch is the founder and CEO of Sleeptastic Solutions (www.sleeptasticsolutions.com). She is a certified pediatric and adult sleep consultant, lactation counselor, infant massage educator, and parenting coach. She has a dual bachelor’s degree in both Marketing (BS) and Management (BA) from DeSales University in Pennsylvania, and is the Eastern Regional Director of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants.
Ronee is passionate about educating parents and parents-to-be about the importance of sleep for both children and parent. Not only does she work one-on-one with parents customizing sleep plans, but she offers a variety of online video courses to reach as many parents as possible. She works closely with local pediatricians, therapists, and other health care professionals to spread the word about the importance of sleep for children and adults alike.
Ronee is the author of the book, “All Things Sleep: Kids!,” has been interviewed by local television and radio stations, written many guest blogs, and has spoken at many group functions. She is currently continuing her education by working on certifications to become both a Pre/Postnatal Nutrition Coach, as well as a Holistic Health & Lifestyle Practitioner. She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and their four children.
What’s your go-to phrase/mantra for empowering yourself?
I actually have two: “Whatever doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger” and “Everything happens for a reason.” When life hands me lemons, I honestly try to find the positives and make lemonade!
What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
I would recommend putting some thought into the “behind the scenes” stuff before officially launching your business. I realize that the business end of things isn’t always the most exciting, but it can save you tons of time and money later on if you can go forward with good business intentions from the beginning. I would also say to be patient. It takes time to build relationships with people. Clients will hire you because they trust and know you, and that’s not going to happen overnight.
How do you deal with fear?
I try to look at fear as an opportunity. It’s a chance to ask myself why I’m afraid and what’s holding me back. There’s nothing more rewarding than facing your fears! You feel so good at the end of the day, knowing that you took a negative situation and turned it into something you could be proud of.
What does your future self want you to remember?
I would want to remember that it’s truly all about balance. Being available for my children, and watching them grow up, is just as important as growing my business. I would remind myself that it’s okay to take a day off once and a while and do things just for me. And I would remind myself why I started my business in the first place – to help families! I can’t help other families, if I don’t take care of my own first.
What are you working on now that thrills you the most?
I always have a bunch of projects going on, but right now I think I’m most excited about finishing my Health & Lifestyle Practitioner certification. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years is that “not sleeping well” is not as black and white as it sounds. There are so many areas of our lives that can affect our sleep, mood, health, and overall well-being. I’m excited to be able to coach and guide clients with the decisions they’re making with their life, so that they can be better people, spouses, parents, sons/daughters, friends, and co-workers.
Favorite quote?
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” It’s a basic principle about treating people with empathy and respect. I try hard to watch what I say and how I say things to not only clients but also to my family and friends. It’s a simple quote, but it definitely says a lot about how we should treat one another.
What would others be surprised to know about you?
I think you might be surprised to learn that I’m actually a night-owl! I know, I know, “sleep is important,” right? Yes, it is! It’s very important, which is why I always make sure that I get 7.5-8 hours a night. I’m just thankful that my husband is a morning person and is around in the mornings to help with the kids!
Share a “mistake/failure” that turned out to be good fortune.
This is an easy one for me. Eight years ago I embarked on the journey of needing to sleep train my twin daughters, who were about 7 months old. I was confident in my abilities…until I started, that is! One daughter did great and was sleeping through the night in about 4 days, but the other daughter fought me terribly. I felt like a failure as a mom that I couldn’t figure this out for her, like I did for her sister. I desperately wished I had someone to talk to and tell me what to do, but there was no one (this was before I became a sleep consultant).
It would take me a couple of weeks to sort everything out and get both girls sleeping well at night and for naps. I was so proud of my success that I told all the sleep-deprived mamas I knew about the program! I wouldn’t know it then, but about 5 years later I would turn my passion for educating mamas about sleep into a business. My “failure” then would later become my greatest fortune!