Conversations with the Inspiring Leigh McMahon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leigh McMahon.

Leigh, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a new mom, I had no idea what to do when we got home from the hospital with our first son in 2010. I started to figure out our routine and rhythm but we were still struggling with sleep. All three of us were exhausted and I knew we needed some more support. I reached out to a sleep consultant and she was life-changing. From the moment I woke up after a full night’s sleep, I knew that helping families get the rest they ALL need was in my future. After several years of building a few other businesses and the birth of our second son, I returned to the idea of helping other families. I applied to and was accepted to the comprehensive Family Sleep Institute (FSI) training program and began my journey of better rest for all!

After graduating from FSI with over 150 hours of training, I met Hadley Seward, the founder of Bonne Nuit Baby and I knew I had found an incredible brand and teammate. Since starting working at Bonne Nuit Baby, I’ve worked with families across the U.S. and in Europe and Asia to get their children on track for healthy, independent sleep. I work with infants to school-age children–it’s never too late to teach healthy sleep habits! I love what I do and hearing about better, rested families makes my day. Parenting is so hard but reaching out for support from a sleep consultant can help guide you through one of the toughest parts of being a parent.

Has it been a smooth road?
The road to becoming a sleep consultant was long and winding! It was about eight years from my first thought about it until I graduated from the FSI program. The program itself was tough–I had never been in school while raising children so that added a whole other layer onto how and when I could study. Time management and being super efficient while juggling mom-life and homework was tough but my husband was super supportive and helped with the kids when I had a class or a deadline. Some days I felt like I wasn’t doing anything well but I just took a deep breath and got through it. Starting a new business or joining a brand already up and running as a new teammate is tough. I did a lot of leg work, emailing, free events, social media posts to just get my name out there. It takes time to build a solid referral network but once you have a good pipeline of good clients, capitalize on that–ask for testimonials, give referral bonuses. And also know that every person who comes to you isn’t going to be a good fit–it’s ok to say no too!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Bonne Nuit Baby story. Tell us more about the business.
We are pediatric sleep consultants. We help families feel more in control of their child’s sleep, give them tools to troubleshoot sleep challenges on their own and support them through the learning process of developing healthy, independent sleep habits. We’re known for our very customized support and close client contact. Because every family and every child is different, we don’t use one method or plan to help families get more rest. Our sleep plans are based on what works for you as a family and we take a lot of family detail into account when formulating sleep plans. No two plans are alike! We are so proud that we are part of changing families’ lives and helping children and caregivers get the rest they need to function well. Helping parents reclaim their evenings and their sanity (and able to get through their Netflix list!) is what we live for. Sleep deprivation isn’t a parenting badge of honor, it’s unhealthy. Our daily support through a sleep plan helps parents see patterns, change habits and improve everyone’s sleep.

Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Find someone that can keep you accountable and that has a variety of experiences within your field. Mastermind groups have been really great for me so I can get several different perspectives at once. Virtual networking has been helpful too–I have made so many helpful connections through social media channels and entrepreneur groups.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bonnenuitbaby.com
• Email: leigh@bonnenuitbaby.com
• Instagram: @_bonnenuitbaby

Image Credit:
Nancy Savage Photography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.