Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep. #13 Danice Miranda's Mission to Support Families Throughout Their Parenting Journey
Discover the journey of Danice Miranda, owner of Little Milky Way and a board-certified lactation consultant, as she transforms personal challenges into a mission of support for breastfeeding families. In our latest episode, Danice opens up about her transition from health science and teaching to creating a nurturing, judgment-free environment for mothers. She shares her own story as a mother of two, revealing the pressures and feelings of inadequacy new mothers often experience when breastfeeding doesn't go as planned. As we peel back the layers of her inspiring journey, Danice's story becomes a testament to the power of community support—highlighted by her phenomenal success in expanding a mom group from just four members to a thriving community of 300.
We also tackle the realities of small business ownership, offering insights into the tools and strategies that can drive entrepreneurial success. From the practicality of financial management to the undeniable importance of networking, we cover all bases. Whether you're naturally introverted or extroverted, Danice discusses how passion can organically enhance customer engagement and business growth. Our conversation underscores the significance of balancing personal life with business demands while nurturing a supportive community for new mothers navigating the postpartum period. Tune in to uncover how building your "village" can lead to both personal and professional triumphs.
Little Milky Way
Danice Miranda
(908) 460-9331
danice.miranda@littlemilkyway.com
littlemilkyway.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, doug Drohan, the owner of the Bergen Neighbors Media Group, and today I am pleased to welcome.
Speaker 2:Danice Miranda from the Little Milky Way, which she will explain a little bit, but I'll just give you some little introduction of Denise. She's the owner of a lactation consultancy practice called the Little Milky Way. She's a mother of two from Northern New Jersey, which is where I am as well, and she has a passion for supporting, educating and bringing communities of breastfeeding families together. Her professional career includes a degree in health science from Long Island University and an instructor in biology and math. And I'll leave it at that and I just want to welcome you, Denise, to the show.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much, Doug, for having me on this morning. I'm really excited to be here. Yeah, I'm excited to welcome you, Danice, to the show. Thank you so much, Doug, for having me on this morning. I'm really excited to be here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm excited to have you because this is a bit of a different business than the ones I've typically interviewed business owners. So tell us a little bit about what Little Milky Way is, and then we'll get into why you do what you do.
Speaker 3:Sure. So Little Milky Way is a safe, judgment-free support for families who choose to either breastfeed, bottle feed, exclusively pump or combination feed. Either one of those is what we love to help parents with. I am a board-certified lactation consultant and we guide parents through their postpartum period. We empower families through evidence-based information through their journey by creating feeding and sleeping plans so that it best fits their needs as a family, and every family is different, so we like to create those plans to make sure that everyone's getting sleep, not just the baby Right.
Speaker 2:So I remember when my son was born. You know you up until the point that he's born. You hear about all the benefits of mother's milk and how you should really breastfeed, and I think there's a lot of pressure on the mother to be able to breastfeed and there's some frustration if it doesn't go that smoothly, and maybe some more than frustration, maybe some feeling of inadequacy that for some reason I'm unable to do this, or my baby's rejecting me, or, you know, there's something wrong. And now I'm unable to give my baby the you know, the proper nourishment that all my doctors and everyone has said that I should be. You know providing my newborn. Is that something that you help people with?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. There is so much pressure when it comes to breastfeeding and the way the world is. There are so many things that are coming at us with the newest products and the newest formula and not enough information on how we can help our mothers get through breastfeeding. And I always say that breastfeeding isn't a black and white thing. It isn't. You do it and you are, and it goes well, or you can't do it and that's it Right. So we have the tools, we have the knowledge to maneuver through these tough times and you can do both. You can breastfeed and you can bottle feed, if that's what fits your family. You can exclusively pump and go back to work and try and provide your family that way. Either way, we can get through breastfeeding and make sure that we meet your goals, and everybody's goals are going to be different.
Speaker 2:Right. So you, you know you're a mother of two, so what was your kind of impetus to have to start this business? You know what? What was your journey like bringing you to to think one day you know, I watch a lot of shark tank, I watch it almost every night my son. My son was like dad, can we watch shark tank my son's day? I watch a lot of Shark Tank, I watch it almost every night. My son was like Dad, can we watch Shark Tank? My son's 11. I'm like, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And going off topic for a second Shark Tank, one of the great things to come out of that show in the last 10 years is how many young kids that they get on the show that have an idea or a business that they pitch that they were inspired by Shark Tank. So, you know, one of the questions they usually ask is why you know to this person that wants them to invest in them. Why did you start this business? And you know what's your goal. I think you just kind of spoke to that. But what brought you to like this journey?
Speaker 3:I guess we could say yeah, um, my kids are probably my biggest inspiration. Let me tell you like great, like great decision deciding to have them. But it wasn't easy and, um, having my first was probably the hardest hardship that I went through. And deciding to breastfeed was hard and my background in science and math kind of helped me, but it didn't help me enough to navigate through breastfeeding. So my first I breastfed for about three months and then my second and I didn't decide to go back to work after that because she was a heart baby and I was five month leave, turned into are you coming back, denise? And I was like, uh, no, I can't, this child is crying too much.
Speaker 3:And then I got pregnant with my second and I said, okay, we had just moved to South Florida, we had no family and friends, and I said I really wanted to breastfeed, I need friends. So what I basically did and I say this all the time is that I basically put an ad out for a mom group, basically asking for friends who are breastfeeding or wanting to breastfeed, and we grew from four members in one. In the first meeting Actually the first meeting I had no members. The second meeting we had four and within three months we had 300 members. Yeah, really grew.
Speaker 3:But that goes to show you how many moms really, really needed support and all we did was just meet up on the beach. We met up in the park and we rested and we talked about how, the hardships that we were going through, what our decisions were with breastfeeding, and who was around to help us, who our village was and that became my village. So then, as that grew, they were all saying, like, denise, you really should get into consulting and go into breastfeeding. And I said, okay, I had my backgrounds in math and science and I said, okay, let's- Can I back up a second?
Speaker 2:So you have a background in math and science. You should really get into breastfeeding. Like, is that a career choice? Yeah, you know what do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a breastfeeder.
Speaker 3:You want to be a breastfeeder? Yes, that was me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's funny. Sorry to interrupt but-. Yeah, up, but um, yeah, you should get into breast, like I studied biology and I taught anatomy and physiology.
Speaker 3:Yes, I did not know that the boobs were going to be my my niche right in the body. But um it it did and it grew from there and with the village that I had, um, I went to breastfeeding my son two and a half years oh, wow, wow Okay. And that's when I realized I was like. You know, moms really need to understand that they need their team behind them. They need a support, not just the immediate family at home, but they need to know that they have professionals out there who can help them.
Speaker 2:So how did people find out about you? How did you grow from just a small to 300?
Speaker 3:So I get a lot of referrals. I do take some insurance, I have a website, I go to a lot of community affairs events in Bergen County and I jump around a lot. Sometimes you'll see me in Bye, bye, baby in Paramus.
Speaker 2:Oh, all right, Good to know it's still open. We went there when my son was born.
Speaker 3:Yeah, although I think they're closing again.
Speaker 2:Okay, all right, because they were kind of tied to Bed Bath Beyond right.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm on your website and you have an events page here and it says PPNJ's Parents Support Expo. So I guess it's kind of the things that you that is coming up in January and that is to help moms find their village.
Speaker 3:That is our main goal.
Speaker 2:Right, and then you also have classes like you're having a class at Plasker Family Chiropractic which, by the way, I've met them before Right there in Sheridan Avenue, hocus. So yeah, yeah, you know, I've been in this business for seven years now, so I've met pretty much. Well, you think you've met everybody, but obviously there's other people I haven't met and but yeah, I remember meeting Dr Plasker and then someone who was working out of his office for a period of time, so that's great. So, you know, one of the things I like to talk to the entrepreneurs about is what has the journey been like for you Like to say, okay, I have a background in science and math, but now I'm going to go off and start my own kind of lactation consulting business. What's that been like in terms of like the roller coaster ride of starting a business, and what have you learned? And are there any like key takeaways that you could offer as advice to our listeners, who might be some business owners that are just starting out as well?
Speaker 3:It has been a roller coaster. My record again is math and science. Business was not one of them. Like putting together my taxes and putting spreadsheets together at the end of the day. Let me tell you my husband still is on me. He's like your receipts are all over the place put everything in one place and I have been stubborn so I'm like, no, I can do everything in a spreadsheet. I'm not going to buy a program like QuickBooks.
Speaker 3:I put everything in a spreadsheet and then he has to sit down and go through everything, but let me tell you, get the program this is what my advice is going to be Get the program because as you grow, and before you know it, like the growth will come out of nowhere, you know it. Like the growth will come out of nowhere. Yeah, you know and you're. You're going to need that backup, you're going to need something that's just going to be automatic because you're not going to have the time to do it, because your time is your services and you're into your products and growing it that way.
Speaker 3:The next biggest thing I would say is network. Talk to people. Be a people person if you weren't, um, I be a part of groups and be there and sound and create and always provide good services, because good services and making your customers happy goes such a long way when it comes to referrals. Your name will get out there if you're justation.
Speaker 2:So what do you? Math and science? I'm going to talk stereotypically. You wouldn't. A lot of math and science people are, you might say, more introverted than extroverted, right? What do you say to the business owner who hears get out there and network and talk to people and is like, oh my God, that's just not me, I can't do that, you know, I just want to crunch the numbers. Or you know, what do you say to people that might fear that I have a little trepidation to saying to that advice of going out there and going to networking groups and you know, you know events and things like that. Do you have any advice? Or you know?
Speaker 3:spend the money on marketing. Okay the money into marketing, or have somebody who's going to do it for you yeah, okay I mean, I, I like marketing is such a big thing for me. Um, if it's not me, then I have to put the money into it for someone to do it for me. But you have to put the effort into it, it's kind of like where I come in sometimes. Yes, exactly. If you can't do it, then have somebody else do it.
Speaker 2:Right, well, it's funny. But about being introverted? I don't think I'm. I was never introverted, but I have to say when I worked for big corporations like Sony Music or Viacom, networking and going out there and talking about myself was nothing I was comfortable with. But when I started my own business, it wasn't about talking about me. It was more about like learning what other people are doing and truly just being having a good ear and listening and want to hear what other people are doing. And then naturally they'll say well, what do you do? And I think if you're passionate enough about why you started your business, it it? You don't the introvert. Introversion that's not really a word, but you know, the ability to talk about yourself isn't really more self-aggrandizing, it's more about oh yeah, this is what I'm passionate about and I think that's what comes across to people. If you truly are passionate about what you're doing and driven to make a difference.
Speaker 3:It attracts people because it comes out in your tone as you're talking.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's, that's amazing. So you, you have a team, though it's not just you.
Speaker 3:Yes, I have Michelle Dwyer who covers me sometimes when I'm not around, so you'll either see her or my face.
Speaker 2:Okay, nice, and she's also a mother of four.
Speaker 2:She's a mother of four. Wow, okay, all right. So you know you talked about kind of what brought you into this business, kind of the challenges of your firstborn. Were there any other, I guess, moments where you felt like it was you know with your business, uh, where you were almost ready to give up and say maybe I should just go back to you know a salary job, and you know this is too hard, I got two kids, I need steady income. Did you ever face a moment like that, or has it always been? From the moment you decided, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, I feel this business has its waves right. We have times where we have a big baby boom. Yeah, yeah, and then and you can kind of tell when.
Speaker 2:It's like you have your.
Speaker 3:Valentine's Day babies.
Speaker 2:Okay, you have your cutdowns where everybody's indoors and-.
Speaker 3:In the winter. But either way there is a boom and it goes through waves and I think to myself like oh gosh, like what do I do next? What is my next steps for my business? Do I go back to working a nine to five job, working for like the hospital or something, or do I go back to teaching? But running a business is a grind, yeah. And you stick with it through the ends and you just find what your next step is, and you're always thinking and strategizing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's going back to Shark Tank. That's what Mark Cuban and Damon Wayans had a Damon Wayans, what's his name? Damon Johns had a podcast called Rise and Grind, and then Mark Cuban always asks what's your grind? Because if they're talking to a business owner that's not really grinding it out or isn't fully invested, why would they want to invest in them if they're not fully invested?
Speaker 2:And yeah, I think you touched on it earlier that if you're, you know, truly out there to help people and serve them and do right by your client, then you know the word of mouth will help.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's not the only way. You can't just rely on word of mouth, but you know that you're doing it from the heart and you're doing it for the good reasons. And if you're educated and you know and you're educating them, then you know, hopefully people start to see that. And I think that's the biggest difference for me between working in corporate america and then working for yourself is that when you work for corporate america, the, the great things that you do may not always be seen by your boss or, you know, by a, a greater group of uh, a department of 100, 200 people, whereas once you one-on-one with your clients. They understand what you're doing and you're I think you're rewarded more for being that kind of heart-driven business owner than if you're working in the corporate world, where exposing your feelings may not be rewarded, if you know what I mean. I don't know if you've found that as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there's always room for growth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I can grow. There's always room for growth.
Speaker 3:Right, I can grow. There's always room for growth, right. Like in a corporate corporation, there's always going to be an end to it, or the top where that's it.
Speaker 3:That's all you make it but this is my business and I can grow it as far and go as far as long as I can or I can, you know, as my kids. My kids are young now, so a lot of the times I can't, my hours are limited. But as they grow then I can grow it bigger. But now I can limit my hours to their needs, you know.
Speaker 3:So, it all that's. That's what I love about it being a business. It is a grind, but it's on my own time, on my own hours, and I can make it how I need it to be and fit my needs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you mentioned your family and having time for them. So what do you when you're not working? You guys like to go hiking, you like to do, you know, road trips and things like that. I mean, what is it that if you want to share, like what you do outside of?
Speaker 3:We love going to national parks. That is like I. I am a really big believer in just getting my kids out there. I hate the TV and the YouTube. I'm not going to say I don't use it, because right now they're home from school and they are on it.
Speaker 2:Teachers, teachers convention. Yeah, exactly so, I'm like you could use your iPadad. Mommy is on right call so what's your favorite? What's your favorite national park? Do you have a favorite national park?
Speaker 3:um, we just went to yosemite oh yeah, but I gotta say zion is our favorite, it still tops that off, but yosemite was beautiful. We went to acadia, that was. That was like all breathtaking.
Speaker 2:Wow, zion. The thing I loved about Zion was I don't know if you did it, but you're hiking on a trail and all of a sudden you're in waist deep water, walking through this Canyon, and yeah, that was just. That was amazing. I actually did a trip where I was in Boulder, colorado. We went to Arches, which was great, then down to Zion and the Grand Canyon and then up to Four Corners and Durango and then back up to Boulder. That was a cool trip, wow. And then another time I did Yosemite, where we camped out along the river know, washed our hands and face and brushed our teeth in the river I think it was the Mead River. That was really cool. So, yeah, I've not taken my son out West yet, so we're going to go skiing in the winter, but we've not done the national park yet, so definitely got to get out there and do it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love it. I really really do. I mean, my daughter's now 10 and she and she's been hiking with us since we were little. We backpacked with them through Zion.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow so we still have to go back with them through the Narrows.
Speaker 3:But she's at an age like I don't want to go hiking and I'm like, yes, she's like, I don't want to go hiking, yeah, call it.
Speaker 2:Like.
Speaker 3:she's like you know, when they were younger it was a little bit easier because we would sing songs and they and they did a three mile hike at six and eight, I think. But now they're a little bit more verbal. Yeah, and I'm like you, know the beauty that America has to offer us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know it's a little hotter. I have to say we're not going for a hike, we're going for a walk. You know, because if I say let's take the dog for a hike over in rockley, because I live over in eastern part of bergen county, um, I don't want to go for a hike, all right, let's take chase for a walk. And then all of a sudden we end up in the woods and we're going uphill and it was a hike. I just had to say we're taking the dog yeah, maybe you just have to word it differently.
Speaker 2:I have to work yeah, yeah, although it's a little tough when you're hopping on a plane and driving into a national park. It's tough to disguise that.
Speaker 3:But where are we going?
Speaker 2:this is great, denise. So if there was like one one um thing you wanted our listeners to take away from your company or business, if there was one thing not to put you on the spot, but what would that be Like? What do you want them to learn about your business, or learn about what you provide, and some advice to them, maybe.
Speaker 3:I want them to know lactation consultants aren't just about breastfeeding. We can help you throughout everything through your journey. It is a team effort. So me, you, whoever is in your team, your family, we can all work together. It is a village.
Speaker 3:I always suggest moms to find a village and a team behind you, because for postpartum isn't easy and you don't really know until you get there that you need your friends and you need your family and you need to find the people to back you up and tell you that it's okay, and to not give you any judgments and to give you the right information. Wow, that's great.
Speaker 2:That's great. Well, I and to give you the right information. Wow, that's great. That's great. Well, I want to thank you for being a guest on our show, and I will. We're going to close it here, but bear with me and I'll talk to you on the other side.
Speaker 3:Okay, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergen. com. That's gnpbergen. com, or call 201-298-8325.