How to Start Your Own Lactation Counseling Business: Kealy Hawk

When you become a mom, you get to realize new things and create your new normal. Sometimes you feel the urge to help fellow moms and this becomes your career!

Kealy Hawk is a registered nurse and most importantly a mommy! In fact, that’s why she got into lactation counseling.

Q. When and why did you decide to start your online venture? What inspired you? 

I started my online breastfeeding support business, Little Bear Care, in 2019. It was a result of breastfeeding struggles I faced with my first baby. I was a nurse and couldn’t believe how hard breastfeeding was for us!

I knew I never wanted another mom to struggle the way I did so I became a Certified Lactation Counselor and started Little Bear Care.

Q. Please share your biggest struggles at the start. How did you overcome them?

 

My biggest struggles were all about business! I had no idea how to actually start my own business and I was overwhelmed by all the paperwork it entailed. I overcame those struggles by buckling down, doing my research, and figuring it out.

I found that sometimes the paperwork can lead down a million rabbit holes! It was so important for me to figure out what was necessary and what wasn’t when starting a business. Regulations and requirements start to get expensive, and it’s challenging as a small business owner with minimal income.

Determining what the most important aspects of starting a business were helped be get my priorities straight so I could start focusing on the purpose of Little Bear Care.

Q. What ONE most important lesson did you learn when starting your business?

The most important lesson I learned was to keep my clients at the forefront! They are the reason for what I do, I love helping moms overcome struggles and achieve success! Breastfeeding can be so difficult and there are opinions coming from every direction.

I learned that moms need someone to meet them where they’re at. Everyone’s breastfeeding journey is different, and moms want what’s best for their babies. No matter what my own experiences or knowledge are, I keep the woman I’m helping at the front.

Support is extremely important and in order to be helpful, I need to meet moms where they’re at. Different moms want different things out of breastfeeding support, but the one thing they share is that they want to be heard.

Q. What would you have done differently if you were to start now?

That’s a great question! If I were to start now, I would implement all the things I’ve learned about business. It took time and effort to learn everything about how to be successful, especially online.

Before starting, I’d never heard of SEO, had no idea how to write an article people would find helpful, and didn’t know the first thing about marketing. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, and I’m still learning some now!

I wish I could take everything I know now and go back to reapply it when I first started. Although it’s kind of like the chicken and the egg.. I wouldn’t know what I do now if I didn’t go through it! Experience is the best teacher and I have no regrets with how things have happened.

Q. How can our readers connect to you online?

My website is the best place to find me! It’s https://littlebearcare.com/. I also have a very active Facebook breastfeeding support group. It’s full of moms that support and uplift eachother and I am always there to give professional advice! The group can be found at breastfeeding moms group.