Laurie Carter & Valerie Beck are co-owners of Rinaldi Mommy and Me. For those who are not familiar with Rinaldi Mommy and Me, this is a place that holds parent education classes where one can learn about his or her child’s development. It was actually Valerie’s mom who started the program 30 years ago!
It’s an awesome program, growing more & more each session. Mission Hills Providence Holy Cross Medical Center filters a lot of their new moms to Rinaldi Mommy and Me so that they can learn more about the transition to motherhood & their child’s development. The target age is 0-5, different classes for different age groups.
The concept is so neat that I thought it would be a great idea to interview the co-owners. Please meet the latest Real Moms of the SFV, Laurie Carter & Valerie Beck!
How/why did you begin your business?
Laurie & Valerie: Our business is based on the fact that helping families raise children is a community effort and we want to facilitate this. Starting the journey of parenthood with as much support and knowledge as possible is critical in helping adults raise children in today’s world. Our classes allow for support and exchange of information among families and extended families.
As a working mother, what is one tip or piece of advice that you would give to other female entrepreneurs?
Laurie & Valerie: Have your business be something you are passionate about. Ideally it is something that can be mingled with your home life in a positive and influential way. All of our families have helped us out in some way…Including our parents, husbands, and children. (Teacher Valerie Beck’s Mom, Carole Mingus, helps substitute and she is the creator of much of the curriculum we use. Valerie’s Dad helped with creating music CD’s and moving heavy equipment with his truck. Teacher Lauire’s and Teacher Valerie’s husbands help move things between sessions and walked in a community parade, holding our Rinaldi Mommy and Me banner. Teacher Kay’s husband made our train table for the children. Our own children now have summer jobs helping out as our assistants on our field trip classes.)
What do you like best about having a business in the San Fernando Valley?
Laurie & Valerie: Laurie Carter grew up in the San Fernando Valley and having her children grow up in the Valley makes this extra special. Valerie Beck also grew up in the San Fernando Valley and many families we meet in our classes have come from San Fernando Valley and it is fun to talk about the history of our community and share it with the new families that have come to call the San Fernando Valley their home. We have had parents come from Lancaster, Simi Valley, Malibu, Long Beach, Pasadena, Tarzana and Santa Clarita weekly for our program and that makes us proud business owners to support families from so many communities.
If there was one thing you wish you knew before you began your business, what would that be?
Laurie & Valerie: We wish we had a mentor who began their own small business at one time. We would like to know how they handled advertising and community outreach. We would also like to ask them about meeting the needs of the community in other ways besides the classes that we currently offer. We wish we had known how much we would enjoy having our own business and we love the fact that we truly making a difference in these families lives.
For more information on Rinaldi Mommy and Me (or to register for classes), visit the website here. Also don’t forget to check out their Facebook page so that you can get the latest updates!
Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. The image shown in this post is used with permission. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.
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