Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Spensley.
Stacy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was working as a theatrical stage manager when my husband and I moved to San Diego for his job in 2009. I didn’t have a job when we moved and I knew I wanted to change careers when we started a family, so I got certified as an integrative nutrition health coach. I started my business in 2011 and was working with clients and still doing a little theater work. When I was pregnant with my oldest child the next year, people said, “Oh, now you’ll work with moms!” I replied that I didn’t know anything about being a mom! And I was right.
After basically taking two years off from my business to care for my high-needs baby, I was ready to work with clients again, but I had done so much research after having a baby that it was a natural shift to working with parents. When I was pregnant I was frustrated by the information I could find is very mainstream, or so far left that you were only “good enough” if you were feeding your kids organic kale watered with pastured unicorn tears. I wanted to provide some middle ground for parents who were just trying to make educated decisions without the judgment, and Semi-Crunchy Mama™ was born.
It started as a Facebook page to share resources that I found helpful, then I created a Facebook group (the Semi-Crunchy Mama™ Club) in 2015 to give parents a place to discuss important topics in private. Breastfeeding was an important part of my parenting life, and I became an admin of the Badass Breastfeeders of San Diego Facebook group which has taught me so much and is an incredible community. I started teaching in-person classes at the now-closed Buddha Baby (later Wonderful and Wild) in late 2015 that combined my nutrition background and parenting nerdery. After teaching hundreds of parents and caregivers in person, I moved my classes online in 2018 and 2019 so people everywhere could learn more about feeding their babies and toddlers.
What I learned from teaching in person is that parents are really hungry for personal connection. We spend so much time on social media, but there’s something powerful about being in the same room. So I’ve been running a monthly Mothers Circle event for the last 3.5 years so parents can come together and be honest about their experiences and feel less alone. I took off a month when my second and third babies were born, then brought them along with me. Otherwise, I host it the second evening on Friday of every month, and we discuss a different topic each time over wine, soft drinks, and snacks.
We didn’t know anyone local with kids when our oldest child was born, and becoming parents was one of the hardest transitions of our lives. I’ve now met so many amazing families because of my kids, through the local baby wearing community, birth workers, badass breast feeders, and more. In addition to my online community, I started a podcast in 2018 to bring in experts on more topics to support my audience which has been so much fun. I still offer limited individual coaching or have a “Virtual Village” program that gives a more intimate online experience in a small group setting since my free group is over 3800 members at this point.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not an easy path! One area I pride myself on is curating useful resources in a sea of information overload. Since so much information is available for free, people often balk at paying for my time and expertise in putting it together for them. It’s also challenging to get moms to pay for things that benefit them since they often don’t believe that they “deserve” it, or it’s hard for them to schedule time to focus on themselves even when they’re stressed and overwhelmed.
Scheduling things is always a challenge since it’s hard to leave the house with or without small kids for in-person events. Online I’m dealing with time zones and it will always be bedtime or naptime for someone.
And I have young kids myself, my oldest is six, my middle is three, and my baby will be 1 in December. They get sick, have bad nights, and interrupt me. I launched my podcast last year during my first trimester of pregnancy and was utterly exhausted. I remember uploading my first episode and immediately taking a nap. As one friend did mention, having another baby was definitely “on brand,” at least! But having 3 kids is a lot of work, my husband works long hours in North County, and we don’t have family here. We talk about a mental load a lot in my groups and I have a lot of personal experience with it and trying to find a better balance.
Tell us more about the business.
I support the parents of young kids through coaching, classes, and community by normalizing their parenting experience. I’m less interested in what choices parents make for their own families so long as they have the information they need to make an educated decision that works for them.
My most popular class is Introducing Solids with Baby Led Weaning which grew out of questions in the breastfeeding group about how to start solid foods. I read a ton of studies and have used the approach with all 3 of my kids, and have taught the class to hundreds of parents and caregivers. I include a lot of information about up-to-date allergen research, sensory-motor skills, breastfeeding, and red flags to look out for. I also offer a class called Toddlers at the Table that offers practical applications for feeding philosophy to raise empowered eaters.
I love my monthly Mothers Circle events. Such an amazing group of people show up and are willing, to be honest, and vulnerable which allows others to do the same. It’s truly an honor to witness the growth I’ve seen in the years of running it. People feel connected and lighter when they leave, and I love getting updates in the next week hearing about actions they took based on our discussions.
The best compliments I get are when people tell me a resource or experience was exactly what they needed. I felt isolated as a new parent, and I feel lucky to be in a position to help prevent others from feeling that way. I’ve also learned so much about health disparities for women of color, especially Black mothers and babies, and am committed to using my platform to amplify those issues as well as resources on raising anti-racist kids. There are a lot of Nice White Moms with online platforms and I want to do better. I’m very proud that people feel comfortable asking questions in my groups about talking about race, gender, sex, death, and other “tough” issues with their kids.
I’m not a parenting expert, and I’m learning right along with (and from) my community. While I provide support around parenting advice, that’s not my focus. What sets my work apart is that I’m a coach for parents themselves, because working on ourselves benefits our kids. We tackle topics like setting boundaries, the myth of the “perfect parent”, being on our phones too much, mom guilt, mindfulness, overwhelm, and more.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We’re starting to see a lot more focus on raising conscious kids, which I love. Instead of hoping they’ll absorb what we’re not doing, there are so many more resources and tools on talking about “tough topics” from a young age. Sex positive parenting, discussions on race, gender roles, using less gendered language, dads taking a more active role and shouldering more mental load and housework, better family leave policies, improved maternal and infant mortality across race categories…
Pricing:
- Individual coaching starts at $150/session
- Consultations and online courses range from $60-79
- Virtual Village membership is $127/month
- Mothers Circle is $35
Contact Info:
- Website: semicrunchymama.com
- Email: stacy@semicrunchymama.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/stacyspensley
- Facebook: facebook.com/semicrunchymama
- Other: facebook.com/groups/semicrunchymamaclub
Image Credit:
Ariel Dolfo
Chris Wodjak
Beryl Young
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