Member Highlight: Audrey Smith of Grow Our Village

Welcome to another edition of our Member Spotlight Series on the Madison Mompreneur blog! This series will help you get to know the members of Madison Mompreneur as we ask them questions about their personal and professional life as moms who own businesses in the Madison, Alabama area.

We are continuing this series with the spotlight on Audrey Smith, Owner of Grow Our Village!

Tell us about yourself and your business! I’m Audrey Smith and I’m the owner of Grow Our Village.

How does your business help people?  We are a social enterprise for new parents. Our mission is to nurture and empower new parents by providing affordable access to essential baby products, inclusive learning opportunities, mental health wellness services, and a supportive community—ensuring every family can thrive, regardless of their background or income.

How long have you lived in the Madison area? I’ve worked in Madison the last 3+ years.

What inspired you to start your business? My own pregnancy and postpartum journey. I saw that although we have a plethora of resources in our community specifically for moms, there was a lack of inclusive resources that include the non-birthing parent. Dads and non-birthing parents are under an enormous amount of pressure, and they need support, too. Also, I really wanted to try out expensive baby carriers and swaddles before committing to buy them and thought “why doesn’t this exist!?” so I created it. Same with our newborn essentials sampler. We’re expected to research everything to heck while pregnant and put a particular brand of diapers, wipes, bottles, etc on our baby registry or buy it ourselves before arrival and expect it to work out perfectly. Some babies (mine) have their preferences (we went through 20 bottles before finding one he’d accept) or you think you have the BEST wipe but cannot stand how it feels or how the dispenser works. Or you choose a particular diaper brand and it doesn’t work for your baby’s body type. We can make this process so much easier on new parents by loading them up with several different types of essentials and letting them try it on their own when baby arrives.

What sets your business apart from others in the industry? We’re a social enterprise meaning we operate in a very lean way. We provide a ton of free services – support groups, workshops led by other pregnancy and postpartum professionals, and needs assessments – and generate income to keep these services free by the sales of 2 incredibly practical gift boxes (the fourth trimester survival kit and the newborn essentials sampler). Additionally, I’m a mental health therapist (still in the pre-licensing/ associate process with my ALC under the supervision of Jessica Penot, LPC-S) and I am actually certified in Perinatal Mental Health. I’ve been a counselor in North Alabama for the last 15+ years and have dedicated my work to knowing about resources in our area and providing my clients and our community with connection to those invaluable relationships.

What do you consider to be your biggest success so far? We had our Grand Opening on February 7th and had more than 20 pregnancy and birth- related professionals here along with several new and expecting parents. We’ve already hosted some phenomenal workshops, classes and support groups.

How does your business contribute to the local community? By providing free access to a ton of resources for new and expectant parents.

How do you see your business evolving in the next 5-10 years? I hope this is sooner than 5 years – we will be opening a Collective that houses a multi-disciplinary team (think doulas, massage therapists, pelvic floor physical therapists, nutritionists, pediatrician) all under the same roof and provide on-site assistance with baby so that new parents can access the care they need without guilt or the added barrier of arranging childcare.

Who are your typical customers and how do they find you? New and expectant parents. Currently, word of mouth, referrals from community partners, social media, and we will be tabling at some large events in the next few weeks.

What do you enjoy most about running your business? I love being a part of a solution for people experiencing frustration or hardship. Pregnancy and the post-partum period are such precious and pivotal times for families – I’m appreciative when I’m able to connect people with the resources, information, products or professionals that they need during this time.

How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends and changes?  I am very active in our community, especially in matters regarding mental health. I’m also very active in a few local mom groups which are a great support to me, but I also get to know what other new parents are finding challenging.

What advice would you give to someone interested in starting a business in your industry? Do what you love and what you’re naturally good at. Find a need in your own life and start filling it.

What product/service would you like for us to highlight at this time? Our curated gift boxes – the fourth trimester survival kit or Newborn essentials sampler. They are such a great gift for any new or expectant family and help keep all our other programs and needs assessments free and accessible to our community.

Do you involve your kids in your business? If yes, how so? My little one is 2 so that can be challenging. I certainly have him to thank for the inspiration for this business.

What do you find is the most difficult part of balancing motherhood and business life? Juggling it all, of course. My approach is to build this business very sustainably so that I don’t overcommit and burn out. I have some amazing people (Mikayla White who does all of our marketing and website management) helping with so much of the work that happens behind the scene – I could not do it without my own amazing village!

What business in the Madison Area is your favorite? Honest Coffee is my fave for meeting up with community partners. I love Burn Boot Camp for whipping me into shape when I’m able to go!

Do you have a business bestie? Tree of Life Behavioral Health is the group practice where I do therapy and they have been a great work family to me.

Anything else you would like for us to highlight? We are hosting (along with Dad to Dudla) a Parents Day Celebration on July 26th at Huntsville Independent Cinema at Lowe Mill. It will be a great conversation with perinatal experts, a ton of giveaways, and will load new and expectant parents up with lots of incredible resources! Go to the link for more information: https://www.growourvillage.com/event-details-registration/parents-day-celebration-1

Where can people find you? Our office is located at 190 Lime Quarry Rd Suite 113 Madison AL 35758

Thanks for reading! If Audrey’s experience as a mom and business owner resonates with you, we want to hear from you in the comments! And if you are a mom and business owner in Madison, Alabama email us at madisonmompreneur@gmail.com. to be featured in a future Member Highlight post!