The other day I was surfing the net and thinking about the number of businesses that serve mothers and babies. Boy there are a lot of them! As I read the various names I got the thinking about how it is they chose that particular name and I recalled a customer who questioned the name of my store.
She came in with her pregnant daughter looking to purchase a birth pool. After walking around the store for several minutes she presented the pool at the cash counter. Her comment to me was "Birth Source, this place should be called Baby Source. There isn't much for birth here". I briefly explained to her that not all of the "birth supplies" are out on the floor and pointed out that we did carry various other products that are "birth" related. She seemed unimpressed all the same and I let it go.
Once again I recalled another customer, a labour and delivery nurse from the Royal Alexandra hospital as I would discover. She had a cautious look on her face when she walked through the door and when I greeted her she told me she was looking for a baby carrier. After we found one for her and she picked up several other items she told me that she was initially nervous about shopping at Birth Source because of the doula connection. Apparently she had met some doulas she didn't care for. I guess a store run by a doula would be..."crunchy"?? I am happy to say that a nice conversation about doulas ensued and she left the store feeling much more at ease about shopping here and hopefully doulas as well.
So why Birth Source Inc.? Well the Inc. is kind of obvious, but where did Birth Source come from? Once upon a time almost 6 years ago I met a woman and fellow doula, Sandra Bilodeau whom I got to know over a period of months. We agreed there was a strong connection between one another both professionally and personally and soon after decided to become partners and as such needed a business name.
We brainstormed together, poured over our list, wrote out our choices several times and finally rested on Birth Source. This title would best describe our services in a nutshell. We were a "Source" for doula services, childbirth education, information and yes even some products back then. I enjoyed a very successful and happy partnership with Sandra until her husbands' Canadian military career took her back to Ontario.
A couple of years later after much contemplation and dreaming my website and resource center/ retail store was born. The question was would Birth Source the name still work? I would be carrying much more than birth products in the store, and doing more than prenatal classes. I would be offering supplies, gifts, products and services for both mothers and professionals that would span the childbearing year and just beyond. Was "Birth Source" too ambiguous? I decided perhaps so, but it would still be the umbrella for all the services I hope and plan to offer to the families in my community. It was born out of a love of serving women and families and that still remains. My good friend and partner Sandra and I lovingly chose it and I would like to hang on to that very happy time in my life.
So if it seems like a curious name for a store it is my wish that people will come to understand my intention is to serve them during the most monumetal phase of their lives with my understanding of the various facets of this phase including learning, sharing and products to enhance it.
Peace Out,
Tracey
She came in with her pregnant daughter looking to purchase a birth pool. After walking around the store for several minutes she presented the pool at the cash counter. Her comment to me was "Birth Source, this place should be called Baby Source. There isn't much for birth here". I briefly explained to her that not all of the "birth supplies" are out on the floor and pointed out that we did carry various other products that are "birth" related. She seemed unimpressed all the same and I let it go.
Once again I recalled another customer, a labour and delivery nurse from the Royal Alexandra hospital as I would discover. She had a cautious look on her face when she walked through the door and when I greeted her she told me she was looking for a baby carrier. After we found one for her and she picked up several other items she told me that she was initially nervous about shopping at Birth Source because of the doula connection. Apparently she had met some doulas she didn't care for. I guess a store run by a doula would be..."crunchy"?? I am happy to say that a nice conversation about doulas ensued and she left the store feeling much more at ease about shopping here and hopefully doulas as well.
So why Birth Source Inc.? Well the Inc. is kind of obvious, but where did Birth Source come from? Once upon a time almost 6 years ago I met a woman and fellow doula, Sandra Bilodeau whom I got to know over a period of months. We agreed there was a strong connection between one another both professionally and personally and soon after decided to become partners and as such needed a business name.
We brainstormed together, poured over our list, wrote out our choices several times and finally rested on Birth Source. This title would best describe our services in a nutshell. We were a "Source" for doula services, childbirth education, information and yes even some products back then. I enjoyed a very successful and happy partnership with Sandra until her husbands' Canadian military career took her back to Ontario.
A couple of years later after much contemplation and dreaming my website and resource center/ retail store was born. The question was would Birth Source the name still work? I would be carrying much more than birth products in the store, and doing more than prenatal classes. I would be offering supplies, gifts, products and services for both mothers and professionals that would span the childbearing year and just beyond. Was "Birth Source" too ambiguous? I decided perhaps so, but it would still be the umbrella for all the services I hope and plan to offer to the families in my community. It was born out of a love of serving women and families and that still remains. My good friend and partner Sandra and I lovingly chose it and I would like to hang on to that very happy time in my life.
So if it seems like a curious name for a store it is my wish that people will come to understand my intention is to serve them during the most monumetal phase of their lives with my understanding of the various facets of this phase including learning, sharing and products to enhance it.
Peace Out,
Tracey
Posts
glad to have found your blog Tracey!!! I think birth source is a lovely name.... I found it tougher to name a business/dream then to name my babies....lol
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny - of all the names we come across with our retailers, yours is one of the few that really feel just right to me, and I don't even think we fully appreciate your purpose in your community! I have not thought to question it at all, but perhaps that's because I also wear the crunchy label. Great read!
ReplyDelete