What's with the Name?
Updated: Jul 21
updated, June 1, 2023 -
by Denise Iacona Stern, CEO of Let Mommy Sleep Franchising
When people hear our name, Let Mommy Sleep, we receive a chuckle or a comment like "wish you were around when my kids were babies!" And that's the point. We want to bring the joy of new parenthood to everything we do, and make sure there's no question about what exactly the service provides. This branding began in 2010 when the owner (me) named the company. I was actually lying in bed after finally putting my infant twins and 2 year old to sleep....again. The name is simple, true to me and left no room to wonder what a night nanny does.
Isn't the word "Mommy" a little outdated?
BUT! That was 2010. With a specifically gendered name in 2023, it's fair that sometimes people ask if "Daddy" is allowed to sleep too. And what about same-sex male parents? Grandparents? Or parents who don't identify within a binary?
We know we serve all who are doing their best to care for their newborns with an open heart....but how do we let you know it too? And how do we demonstrate diversity in a way that doesn't tokenize someone? Look everyone! We posted a picture of 2 men with a little baby! You can tell they're a couple because they're holding hands! See how progressive our company is?! <--- This is not it.
So how are you a Franchise Committed to Diversity?
LMS franchises are also a 100% female owned and operated. In addition to the owners, our entire team in the field are also women of all backgrounds. Night Nannies, Postpartum Doulas and Baby Nurses (RN/LPN) are professions that usually attract a female workforce. We're no different, and proud of it. This isn't done on purpose though as I shared in the Entrepreneur blurb:
The healthcare and childcare industries are inherently diverse, so we're in the fortunate position of having so many excellent voices and viewpoints to work with.
To put words into action, we also post a running record of grant opportunities aimed at assisting LGBTQ+, female and BIPOC business owners. These funding opportunities are often behind paywalls or are simply hard to find so we have aggregated them into one list.
Lastly, our statement of diversity remains: Sleep is a human need, so we serve all humans.
Each franchise location expands on this as well: Let Mommy Sleep location and its parent company Let Mommy Sleep Franchising, LLC does not discriminate and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, gender expression, national origin, disability, race, color, size, religion, sexual orientation or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
Thanks for reading the story of how we've tried to help families in and outside of our business over the years. In 2022 we earned a spot as one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 50 Franchises Doing the Most to Champion Diversity and are happy to continue into 2023 and beyond.
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