Are your kids getting their serenity sleep?
by Kelly Thompson

 Whether you’re an adult or child (or haggard mom), a good night’s sleep creates the foundation for every bit of your day. A mother of three, Kelley Thompson knows this well, and helps families implement sanity-saving sleep strategies to help their little buggers grow up healthy and strong. You may see a lot of your own business tears and triumphs in Kelley’s journey to creating Serenity Sleepers. Read how Kelley got her start and what’s kept her going through it all.

1. What’s your mission? Tell us about your organization/business.

I am a Pediatric Certified Sleep Consultant. Serenity Sleepers is dedicated to helping develop peaceful sleepers and educating parents and families on age appropriate sleep techniques and methods. Teaching others how to implement the right sleeping strategies to meet their individual needs is one of my top goals. Being able to give parents and care takers the ability to help their little ones develop healthy, strong and peaceful sleeping habits is an important mission.

2. How long did it take you to reach important milestones in your business or organization?

The first year I set out certain goals, this was one of the hardest times. I am very driven and I did not want to fall short of my goals. After months of hard work and pushing through the ups and downs I was able to far exceed what I had even laid out for myself. I quickly realized that if I put in the time and effort that I could accomplish my dreams. There are times of uncertainty and doubt, but knowing what you do on a daily basis makes a difference helping others and fulfills you as a person, it pushes you even harder to make your business successful.

3. Tell us about the start-up scares: Was there a moment where you ever seriously contemplated quitting?

Starting your own business is a huge task, the time, effort and money you put in during the first year and beyond can be extremely scary. There would be many nights I pondered if I was making the right decision, would the hard work and money put into my new adventure pay off in the end? I never wanted to quit because that is not the person that I am, but the hard days can be extra challenging, but the good days are over the top rewarding and that is what I try to keep my focus on during this journey.

4. Did you ever fail or make a substantial mistake in business or organization? Any serious Challenges? How did you overcome and resolve it?

One of my biggest challenges can be myself. Not always trusting myself or my plan. The times that I am wavering on big decisions or not putting faith into what I am doing can be some of the biggest challenges. Sometimes I find myself looking for others validations, when in the end I am the one that has put in the blood, sweat and tears into my business and trusting in your own decisions is so important. Having a good support system around you to be there and support you during the highs and lows is important.

5. What action has the most impact that you’ve taken to reach your goal/s?

Stepping outside my comfort zone of meeting and collaborating with others, as well as networking, has helped me along the way. This has truly helped me continue to grow and be successful in business.

6. What would you tell your younger/earlier self? Any piece of advice?

Set goals and do not let others stop you from achieving what you have laid out for yourself. There will be times of ups and downs, but in the end, you are the one that can make or break your dreams.

7. What the best advice YOU’VE ever received about pursuing your vision?

God places events in your life for a reason, we do not always understand why or the reasoning behind it all, but trust in God’s plan and rely on him as your guidance and support.

8. Has having success in your business/organization or money changed you? In what ways?

Honestly my younger self would have been influenced and changed more easily by money and the success. Of course, I am human and at times will get excited about the success and money that has come along with my business, but in the end, I remember every day I wake up getting to help families and do what I love. This is why I started this business and not just for the money that comes along with it all.

9. How do you create, innovate or break the rules in your life/business/organization?

Always staying on top of the latest sleep research and education is important. I want to give families the healthiest and safest sleep, continuing education and resources is very important and helps me create a successful and innovative business. Then in turn I am able to work with families in giving them the most accurate information and methods.

10. What does a typical work day look like for you?

I have three children, all six years and younger, one of them being a 2-month-old so my days are jammed packed from sun up until sun down. After the hustle and bustle of the morning routine and taking my 6-year-old to school, I head back home with my two younger children to begin my work day. This is where it is important for me to plan my week and days otherwise I can quickly get off track. I make sure my two younger children are settled and I will begin to answer client emails and phone calls, work on sleep plans, working on upcoming events and many other business-related items.

During my work day, I have to multi task between business to do list and tackling my job as a stay at home mother. Nap times are key for me and when I can get a good chunk of my work completed. We head out in the afternoon to pick up my son from school the late afternoons and evenings are mainly dedicated to my family; homework, dinner, baths and bedtime. The evenings are devoted to my business and trying to find a little “me” time to decompress and evaluate my day and what can be checked off the list and what still needs to be accomplished.

11. How do you juggle your business and being a mom? Any great tips?

Having three small children it can be quite a task to juggle your own business along with raising a family. Each week I set out a game plan; scheduling time for my business, family, as well as myself. Many times, we tend to forget about ourselves as mothers because we have so much on our plate. It is vital to still remember to be a Rockstar boss mom, mother and wife it is a must to do things for yourself. I highly recommend the app Wunderlist, it is amazing. You can share list with your family, co-workers and colleagues. It helps keep me organized in every avenue of my life.

12. Tell us about your most successful launch. What was it for and what really moved the needle for you to make it a success?

For me taking that final leap to launch my business, it came with so much more success than I could have even imagined. When families finally take the step to helping their children sleep, they shout the success from the roof tops, and others want to know how they can have the same great results. It opened doors to other opportunities and I am blessed each day that I decided to follow my dream.

13. Stevie Wonder or The Beatles? (this, I personally must know.) 

Stevie Wonder all the way!

DING, DING, DING! Kelley got it right!

Kelley Thompson, creator of Serenity Sleepers is a sleep consultant for babies and young children (newborn through six years old). Serenity Sleepers is committed to helping families develop peaceful sleepers using only the safest, healthiest and most gentle approaches.

With a master’s degree in elementary and middle school education and after working with children for many years, Kelley developed a strong passion for educating myself and others on creating healthy and safe sleep environments for babies and children. Every child and family has a unique and different situation, and everyone should be treated with great care. Kelley creates custom sleep plans for families worldwide. You can find her at Serenity Sleepers