We had the good fortune of connecting with Lena Kelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lena, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After many years of working in marketing and public relations, I found a niche helping small businesses. Once I became a mother in 2019, I met so many other local moms who were looking to start their own business. Especially after the pandemic, many moms were looking for ways to bring in income to support their family from home. Lots of mom-run businesses starting popping up and everyone would look to each other for tips on how to scale their business. it became more and more apparent that there were so many amazing moms who had the skill or talent for their business, but they had very little knowledge about how to run a business. This led to the birth of Mama Made.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
What originally started as a passion project has now transformed into a living, breathing hub for mamas to support one another in their businesses and non-profit organizations. We all know how challenging it can be to simultaneously support our family and honor our ambitions. And yet, there are so many mamas out there doing whatever it takes to become the person they want to be. Mama Made is about uplifting other mamas as they navigate their journey as a business owner. Together, we will grow and embrace motherhood as we’ve always wanted.

Mama Made is your destination for mama-owned entities in the Southern California area. Whether you’re looking for an accountant, a social media strategist, or a baker, Mama Made will help connect you with the products and services you need. And when it comes to supporting non-profit organizations run by mamas, we can help with that too. So take a look around our online business directory. You might find that mamas can do just about anything.

Our organization has steadily grown since 2020 as we have shifted from virtual to in-person training events, and it has been so inspiring to see our community grow. Every mama member is welcomed with open arms and there is never any shortage of advice and guidance from our more seasoned business owners.

The biggest hurdles I’ve faced is finding a way to make our membership accessible to mama business owners. To combat this, we have a very affordable membership due that can be paid monthly. We also offer meetings that are mom-friendly and kids are always welcome. We even offer childcare for some meetings and events so a mom never has to miss out because of childcare.

I am constantly in awe of the moms I’ve met through Mama Made and all that they have been able to achieve. It inspires me to push forward and lead this organization into our next phase of growth. Being able to offer mama business owners a type of support they aren’t able to receive anywhere else is what sets Mama Made apart from other networking groups.

We want the world to know that moms are capable of doing anything we set our mind to, when we have the support we need to make those dreams a reality.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being a resident of Altadena, Pasadena is my favorite place to explore! The first stop on our itinerary would be Sage in Old Town for some amazing vegan food and delicious cocktails. Next we would head over to Kings Row Pub for drinks on the patio. Then we would end the night by walking over to Pie Hole for a little dessert night cap!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many women who have mentored me as a small business owner. Kaiy Smith-Biesman is one of those women who has become such a special influence in my life. Not only does she coach small business owners, but she is also on the board of my nonprofit, Mama Made. She gives back so much to other women business owners and is such an inspiration to us all.

Website: www.mama-made.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/mamamadeorg

Facebook: Mama Made

Other: lena@mama-made.org

Image Credits
April Trettel Photography

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