Name: Melanie Potock
Business: My Munch Bug
What led you to launch My Munch Bug
As a speech language pathologist and “feeding specialist” who works with a variety of kids with significant medical issues, food allergies, syndromes and sensory difficulties as they learn to eat a variety of new foods, I found myself applying more and more of my knowledge to the garden variety picky eater. My Munch Bug serves as the platform for my seminars and speaking engagements at national conferences for preschool staff, therapists and parents who may be struggling with little munch bugs that are stuck in a mire of chicken nuggets and french fries. Learning to eat new foods is meant to be fun and everyone in the family can enjoy the journey! That is the theme of my book, Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids: How to Teach Your Child the Joy of Food! and my children’s music CD entitled Dancing in the Kitchen.
How do you balance your business and family life?
Speaking of dancing, I have to say that balancing family life, a private practice and My Munch Bug is truly a bit of a dance – sometimes it is hard to find the rhythm to make it all flow smoothly. It works best for me if I allocate a specific amount of time to My Munch Bug and no more. I could work non-stop on it because I love it so, but I love my family and the kids I treat even more. So, I focus on family first (and that includes me!) then my clients and their families and finally, My Munch Bug. I know that if I worked 24 hours a day on this business, I would still want more…it’s kind of like eating chocolate. I think I’ll just need to be satisfied with a bite or two each and every day.
A fun fact about you
A fun fact about me that might surprise you is that on a real dance floor, I’m the worst dancer and I definitely cannot sing. So what’s a girl like me doing producing a children’s CD and expecting kids ages 3 to 93 to absolutely devour every note? I was just too naive about the recording business to know any better, thank goodness! Recently, Dancing in the Kitchen was considered by the Recording Academy for a children’s Grammy in 2012. Although we did not make it to the top five nominees, just to be accepted for consideration was beyond my wildest expectations!
Advice for Moms considering launching a business
When My Munch Bug launched in fall of 2010, I stepped quite blindly into the world of music production, book publishing and public speaking. I’m so glad that I didn’t really know what I was getting in to, or I would have hesitated to take even the tiniest taste. If you are thinking of starting your own business, don’t think too much. Just do it and take that first bite. It’s really pretty yummy and I think you will like it!
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