Community Spotlight #8: Bosom Buddies (Brought to you by Natascha Lee Studios)

Hello! Brittany here. I’m excited about our 8th Community Spotlight installment.

Here at Natascha Lee Studios, we love small, locally-owned stores that serve mothers. Especially because we focus (pun intended!) on maternity, newborn baby and children/family portraits!

This week we feature Bosom Buddies! A great small business and resource for expecting and new moms as well as women in general! While mainly focused on assisting and providing services for breast-feeding moms, Bosom Buddies has something for every woman. To learn a little more we spoke with co-owner, Sue Petracek.

Sue and her husband bought bosom Buddies in June of 1994 – At that time it was solely for pump rentals. Now, when you walk into one of Bosom Buddies locations you will be amazed at the variety of products: from lotions to bras, and of course (sticking to their roots), breast pumps and every accessory to go with them that a mother could want!

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How did you decide to buy Bosom Buddies and become a lactation consultant?

 Having my eldest daughter in the early 70’s my husband and I were drawn to breastfeeding. – at this time breastfeeding initiation rates were at an all time low and it was seen as a very counter-cultural ‘hippy’ thing to do, although we were not. Throughout the years we had owned other businesses and have done other things but this opportunity arose in 1994 and I saw it as a perfect venture to combine something that I had been very passionate about and the business experience I had accumulated over the years.

Bosom Buddies has two certified lactation consultants, Sue and her daughter Robyn who provide lactation consulting for mothers and babies who have questions or who are having problems. In addition Bosom Buddies also offers classes in basic breastfeeding, breastfeeding multiples, returning to work while breastfeeding and a recently added breast pumping class.

You do offer more than breast-feeding pumps and accessories?  Can you tell me about those?

One product that we offer is sports bras for mothers who are nursing. Typical bras that have a S/M/L squish approach do not provide the support that is needed for breast with milk. Bosom buddies found that the sports bras that work best are those with band size and cup support. This is what we now carry and our sports bras now range in sizes and can be found up to a 48J.

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Bosom Buddies services do not end when you stop breastfeeding they provide non-nursing bras in a wide variety of sizes. Bosom buddies associates are certified to measure you to help you purchase a quality bra that fits your body.

What is your mission at Bosom Buddies?

Providing good quality, helpful products to allow women to feel better about themselves while also being able to feel empowered in their abilities as women.

Feeling nervous about buying a nursing bra? Be assured that most the bras at Bosom Buddies are tested by a focus group of mothers before they hit the shelves to assure that they fit and are comfortable and practical.

What does Bosom Buddies do in the community?

Bosom Buddies is a strong supporter and referrer of the Mothers Milk Bank in Colorado. This wonderful organization collects, processes and dispenses human milk for babies who cannot receive milk from their mothers for various reasons. Often this can mean the difference between life and death for premature babies.

What a wonderful store. Thank you, Sue, for chatting with us.

Interested in learning more about Bosom Buddies?

Bosom Buddies has two locations – stop in!

Bosom Buddies – South Store

8331-C Willow Street – Lone Tree, CO 80124

Bosom Buddies – North Store

5684 W 88th Avenue – Westminster, CO 80031

Reach them online – You can also order off their website or on Facebook !!

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Community Spotlight Series #7 – Off The Wall Fitness(brought to you by Natascha Lee Studios)

Community Spotlight!This week we are featuring, Off the Wall Fitness owned by Kyle McGranahan located in Broomfield, Colorado. Has the warmth come to stay? I hope so! At Natascha Lee Studios we have soaking it all up, and taking advantage to do some amazing outdoor sessions. Seriously check out this baby from a family session we did late April – so sweet!  

Off the Wall Fitness Logo

Off the Wall Fitness is more than your average gym – offering exciting new ways to shake-up your current routine, or a great start for those who may not have been as diligent about their workouts and are ready to get back! To learn a little more about OTW Fitness and what sets it apart we spoke with owner and trainer Kyle.
[caption id="attachment_3264" align="aligncenter" width="230"]Off the Wall Fitness Owner Kyle (Comminity Spotlight Series by Natascha Lee Studios) Image provided by Off The Wall Fitness Owner Kyle[/caption]
 

Can you Tell me a little about yourself?

I’m originally from Arizona, and have always been active. I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. The Marines instilled a number of great skills like leadership, communication, discipline, and a passion for fitness. I finished my 5 year enlistment and decided that I wanted to get into the fitness industry. I became a Certified Personal Trainer while in San Diego just before moving to Colorado. As soon as I got to Colorado I became a Personal Trainer and never stopped learning. I worked for a gym for a little over 5 years. Then I finally decided I wanted to get more involved and be able to see my clients more often. This meant coming up with a group fitness concept that allowed me to charge less, but see them consistently more times a week. This is where Off the Wall Fitness came into the picture. I decided to specialize in group fitness, but I wanted to use different training techniques to make it more enjoyable and safer than the competitors. I’ve been doing it a little over a year and I am extremely dedicated to what I do, and love seeing the results my clients get in return when they work hard at it.

What do you kind of classes and services do you offer at OTW Fitness?

Off the Wall Fitness is not your everyday run of the mill gym. We think outside the box and use off the wall techniques to combine all aspects of fitness to ensure a workout that is fun, safe, and extremely effective. If people are bored at their current gym or their workouts are getting stagnant they need to check us out to get beyond any plateau! I offer Group Fitness classes that can be modified to many different fitness levels. I also offer 1-on-1 Personal Training for those that might be uncomfortable in a group setting or have very specific goals that cannot be addressed in the group fitness classes. Nutrition Consultations are also offered by Master Nutrition Therapist Desiree Schneider to include; nutrition consultations, meal planning, body wraps, and Detoxification programs.

What is your favorite “client success story”?

One of our members initially came in just to loose weight. You could tell she didn’t like to exercise, but committed to consistently coming to the group fitness classes. Over the course of year, her entire mentality changed about how she perceived exercise. Now she doesn’t like to miss a class, is one of the hardest and most dedicated people in my gym, and for that she has seen tremendous results. She has lost well over 30 pounds, dropped several clothes sizes, she looks and feels so much better. She has a completely positive attitude, and her diet is very healthy! [caption id="attachment_3265" align="aligncenter" width="432"]Off the Wall Fitness Photo provided by Off the Wall Fitness[/caption]

How does OTW Fitness unique?

I really focus on limiting my class sizes, creating camaraderie among the members, and going above and beyond what other gyms do like bringing healthy post workout snacks to select Saturday classes and teach all the classes myself.

In 2014, what do you see for OTW Fitness?

 In 2014 I want to branch out and get my brand name out to enthusiastic people that enjoy working out and like to try new ways of doing that. I also want to tap into new markets that are not over flooded with gyms. I am always looking for new and fun ways to exercise and share that with my clients to constantly stimulate my mind and help them reach their fitness goals and beyond.  
Great business. huh? To learn more you can visit them online or on Facebook  ]]>