NWEM Mamapreneur of the Month:
Susan Moore, L.Ac. MAMA
Maternity & Fertile Essence
Why did you start your business?
After 96 hours of labor and a successful homebirth, Susan Moore
knew the power of motherhood and wanted to share that with others.
As an acupuncturist who specialized in women's health, Susan decided
to focus on maternity acupuncture and with Eva Pannabecker (and
others who are no longer part of the group) they founded MAMA
Maternity Acupuncture. Susan taught students in the Maternity
Acupuncture Clinic at the Northwest School of Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine. With a group of other moms, she started a
cooperative of working moms with the Greenwood/Phinney Midwives.
In those early days Susan and other working moms brought their
kids into the center where they took turns watching, playing and
feeding them while we attended to our various work activities. Susan
did acupuncture treatments on other pregnant moms, a message
therapist, doulas, store manager, midwives). As Susan began working
more her needs changed and she moved her office into downtown
Ballard and after some time joined another Mommypreneur group called
Gracewinds.
Now as a single mother Susan is working full-time and her son
Liam comes over to Gracewinds to hang out after school while she
finishes up work. Susan also teaches workshops on nutrition, yoga
and meditation for fertility (Fertile Essence) in the studio room at
Gracewinds and at other locations around town. Her business partner
Eva just gave birth to a baby girl.
Inspired to help other women and children Susan also volunteers
on a micro-finance project called Here Jed in Bamako, Mali- West
Africa. She will be going to Mali in January to continue her work in
establishing healthcare for women and children who are part of this
project and will be conducting a study a regional health clinic on
non-needle acupuncture techniques. These methods address safety
concerns around HIV/AIDS, utilize local resources and are very
affective for alleviating the symptoms of respiratory conditions,
fevers and gastrointestinal problems due to diseases such as
malaria, TB and dysentery. To find out more about Susan's project in
Mali please go to:
Schillios.com.
To make a donation, please go to:
firstgiving.com/acupunctureresearch.
What is the best thing about being a mamapreneur?
I get to be a mom and do the work that I love. I get to support
other women in their passions for motherhood and the work they so
enjoy doing in their lives.
What are your personal goals for your business?
I am planning on providing more cost-effective options for
families to be able to receive acupuncture by creating a community
acupuncture space. I also hope to combine my work as an
acupuncturist and Asian nutrition into a cookbook for families and
eventually a restaurant that would cook based on the principles of
Asian medicine. I want to donate a percentage of my profits to
micro-finance and create an avenue for customers to do the same.
Advice for moms who are in business or are looking to
start a business:
Listen to your heart, stay open, listen to your children, stay
calm , get lots of rest, eat well and it will all fall
into place.
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