Confidently Raise Healthy Little Eaters!

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Edwena Kennedy, Founder of My Little Eater, located in Halifax, NS, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm a Registered Pediatric Dietitian behind My Little Eater, an online feeding company that gives parents the confidence to raise healthy little eaters - from the first bites of starting solids to toddler and preschool feeding. I'm also the mom of two picky-turned-adventurous eaters who found myself struggling with ultra-vague or conflicting feeding information. As a result, I was no stranger to the stress and guilt all moms tend to experience as they wonder if they’re "doing it right."

In fact, I made it my mission to help moms get rid of mom guilt and combine the best of the research to help parents give their kids the best start to feeding while still allowing parents to confidently make their own decisions within a research-based framework. I created the Texture Timeline™ - a tool for parents who want to start solids with purees that allows them to move through easier to more advanced textures with their baby, but in a timely way, so their baby is never getting stuck on one texture.

I recognize that there is no one right way to start solids - but using the best research we have for preventing picky eating - I guide parents through the best practices within whatever method they choose. I have since gained over 11 years of experience in the world of pediatric nutrition and feeding and have helped thousands of parents through my online courses - Baby Led Feeding (for babies 6-11 months) and Feeding Toddlers (for kids 12 months - 8 years old). Now, I'm here to bring you the same confidence and know-how, so you can replace stressful thoughts with fun and joyful feeding and see that raising healthy eaters confidently is totally possible!

Tell us about yourself

I started the journey into pediatric nutrition when my own two boys - who were 3 and 5 at the time, suddenly became picky in what seemed like overnight. They just woke up one day and decided they only wanted chicken nuggets, fries, and pizza. My husband and I were at our wit's end trying to figure out how to get our kids to eat the food we made them. We argued a lot about this, and he would say, "Edwena, it's no wonder they don't want to eat it..it's not kids food!". And I knew in my heart that couldn't be right, that they should be able to eat what we eat and the idea of kids' food sounded wrong to me...but I didn't know how to get them there.

Even as a dietitian, I started to think… “Am I doing this right?” In school, we were taught everything about how much iron, fiber, or calcium kids needed but were never taught HOW to actually get them to consume that. I just wanted to know that I was doing everything I could as a mom to help my baby have all the opportunities to be a great eater. I wanted to make sure my kids were eating enough, eating a variety, and ultimately, they’d be healthy. When I started looking for the answers, the info I’d find was contradicting, or it was super theoretical mumbo jumbo that didn’t translate to real life.

“INTRODUCE SOLIDS AROUND 6 MONTHS,” THEY’D SAY. Great! How? What foods? Which method? How much? What if they gag?

“KEEP EXPOSING YOUR TODDLER TO NEW FOODS?” THEY’D SAY. Awesome! How many times? What counted as an exposure? What if they throw a tantrum? Is there something wrong with my child if I’ve done this 50 times and they still won’t eat it??

I was frustrated because doctors, pamphlets, and online blogs didn’t really tell me how to do things, and definitely not in an easy, clear manner. I asked my doctor, who told me one thing, and I asked my pediatrician, who told me another. And actually, most of the advice I got was, “it’s just a phase” or “wait it out.” Which, by the way, never eased my fears and left me thinking that I was crazy for wanting to know more answers.

I thought – if this can happen to me – a dietitian who literally helps people eat better as a living – then what about those who aren’t trained to know this stuff? What about the fact that moms realistically don’t have the time to research every question or situation (let alone shower and put real clothes on)?

So, I decided I would delve into the research like no one before. I dissected, tested, tweaked, and perfected the strategies for real life so that I could remove the guesswork for others and show how to do this stuff in a way that was clear and straightforward! I paired expert feeding strategies with some good old mama intuition which allowed me to stand in my confidence as a parent.

And slowly but surely, magic started to happen. My kids are now super good eaters, love to try all sorts of new and exotic foods, and I kid you not, mealtime is hands down our favourite, most enjoyable time in our home! We cook together, explore new food all the time, love dining out at fancy and ethnic restaurants, and most importantly, I feel like they truly got the foundation they need to be lifelong healthy eaters.

I’ve since gained over ten years of experience in the world of pediatric nutrition and feeding and have helped thousands of parents through my online courses. Now, I’m here to help bring parents the same confidence and know-how, so they can replace stressful thoughts with fun and joyful feeding and see that raising healthy eaters confidently is totally possible!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Hands down, my biggest accomplishment is the creation of The Texture Timeline™, our proven, signature method for gradually and safely transitioning to solids by easing into textures and more advanced finger foods in a way that keeps you (the parent) feeling comfortable while at the same time, challenges your baby ever so gently and in a timely way. It has been consulted on and vetted by some of the top Speech Language Pathologists in the industry.

It categorizes food in different four different phases, starting with serving easier to more and more advanced textures (purées or finger foods), so you can ensure:

Your baby gets continuous exposure to a variety of textures in a timely manner
You’re keeping your baby advancing in skills to prevent picky eating
You’re easing into different purées and finger foods in a way that keeps you calm and allows you to build your confidence
You’re overcoming any fear of gagging by taking action every day

It’s perfect for parents or caregivers who want to start solids with purées (but understand the importance of not getting stuck there). It’s also perfect for parents who may have already started with purées or finger foods but are afraid of progressing in textures due to fears of gagging, choking, or big bites. Finally, the Texture Timeline™ is a wonderful tool for babies who aren’t ready or for whom it’s not safe to start on finger foods from day 1.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing is finding a balance between working and hustling to push through all these ideas and projects you want to do, which are so incredibly exciting, and yet - wanting to spend time with your family, take care of yourself, and generally not be a workaholic. I find that I'm either 100% in work mode, or I take a break and go all in all family mode. Finding a healthy in-between is hard for me.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Start today. Don't wait around for the perfect time or for when things are "just right." That time will never come, and it's more important to start with the info and opportunity you have in front of you and learn as you go. Telling yourself you want to be more prepared is really just procrastination.
Focus on one thing and scale that. It's incredibly easy to assume that having more products or revenue streams is going to make you more money, but it really just splits your time, energy, and focus in a million directions. The impact you can have by focusing your resources and time on one product and scaling that will go so much farther. Once that is in place, then you can focus on more.
Put your head down and put your blinders on when it comes to looking at what your competition is doing. All it does is get in your head and put you in a comparison trap - which is not good for your confidence. Focus on your own messaging, and listen to your unique audience. And remember - whatever success your competitor has that can be viewed as someone from the outside is not an indication of what's happening behind the scenes.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mylittleeater.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edwenakennedyrd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylittleeater/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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