How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have 2 daughters. Sadie, age 6 and Remy, age 3.
How long have you lived in Stamford? What made you decide to live here?
We moved up to Stamford from an apartment in New Rochelle 5 years ago. North Stamford checked all the boxes for us. Not only an easy commute to NYC from the Stamford Train Station, nature and wildlife and plenty of land for the kids to run around, but also a vibrant community with lots going on, and most importantly, not far from Trader Joe’s! The convenience of Stamford also made it seem like a great place to open my practice.
What’s your favorite family activity in Stamford?
We like to get outside, and love to take hikes at Mianus Park and the Bartlett Arboretum, play at the playground at Chestnut Hill Park and ride our bikes at the Cove. My husband and I do a yearly long-distance fundraiser bike ride for JDRF (I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes since age 7), so you’ll find us out on our road bikes on weekend mornings.
Where’s your favorite place to eat in Stamford?
Hands down, Bar Taco! It’s healthy, delicious, fast and fresh, and our kids love all of their food. (And I love their classic margarita!)
What are your must haves when you leave the house with the kids?
We have finally moved into the diaper bag-free zone and it feels like freedom! But I always have the kids’ water bottles and some snacks (usually fruit) in my bag.
What’s been your favorite “mommy moment” so far?
I’m loving the current stage we’re in. My oldest is just starting to read and my littlest is getting so verbal! But I am also really loving watching their little friendship develop. I adore my siblings (I’m a twin, and one of 4!) so it’s very rewarding to see their relationship grow.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you need some “me time”?
Fresh air is vital for me, so I like to get outside and take a walk in the woods or near the water. I’m a multitasker by nature and a nerd at heart, so I like to use my alone time in the car to catch up on podcasts and audiobooks.
Tell us about your practice, Indigo Acupuncture + Wellness.
Indigo Acupuncture + Wellness is my practice down on Morgan Street in Stamford, just behind the Tully Health Center. I treat everything from pain to fertility to insomnia to anxiety (and everything in between) using all the tools that Chinese Medicine has to offer, including Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Cupping therapy, and Gua Sha. I also mix in some of my training in Functional and Integrative Medicine. I strive to give practical and realistic health and wellness guidance, and provide a space where my patients feel heard and supported. It’s my philosophy that the littles changes can have the biggest impacts and I love being part of my patients’ journeys to health. I’ve been in my current space for almost a year, and absolutely love it! I designed every aspect of my office and wanted it to feel like a second home for me and for my patients… and I think it does!
How did you get started?
I had a totally different career in TV & Commercial Visual Effects (Green Screen, CGI, Retouching, etc.) and during that time fell in love with acupuncture as a patient. I had such great results and advocated for it to everyone I knew! My curiosity led me to apply to school and quit my job. It was the best (and craziest) decision I’ve ever made.
What do you love about your practice?
Acupuncture is an amazingly powerful tool and seeing major shifts in people’s health and wellbeing on a daily basis is SO gratifying. I love the way Chinese Medicine looks at the body. Everything is connected and everything, including our emotions, is important in understanding the causes of disease. I love watching this once “alternative” medicine go more mainstream, and as a science geek, it’s been really fun and rewarding to see all the recent scientific validation of this medical practice that has been around for thousands of years.
How does your practice help you connect with other moms in the area?
I love getting to know my patients. Many of them are busy parents like myself, and I really learn so much from them. I don’t think of myself as a provider or a ‘healer’, I think of myself as a partner, and the relationships I’ve built with my patients are so valuable to me.
How can acupuncture help busy, stressed out moms?
Acupuncture is far and away my most favorite self-care tool. Picture this: you get to lie on a comfortable, heated massage table, with infrared heat lamp warming your feet and a lavender eye pillow on your eyes. You spend 45 minutes like this, taking a nap or in deep relaxation, while the acupuncture needles promote healing and balance in your body, allowing you to be a more energized, patient and present parent. We might even add on an LED light mask to plump your tired skin, or cupping therapy on your tight, cranky shoulders. You leave feeling blissed out, and the best part is, acupuncture is often covered by insurance or included as an HSA benefit! We’ve all hear the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup” and that’s really true for moms of young kiddos. Acupuncture is one of the best ways to fill that cup.
How do you balance being a business owner & mommyhood?
While I like to promote “balance” in most aspects of life, this is one where I think finding true balance is almost impossible. Instead I like to think of it as riding the waves. This is truly my dream situation because I get to do what I love but also build my own schedule so that I can be with my kids during the week, too. I often consider my business a third baby, and sometimes it needs a lot of attention. When that happens, I rely on my amazing support system including my hubby, my parents and my friends, to help fill the gaps. I really believe that raising children takes a village, and I’m so fortunate to have a great one. I’m also building an amazing business support system so that things don’t fall apart when I need to focus on my family. I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy to manage it all, but I’m learning to recognize my own strengths and weaknesses and realizing that while I (and all women) CAN do it all, I need lots of help, too.
Any tips for other small business owners?
Don’t try to be a superhero ALL the time. Learn to delegate and build a support system for yourself. The more balls you try to juggle, the more often you are going to drop some… it’s basic physics, but it’s something that’s really easy to forget.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
Enjoy and celebrate the little moments. Time is flying by and it can be so easy for me to get caught up in the whirlwind and always thinking about the next thing on the list. I’m learning to slow it down and celebrate all the little achievements and milestones occurring around me- from the first missing tooth to the first whistle or finger snap (my 3 year old is trying to master both!), these tiny moments are really big deals!
(All photos in post by Julia Dags)
(Cover photo by Katie Farro for Classic Kids Greenwich)