Parenting Tips

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May 6, 2019

Mom Entrepreneur Cassandra Curtis

Meet Cassandra Curtis, mother of three girls and co-founder with Jennifer Garner of baby food company Once Upon a Farm. We caught up with her to chat about why starting a cold-pressed, refrigerated baby food was so important and how she keeps her life and business running as a busy mom.

Cassandra Curtis

Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Once Upon a Farm

Munchkin: Hi Cassandra, thanks so much for chatting with us today. Can you tell us a little bit Once Upon a Farm?

Cassandra Curtis: Once Upon a Farm offers the first organic, cold-pressed baby food, apple sauces, and smoothies for your little ones! What we make is as fresh as it gets without having to make it yourself.

I started it in my kitchen in 2013 when my first daughter started eating solid foods and I couldn’t find any fresh baby food at the market. I could find better food for my cat and my dog than I could my baby so bringing this to as many parents as possible was a no brainer.

What was your inspiration for starting your business?

My love for children and my passion for nutrition.

“As a mom of 3, my biggest struggle was learning to find a work-life balance.”

What has been your biggest struggle so far as a business owner?

There are many struggles when starting a business and each one is an opportunity to grow. You go through ups and downs each day, the most important thing is continuing to move forward even when things get challenging. As a mom of 3, my biggest struggle was learning to find a work-life balance. Starting a business takes all of you, as does being a mom so you get stretched in a lot of directions and it takes a lot of inner talk and lots of planning to make it all work.

What is your biggest win or most successful moment so far?

I have had a lot of them for sure but there is nothing like seeing your product on the shelf for the first time after a lot of hard work to get it there. Finding my business partner Ari Raz and then bringing John Foraker and Jennifer Garner on board were also pivotal points in the business.

“Becoming a mom was the impetus for me starting this business. I got to see first hand how limited fresh, healthy options were for our most important beings in the grocery store.”

Was becoming a mom the reason you started Once Upon a Farm?

Becoming a mom was the impetus for me starting this business. I got to see first hand how limited fresh, healthy options were for our most important beings in the grocery store. I was astonished that I could not find ANY refrigerated baby food anywhere. My choices were to make it or buy the shelf stable items, which I did not feel good about giving to my daughter regularly, as I knew how processed they were.

Can you tell us a little bit about your family?

I have 3 girls: Solkaiya, 18 months, Divinaka, 7 years, and Skyla, 3 years old. I also have a dog and a cat who pees on the toilet by herself. (One less thing I have to worry about!)

What has been the most rewarding part of becoming a mom?

Seeing these little human beings grow each day and the love that I feel for them. There is nothing else on the planet like it.

What is your biggest challenge as a mom?

Remaining emotionally regulated during the times I want to pull my hair out. When you have 3 fussy kids all at once that are tired, hungry, fighting, it takes every ounce of you to pull it together and remain patient but I believe it is one of the most important skills that I can pass on to them.

Much like motherhood, entrepreneurship is way more than a full-time job! What kind of support system do you have for child care, school pick-ups, and the like?

I’ll be the first to admit I have a ton of support. I wouldn’t be able to have done what I have without it. With my parents close by, our live-in nanny, my friends, and my partner, we were able to make it work.

What is the best advice you can give to other parents who want to become entrepreneurs?

Yes you can. You have to believe it and then find a way.

Keep up with Cassandra and Once Upon a Farm by following them on their social channels:

Instagram: @OnceUponaFarm,@CassandraCurtis

Twitter

Facebook

Melissa McCartney

Melissa has been writing for 10 years about a little bit of everything. For work, she manages all things content at Munchkin, but her real boss in life are her two red-headed daughters ages 6 months and 4 years.