Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline O’Neill.
Hi Caroline, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am Caroline O’Neill, the founder of The Body, Birth and Baby Center in Leesburg Virginia. Back in 2003 I graduated college with a Theatre and Dance Degree from Greensboro College. While actively performing in the DC area, I found my way to Massage Therapy School at Potomac Massage Training Institute. As an athlete growing up, I was always intrigued by our body’s capabilities and how to take care of it. Massage Therapy was a path that fulfilled that interest. Little did I know when I did a case study in school for 10 weeks on prenatal massage that it would take me down a path I didn’t see coming!
Since 2007 I have been a Massage Therapist who specializes in perinatal care. I have honed in on that clientele and over the years have achieved advanced certifications to become totally immersed in this field. My massage practice spans Fertility Massage, Prenatal Massage, Breech Body Balancing, Labor Prep Massage, Postpartum Massage and Newborn Bodywork. My love for providing full-circle care for women and families during this special time grows more and more each year. I also teach HypnoBirthing, a childbirth education program that prepares couples to feel calm and confident as they head into their birth. Over the last two decades my practice and business has grown into The Body, Birth and Baby Center.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
From the beginning I became a small business owner. Opening a small massage therapy practice right out of school. Learning right away that it takes time to grow and spread the word. Especially in a time when we didn’t have social media like it is today. Even my website back in 2007 was pretty bare bones! I mean I took checks as a form of payment! I learned to network with other businesses in a similar line of work, going to BNI groups, and that putting up tables at events is all part of being a small business. It can be discouraging at times when you spend hours at something and it felt like nothing came of it. But what I learned was for my practice, it was one client at a time. And that client shared it with a friend, and then that friend shared it with their friend. Word of mouth grew my business. And looking back, I believe slow and steady really does win the race.
There was a time when I needed to pause my business. I had my first baby and knew we wanted to grow our family. I decided to stay home full-time for a little bit. I didn’t know what that was going to look like but it was the best decision I could have made. Little did I know that growing our family would first include 3 pregnancy losses that were very difficult to say the least. I don’t know how I would have kept a private practice going while experiencing all of that. Thankfully after that time we were able to have 3 more successful pregnancies. Experiencing 3 losses as well as 4 postpartum times, I believe it really prepared me for what my business would become.
When I first re-entered this work, I worked as an independent contractor for a chiropractor and another massage therapy practice. Quickly, my clientele grew and it was time to open my next private practice. This private practice grew and then became The Body, Birth and Baby Center.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In 2022, I opened The Body, Birth and Baby Center. At the Center we offer Massage Therapy, HypnoBirthing Classes, Certified Nurse-Midwifery Care, Lactation Support, Pelvic Floor PT, Wellness Skincare, Functional Medicine, Yoga, Postpartum Workshops, Support Groups and Social events. Typically you have to seek out these types of services individually but now families can find them all in one place, feeling the cohesiveness of care and support. We have about 500 families come through the BBBC each year.
Beyond the excellent care and classes we are also building a community. When you come to the BBBC you will get to meet others going through the same phase of life as you. You will meet in a class and then also see each other in the waiting room at your next appointment. Then you will get to see each other at the next social event. Our mission statement: Bringing high quality care and community together!
In a time when everything is digital or virtual, we need to go back to being in community. It does not benefit us to try to figure this all out on our own at home. We need people in our daily lives to help support us and to lean on. That is what The Body, Birth and Baby Center is all about. My goal is to get people off of their couch, off of their phones and in-person. We know that being in community is key to good health.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bodybirthandbaby.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodybirthandbabyloudoun/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bodybirthandbaby/
