Happy Mother’s Day to anyone who is, has, or knows a mother!
Having founded RAMONA on maternity leave after the birth of my first son, motherhood and RAMONA are inextricably linked. I am reminded, as I type this, of a friend I met for spritzes last week—she is the mother of three-year-old twin girls and confided that RAMONA makes her a better parent, especially at bedtime. I have to agree! A spritz is a good way to gently take the edge off after a long day.
Motherhood is layered and complicated. At the time I founded this company, I noticed a clear void for something low in alcohol, delicious and organic that did not require me to trade down in casual moments. But if I am being honest, forming a business was also the clear path to actually ensuring some semblance of control over my life which, prior to my first son’s birth, was dictated by the whims of whatever new restaurant we were opening at the time. I had closely observed the path of pregnant women in the restaurant industry, and I knew that if I wanted some control over my son’s early upbringing I needed to chart a different path.
While my pregnancy with our first son was a surprise, my pregnancy with our second, now 18-months-old, was premeditated and much more challenging. Our journey turned a corner after a friend introduced me to a place that focuses holistically on women's health by way of small lifestyle and dietary shifts in combination with Chinese herbs and acupuncture. I made small adjustments to my life, tossing out the majority of my cosmetics bag in favor of clean beauty products and growing obsessive about where my food—and beverages—came from. That journey left me more aware than ever before how business decisions make a profound impact on our bodies and ultimately the world. (As I’ve mentioned before, one of the reasons we source all of our produce in Italy is that, in addition to the 4,000 year history of organic farming, Italy banned the chemical ‘glyphosate’ - aka - Round-Up, a known carcinogen, and neurotoxin, back in 2016.)
As a mother and a business owner, I do not take my responsibilities lightly! Nor do I underestimate the importance of a drink heading into the nightly marathon that is the bedtime routine.
Cheers to that!
XO | |
