For Serenity Carr, the journey to creating Serenity Kids Baby Food began with a simple desire: to provide her newborn daughter with the most balanced and nutritious food possible. Dissatisfied with conventional baby food options, Serenity took a proactive approach, venturing into her kitchen to craft her own recipes. This personal endeavor soon blossomed into a mission to transform the baby food industry.
Today, alongside her husband and co-founder, Joe, and their daughter Della, who serves as the ultimate taste tester, Serenity is at the forefront of a baby food revolution. Serenity Kids baby food stands out by prioritizing real vegetables, healthy fats, and high-quality meats. Each pouch is carefully formulated to support children’s healthy development, happiness, and strength, ensuring they get the best start in life.
Recently, we had the opportunity to connect with Serenity and delve deeper into the story behind Serenity Kids, exploring her motivations and the valuable lessons she has learned as a food entrepreneur.
The Genesis of Serenity Kids: A Personal Health Journey
Serenity’s path to creating Serenity Kids was deeply influenced by her own childhood health experiences. She recounts, “My story, like most stories out there, begins with my mom.” During pregnancy, with the best intentions, Serenity’s mother adopted a vegetarian diet, believing it to be the healthiest choice. However, this diet inadvertently lacked crucial nutrients for fetal development and still included high amounts of sugar, wheat, and dairy. Serenity faced immediate health challenges, starting with an ear infection at just two weeks old. Growing up, a diet rich in sugary, processed foods further contributed to chronic infections, repeated antibiotic use, and severe heartburn.
Despite these early health struggles, Serenity’s career initially took a different direction. She spent twelve years in the corporate world and pursued a master’s degree in higher education. It was during graduate school, while battling another ear infection and subsequent gut-disrupting antibiotics, that she reached a turning point.
“I was exhausted and in constant pain,” Serenity explains. The conventional medical solution offered was a lifetime prescription medication, an idea she vehemently rejected. Seeking alternative solutions, she followed her father’s recommendation and read “Primal Blueprint” by Mark Sisson. Embracing Paleo diet principles, Serenity experienced a transformative healing journey, resolving many of her health issues simply by changing her diet. This profound personal transformation led her to leave the tech industry and become a health coach, aiming to empower others through food – and it was through this path that she met her now-husband, Joe Carr.
As Serenity and Joe considered starting a family, they began researching baby food options that aligned with their own nutritional standards – prioritizing nutrient density and minimizing processed ingredients and fillers. Their findings were alarming. “What we found was astonishing. And, frankly, it made me really angry!” Serenity admits. The majority of baby and toddler foods available were laden with sugar and offered minimal nutritional value.
Driven by her personal history of diet-related illnesses, Serenity was determined to create a superior option for babies, preventing them from repeating her experiences. Together, she and Joe embarked on a mission to develop a different kind of baby food, both for their own family and for other parents seeking nutrient-rich choices. Serenity Kids was launched on August 5, 2018, a significant date as it also marked the birth of their daughter, Della.
“Joe and I are dedicated to making the world healthier, one baby at a time,” Serenity states, “and my mission is to truly transform the baby food industry by developing innovative, nutrient-dense products like Serenity Kids baby food.”
Overcoming Entrepreneurial Hurdles in the Baby Food Industry
Starting Serenity Kids baby food was not without its challenges. Serenity candidly shares, “Honestly, when Joe and I first started the company, we were so excited! It was a new venture for us!” Joe’s innovative spirit and abundance of ideas were balanced by Serenity’s operational background and cautious nature, creating a dynamic partnership, though not without initial hiccups.
Confident in their manufacturing tests, Joe and Serenity decided to launch pre-orders before finalizing the product. However, unexpected equipment issues caused significant delays, and the products were not ready until over a year after pre-orders began. “By the time we finally had the products ready, many of the babies on our pre-order list had already aged out!” Serenity laughs, recalling the stress of managing refunds, incorrect email addresses, and numerous customer inquiries.
Adding to the complexity, Serenity was navigating motherhood for the first time while launching the business. “I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone!” she jokes. Balancing meetings, team management, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and the constant worries of a new mother proved incredibly demanding. “Is she eating enough? Is she sleeping okay? Is that gross stuff normal?!” Despite these overwhelming challenges, Serenity and Joe persevered, finding a way to make it all work and bring Serenity Kids baby food to market.
Entrepreneurial Wisdom: Lessons from Serenity Kids
Drawing from her experiences, Serenity offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those in the food and beverage industry.
Prioritize Early Talent Acquisition: “Hire good talent as soon as possible.” In the early days of Serenity Kids, Serenity juggled multiple roles. Recognizing the need for specialized expertise, she heeded the advice of mentors to relinquish some control and bring in experts in various fields to manage growing responsibilities. This strategic move was crucial for scaling the business effectively.
Self-Care is Non-Negotiable: “Take care of yourself first.” Launching Serenity Kids baby food on the same day Della was born underscored the importance of self-care. The initial period of balancing motherhood and business was incredibly taxing, with sleepless nights impacting her ability to manage the company. However, by setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion, and acknowledging her limitations, Serenity was able to creatively structure her work schedule and sustain the company’s momentum.
Cultivate a Positive Company Culture: “Create a company culture that you want to work in and contribute to individual success.” As a first-time company founder and manager, building a strong company culture and team was a novel concept for Serenity. She emphasizes the importance of founders creating a work environment they themselves would value. Serenity Kids embodies this philosophy by offering team flexibility, company-wide shutdowns during holidays, a relaxed dress code, and generous parental leave policies. The aim is to foster a comfortable and authentic environment where team members feel valued and empowered to succeed.
The Future of Serenity Kids: Expanding Nutrient-Dense Options
Looking ahead, Serenity Kids has ambitious plans for future growth and innovation. “We have many fun and innovative products in our pipeline!” Serenity excitedly shares. The company is developing new product formats to cater to a broader age range, extending beyond traditional baby food stages.
Furthermore, Serenity Kids aims to challenge industry giants by demonstrating that food companies can prioritize nutrition and taste while also upholding ethical employee treatment and environmental responsibility. Serenity’s vision extends to advocating for policy changes to ensure that all women, infants, and children have access to nutrient-dense food options, furthering their mission to revolutionize baby nutrition and create a healthier future generation.
Balancing Work and Life: A Core Value at Serenity Kids
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is not just a personal priority for Serenity and Joe but also a fundamental aspect of Serenity Kids’ company culture. “Joe and I have created a culture of work-life balance within our company — one that benefits our employees as well as our own family!”
They actively promote boundaries by aiming to stop working by 5 pm and minimizing weekend work, except for emergencies. This expectation extends to their leadership team, fostering a company-wide respect for personal time. Serenity Kids encourages employees to utilize their unlimited PTO and truly disconnect during time off, leading by example and valuing employee well-being.
For personal work-life balance, Serenity emphasizes accountability. “As a mom, it’s hard to make time for yourself so I recommend building accountability into the process.” She advises scheduling activities that bring joy and enlisting accountability partners, whether it’s dining with friends, attending events, or exercising with a trainer. Committing to these activities and finding ways to avoid cancellation is key to self-care amidst a busy entrepreneurial life.
Reflecting on the challenging journey, Serenity admits, “At one point, I thought about quitting — especially on those days when I needed a nap but also had a bunch of meetings.” However, the overwhelmingly positive customer feedback and reviews serve as a constant source of inspiration, fueling her determination to continue pushing forward and expanding the reach of Serenity Kids baby food, ensuring more babies have access to truly nutritious and delicious meals.
