September 2024 Startup Grant Awarded to Serene Moms

We’re excited to announce the $10,000 Startup Grant recipient for September 2024. Congratulations to Gabrielle Bosnic, founder of Serene Moms.

Recently, WomensNet Advisory Board member Marcia Layton Turner sat down with Gabrielle for an exclusive interview. You can listen to their conversation and view the transcript below.

Video Transcript

WomensNet: Hi everyone, and welcome to a chat with our September, 2024 grant winners for Women’s Net. Today we’re going to be speaking with Tammie Mattos of NatriPath, who’s our Business Category grant winner, Gabrielle Bosnic of Serene Moms, who’s our StartUp grant winner, and Carol Fitzgerald of Hazy Fudge, who’s our Amber Grant winner. You may have heard if you’ve seen any of the past videos that at the beginning of 2024, Women’sNet decided to increase the number of monthly $10,000 grants that we give from one grant to three. So the startup grant, which is new this year, is for entrepreneurs in the idea phase of developing their business or who have started the business but haven’t yet made $10,000 in sales. So really early stage. The Business specific monthly grant is for a company that operates in that month’s category for September. That was Education & Childcare, but it changes every month. And then our Amber Grant is open to all women business owners in the US and Canada. I’m Marsha Layton Turner. I’m one of several WomensNet advisory board members, and I have the great pleasure to learn from all of our winners each month. So, we have just a few questions to learn a little bit about your companies. I know our members are always curious about who are the winners, what do they do, who are they. Gabrielle, how about you tell everybody a little bit about Serene Moms.

Gabrielle: Serene Moms is an online wellness studio and community space designed specifically for moms of infants and young toddlers. I started Serene Moms after becoming a mom myself and struggling during the postpartum phase. I found it difficult to make friends and deal with all the emotions that came with motherhood, so I wanted to make sure I created a supportive space where women can access mindfulness resources and different health resources while also making friends with other moms.

WomensNet: Were there any resources that you found were especially helpful as you were getting started or growing? Was there one that you might recommend to other women business owners who are kind of where you are? 

Gabrielle: So one resource I found very helpful was a book I had read. It’s called Launch by Jeff Walker. And it walks you through the beginning stages of marketing a product online. I didn’t have much experience with marketing products online prior, but I was in recruiting, which is very similar to sales. I did recruiting for about two years in a corporate setting. So I was able to take strategies that I learned from my corporate job alongside the technical pieces from the book and really build up an online brand. And I would definitely suggest that book and his resources to anyone that’s starting, even in the very beginner stages advertising online.

WomensNet: I have that book. It is a good book. I agree with you. It’s so good. So I suspect that marketing has played a big role in getting you to where you are now. So were there any specific marketing strategies that you use that you found really useful? Or are there any that you’re testing out now that you’re having some success with and that you might recommend to other women business owners? 

Gabrielle: I would say kind really understanding how sales funnels function in social media specifically based on each app, because every app is so different. So I think every app will have a slightly unique sales funnel and you really have to work that for your specific niche market. One thing that’s really helped me within the funnel is having very high quality lead magnet. You know, having the free class, something I can give for free that will persuade people to build that relationship with me initially, get on my email list, try a class, try a meditation, and then walk them through the funnel. I think first understanding the funnel and second, really having that top tier top quality lead magnet. The best thing you can offer is the best way to bring customers. It sounds counterintuitive to give something for free, but I think it really does work.

WomensNet: Absolutely, totally agree. Yeah. Because it’s a way to demonstrate how much you know…then people think, wow, if, if she’s giving this for free, imagine what I would get if I actually paid for it!

Gabrielle: Yes, exactly. It fills the credibility and social proof for sure.

WomensNet: Well, this has been fascinating. We have a great Facebook group, an email list of women business owners who really like supporting other women business owners. How can we support you? What’s, what’s one thing that maybe our members can do to support you? 

Gabrielle: Follow my Instagram page. It’s @serenemoms, S-E-R-E-N-E-M-O-M-S. Check out my content, see what resonates with you. If it doesn’t resonate with you, share it with other moms within the community. Definitely follow my page.

WomensNet: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story with the Women’s Net Community. And congratulations again in being our September grant winner.