Hi! My name is Amy West and I’m the woman behind a lot of the social media work that goes on around here. Wendy has been a great, long-time client and it’s an absolute blast to work with her.
My job is basically to keep up with what’s happening in social media and to help the Snugabell team connect with all of their great fans and customers online. We post new content every day and love reaching out to you to see what you think about things that hopefully kick off great conversations.
The thing about my job is that you really have to feel good about the companies you work with. I’m a CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) and very proud to be a member of the Best for Babes team – an organization that Snugabell supports generously. Because my life and work are so entwined with breastfeeding and parenting in general, Wendy’s company really speaks to the things I care about.
This is a great gig and I’m very proud of the work I get to do every day. My company, West Freelance Communications, does similar work for a number of other clients, mostly active in the parenting sphere. This allows me to work from my home, which has been fantastic – especially during our first years with Ava, our now three (going on twenty-three) year old daughter.
Anyway, that’s a little bit about me – the one who’s usually behind the curtain. The moms I get to meet through my work with Wendy are amazing – I’m so grateful to be a part of the Snugabell team!
Have you ever wondered what's involved in exhibiting at a wholesale trade show? How about a million square foot show with over 1000 exhibitors and thousands of buyers from retail stores and distribution companies all over the world?
Well, it is a LOT of work. And it is expensive. And it requires loads of planning (many exhibitors book for the following year before they leave the current year's show) - show specials, promotional giveaways, displays, staffing...
Then there is the post-show follow-up which many exhibitors fail at miserably. This year, for once, I had all mine done within a couple of weeks. <---- SO proud of myself.
Before I started Snugabell, I had *no clue* what exhibiting at a trade show of this magnitude would look like.
So after reading this post from Peter Shankman, I was inspired to buy a GoPro HERO camera, strap it to my chest and give you a taste of trade show life. Follow me as I set up my booth for the ABC Kids Expo in Loo-uh-vul, Kentucky while wearing the Snugabell "Boob Cam".
Special thanks to Glen and Natalie Sanders of PeekAway for helping me out! (at 1:05)
Let me know what you think in the comments below...
Hi, my name is Denise Armbruster and I am responsible for the quality control and packaging here at Snugabell. I have been on the Snugabell team by far the longest. In fact, Wendy has been bossing me around since 1970!! Truth be told, I am her younger sister so it kind of goes with the territory (or so she tells me). :-)
Before having children I worked as a bookkeeper. After over 10 years of that, I decided I needed a change and chose to pursue a career in the food industry. I have always loved baking and did it every chance I could growing up. I think I baked my first chocolate cake all by myself at age 7 and it turned out awesome. Instead of doing the “usual” teenager type stuff on weekends, I would tackle big projects like puff pastry, donuts or endless amount of sugar cookies intricately decorated for upcoming holidays. In the early 90’s I enrolled in both the Culinary and Pastry & Desserts Program at Dubrulle French Culinary School here in Vancouver. I loved it and excelled in both programs. Upon graduation, I was hand-picked by the school for a three-month apprenticeship at a chateau in Normandy, France. I have to admit, those three months are a definite highlight in my life. Have you ever eaten unpasteurized French cheese? OMG so good!!! We totally kill cheese here in North America, sorry! I still do custom cakes for friends and acquaintances out of my own kitchen. I love doing wedding cakes!
I met my husband Mike shortly after I returned from France. I had my first baby, Olivia, in 2003, and had absolutely no intentions of not being her mom on a full time basis, so I quit my job to stay at home. Sure money has been tight - I have to go without some things - but it is worth it. By the time Dixie arrived in 2008, Wendy had already invented the PumpEase. By that time I was also providing full-time daycare for Wendy's two girls, therefore I was concerned about how I was going to fit it all in! So I promptly went out and bought a breast pump. I was also diagnosed with a low milk supply, something that wasn't an issue with Olivia, and was prescribed Domperidone. Dixie has always been an “easy” baby. She has slept through the night since she was one month old. (Yes I’m bragging!!!) I attribute my success to my PumpEase and breast pump. I would pump once a day around 11pm and then would use that milk to “top her up with a bottle” after nursing her before bed every night. Worked like a charm for me anyways.
I have been doing the quality control and packaging for Wendy since the birth of Snugabell almost four years ago. It is really great because I can do it in my spare time. I am pretty sure I have the most flexible job on the planet! Dixie even likes to “help” me sometimes by passing me the boxes one at a time as I fill them up. She also enjoys modeling the PumpEase pretending they are Brownie sashes! Check her out rockin' the Verry Cherry!
Hello! My name is Karen Hurrell. I have recently joined Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear to manage their International Business Development. I am very pleased to be a part of the team! I owe my introduction into the world of breastfeeding to my dear, life-long friend Lara Audelo of MamaPear Designs. It was at the MamaPear ILCA Conference booth in San Diego this summer that I met Wendy Armbruster Bell.
In my early career I worked in the student loan industry in Florida. It was a great way to work personally with colleges, universities and students. I spent my last few years in Florida managing the Federal Loan Program for students studying abroad. That position gave me the opportunity to work with universities around the world. I am drawing on that experience to help build international business for Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear.
I am also a musician - I am a vocalist, pianist and I play a little guitar. I enjoy singing with the local symphony chorus and most of all teaching my private piano students. It is such a blessing to watch them discover their own love of music.
In my free time I am an avid reader and I love to knit. I also have a passion for travel. My favorite destinations have been Alaska, France, Prince Edward Island and Australia. I currently live near Chicago and love it! To me, there's no place like the American midwest. My next goal is to start my Master's degree in English this January at Purdue University.
I am very excited about my future at Snugabell. Look out world, here we come!
Hi! I’m Melany and I am the newest addition to the Snugabell team. I am in charge of shipping. I started working with Wendy and Robyn at the beginning of June. Truth be told, Robyn the “Office Diva” is my wonderful mother who has introduced me to Wendy and the world of breastfeeding! While I may not live up to my mother's title of "diva", I am learning as I get older, that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Here’s a little background information on myself…
I am 22 year old student currently attending Kwantlen Polytechnic University for a Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology. While breastfeeding does not have anything to do with what I am studying, I am surprised at how fascinating it is and how much I didn’t know about it! I have learnt so much this summer (and I thought I would have a mental break before I go back to school) and look forward to learning so much more. Of course time flew by this summer and now with school starting in a week, my plan is to continue to work a couple days a week here at Snugabell.
When not working at Snugabell, I work as a server at an Italian restaurant - Coza! Tuscan Grill. I have worked there for just about four years. I love Coza not only for the great food and amazing wine, but I also get to work with great friends. When I told them about my new job, I was so surprised at how uninformed they were about breastfeeding and pumping. They had never really heard or seen much about it and thought of it as almost taboo (how unfortunate!). I will no doubt be enlightening them and perhaps even sharing PumpEase with some of my pregnant customers.
Also in my years at Coza, I have met the amazing man in my life, Garrett. We have been together for just over two years now and it has been nothing short of wonderful. This summer we were able to go on an incredible trip to New York City and Toronto together. While in New York City we were able to see some amazing sites like the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building and more! But my favourite moments were seeing the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" and a Mets vs Yankees game (the Mets won!). We feel like there was not enough time to see everything and we want to go back.
Traveling is one of my biggest passions. I love experiencing different cultures and meeting new people. I have been so fortunate to have seen as much as I have and I am realizing that there is so much more to see! If I could go back to Italy, Spain, or Portugal and maybe even live there one day, I would die happy.
However, now that my travelling bug is out of me for the summer, it is time to buckle down and focus on school for the next few years. My plan is to be able to fit traveling in between finishing my degree and starting my own family! I now know that when I come to that point in my life I will be well equipped with knowledge about breastfeeding and being a working mom, as I work with two amazing ones!
Hi! My name is Amy West and I’m the woman behind a lot of the social media work that goes on around here. Wendy has been a great, long-time client and it’s an absolute blast to work with her.
In my early career I worked in the student loan industry in Florida. It was a great way to work personally with colleges, universities and students. I spent my last few years in Florida managing the Federal Loan Program for students studying abroad. That position gave me the opportunity to work with universities around the world. I am drawing on that experience to help build international business for Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear.
Hi! I’m Melany and I am the newest addition to the Snugabell team. I am in charge of shipping. I started working with Wendy and Robyn at the beginning of June. Truth be told, Robyn the “Office Diva” is my wonderful mother who has introduced me to Wendy and the world of breastfeeding! While I may not live up to my mother's title of "diva", I am learning as I get older, that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Here’s a little background information on myself…
Also in my years at Coza, I have met the amazing man in my life, Garrett. We have been together for just over two years now and it has been nothing short of wonderful. This summer we were able to go on an incredible trip to New York City and Toronto together. While in New York City we were able to see some amazing sites like the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building and more! But my favourite moments were seeing the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" and a Mets vs Yankees game (the Mets won!). We feel like there was not enough time to see everything and we want to go back.
