What’s the difference between being a journalist and an entrepreneur? Not a whole lot. As Clare Schexnyder explains, her tenacity and aggressive research were just the tools she needed as co-creator and owner of Oh Baby! Fitness, an exercise program for pregnant and new moms.

In her last job before taking the title Mom, Clare was a producer for CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. One of her assignments was to do a story on newborns, and one of her stories focused on losing weight after pregnancy.

“All the experts told me the best way to lose weight was to work out with your baby. I looked all over Atlanta, but there really wasn’t a program that offered a variety of exercise programs to showcase Mom and Baby fitness. After traveling to major cities to profile different fitness programs, I seriously considered starting a business in Atlanta.”

In September 2005, Clare launched Oh Baby! Fitness in Atlanta, the community where she lives. Now almost six years old, her program is growing into the next phase: expansion to other cities. Growing up … just what happens to all babies, no?

Please welcome Clare Schexnyder to the Spotlight stage …

MCA: Oh, baby, you know what mom’s like. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. (*ahem*) Welcome to the spotlight Clare! Can you please tell us about what motivated you to create your Oh,Baby! Fitness program?
Clare: Thanks for the warm welcome! I do hear “oh baby” a lot … but I like it. I suffered postpartum depression after the birth of my daughter. I wanted nothing to do with her, but being a control freak, I didn’t want anyone else to touch her either. I went to a new parents’ support group and met some moms and dads there. They asked me to go walking every day. Those friendships I made and the daily exercise (and a little Zoloft) saved my life and I was able to work through my depression.

My struggle helped convince me there was a real need in my community for a pre/postnatal fitness program where mothers can exercise with their babies in a safe, supportive and comfortable environment. The idea for Oh Baby! Fitness was born.

MCA: Now that you have an award-winning product, what are your goals for the next year?
Clare: We plan to expand Oh Baby! Fitness to the west coast (San Francisco) next year. We’ll expand to Charlotte, NC, this year.

MCA: Please name three ways your Mom’s Choice Award® will help you attain your goals.

Clare: Having an award that affirms Oh Baby! Fitness offers a superior experience for new and expectant moms is hugely important. It shows Moms we have a proven track record. We partner with hospitals, fitness centers, churches, universities, and public recreation departments. So, having the Mom’s Choice Award® allows those those facilities to rest easy that they’re making a good choice by allowing Oh Baby! Fitness to offer classes at their site. Last but not least, winning the Mom’s Choice Award® will help in our public relations campaign, lending esteem to the company. It will also help establish Oh Baby! Fitness as a leader in the pre/postnatal fitness industry.
MCA: Can you share with us what you learned about yourself as an artist/writer/entrepreneur in creating your award-winning product?
Clare: I was a news producer at CNN for 17 years prior to starting Oh Baby! Fitness. I never knew I had the ability to start a small business or come up with a revolutionary business idea. I think my years at CNN helped me to be tenacious and never give up (I’d keep making phone calls to get the story.. or do one more interview until I understood clearly the story I was trying to tell).

That tenacity has served me so well in starting my own business. I’ve really discovered my own self-confidence. In my last job, I was always chasing the latest news story, with little time to reflect on what I’d learned; and I rarely had an opportunity to see the fruits of my labor. With Oh Baby! Fitness, I get to see and talk to clients every day. I know we’re helping women get in the best shape of their lives during and after pregnancy. They’re making friends and they’re bonding with their babies.

I’ve personally helped women who suffer from postpartum depression (like I did) and had miscarriages (like I did). Our classes form communities where women make friends and gain confidence about becoming mothers. It’s a beautiful thing to witness, and I realize I helped make that happen. I didn’t know I had it in me!

MCA: Since launching your , what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Clare: My favorite story is about how pregnancy levels the playing field for all women. We all experience pregnancy in much the same way. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, or even what race you are. We all may get morning sickness or swelling; have cravings or extreme turn-offs to foods or smells; we all have fears and excitement; and yes, we all get upset with our moms or in-laws!

The story I tell the most is about a Friday night water aerobics class we offered at a local hospital wellness center. I never thought a Friday night class would work, but women loved getting in the pool at the end of the work week. Our classes have women participating from all walks of life. One woman in this class was a CDC doctor and another was a single mom and a stripper. The two became good friends and had their babies close to the same time. One night, the two women came back to class.. they sat on the side of the pool with their babies and answered all the questions the pregnant moms had. Then they went to the single mom’s house for a sleepover. If I do nothing else in my life, I’ve helped those two women become friends.. and I know they’re still friends today.

MCA: As a new honoree, do you have any questions you’d like some of the “old hands” to answer for you?
Clare: What is the one thing that’s helped you be successful?

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

Oh Baby! Fitness
pregnancy and Mom & Baby Classes
Atlanta, GA
Gold – Experiences (Miscellaneous)

Contact, Connect and Network with Clare Schexnyder

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