To celebrate Basking Babies’ 10-year anniversary, we caught up with Carla Davison, Owner & Founder of the national franchise business.
Tell us about Basking Babies, how did it begin?
Rewind to 2009. I had a great job in the city and I loved it. The hours were long, the work was exciting, and socialising into the early hours was part of the job – but it was the type of environment where if you left on time, it was career suicide. I knew I wanted children and I knew that I wanted to be around for them. So, I made the move into work that had predictable and shorter hours each day. I felt chuffed that I had found enjoyable work with career progression that I could also fit around family life.
In 2012, my first baby was born. I went back to this ’ideal’ work and it hit me hard. Getting on the train at 7 am and not getting home until 6 pm did not work for me. I couldn’t help but think, even if I could make it work through my baby’s early years by using nurseries that are open long hours, how would it work when he reached school age?
How could having a successful career need to come at such a sacrifice to family life? How could there be so few jobs that made this balance possible? I couldn’t think of a single one that truly gave me the flexibility to be there for my children alongside having a successful and fulfilling career. So, it became my dream to make it a reality. Not only did I want this for myself, I wanted to help others with the same dream to achieve the same. I wanted to create work that makes a difference, work that you truly love but that does not come at a cost to family life.
Basking Babies was born.
Only a few weeks after the birth of my first son, I ran my first baby massage classes from my house in Brentwood. Demand for classes continuously grew and I started running from a venue, expanded into baby yoga, and then took on my first three franchisees in May 2014. In each subsequent year, I have developed the business and taken on more franchisees while also growing my own family at the same time.
What does Basking Babies offer to families?
Basking Babies provides a range of classes to support parents and make a real difference through their early parenting journey, from pregnancy to preschool. Classes include pregnancy relaxation, baby massage, baby yoga, and baby reflexology.
How many franchisees do you have?
We currently have 15 franchisees who love their work and are passionate about what they do. Each franchisee chooses their own hours so that they can truly have a business they love, which allows them to put their family first.
What are your top tips for children’s activity providers?
My biggest piece of advice is, never stop learning!
I have a philosophy of always doing your best at the time, but then continually reflect, evolve, and improve to make sure what you’re offering is the best it can be. That’s exactly how Basking Babies has grown from a class in my living room, reaching a handful of families, to reaching hundreds every week.
