Shan Roth is a local pediatric sleep expert and founder of Jammy Time Sleep Solutions.
Shan Roth
What is Jammy Time Sleep Solutions?
Roth: Jammy Time Sleep Solutions is a paediatric sleep consultancy – basically, I help parents teach their children how to sleep through the night and take long naps during the day.
Many parents think that having a baby means months or even years of sleepless nights. It doesn’t have to be that way and parents and their children don’t have to be sleep-deprived. It’s not a badge of honour they must wear.
The trick is teaching your child to fall asleep independently without sleep props and constant soothing.
A good sleep and restful naps make children happier and healthier and that makes for happy and healthy parents. I help parents feel confident and on top of their game.
Why and how was the company started?
Roth: As new parents, my husband and I didn’t know much about infant sleep. By the time our first daughter turned six weeks, we knew we had to do something. So I read some books, did some research and started to teach her to fall asleep on her own. I was so amazed that after doing this, she started to sleep for six to eight hours straight during the night.
I was very passionate about teaching my children to sleep well from a young age. When I had my second and third child, I just started off on the right foot right from the beginning. I knew sleep was very important for my overall health and well-being and that of my kids.
I studied with internationally-recognized trainer Dana Obleman of Sleep Sense. It only took a quick discussion with my husband before I jumped on board. I was one of the first sleep consultants in Calgary and definitely found a niche here. I received a lot of great referrals and positive feedback. Moms talk to other moms and soon I found the company growing.
This program is needed by so many parents because, even though we might know what we need to do, we can’t always do it on our own. Parents sometimes need a coach in their corner, guiding and cheering them on.
By the time they come to me, they’re so sleep deprived and exhausted, they just really need help. I love being the one to help and show them they can be their child’s most important teacher!
What is the Jammy Time mentorship program?
Roth: The mentorship program is a training program for new consultants. Women who complete the Jammy Time program with their own child are so impressed with the results and the peace of mind it brings, they want to offer that service to people they know.
Some moms are looking for an exit strategy from their full-time jobs and this gives them a chance to earn a great income while staying home with their children. My estimate is that a sleep consultant can make $50,000 a year based on 15 hours of coaching with clients a week.
My program is a four-day intensive where we do a deep dive into the biology of sleep, safe sleep practices (I follow the Canadian Paediatric Society guidelines), how to work with clients and how to run a business. I mentor them for one full year, meaning they can call me and ask me questions about difficult cases or business advice. Many of my consultants really value that one year of support and I’m proud that I can offer that. I love helping other women achieve business success.
What has been the biggest challenge for you being an entrepreneur?
Roth: Running the business. I’m a teacher by training. I received my BEd from the University of Alberta and, honestly, never dreamed I’d own my own company. I had a lot to learn about the day-to-day of operating a business, accounting, marketing and business development.
Over the last seven years, I’ve built this business from the ground up. I’ve made mistakes and learned the hard way, as all entrepreneurs do. I can now share all of that experience with future consultants so they don’t make the same mistakes I did and can go on to run a very successful service that is so needed and valued by new parents.
What are your plans for the business in the future?
Roth: I’ve taken all of my services online and that means I can reach more people – across Canada and even in the United States. I used to spend a lot of time driving to people’s homes and holding mentorship training events in Calgary. Now, with the use of online tools such as video calls and webinars, I can be more efficient and deliver the same quality of instruction to new parents and my new consultants.
I have trained consultants from Newfoundland to British Columbia and even down in Texas. So I think the potential for my business to keep growing is endless. After all, as long as we keep bringing precious little human beings into the world, there will always be a need for sleep consultants.
– Mario Toneguzzi for Calgary’s Business
The views, opinions and positions expressed by columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of our publication.
