Radio Front Desk

Building a wellness business after loss: Angel’s story of miscarriage, motherhood, and mental health

• Jane.app • Episode 13

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In this episode, we’re chatting with Angel Leung — a registered nurse whose deeply personal story inspired the creation of Baby Bean Consulting.

After navigating her own experiences with pregnancy loss, Angel focused on building a business that provides compassionate support to women going through similar journeys. Here, we explore Angel’s story, and the innovative ways she’s helping women and workplaces address miscarriage and birth trauma.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and related emotional experiences. Listener discretion is advised.

What You’ll Learn

  • How Angel’s personal journey inspired innovative healthcare solutions
  • Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship
  • Strategies for workplaces to improve support for pregnancy loss and birth trauma
  • The role of advocacy in improving women’s health and systemic change


Guest Bio
Angel Leung is a Registered Nurse and the founder of Baby Bean Consulting, a business dedicated to supporting women through miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, and birth trauma. Combining her clinical expertise with personal experience, Angel advocates for better healthcare practices, expert education, and systemic change to ensure women receive the compassionate care they deserve.

Resources mentioned


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Speaker 1:

I remember he just looked at me and he just said Angel, I watched you fight so hard for us when we went through our losses. I watched you know how to navigate it. Do it and do it, again and again. And now I'm watching you do it for our friends and for our family. What about everybody else?

Speaker 2:

Welcome back to Radio Front Desk by JNAP. I'm your host, denzel Ford. Today, we're joined by Angel Leung, a registered nurse who transformed her personal experience with pregnancy loss into a mission to help others. Angel founded Baby Bean Consulting to address critical gaps in healthcare and provide much-needed support for women navigating miscarriage, pregnancy after loss and birth trauma. In this episode, she opens up about turning pain into purpose, launching a business as a new mom and giving companies the resources they need to support women through loss. It's a powerful, honest and inspiring conversation, but it may contain content that is sensitive for some listeners. Take a moment to decide what feels best for you and let's get into it, angel. Welcome to Radio Front Desk.

Speaker 1:

How are you doing today. I'm good. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to start by referencing an interview that you did with Front Desk Magazine. So in that interview you talked about a very personal story of yours about a miscarriage and how that experience really helped you see a need in healthcare and create a business idea. I just want to read something from that article. So you said you're reflecting on a moment in your life that impacted how you came to think of your business and you said I remember clearly thinking when I was at that point. Is there someone I can talk to, where they could just hold my hand and help me feel less alone? So I wonder if you could take us in to that journey with you and like how did you use that experience to create the idea for your business?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, my husband and I, when we were trying to grow our family, we went through multiple pregnancy losses. And the truth is that miscarriages are common and it happens. It can happen to anybody. And so I felt like, as a, I wasn't truly prepared for the heartache. And professionally I'm a registered nurse and so I know the health care really well. But even then it was really hard to navigate the health care landscape, to figure out how to get connected to the right resources, figure out how to advocate for myself and, honestly, to simply just figure out my next steps. And I think, reflecting on that aspect of my journey, that was a pivotal point of me realizing that we do have a gap in our healthcare and I am uniquely positioned in a space where I have the knowledge and the skill set to help women through the healthcare system. But then I also have the lived experience, the experience where I can be compassionate and I can recognize what they're going through.

Speaker 2:

It's such a courageous thing to even just notice that, but how do you go from noticing that need to actually coming up with a business idea and then taking action on that?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's a great question. It didn't happen overnight and, to be honest, the push came from my husband and it came from one of our conversations where this friend was also going through a loss. And I remember having a chat with my husband and I was going off of my nursing brain being like, oh my goodness, she needs to be doing this, she needs to be asking for this, and like this is her next follow-up appointment and this is what she should be doing. And I remember kind of like running the plan through with my husband and I remember he just looked at me and he just said, angel, I watched you fight so hard for us when we went through our losses. I watched you know how to navigate it, do it and do it again and again. And now I'm watching you do it for our friends and for our family. What about everybody else?

Speaker 2:

What would you say? Your first actual action item was to making it a business.

Speaker 1:

I remember in my mind thinking what would I even call this business? And asking my husband, and he was like I think we already have the answer, angel. And he brought out the little portrait, the painting portrait of Baby Bean, which was a painting that a dear friend of ours had painted for me when I went through my very first miscarriage. We had referred to our little baby as our little baby Bean, and when we miscarried that pregnancy, my dear friend had searched up ways to honor a pregnancy and she painted us this beautiful little portrait and we had nicknamed that portrait Baby Bean. And so my husband was like I think this is the center of it all.

Speaker 2:

I love that and if any listeners want to see that portrait, there's a picture of it in Front Death magazine. It's very adorable. Thank, you. So once you start having those initial ideas, I imagine there would be some doubt in there. What was that experience like for you?

Speaker 1:

I think I was just honestly so naive experience like for you. I think I was just honestly so naive. I was in a state of my life and my business as an entrepreneur and as a mom where I just I looked at it and it was so black and white to me there was a need and here is a solution. And I think that it was because in my mind I was like, well, I'm a nurse, I'm clinical, I know my stuff and I'm good at it. I know how to help women when it comes to a pregnancy loss.

Speaker 1:

But I didn't actually give it too much thought when it comes to the business aspect and to kind of like add a bit more depth of like how I went into it, I actually started baby bean consulting at the very tail end of my maternity leave with my youngest, and so I was at a crossroad of my career and my life where I had to make the decision do I go back to my job or do I quit and go full on, go straight into this venture, this entrepreneurship of running my own business?

Speaker 1:

And I don't think I thought too much about it. I just, in my mind, I had a goal, I had a passion and I knew I had the skill set to do it well and so I was like, let's do this. And we were in hindsight I don't think we were super prepared Like I didn't even have child care lined up when we first launched. Like I was momming and I was businessing, I was doing everything all together and my husband was stepping in to help out whenever he could with his full-time job. So it was intense, but it also was I think it was the biggest learning curve in my career and it was really worth it.

Speaker 2:

It's almost like you kind of have to go into it like that. You kind of have to go in headstrong and you know, push, because you're doing something. That's. It's a really big deal to start a business and to create, like create something out of an idea and then take it forward. So take us into what you created, take us inside Baby Bean.

Speaker 1:

So Baby Bean. What we specialize in doing is we come alongside of women to offer nursing support when they're going through a miscarriage, a pregnancy after loss or experiencing a birth trauma. So, in essence, what we do is we utilize our nursing skills and our very intimate knowledge about the healthcare system here and we offer compassion, but, most importantly, we offer resources to get them connected to their next steps. And so, for instance, if someone is in the depth of a miscarriage they're experiencing it right now we meet them where they're at and we help them understand what's happening to their body and what are their options?

Speaker 1:

The reality is that our health care system is stretched very thin and so oftentimes women don't have the ability to talk to a family doctor. They might not have a family doctor. Women don't have the ability to talk to a family doctor they might not have a family doctor. So we come in to help them articulate their needs, because the truth is that sometimes, when you see a doctor, you may only have 30 seconds to talk about your medical problem, your concern, and then you have to move on right.

Speaker 2:

I think the most I've ever gotten is like 15 minutes.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly. And so how do you come in when you're in the depth of your grief, when you are losing your baby and you have to figure out how to articulate your needs and say, ok, well, I also am asking for this blood work and this diagnostic testing, and I think I need mental health support, and when can I try again? You have all these different things floating around in your mind. How do you articulate it and advocate for yourself? So we come in and we have these chats with you ahead of your medical appointments. So you know, so you are prepared, you're informed and empowered to actually ask for what you need.

Speaker 1:

The stats are one in four pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and so oftentimes it's deemed as oh, it's common, it's okay and it's not your fault, and so, therefore, women are often made to feel that, well, my doctor said it was common, it wasn't my fault, so I guess I should be okay, I guess I should carry on, I guess I have to move on. And so we come in and we want to validate your emotions. We want to make sure that what you're going through is hard and it's unique to you. Yes, you may know a friend, a co-worker, a mom, a sister or another family member who also went through a miscarriage. But everyone's miscarriage is different. Everyone's experience and their healing and their whole process is different. So let's make sure that we honor your journey and get you the support that you need.

Speaker 2:

Can you talk to us about the transition from like being a nurse in a hospital to well, the kind of care you're offering now, but also just being your own boss and owning a business? That's a big transition.

Speaker 1:

When you are working as a nurse, typically you face your patients, right, you are, you're interacting with them, but there is a lot of tasks that you have to do and when they're acutely ill in the hospital, your main goal is make sure that they are alive and that you can get them to wherever else they need to go. So they've come to your unit. So you work on a cardiac unit. They came in for a cardiac issue, so you stabilize them, you care for them and then you have to discharge them because they're not going to stay in the hospital forever. So you work on the next steps and you get them out the door and you hand them to the next person.

Speaker 1:

When you work in the acute setting, it's very fast paced and you think on your feet all the time and you don't necessarily have the time to sit down and say I'm so sorry that not only did you have a heart attack, but you also lost your cat and your brother moved out of town.

Speaker 1:

Like you don't have time to acknowledge these big life transitions for your patients, the most you might be able to do is like sit there with them, chat with them for a bit, ask them how they're doing, make sure that they're emotionally stable, but you also have six other patients you have to take care of, right. But when you are your own boss and you run your own business, you have a little bit more freedom of how you want to structure your time. And I think there's that pivot of like. I don't view the women that I work with as my patient because they are a client. Now, right, they're coming to me because they have a need and so we work together and our interaction now have transitioned to I'm not just helping you with your medical conditions and your concerns, but there's also that client aspect of like how can I make sure that this is what you need? And ultimately, from the business aspect, this is what you're paying for.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's such an inspiring, mission-driven business.

Speaker 3:

Hey there, christina, here Just a quick moment to share that this episode is brought to you by Jane. We know how much heart you put into building a practice you're proud of, and that's why we're here to make things like scheduling, charting and payments run a little smoother. If you'd like to take a peek head to janeapp forward, slash pricing, because we love a good bonus. Don't forget to use the code radiofrontdesk for a one-month grace period. Okay, I'll keep it short and sweet. Back to the episode.

Speaker 2:

So how do people find you? You have such a unique business model.

Speaker 1:

So the majority of our clients currently do come through word of mouth, which is huge. But we also have had to learn in our young business journey that sometimes we have to reassess Initially. When we first started, I was very focused on networking within the healthcare realm because, as a nurse, that's my bread and butter, that's where I'm comfortable.

Speaker 2:

So were you looking to get referrals from other professionals, kind of as what you were doing?

Speaker 1:

Exactly. Yeah, we were making connections with other healthcare providers, practitioners, thinking that it makes sense for referrals to come from them. But then we came to the realization that the truth is that miscarriages don't discriminate. It can happen to anyone at any point in their fertility, motherhood journey. And so we have had to pivot and realize that we also have to connect with the corporate world.

Speaker 1:

We also have to connect with other businesses, not just the ones in healthcare, but just any good old business out there, because they have employees, they have female working professionals who may be going through a miscarriage, who needs the support, and so what's a better way to reach them if not through their company, through their HR, through their support, right? And so we've had to really kind of come up with different ways and ideas to connect with the corporate world, which is huge, for it's a huge learning curve for me because, again, as a nurse, I know nothing about the business world. And so it was exciting, it was hard, it was challenging, but it was also so worthwhile making these connections because, in turn, people found us.

Speaker 2:

So when you say they make the connection, you get in touch with somebody and then they somehow promote your service within their company, is that what's happening?

Speaker 1:

no. So we are coming into companies offering workshops. So so, baby bean, we do the one-to-one client services and support, but we also offer corporate workshops, educational workshops. Because, let's say, for JNAP, you have a team, you have a manager, right, and you have a team member who comes up to the manager saying I just experienced a pregnancy loss and I'm going to need some time off.

Speaker 1:

How do you respond as the manager? How do you respond in a compassionate, helpful way? The standard response is oh, I'm so sorry, um, take some sick leave and take your vacation. And, um, if you run out of sick days, you can have unpaid sick leave. Or it'll be like oh, maybe you should connect with hr or um, take, take the time you need, but let me know when you will come back. That is the standard response. Right, but how can we go one step further in educating managers, helping them understand, like, what is your team member actually going through? So we offer a workshop called Miscarriage 101. So that's when we come in and we provide educational content on like so what is a miscarriage? What is your team member going through, what are they feeling, what are they physically going through and what are their options and support right now, and how can you step in as a manager to be compassionate and to actually be helpful? And then we also work with company HRs to figure out realistically, how do we actually get this to work for your team members?

Speaker 2:

It's fascinating because your work is actually changing the world of business in a way.

Speaker 1:

Mental health was not really a big buzzword 10 years ago, 15 years ago, but here, in this current day and age, every company out there has mental health support Everybody is talking about. Here's your mental health fund. Go see a counselor, go see a therapist. Your mental health matters. Mental health day we're all about it. Same with fertility 10 years ago, no one talks about fertility. But in this day and age, we have here's your fertility support. Here is a funding that you can access if you need fertility support.

Speaker 1:

And so when you think about fertility and mental health, you also then have to think about when someone goes through their fertility journey. Inevitably, they may go through loss, because fertility journey is not always rainbows and sunshines right Like it can be really hard, and so how are you then supporting them when they're going through a loss? That's why you need dedicated miscarriage support for corporates, and so that's one thing where I think we are pivoting, changing and trying to adapt to the modern world of. Miscarriages have been around forever, but how do we make it so that women are supported?

Speaker 1:

in this current time, when they go through one.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, what's something that surprised you about running a business?

Speaker 1:

that surprised you about running a business. I think something that I was not anticipating was that not everyone's going to be your business BFF, and I say that in a sense of like. Again, I come from the healthcare world, so in the healthcare realm you kind of know all the main players, you kind of know everybody, because you need to know this doctor to be able to refer to this person to whatever service they need, and so in healthcare things are very clear in a sense of like whose role is what and who are my allies? Who can I connect with? Who can I refer to? In the business world?

Speaker 1:

It was a huge learning curve for me, because I've come to realize that, oh, there's so many other businesses and entrepreneurs out there and everyone's doing their thing, everyone's doing good stuff, but not everyone is going to necessarily become your business BFF, and I had to learn to not take it personally. And for me it all stemmed from what do I need to do? I needed to know my own reason of why I started my business. I needed to stand firm on my why. Why did I start my business? And those who really get in, those who really want to help, will come alongside of you and those who might not connect, that's okay. It's not that you know I'm not doing a good job or that they're like mean, it's more so. Just like, at this point in our business ventures we might not click, we might not cross roads, and that's OK.

Speaker 2:

I'm fascinated that you're calling that out, because a lot of people we talk to on this podcast they mention things like building community and building connections with your network in your city or your town. What they don't mention is that not everyone is going to actually want to connect with you just because you try. So I appreciate that you're calling that out. There's an emotional side of running a business and I mean for me, I would think that would feel a little bit like rejection if someone was like I don't want to partner with you, but you're just saying it's okay Like you go, do you? And I'm going to keep going and doing me.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, I love that I like how you again honestly captured it with the word rejection. It does feel like a rejection at times and it does feel like, oh, I thought what you do and what I do kind of like it would align and that we would have collective clients like it may sense, or like in my mind.

Speaker 1:

I'm like, oh, this would be a great partnership, of course we should pursue this. And then sometimes people just say nope, thanks, and they move on. And it's okay for me to be like, oh yeah, that was a bit harsh, but that's okay. And then I move on and I just realize that you know, it's okay, it might not be the time right now, maybe down the road, or maybe it's just not the right partnership, and we move on. There's so many other businesses, so many other individuals and at the end of the day, we can't please everybody, and not everyone is here to please me either.

Speaker 2:

So last question If you had to give someone out there, at an earlier stage of their journey, one piece of advice for getting started getting off the ground, what would you tell them?

Speaker 1:

I think, at the end of the day, when you start a business, it's your business. Right, you are starting it. You may have other people who are supporting you, cheering you on, but at the end of the day, you're starting your business, so you need to really believe in it, and I think that that is. It may sound like a cliche advice because, yes, of course everyone's gonna be like, yeah, do what you love, do what you're good at, but I think the essence is that you need to really really believe in it. You need to really actually be passionate about it, because there will be days where it is so hard about it. Because there will be days where it is so hard, there will be days where you literally want to be like, yeah, that's it, I am done, like I have to shut the door and I'm just going to go back to my good old union job and be okay with that.

Speaker 1:

And I think that, starting your own business, you have to be strong on your own. You need to know that you can do this. You need to know your why and you also need to give yourself that grace to know that you know other people's success doesn't cloud why you exist, and I think that, as a young business like there, were many times that I felt like, oh my gosh, look at that person, look at that business. But then I get reminded I have a very strong village behind me and I get reminded all the time of Angel. You do this because you care, you do this because you live through it and you know that you're making a difference.

Speaker 2:

I feel so many inspirational vibes from this conversation, not just about starting a business, but I think it's also just like in life. I'm like I'm going to apply this to everything right now. Aw, thank you. Thank you so much for being here.

Speaker 1:

It's been a joy, Thank you so much for having me. It is such a joy to be here. I really loved our conversation.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for tuning in to Radio Front Desk. If you found this episode helpful, it would mean so much to me if you gave it a rating and leave a review letting me know what you think. And if you're a fan, you can subscribe to Radio Front Desk on Apple Music, spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.