Mommy’s Day Out startup aims to give moms a break
East Providence woman sought meetups herself
PROVIDENCE — Moms shouldn’t think of self-care as a “luxury,” says Carmen Pierre Canel.
Taking breaks, and building a support network to help through the various stages of motherhood — not just the newborn phase — is essential, she said, and it’s what drove her to launch Mommy’s Day Out in June 2022.
Q. What is Mommy’s Day Out, and how does it work?
Pierre Canel: I take the hassle away from planning events, breaks, and community get-togethers for moms. I curate monthly experiences and events for moms to take a break and have a few hours of freedom. All they have to do is click a link to purchase a ticket and then show up.
Q. What kinds of experiences are you hosting?
A. Up to this point, I’ve hosted cocktail mixing classes, plant parties, a ‘90s R&B brunch, wine glass-painting classes, and candle-making events. I purposefully partner with and support women- and BIPOC-owned businesses in Rhode Island, and am always looking for more.
Every event is designed around some sort of experience or activity so people can get to know each other, and be in the moment so you’re not feeling awkward about “just talking” or just resorting to just talking about being a mom and your kids. It’s a chance to take a break, and feel like a person again that isn’t just a parent.
Q. How much do these gettogethers typically cost?
A. In the past, they’ve typically been around $50. But for some, that’s inaccessible, while others want more “luxurious” experiences that cost even more. So later this month, I’m launching a three-tiered membership model. The first is for “meetups,” for $20 per month, where moms are just looking to meet others and start building some sort of community. The next tier will be around $60, which will give me the ability to host some of these events I’ve already been doing. The final tier is the most expensive, around $100 or more, which will have more luxurious event options.
Q. How did you come up with this idea?
A. When I became a mom during the pandemic, I was still fairly new to Rhode Island. I grew up in the South, but I spent a lot of time in Boston, where the majority of my social circle has been based. I was a principal at a charter school in Boston after working in Boston Public Schools for years. Now I’ve transitioned to a role where I am a leadership coach for principals, but working with schools across Massachusetts. At the same time, I live in East Providence, and I longed to find a local group of moms that I could have fun with — and without our kids. But I couldn’t find a diverse group of moms to do that with. I felt like everything I found was for moms that didn’t necessarily look like me. The majority of “mom groups” were simply all white.
The other aspect of these groups were that they were geared for those in the newborn phase or the first child. So I started my own out of a need that I had.
Q. Do you have any goals for the next year?
A. Right now, I have a 45 percent return rate of my customers, meaning that 45 percent of those who have attended a previous event have already returned more than once for another experience. I am hoping to increase this by at least 15 percent over the next year with my membership model, which will launch during a cocktail and mocktail mixer I’m hosting on Aug. 26 at Plant City in Providence.
Also, I’d like to find more members in other parts of the state by hosting experiences closer to them and not just in the Greater Providence area.
Q. How do you foresee Mommy’s Day Out expanding?
A. This started as a passion, and after going through a program at the Social Enterprise Greenhouse, I realized it could become a sustainable and functional business. I think I could replicate this in other markets in New England, particularly in Boston where there are a lot of transplants who are seeking some type of community.