From the origin story of their businesses to the ways they allowed themselves to grow as entrepreneurs, our Female Founders series gives a view into the lives of successful women from a variety of industries. Join us for today’s feature, Kristin Smith, offering a behind the scenes look at some of what she has done to succeed so far, advice for those starting off, and plans for the future.
What’s your business and how did you get started?
I’m the founder of Well Supported Family [Formerly Nightingale Night Nurses], a nationwide newborn care and postpartum support agency. We connect families with experienced Newborn Care Specialists and Postpartum Doulas who provide in-home support, whether that’s overnight care so parents can rest, daytime support, or longer-term 24/7 guidance as families adjust to life with a newborn.
I didn’t set out to start an agency. I began my career working directly with families as a nanny, and over time naturally moved into supporting newborns and postpartum parents. I loved that work, especially helping families feel more confident and supported during such a vulnerable transition.
As I continued working, I started receiving more referrals than I could personally take on. Families weren’t just looking for care, they were looking for guidance, consistency, and someone they could trust in their home during a really important time. I began bringing on a small team to support those families, and built systems that felt fair and sustainable for both clients and caregivers.
What started very organically grew into something much larger. Our team expanded, and I realized I had built something that filled a real gap in how families are supported after bringing home a baby. That’s when I committed fully to growing Well Supported Family into the agency it is today.
Now, we support families across the country with a team of over 200 caregivers. Our focus has always remained the same: providing thoughtful, high-quality support that helps parents not just get through the early weeks, but feel confident and supported in them.
What’s your favorite thing about being a business owner?
My favorite part of being a business owner is getting to support families during one of the most vulnerable and transformative times in their lives, while also creating reliable, meaningful work for our team.
There’s something really powerful about being able to impact both sides. Helping parents feel more confident, more rested, and more supported in those early weeks, and at the same time building a structure where our Newborn Care Specialists and Postpartum Doulas have consistent, dependable work.
It feels like creating stability in a space that can otherwise feel very unpredictable, for both families and caregivers.
What is one thing you’re really proud of that you’ve created or accomplished?
My company. I’m really proud of what I’ve built and how it’s grown over time.
I started small, in a small town where success isn’t always guaranteed. I almost didn’t graduate high school, and I became a teen mom. Nothing about my starting point suggested I’d end up here.
What I’ve built came from figuring things out as I went and continuing to grow it step by step. That’s what makes it feel so meaningful.
What is the boldest thing you’ve ever done in business?
The boldest thing I’ve done was betting on myself before there was proof it would work.
I didn’t have a traditional path into business, and there were a lot of reasons to play it safe. But I chose to grow my company, invest in it, and build a team even when it felt uncertain.
That decision to move forward without guarantees is what allowed everything else to follow.
What’s one thing you’re currently excited about for the future of your business?
I’m really excited about continuing to expand our teams into more areas and adding additional services for families.
We already have strong “clusters” of caregivers throughout the country, and one of my favorite parts of growth is watching those clusters naturally spread. As team members move, refer friends, and bring in trusted colleagues, we’re able to grow in a way that still feels aligned and intentional.
It’s been exciting to see that kind of organic expansion, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build on it. Here we come, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Denver, Colorado!
What’s your best business advice you would you give to other women?
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to get comfortable spending money to make money, earlier than feels natural.
The biggest shifts in my business didn’t come from just working harder, they came from investing ever dollar I made from the business back into the business. Hiring the right people. Building systems that created consistency. Putting resources behind the parts of the business that actually allowed it to function and grow.
There’s also a mindset shift that comes with it. When you invest in your business, you start treating it like something that’s meant to grow!
And especially for women, I think there’s often an added layer of hesitation. We want to be responsible, we want to be careful, and we want to make sure everything is “right” before we move forward. But waiting until something feels completely comfortable usually means you’ve waited too long.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need to be willing to invest in the next step.
