When Lisa Selman launched Basking Babies in Scotland a year ago, she wasn't just starting a new business. She was introducing a brand new community to local families.
As Basking Babies' first Scottish franchisee, Lisa had the exciting challenge of bringing the brand to an area where very few people had heard of it before. Twelve months later, she's celebrating a growing business, strong local partnerships and, most importantly, a community of parents finding connection through her classes.
Starting from scratch
Before joining Basking Babies, Lisa had spent many years working with children and families in a variety of roles, including children's residential care, nursery education and supporting children with additional support needs.
When she discovered Basking Babies, she saw an opportunity to combine her professional experience with a career that offered greater flexibility around family life.
But becoming the first franchisee in a completely new region came with its own challenges. There were no nearby territories to build awareness from and no established customer base. Instead, Lisa focused on building relationships within her local community, connecting with families and helping more parents discover the support available through Basking Babies.
Growing through community
For Lisa, the most rewarding part of the past year hasn't simply been seeing her business grow. It's been watching relationships develop through her classes and seeing parents find support from one another during the early stages of parenthood.
“The first year has definitely been a learning curve,” she said. “Sometimes you doubt yourself, but I've learned so much about running a business. Looking back, I'm proud of how hard I've worked, the connections I've built within my local community and the relationships that have grown through the classes.”
Those connections have helped lay the foundations for a thriving local community, built one family at a time.
Looking ahead
As she begins her second year, Lisa is looking forward to continuing that growth through her Mum-to-Be Nurture Circles, Mum & Bump Hub sessions and other opportunities designed to bring local parents together.
Reflecting on Lisa's first year, Carla Davison, our founder, said: “Launching a brand in a completely new area takes confidence and resilience. She embraced that challenge wholeheartedly. Lisa represents exactly the kind of franchisee we love to welcome into the network and we're excited to see how she continues to grow the brand in Scotland.”
And perhaps that's what Lisa's first year has shown most clearly - that every community starts somewhere. With a warm welcome, a listening ear and a shared understanding, something truly meaningful can grow from the ground up.