Every Day Is Mother’s Day in Weho

Sunday may be Mother’s Day, but West Hollywood businesses cater to mothers all year round. From beauty salons to staffing firms, the city is home to many mommy-friendly ventures.

in West Hollywood came about when co-founder Kathryn Grady had a child and could not find a place to relax and get pampered.

“My baby was a great child, and yet I felt like I was falling apart,” said Grady. “I was on maternity leave, and I had no where to go to just get my eyebrows done or get a manicure.”

She opened the Weho mom and child-friendly salon with Aveda-trained esthetician and friend Jennifer Paige in February 2010. The children’s play area features toys, games and television to keep kids entertained while their moms get pampered.

From wherever a mom is sitting in the salon, she can see the play area and keep an eye on her child, Grady said. All of the products are low toxicity and formaldehyde free. Most of the staff are also moms themselves, Grady notes. The salon offers waxing services, nail services and even a free wine night on Fridays. 

But not all of Grady's customers are moms. About half of the customers aren’t actually mothers, but come for the great services, she said. “They’re people who just appreciate a clean environment and there’s just a lot of positive energy in there,” Grady said.

Lisa Pierson Weinberger, Esq., was a lawyer for a firm in Century City who spent a lot of time helping celebrities with domestic employment issues. 

When she became a mother herself about a year and a half ago, she met a lot of other moms who were also on maternity leave and were hiring people to work in their homes. They didn’t know any of the legal requirements for hiring a nanny or babysitter.

“Being a mom myself, I know how hard it is, how many issues women have to deal with today when they’re figuring out their careers and they’re figuring out how to balance everything,” said Weinberger.

In February 2011, she opened her own legal practice, Mom, Esq., devoted to helping moms with the new legal issues—from domestic employment issues to maternity leave benefits and reinstatement rates.

“I started this so I could be a resource for moms like myself,” said Weinberger. “When women find out that they’re pregnant, sometimes people work in environments that are very friendly to that, but some women feel very uncomfortable sharing that news with their boss, even in 2011 it’s sad to say.”

Entrepreneurs and business school peers Julie Lacouture and Kate Pletcher also found a way to reach out to moms with their national staffing firm, Mom Corps Los Angeles.

The two women started the Los Angeles franchise in Fall 2010 to help moms looking for part-time or temporary work connect with companies seeking experienced professionals.

“The thing we noticed is what a great fit it is for companies,” Lacouture said. “The moms that we work with are so focused when they go to their jobs.”

Mom Corps is recruiting for dozens of jobs at any time, Lacouture said, from temporary to contract and part-time. Employers have access to more than 60,000 candidates nationwide throughout the organization, she said.

“There’s something really powerful about the word ‘Mom,’ " Lacouture said. “It’s someone that can balance everything, and that’s a really good employee to have.”