Meet Brita DeStefano! | South Denver Moms

Happy Monday! Today we are excited to introduce you to the owner of Progress Through Play, Brita DeStefano! We love what her business offers in general, but the fact that she provides in-home sessions is amazing (and convenient!). Brita, like many mothers, started her business after having a little more time as a stay-at-home mom when the kids entered school. Very similar to my thought process of wanting to consult when the kids are in school full-time. I also can relate to her mom advice (check it out below!). A great reminder for fellow mamas in the early stages…like birth to 5-years old. As they say, the days are long, but the years are short. Enjoy every day!! Learn more about Brita and her story below! And reach out and schedule a Wellness Consultation today! 

Instagram Handle / Facebook Page
@progressthroughplay / https://www.facebook.com/progressthroughplay

Briefly introduce yourself!
I’m Brita, a local mom of 2 and physical therapist. I’m the owner of Progress Through Play, a pediatric PT practice focusing on wellness and prevention for the birth to 5 age group.

How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
My oldest, Sawyer, is 5 and my daughter Lucy is 3 – they keep me very busy!

Where do you live in South Denver exactly? If not South Denver, where?
We live in the University/Wellshire area and absolutely love it! We’ve been in this neighborhood since 2013 and my son just started at Slavens Elementary which has brought us even closer to the community.

What’s your favorite family friendly activity in South Denver?
Our favorite parks are Westlands Park, Observatory Park and Wash Park. We also love biking to Declaration Brewery where the kids can run around and play outside on their amazing patio.

What’s your favorite kid friendly restaurant in South Denver?
We love Homegrown Tap n Dough, Park Burger, Ester’s and recently discovered the new Chop Shop location on Broadway.

What’s your favorite date night restaurant in Denver (not just South Denver)?
It’s so hard to choose because we really try to go somewhere new each time, but Root Down, Izakaya Den and Lola Coastal Mexican are a few of our favorites.

What’s the best mom and/or parenting advice you’ve received?
This too shall pass. Every time I get stressed about something kid related, I have to remind myself that each phase of their development passes so quickly so enjoy where they are today and know that by the next week or month they’ll be in a whole new phase.

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by other moms! The amazing friends I’ve made and the other entrepreneur mamas that I look up to have all been such great sources of inspiration for me.

You started Progress Through Play. Tell us more!
I’ve been a pediatric PT for about 10 years and have worked in a lot of settings like Early Intervention, hospitals and clinics. After I had my second child I made the tough decision to become a full time stay at home mom. Now that my children are a little older and in school, I’ve decided to open my own practice to serve the population I’m most passionate about with is the birth to 5 age group.

What inspired you to start Progress Through Play?
Throughout my career I’ve noticed that parents often have to jump through a lot of hoops to get care for their children and to gain knowledge and education on motor development. I believe that wellness and prevention is key to fostering healthy development and I wanted to eliminate the hassle and red tape of traditional physical therapy services. My practice offers in-home sessions for wellness and physical therapy – meaning there’s no questioning whether your child will qualify or not. My services are available to anyone searching for answers and peace of mind about their child’s development. I am passionate about helping parents to connect with their infant, understand their development, know how to handle their newborn, how to interact with them during different stages, and give tips on how to promote new skills. Teaching parents how to PLAY with their child can create a close bond and it makes the work of meeting milestones so much FUN!

What is the best career/business advice you’ve ever received?
My amazing business coach taught me about having clarity around your “why” and connecting with clients on a personal level.

What is your favorite part about being an entrepreneur?
Making connections with others in the community. I love getting out and networking, meeting moms and their babies as well as other providers and entrepreneurs.

What has been your biggest challenge as an entrepreneur?
Wanting to do it all. I have learned some great lessons about strategic planning and really prioritizing my family life.

What do you do for self-care?
You will always find me with my airpods in listening to an audiobook. I also enjoy taking barre classes at Barre3 and meeting friends for brunch or coffee.

What is your best mom hack?
Checklists! My children love the act of checking boxes off our morning and night time charts. I put them in a laminated sleeve and let them use dry erase markers to check off everything they need to do before we leave for school and then to get ready for bed at night time.

Is there anything else about you and/or your business you want to highlight?
I love getting out in the community and talking to moms groups and doing Q&A sessions so if any parent groups would like to learn more, I’m happy to set up a time to join one of their meet ups. And for individuals I offer phone consultations to learn more about you and your child and determine if my services are the right fit for you.

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