Today we’d like to introduce you to Tirza Jova.
Tirza, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Milk by Mom’s founder, Tirza Jova, discovered breast milk freeze-drying while working in corporate America and juggling the challenges of being a full-time working and breastfeeding mom with two daughters under the age of 2. She discovered breast milk freeze-drying as an alternative to breast milk storage and transportation and was amazed by its convenience and superior nutrition benefits compared to formula and traditional freezing. She was so impressed — and relieved — she created a company to make this service more widely available to mamas and caregivers across the US.
Tirza holds an MBA and has more than 15 years of experience in international business and marketing. She has spent the better half of the last decade working in the medical device industry. She is now focused on helping educate mamas and caregivers around the country about the convenience and flexibility freeze-drying provides while maintaining the benefits and security of breast milk through her breast milk freeze-drying business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a business is not for the faint hearted. It is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. For me the first couple of years have been challenging in several ways.
First, I started Milk by Mom, when my second daughter Gianna was only two months old and my eldest was 2 years old. For the first year it was just me. This meant a lot of sacrifice and time missed during those early months. Dealing with mom guilt and trying to juggle everything while working seven days a week definitely took its toll. That said, I know I am providing my daughter’s with a great example and working to secure a better future for our family.
Second, I come from a marketing background but it is daunting how much we need to spend early on to show up in all the different communication and social media channels. As a company we have bootstrapped funds and deciding where to double down efforts can be tough. Realizing how the influencer market works was a surprise.
Lastly, as business grows resource allocation is always coming up. There is more to do every day than we can manage and I am so grateful to have an amazing team that I am confident will help us get to the next level. Business development and operational excellence are at the forefront of our efforts. We are constantly evolving and improving. Ensuring we are always optimizing and thinking for the future is time consuming and a welcome challenge. I am excited for the future and know these are necessary growing pains to get us to the next level. .
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Milk by Mom is a Phoenix-based breast milk freeze-drying service available nationwide, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Our goal is to modernize how we feed breastfed babies by providing customers with the convenience and flexibility of formula with all the goodness of breast milk.
Breast milk freeze-drying turns frozen breast milk into powder through a process called sublimation. Mothers and caregivers can return the breast milk back to its liquid form simply by adding water (quantity is customer-specific and provided in package labeling).
Freeze-drying breast milk is superior to traditional freezing for the preservation of nutrients and antibodies, is shelf-stable for up to three years, has been studied for decades, is used by milk banks worldwide, and is convenient for travel or when on the go.
As the first Milk by Mom customer, Tirza enjoyed firsthand the benefits and convenience of freeze-dried breast milk. She hopes that by making this service more widely available, Milk by Mom can help educate and empower parents in our local community and nationwide to provide their little ones with the goodness of breast milk by modernizing how we feed breastfed babies.
I am incredibly proud to have a built a brand for moms founded on compassion, trust and safety. We pride ourselves on being moms and humans first, our customers are not just a number but our community and we lead with empathy and love. I am also proud to support our local community employing a team of all women that’s growing.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love being able to raise my girls in a city that has so much to do outdoors the majority of the year. We love going on hikes, going on bike rides and taking trips to Sedona/ Flagstaff and so many other amazing places across the state.
I love and the Hispanic influence. As a Latina, raising my girls so they identify with their Hispanic heritage is extremely important for me. Both spoke Spanish as their first language.
I also love how Phoenix is growing and become a major city in the US. The food scene here is amazing, it’s impossible to keep up with all the new restaurants.
It’s hard living here during the summers. It gets very hot. After being here for five years I have figured out that summer trips, if even only for a weekend, are a must to get through the hot summer months.
As much as I love city’s influx of people and growth, this has also made it more challenging to enjoy simple things easily without making a reservation days/weeks/months in advance.
Pricing:
- 1.75/ oz
- Accept HSA/FSA
- Offer payment plans
Contact Info:
- Website: www.milkbymom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkbymom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086180794088
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/96161172/admin/feed/posts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHRNVfGH4eCLYxb-F0prgpw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/milk-by-mom-phoenix?osq=milk+by+mom
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@milkbymom?_t=8mPDVj1fkCM&_r=1
