Meet a Mom: Meet Brooke Blazevich

Hi Brooke! Thanks for speaking with us today. Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Chicago?

I’m a Chicago native, through and through. Born in the city, grew up in the western burbs, and back to the city after grad school. My family and I live in River West nearby Big Shoulders.

How many kids do you have, and what are their ages?

2! Our son recently turned 3 and our daugher turns 1 at the end of July.

In your opinion which was the easier transition and why: 0-1 kids or 1-2 kids?

This is a tough call… both transitions have been challenging and easy in different ways. Shockingly, and despite how wacky the day-to-day is with these age groups, having 2 has really caused us to roll with the punches more and has us entertaining the idea of a 3rd (down the line!)

You’re moving to a new neighborhood! Where are you heading, and what makes you the most excited about the transition?

We just moved (to River West) from Humboldt Park so it’s tough to imagine moving again for sake of this example, haha. My husband and I truly love city-living but we’re not sure what’s next. I will say, this move was a big change for us (from a relatively small apartment to a mid-rise building which is an even smaller layout than we had) and we are just embracing it. City living comes with it’s spacial limitations but also, you should see our skyline view!

What are your favorite things to do in the city with your kids?

Packing up our wagon and heading to the park with snacks and coffee. Simple, but something that the whole family enjoys. We also love gathering with friends on our new rooftop with a fireplace, take-out and a dip in the hot tub.

Can you tell us a little about your career journey, and how it led you to found Nanny Harmony?

I’ll start by saying that I’m the first of 3 girls and have natural, motherly instincts. Our mom started out as a nanny prior to having us kids, and then went back to nannying when we were in high school/college. I adore kids and nannied through grad school while studying Dietetics and Health Promotion. Once I finished school, I felt less enthusiastic about the “more is better” culture that the fitness/wellness industry can portray sometimes and officially burnt myself out after competing in a national bodybuilding show. I set aside my passion for fitness to work as a professional nanny and loved every second. Thanks to encouragement from my husband, I opened up Nanny Harmony at the start of 2018. Pre-kids of course, I nannied full-time and ran NH in the evenings and weekends, working 70 hour/weeks to get the business off the ground. I’m very proud of that. Fast-forward to 2020, I hired a few phenomenal team members and had my first baby. I have navigated a lot of change since then and proudly offer nanny services throughout the city and suburbs, as well as newborn care specialists (overnight nannies).

Tell us more about Nanny Harmony! What can readers expect when they work with your amazing agency? What makes Nanny Harmony different than other agencies?

We’re a group of empathetic, warm people, and we’re all here because we care so much about matching families and nannies. We have all spent years working as professional nannies/house managers and understand the many components that go into these relationships. I’m a new-ish mom and now that I’ve had the opportunity to hire caregivers myself, I have a new appreciation for the emotional pieces behind this journey, which can feel very nerve-racking and overwhelming. We’re also proud of the fact that we are licensed to do this type of work (which many agencies are not), we’re extremely invested in the nanny community and prioritize the connections that we make with all people (nannies and families alike).