Meet Natalie Brasset, a mom and small business owner who runs Bubblegum Tree Playhouse, where free play and meaningful connection go hand-and-hand. After experiencing firsthand how important community is in motherhood, she created a space where kids can just be kids and moms can feel supported and seen. She loves spending time with her family and truly cherishes every moment, embracing the joyful chaos and believing those everyday memories matter most.
Husband: Nicholas
Children: Eleanor, 5; Caroline, 3; and Alexandra, 1
Occupation: Owner and creator of Bubblegum Tree Playhouse and owner of Old Town Praline
Hobbies: Fitness and spending time with family
AS A MOM OF THREE AND A BUSINESS OWNER, WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
NATALIE: I get the girls ready for school in the morning. Before they get up, I do the typical prep and pack lunches. My mornings then consist of the Bubble Gum Tree Playhouse where I teach music and movement class, answer emails, build collaboration with local businesses, clean, and do admin work. Then, I get my daughter around 1:30 [p.m.] from her mom’s day out program. The rest of the day, I find time to work out, then pick up the girls and we do a lot of family time. It’s a lot of just back and forth, picking kids up from school, dropping them off at school, and then working late in the night as well to run both of the businesses.
WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA FOR YOUR BUSINESS, BUBBLEGUM TREE PLAYHOUSE?
NATALIE: After COVID, I noticed the community was lacking something where kids could just focus on play, where they can build their imagination and just enjoy themselves and thrive. Kids are built to play, and moms are built to build communities. I took a leap of faith, talked to my husband, and came up with the idea around 2022. But, I put it on the back burner because I kept having children, and I had no time or headspace to actually put pen to paper. When I found the space on Metairie Road in Old Metairie, I knew it was the perfect place, location, and community. Five months later, we were ready to open.
WHAT MAKES HAVING COMMUNITY IMPORTANT IN MOTHERHOOD?
NATALIE: When I had my first daughter, Eleanor, I suffered from postpartum depression, and finding a community was hard. I didn’t know how to do that, and we were in the thick of COVID. It was my first time being a mom, and I didn’t have a mom to rely on, with my mom passing away four years prior. I told myself that I needed to find groups to align myself with. I found mommy and me classes, and told myself to go every week. Without the moms and caregivers I met, I probably would still be in the dark ages. As mothers, we’re all in the thick of it. Raising children is not easy, and it’s not meant to be easy. The Playhouse was built for those hard days, for moms to come in and talk about their child and their challenges. When you walk into the Playhouse, you hear all of these stories, where moms can relate to other moms and nannies. There are moms that come in here and don’t know anybody and then they leave with plans to get coffee with another mom the next week because they’ve found a similar story or topic in their life that they relate to.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A MOM?
NATALIE: Just being their mom. Watching them grow and achieve things. Every day is different. I just taught my five-year-old how to ride a bike, and watching her and the excitement in her face–it’s just great. They’re little mini mes, and it’s amazing.
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU ARE PROUD OF IN YOUR BUSINESS?
NATALIE: I love seeing the babies coming here. They don’t know the songs in the beginning of the sessions, but by the end of it, they know where their head and their toes are–basic little things like that–and you see a light bulb go off in their head. I’ve built a strong community. It’s really heartwarming because their kids love me. When they leave class, all the kids want to give me hugs and high fives, and when they see me out in public, they call me “Miss Bubblegum” –all because of this place. I never would have known them if I hadn’t started this.
LOOKING BACK, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOURSELF BEFORE HAVING KIDS?
NATALIE: To give myself grace and patience, and not to rush things. I tried to jump ahead of what we were supposed to be doing at that time because I wanted out of a stage that I wasn’t necessarily enjoying, but now I look back and I’m like, oh I just wish I could hold a little newborn baby again.
HOW DO YOU SPEND TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY?
NATALIE: Going to parks, the zoo, taking bike rides, and eating dinner together every night at the dining room table. We worship together and go to church. Right now we’re in toddlerhood, so we don’t really travel. Most people will see me with my three girls here at the Playhouse all of the time.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU SHARE WITH FIRST-TIME MOMS?
NATALIE: Allow yourself to become the mom you’re supposed to be. Don’t compare yourself to other moms. Don’t compare your child to other children. Each child is so different and I see that every day at the Playhouse.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE THE BUSINESS HEADING IN THE COMING YEARS?
NATALIE: We’ve only been in business for nine months, so without our community, we definitely would not be where we are today and I want to say thank you to our community for their support over the last few months. I would love to continue to grow by welcoming new families into the Playhouse and developing more exciting programs.
RAPID-FIRE QUESTIONS:
My secret talent…I can hula hoop and moonwalk.
Sweet vs salty…sweet.
My daughter’s favorite thing to do is…singing and playing dress up.