Expectant parents are often told to enjoy their sleep before the baby arrives. For Ann Marks, sleep deprivation wasn’t part of her recipe for parenthood.

“It was born out of a need of my own,” Marks said of her subscription-based and one-on-one consultation business, Full Feedings. “A lot of people want sleep, need sleep … This is possible naturally when you meet your baby’s needs.”

The Erie native and Yardley transplant began offering one-on-one consultations in 2019 and launched her online programs in March 2020 with the goal of helping parents “enjoy parenthood more fully.”

She has since amassed thousands of subscribers seeking insight on infant and toddler sleep programs. The former model and actress developed her research-based sleep training method when her now 9-year-old daughter was born. Once she saw success with her daughter, and later, with her 6-year-old twin boys, she began sharing her insight with other families.

Her doula convinced Marks that she was onto something life-changing for sleepy parents of young children.

“Every parent has the same issues,” Marks said, adding that the guides she began developing as part of Full Feedings all followed the same routine based on the child’s age. “I think what I do is common sense. I explain it in a very digestible sleep-deprivation format.”

The subscription has drawn a global audience with customers throughout the U.S., as well as Asia, Australia and throughout Europe. Marks hopes to have her program translated into Spanish and eventually envisions Full Feedings being a component of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

In fall 2023, Marks and her team of three began developing an all-encompassing “virtual village” of affordable and effective professional support for children and parents from birth to age 3 for feeding, sleep, mental health and community/connection. Not sure where to begin, Marks sought help from SCORE Bucks County mentors Leah Cianfrani and Steve Wolfson.

“I’ve never run a business. I don’t have a business degree. I was just going from month to month. I wasn’t paying attention to spending,” Marks said. “Getting all of that in order is ultimately where SCORE knocked it out of the park.”

Her mentors helped her create a business plan, set strategic goals and served as a sounding board for ideas and act as unofficial “co-founders” in alleviating some of the pressure of entrepreneurial life.

“To just be able to have people that show up consistently and have great ideas and help me see things that I can’t see has been invaluable,” she said.

Marks’ mentors are proud of her success now – a 7 percent growth in subscription revenue – and future plans, which include a training program for birth workers.

“In addition to revitalizing her core business, Ann is exploring diverse growth avenues,” Cianfrani said. “With SCORE’s mentorship, she’s set to achieve her growth goals and build a legacy that empowers families.

Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 17 million aspiring entrepreneurs.

Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. 

With more than 70 members across Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties, SCORE Bucks County provides free mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars.