Wouldn't it be nice if there was a healthy and delicious beverage specially made for moms-to-be? Something that wasn't loaded with sugar or caffeine or artificial sweeteners? Something that tasted good AND was good for you? These are the questions I used to ask myself all the time when I was pregnant with my son, Michael. Because like most moms-to-be, good nutrition was a top priority for me. And I was determined to do what was best for my baby and my body, but I was surprised to find that healthy drink options were few and far between.

Not even my mom – who has been a labor doula and lactation consultant for over 20 years, and usually has all the answers! – could recommend anything that fit the bill. I would search high and low for a healthy alternative, but I kept returning to the same old reliable (but let’s face it, sometimes boring) glass of water. And that’s when I decided to create Be Nice.

It was one of the most exciting and rewarding decisions I’ve ever made. And it’s given me the opportunity to channel the insight that comes from being a busy single mom, and the compassion that comes from my background as a police officer, into a product that I’m truly proud to be a part of.

It’s my hope that Be Nice fills a special niche for nursing moms and moms-to-be who are looking for healthy hydration options, like I was. As a company, we share a commitment to providing the very best for pregnant and nursing women and their growing babies. And we’ve made it our goal to do that in a way that also respects the health and well being of the world we live in.

Now that my son is 6 months old, I’m reminded more than ever about how much of a juggling act motherhood can be. Like my son, I keep growing and learning. And Be Nice keeps growing and learning too! I’m so proud to extend a warm welcome from the Be Nice family to yours. And I hope you’ll come back often to visit, make yourself at home, and see how much we’ve grown!

Sincerely,

Shawna Stevenson
Be Nice President, Creator, and Proud Mom of Michael

John Hernandez
Be Nice Chief Operating Officer, Co-founder, and Proud Dad of Matthew and Kara

John and Shawna first met when they both signed up for the same boot-camp style workout class. Between pushups, sprints and squats, Shawna explained her idea of creating a healthy prenatal drink for moms and moms-to-be, and John became an instant supporter. John’s wife had experienced severe nausea during her pregnancy and was often unable to swallow her prenatal multi-vitamin. A prenatal drink mix would have been an ideal alternative, so the idea to create one made a lot of sense. When the time came to launch the business, it was John who, inspired by one of Shawna’s favorite sayings, thought of the name Be Nice. John brings to the Be Nice family 15 years of experience in the service industry, the entrepreneurial savvy that comes with being a business owner, and the newly found (and often tested) patience that comes with being dad to a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. He is very interested in cultivating the organic way of life and in greening his own life as much as possible. In his spare time, John enjoys cooking, wine and playing poker, all in same night.

Cynthia Lin
Be Nice Vice President, Sales and Marketing, and Proud Mom of Matthew and Kara (see above!)

Cynthia comes from a family that has owned a wholesale business for over 25 years, so business is in her blood. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychology and has been the manager of software application systems for 12 years. She was sick during both of her pregnancies and was physically unable to take prenatal pills, so she is quite enthusiastic about Be Nice. As for breastfeeding, Cynthia is a staunch supporter. She nursed her first baby for 12 months and her second one for 18 months, and firmly believes in attached parenting. Cynthia is hoping to get Be Nice certified organic and vegan in the near future. It's important to her, and to Be Nice Inc. that women have a choice when it comes to their prenatal vitamins, their health and their babies' health. In addition, she is constantly on the lookout for new ways to make the company eco-friendly. And she's hard at work getting Be Nice into local retail stores! During her free time she enjoys, sleeping, knitting and shopping.