Female Disruptors: Rachel Beider of Canopy On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Vanessa Morcom
…I decided to open a play space that was calming, and intentionally quiet and nurturing, with wooden toys, good music, good coffee, and that appealed to parents and caregivers. The Canopy is made for the smallest members: babies and toddlers, so that they have a safe, airy, clean space to not get run over by the big kids.
As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, we had the pleasure of interviewing Rachel Beider.
Rachel Beider is the CEO and Founder of The Canopy NYC, a play and movement studio for babies and toddlers in NYC. She also owns PRESS Modern Massage, a group of award-winning massage therapy studios. She is an author, mom of two, and serial entrepreneur.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I grew up in a large family in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. I went to Interlochen Arts Academy for my senior year of high school and studied fine art, before moving to NYC to study photography at School of Visual Arts. I had my first baby during Covid, and didn’t get to go to any of the fun “Baby and Me” classes, or mama meet ups, and it was super lonely. I went down this career path at 5 months pregnant to start community for my next baby.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Most play spaces feel a bit like a casino: loud noises, obnoxious music, flashing lights, and are way overstimulating. They can feel dirty, disorganized, overcrowded, and sometimes a little gross. They also definitely cater to an older kid crowd. I decided to open a play space that was calming, and intentionally quiet and nurturing, with wooden toys, good music, good coffee, and that appealed to parents and caregivers. The Canopy is made for the smallest members: babies and toddlers, so that they have a safe, airy, clean space to not get run over by the big kids.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I learned when first starting out was to order the wrong size of hanging light fixtures, not once but twice! They looked ridiculous too large. I’m not very good at guessing when it comes to measurements.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’ve been seriously inspired by Desha Peacock’s interior design books, she’s a big mentor of mine. I attended a retreat workshop that she led in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Desha helped me to spark my creativity and take some personal time to focus and figure out what I really wanted.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
Disrupting an industry is positive when innovation happens that fills a real need. While my neighborhood has some great play spaces for bigger kids, there’s never been one just for babies and toddlers. I think a negative disruption is when an artificially low cost option comes along and harms local businesses by driving costs down.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
1. Self-accountability is important: Tim Ferris says to ask yourself “What am I avoiding?” And to tackle that first, because whatever it is you’re avoiding probably needs the most dealing with.
2. When you encounter a problem, ask yourself “What’s GREAT about this? Why is this happening “FOR” me (rather than “to” me)? When you reframe the question, you get yourself into a better headspace to deal with whatever bumps in the road come along.
3. “Reach out before you burn-out”. Asking for help is not a weakness, learning to delegate efficiently and effectively is a major leadership skill.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I’d love to prove my initial concept and start to look for additional locations for The Canopy NYC.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I find people often don’t give women full credit for their own work. My husband is a lawyer, and people assume this idea is his or that he’s the “brains” behind the operation. While he’s extremely smart and supportive, he works within his own career and I work in mine.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
I love Ari Meisel’s podcast and books. He discusses the levels of delegation within a company, and what you need to do to get out of overwhelm. Every year he suggests taking 70% of your “to do” list off of your plate to make room for more innovation and time, and to pass this down through the whole team.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would focus on creating more empathy and understanding, encouraging people to actively seek to understand perspectives different from their own. This would promote more compassion and unity. By embracing diversity and empathizing with others, we can collectively work towards solving global challenges, fostering inclusivity, and creating a more harmonious world for everyone.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Remember when you wanted what you currently have”. Gratitude helps to slow down and enjoy the moment, especially when you have the tendency to move a goal post or feel overwhelmed.
How can our readers follow you online?
On Instagram @thecanopynyc or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thecanopynyc
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Morcom is a millennial mom of three and founder of Morcom Media, a performance PR shop for thought leaders. She earned her degree in journalism and worked for Canada’s largest social enterprise. She can be reached at vanessa@morcom.media
