Staff Writer
This month, in partnership with AdventHealth for Women, we’re recognizing some of the women in our community who are selflessly giving to others while raising families, supporting their loved ones and/or building their careers. Whether they know it or not, their stories inspire other women near and far.
Meet Juliana Geisler and Sam Geisler
Juliana Geisler and Sam Geisler are two stay-at-home moms who also happen to be sisters-in-law that have worked hard over the last few years to create and brand The Prego Expo. The Prego Expo is the first in Central Florida to connect expecting moms with vendors, products, and services—so they are prepared for their new stage in life. Juliana and Sam want pregnant women to come in and learn something new or feel more settled in their planning, so they are committed to finding the unique businesses that cater to pregnant women and new mothers.
What is your WHY?
Our WHY is to empower the new and expecting mom. The first time you find out you are expecting, you get an overwhelming feeling of happiness AND fear. We have always strived to provide our Prego’s with all the tools they need to choose the right parenting path, not all paths are the same. Parenting is difficult, Prego Expo is there to help guide you.
On your toughest of days, what motivates you to put one foot in front of the other?
Some days are long, some are long and tough. Our motivation has always been to show our kids that you can do anything. Even when you think you have nothing to offer the world, you produce an idea over spaghetti dinner that in the end turns into a powerful brand that brings people together. Our kids have always motivated us both to be our best and continue to be our driving force. They were there from the inception of Prego Expo and continue to be our biggest cheerleaders.
Have you drawn inspiration from other women? Tell us about someone who has inspired you.
We both agree on this, our moms. When we think about our moms and how hard they worked. They didn’t have the opportunity to stay at home, they worked because they had to. Both of our moms worked full time and cared for their families and homes. We knew we wanted to be able to work and be able to spend the time with our kids. We knew how much our moms struggled with balance, and we wanted to figure out how we could do that while doing something we loved.
What is the one word that perfectly explains who you are?
Since there are two of us, we would say we are Perfectly Imperfect.
These two words also describe the journey most parents feel and they need to know that it’s OK! No journey is ever going to be perfect as soon as we realize this, we can really start enjoying our lives.
Would you change anything about how you have handled challenges or successes thus far in your life?
I do not think there is much we would change. With challenges always comes a learning experience. We always say, we learn something from every event we host even now after 8 years.
What are you most proud of?
We can both say without a doubt, we are so proud of the brand and community we have built around The Prego Expo. Our first 5 years were tough, we were the new kids on the block and really had to work hard to put a mark in the baby and event industry. We fortunately survived a pandemic and came out stronger than ever. After 8 years, we can say The Prego Expo is still very much thriving.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced and what did you learn from it?
Our biggest challenge was 2020 and the pandemic. Being an in-person event company, we were so scared. Scared about the future of our brand, scared about how we could continue and not have to let go of any of our employees. Both of us cried like babies but we picked ourselves up and knew we had to do anything and everything in our power to thrive. We learned so much, we learned that you could still host an amazing event, even if it was on a virtual level. We were the first of our kind to successfully host virtual events for moms and families to tune in from all over the world.
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