Makenzie Lewendal is a certified lactation counselor, fitness junkie, outdoors lover, self-described foodie, and an entrepreneur at heart, but above all else, she’s a mama. Born and raised in the Bozeman, Montana, area, Makenzie was naturally drawn to a career in real estate as a way to help ordinary Montanans live their dreams.
Before launching Bébé Bru, she earned her brokerage license and was heading up her own thriving practice in the Gallatin Valley, with over $19 million in sales in 2022.
The birth of her daughter, Brooklyn, changed everything for Makenzie, both in her day-to-day life and in the larger picture.
“I think the biggest thing that changed for me after having Brooklyn was that I didn’t feel like my current career was really helping anyone,” says Makenzie, who was ultimately inspired to start Bébé Bru as a result of that shift in attitude.
As a working mom, Makenzie also felt conflicted about wanting to engage in her career, continue traveling, and living her life⸺without compromising her baby’s health and nutrition.
“As moms, we often feel the guilt of being excited to go to work,” she says. “It doesn’t mean we don’t love our littles…but we also crave and desire the impact we are making on the world when we are producing and creating.”
One area where Makenzie really saw that conflict magnified was with breastfeeding.
She realized there was a need to specifically support mamas like her, who struggled to continue feeding their babies breast milk while leading full and productive lives. Makenzie became a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor through the International Doula Institute and began working with other moms to offer breastfeeding support.
“The more women I talk to, the more they tell me how challenging breastfeeding was for them,” says Makenzie. “I had some help right after having Brooklyn, but I wish I would have sought more help, and I think it may have increased the duration I breastfed/pumped. I wanted this to be a component of Bebe,” she says.
These days, Makenzie is using her considerable energy and passion to build Bébé Bru into a business that will provide the kind of support she craved as a new mama.
“I want to be able to help educate and empower moms on this journey,” she says.
In her precious downtime, Makenzie loves to cook, experience the great outdoors, and spend time with her husband and soul mate, Jake.
Fitness is also a significant part of Makenzie’s life. Whether taking in the scenery on a hike or hitting it hard at the gym, Makenzie prioritizes getting in a good sweat and has become a sought-after resource for health and wellness advice in her community.
She also launched a YouTube video series in 2022, “My Montana,” in which she interviews successful female entrepreneurs and continues to practice real estate on the side.
Despite her busy schedule and the fact that she “doesn’t believe in doing anything less than 100%”, Makenzie’s first priority will always be her family. She believes that all of the challenges of working motherhood and the process of starting Bébé Bru will benefit not only mamas but their little ones, too.
“They will grow up knowing they can be anything they want to be. They are learning the meaning of hard work and patience from a young age. They will be inspired to live their dreams,” Makenzie says.