Today we’d like to introduce you to Darcy Fass.
Hi Darcy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Dr. Darcy Fass. I am a Pediatric Physical Therapist living & working in Orlando, Florida. I was born and raised here and intend to live here for years to come as my family continues to grow. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 3 years and we have an 18 month old sassy, spirited, and silly girl. I graduated with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2017 from the University of Central Florida. I have had an immense passion for the pediatric population since I was a teenager and this career track was honestly a ‘no-brainer’ to me. In high school, I babysat for a family who had a daughter with a very rare genetic syndrome. She would get weekly visits from pediatric therapists, which is where my passion for this field began to ignite. She unfortunately passed away when I was a senior in high school, which led me to pursue all of the prerequisites for becoming a pediatric physical therapist to help little kiddos like her in the future. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel that with every ounce of my being.
Fast forward to when my sister had her first baby 3.5 years ago. She would ask me questions about early child development, ways to play with her baby, and other parenting tips. This is when I decided to take my passion and career to social media! It started by me just posting little video demonstrations or sharing quick tips and tricks on how to support children’s motor development. I had no idea that it would grow to be the platform that it is today, with all of the opportunities it has given me.
This fun hobby that started on Instagram, has turned into a small business venture, Tips and Pediatricks, LLC, that now has over 123k followers on Instagram, over 12k on TikTok, and has helped many kiddos and families across the country and even worldwide! I started Tips and Pediatricks, LLC to serve as a platform to educate & empower parents or caregivers to:
1) Advocate for their child if they are concerned about their gross motor development!
2) Feel safe to share their thoughts and concerns, so that I can guide them!
3) Learn fun & purposeful play ideas (tips & tricks!) that they can incorporate into their daily lives to promote their little one’s gross motor development!
4) Have a community of other parents or caregivers in the same or similar situations (to feel heard!)!
5) Know which baby and kid products out there are actually “worth it” and safe for their child’s development.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a small business never is. Navigating social media as a millennial was trickier than it probably should’ve been, but I grew up in the age prior to the takeover, so I had to cut myself some slack. Early on, when I first started this 3.5 years ago, I was constantly on Youtube looking for tutorials of “How to make a reel on Instagram” or “How to use TikTok” and was up way later than I should’ve been just studying what it would take to “make it” on social media. I never really intended on growing as fast as I did or to the magnitude that it is now. It was just a small little hobby at the time where I could create content that I was passionate about and get it out to those that needed it the most. Some other struggles came along the way in the form of intense imposter syndrome. Social Media can be a pretty toxic place, so if you’re not strong in your intentions and stick to it, no matter what cyber bullies are typing behind their computers, then you’re likely to fail. I definitely felt like giving up a few times early on because I wasn’t really growing as quick as I wanted and it seemed like everyone that was doing something similar to me, was so much more successful or at least appeared to have it all together. I’m glad I stuck with it, and again, it helped that I am extremely passionate about my career and educating/empowering parents on how to encourage their child’s motor development. I now have a community of 123k followers on Instagram that I’m so grateful for!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Tips and Pediatricks, LLC is set up to be a resource for parents and caregivers on how to navigate their child’s motor skill development. It has grown to be way more than what it was initially intended to be. It is meant to provide caregivers with “tips and tricks” that are easily replicated at home to encourage their child’s motor skills. It is meant to help ease the worries of caregivers when it comes to their little one’s development, especially with ALL of the other information out there that can be super overwhelming to parents, especially first time ones! I wanted to be a one stop shop, where I would be able to answer questions regarding all things related to child development. Most of my resources are completely free because they are public on social media. I have FREE downloadable “guides” available on my website with a few that I offer at a very small cost. I just started a series of guides that will work as “POCKET GUIDES” meant to be quick and easy references for caregivers on a variety of skills that they may need to troubleshoot with their little ones (tummy time, sitting, rolling, crawling, walking, etc.). I used to offer virtual developmental consults where I would help a parent problem solve their little one’s motor skill struggles via video call, however, I had to take a pause on those when my daughter was born 1.5 years ago, so that I could focus on being a mother AND working my corporate job (remember, this is just my side hustle). I think the thing that sets me apart is that I’m relatable. I have followers messaging me ALL of the time, that just simply express that they like to see that my day-to-day is not this picture perfect motherhood with a spotless mansion in the background, which is something you tend to see all over social media these days. I really strive to be real with my audience and I think that’s what has helped me grow so much, so fast. With all of that being said, if you are a parent/caregiver or are expecting, I feel that I can be a great resource for you! Follow me over on Instagram to grab all of my FREE educational resources, to ask your questions, and to check out my parenthood journey, right along side of you!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Likes: I love that there are SO many things to do, always. You will NEVER run out of things to do. From free events all the way up to Theme Parks. We have it all here. Farmer’s markets on the weekends. Kayaking in local lakes. Driving only 45 minutes to the beach if you want. So many good restaurants and breweries. Great place to raise a family.
Dislikes: TRAFFIC. I-4. Tourism in the Summer at the theme parks – I will just try to avoid going to the parks on Weekends, especially in the Summer months.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tipsandpediatricks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tips_and_pediatricks/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TipsandPediatricks
- Other: tiktok.com/@tipsandpediatricks
