Tracey Frost was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. She is now a New Yorker who has lived in the city for 20 years. Tracey came from an incredibly successful career in banking. Throughout her 15 year career, she always dreamt about starting her own business. As soon as she identified a need in the marketplace for something better for New York families, she jumped on the opportunity to start Citibabes. Tracey left her banking job in 2004 and launched her company. Citibabes offers a wide range of classes that creates a fun and educational environment for young children. She and her husband live in Tribeca with their two beautiful daughters. Tracey is also passionate and dedicated to helping children in need. She has run the NYC Marathon for the past 3 years with the Scarlett Fund, a charity raising money for pediatric cancer research. Read on to meet this incredible Beyond Mom!
What makes you a Beyond Mom?
I think it’s the idea of wanting to do my best in every aspect of my life. I know that seems like a tall task, but I feel it is a noble goal! Some women are fortunate enough to have flexibility in the roles they play as mothers and in their own careers. That flexibility allows us the opportunity to really try and define what works and what doesn’t. I think we all need to figure out where our boundaries are and then work to create roles that allow us to be the moms we strive to be and have the careers we want. For me, after working in finance for almost 15 years, I knew I wanted something that was more flexible but still very challenging and rewarding, so I started Citibabes. Luckily, I was able to create the opportunity to be both the mom and the career woman I wanted to be.
What are the parts of you that have grown and expanded since becoming a mom?
Where do I start? Literally every part. I am a mother of two daughters who are beautiful inside and out. Natasha is 12 and Chloe is 9. As far as growing and expanding as a mother, I would say that I have never known such love and friendship. Every day I see my girls evolve into the women they will one day become, and right now it’s my job to nurture the environment to support them. That requires me to step back from problem solving (one of my favorite pastimes) and simply observe. This is a very new skill for me! At the same time, I feel such a responsibility to be a role model for them–in everything I do. I have also become a lot better at handling stress and I am trying very hard to multitask less and be more present in the moment. The world they are growing up in is so different from the one I enjoyed in Sydney, Australia 40 years ago. I want them to have all the tools they need to navigate that world.
Can you share a collaboration/success story with another woman? What helped the collaboration become successful?
Through Citibabes, I have collaborated with so many women during the past 12 years, including with incredibly successful brands such as SoulCycle and Anna Kaiser from AKT. I would say that 99% of our partnerships over the years have been with women, and I truly love that. However, by far the best collaborations have been with my amazingly talented staff. I have worked with a long list of young women who continue to surprise me everyday. We are a very lean team with not a lot of resources, so we really need everyone to take ownership of what they do. We would certainly not be the brand we are today without the hard work and brilliant ideas that these girls have brought to the table!
What relationships help you stay connected to yourself?
Without question, it is my family here in New York and back at home in Sydney. I remain extremely close with some very old friends that I grew up with in Sydney, as well. They have diverse careers and live all over the world, but are wonderful sounding boards on the very tough days. My closest girlfriends here in New York are mostly women I met at Citibabes when my daughters were babies. Those friends have been incredibly important both personally and professionally as my own personal focus group on all things to do with raising children in NYC. My husband has also been amazingly supportive, and I could not wish for a better father for my girls.
Do you have a ‘Beyond’ dream that you are pursuing?
Yes! Citibabes is opening a brand new Tribeca location in Fall 2017. What we have found at 142 Duane Street is the perfect space that allows us to stay true to our mission to serve the entire downtown community. The large three-leveled, light-filled building contains 7 classrooms for our preschool program, including Spanish and Mandarin immersion classes. The split-level layout not only allows us to offer full-day child care and extended day programming for children 12 months old and up, but also gives us room to provide extensive enrichment programming for the entire community. We envision our new home as a destination play space for all of our families. We’re so excited to be joining the Tribeca community–it has become the epicenter for families downtown. We want to open additional locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the next 10 years, and this new space will serve as a template for our locations going forward.
What wellness activity can you not live without? What is one thing you do daily that balances you?
I need to move. If I don’t have time for exercise, then I’ll walk to every meeting and even to pick up my girls at school. I am a huge runner–I love it and rely on it for my physical and mental wellness. I’ve run the marathon the past 3 years for the Scarlett Fund, a charity started by my dear friend and powerhouse Jennifer James (a Citibabes alum), whose daughter was diagnosed with cancer at age 6. She started this charity 3 years ago and has personally raised $2 million. I live on the west side highway, so I’ve trained every year by running up and down its beautiful running track. The longest run I’ve done there is 20 miles. I also do a lot to “support” my running habit. I live for yoga and I do gyrotonics religiously. I also have a daily meditation practice that I sometimes do in my yoga class or on a walk. My favorite time for meditation is with my girls before I go to bed, using a wonderful Australian App called Smiling Mind.
How does style influence the way you stay feeling ‘Beyond’? Who is currently your favorite designer?
I am a huge believer in marching to your own drum. I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, so my style and taste will always be a little different. I definitely like to keep it “simple but effective.” I have a lot of wonderful friends that are legitimate style mavens, so I rely on them when I’m looking for something special. My good friend Beth Buccini is one of the founders of Kirna Zabete. It’s the perfect store for me. They specialize in what’s hot right now, from the best jeans to ball gowns. My other good friends started Covetnyc.com, which keeps track of all the new trends and hot new designers. I am also a big fan of a couple Aussie brands: Zimmerman, Bassike and the The Upside.
Favorite Local Spots that Embody The Beyond Mom:
So I have to admit, I am slightly obsessed with healthy eating. I love anything that serves really cutting-edge healthy food. I love Sweetgreen, Kaffe 1668 and Juice Press and I have been known to hunt down the local Le Pain Quotidien for its Iced Green Tea. I also love The Butcher’s Daughter and Two Hands (the new Aussie place in Tribeca). My favorite restaurant in NYC is ABC Kitchen, and I am so excited to try their new vegetarian version, ABCV.
Beyond Workout:
I love Yoga Vida for yoga–their teachers and classes are amazing. I also love AKT in motion, SLT and Barry’s Bootcamp. I am also loving a new class called Bodies by P. Stephen. These classes are insanely good. I also work from time to time with a company called Namaste. It’s run by Julie Wald, another Citibabes alum, and they send yoga, meditation or massage therapists to your home. They are all vetted and incredibly knowledgeable.
Beyond Shopping:
My first stop is always Kirna Zabete. I also love No 6 store, Isabel Marant, and Steven Alan. And for beauty products, I am so excited that Knockout Beauty has just opened in Bloomingdale’s Soho. They carry everything I need in the latest cosmetics.
