Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP #51: From Generosity to Fulfillment: Katy's Journey with Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions and Overcoming Pandemic Challenges

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Katy Encalade with Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions a good neighbor?

What happens when an ordinary person decides to take an extraordinary step to help others? Join us for an emotional and enlightening episode where Katy from Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions shares her remarkable journey of becoming an egg donor and surrogate. Dispelling common myths, Katy reveals the compassionate heart of surrogacy, showing that it’s not reserved just for the wealthy. Learn how her agency goes beyond matchmaking — offering concierge services that ensure families battling infertility get the comprehensive support they need. Katy also opens up about the unique challenges her business faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the pivotal role of teamwork and adaptability.

In our heartfelt conversation, Katy explores the profound joy and fulfillment that comes from helping create happy families through egg donation and surrogacy. She encourages listeners to think about how they might contribute to these life-changing processes. Additionally, Katy takes a moment to reflect on the positive interaction with our host, Sophia, expressing her gratitude for being featured. As we wrap up, we invite you to support community engagement by nominating your favorite local businesses for future episodes. Don't miss this inspiring discussion that offers both practical insights and a glimpse into the impactful world of surrogacy and egg donation.

to learn more about Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions go to:
https://createahappyfamily.com/

Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions

972-675-7240

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you in need of an egg donor or surrogate solution agency? Surprisingly, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to your neighbor, katie and Kaleid, with Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions. Katie, how are you doing today? I'm doing well.

Speaker 3:

Sophia, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2:

Of course, we're excited to learn all about you and your business. Can you tell us a little bit about Egg Donor and Surrogate Solutions?

Speaker 3:

So in what you said in the intro, anybody who made an egg donor or surrogate? Did you know that one in six families struggle with infertility? So that number has actually increased, I guess, over the last few years. So as an agency, we create happy families by matching them with caring women who are willing to give selflessly of themselves as an egg donor or surrogate not both and then we guide and support them through their journey to a baby.

Speaker 2:

And how did you get into this business?

Speaker 3:

So I myself have personal experience through egg donation and surrogacy. So when I was in college, I chose to be an egg donor and helped a family in that way now, good gracious, a really, really long time ago and then I was a surrogate after having my three kiddos. So I had worked in the egg donor industry and then I became a surrogate after having my three kids in order to help a family.

Speaker 3:

So I just saw that the industry was dominated by a few key players who weren't really focusing on the concierge service and the relationship with both parties, and our agency really works to foster that connection through such an exciting journey.

Speaker 2:

And I was just about to ask you what are the myths or misconceptions in your industry?

Speaker 3:

Wow, where to start on that? So, first of all, we serve normal families. We don't serve a bunch of celebrities. While that is what you will see in the tabloids that there are celebrities that need surrogates, most don't speak that they need an egg donor, but they probably do if they're over 40. So that's a misconception. I think that people are just surrogates for the rich and famous. We work with normal people here and DFW and all over the United States and actually internationally. So I think that's one misconception that it's just for elite people who can go through this process. But no, we work with teachers and accountants and everything that you can think of. I have a couple of misconceptions probably.

Speaker 3:

But, egg donors and surrogates truly are committed to helping and serving and, yes, they are compensated for their time and effort, risk and the process, but our egg donors and surrogates have huge hearts that truly want to help people Some people wonder about. There's definitely qualifications that people feel like are misconceptions, and so that's women who choose to donate are healthy, usually 21 to 28, have a good family health history and, as for surrogates, they are not giving up a baby, so they are just the oven helping a family. So our surrogates are not genetically related to the babies that they carry, it's just we. We sometimes call it extreme babysitting.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and outside of work, what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3:

Well, I have three teenagers that keep me quite busy, so that's a big part of where my time goes. I enjoy reading historical fiction, any type of leadership or self-help. I do a lot of running and enjoy going to the gym to decompress, and I enjoy serving on an advisory board of my local church here.

Speaker 2:

Well, let's go ahead and change gears for a second. I know we've talked about a lot of the positives, but, as you know, life isn't always the most positive. So can you describe one hardship or life challenge? You rose above and can now say because of it, you're better and stronger. When I say that for you, what comes to mind?

Speaker 3:

Is it fair to say COVID. I think owning a small business was scary during that timeframe. Building a family and what we do at Donation and Surrogacy was named as non-essential, and so overnight our organization shut down from an aspect of new families, but we still had people to serve and we're still walking people through their donor and surrogacy journeys. But it was harder than before because there was a lot of things to navigate. We still had payroll but we had zero revenue because of what happened with COVID. And so I was really honest and transparent with our team and we collaborated and we made shifts and ultimately it did make our team stronger and myself stronger as a leader, and I attribute a lot of that to just the team culture that we had built and that true character of our team as a whole. But I think just the challenge that that brought and having to shift from what we had always done to adapt to what our world was and still be successful, 2020 was still one of our best years. I consider that a challenge that was overcome.

Speaker 2:

And what was the biggest lesson you learned through that time, from that challenge?

Speaker 3:

Um the importance of teamwork, collaboration and transparency and vulnerability with the people closest to you.

Speaker 2:

Katie, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about egg donor and surrogate solutions.

Speaker 3:

Well, we are such a niche company and the service offering many people don't ask questions or even consider how they could be a part of helping somebody as an egg donor or surrogate. So I wish people just considered what they could do and reached out to see if helping a family was something that they could do for someone else.

Speaker 2:

And how can our listeners learn more about egg donor and surrogate solutions?

Speaker 3:

So, we always have a team ready to answer any questions, but most people like social or online. So you can find us at createahappyfamilycom. They can check out our Me, you and who podcast, which can be found anywhere that they're finding this podcast. That's available. It has a lot of stories about others who have walked this journey and, of course, educational information, tiktok and Instagram. We're at Create a Happy Family as well, and on Facebook at Donor and Surrogate Solutions.

Speaker 2:

Well, katie, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you, Sophia. It was a good time and I appreciate you taking the time.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Friscocom. That's GNP Friscococom, or call 469-221-9345.