Hidden Gems: Meet Manu Brune of Rooted Connections Collective

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manu Brune.

Hi Manu, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into this work began long before I ever called it a career. It started when I became a mother.
After my first child was born, I experienced a really difficult postpartum period. I struggled with postpartum anxiety and felt incredibly unprepared for what life after birth actually looked like. We spend so much time preparing for pregnancy, labor, and delivery—but almost no one prepares parents for what happens after you leave the hospital. The emotional shifts, the identity changes, the exhaustion, the relationship dynamics, the responsibility of caring for a tiny human…it was overwhelming.
Not long after, I found out I was pregnant again—something I didn’t think would happen naturally. While it was a gift, it also brought a new layer of anxiety. I’m an only child, and suddenly I was facing questions I didn’t know how to answer: How do I raise siblings when I never experienced that dynamic myself? How do I support two children emotionally? How do I do this well?

Around the same time, I began working as a postpartum doula because I wanted other parents to feel the support and reassurance I had needed so desperately in those early months. That experience led me to create the Postpartum Secrets Masterclass, a course designed to prepare parents for the reality of life after birth—because while we prepare extensively for the birth itself, very few parents are truly prepared for postpartum life.

During that time, I found and started taking parent coaching training classes with Jai. The work was deeply heart-centered and focused not just on behavior, but on the emotional experience of both parent and child. It resonated with me in a way nothing else had. I fell in love with the approach and eventually completed my Master Certified Parent Coach certification.

As my work with families grew, I also saw a huge need for support around sleep. I became a pediatric sleep consultant after navigating my own child’s sleep challenges. Many of the traditional approaches didn’t resonate with me, and through my training in parent coaching, I realized there was a more compassionate and individualized way to help families. My work today integrates sleep science with nervous system awareness and emotional support for both parents and children.

Over time, I found myself going deeper and deeper with families—not just supporting babies, but helping parents understand their own patterns, triggers, and nervous systems. I eventually pursued additional certification through PlayStrong in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) with a neurorelational focus, so I could work more directly with children as well.

Today, through Rooted Connections Collective, I support families from the newborn stage through college with sleep support, potty training, parent coaching, and nervous system–informed guidance. My goal is to help parents feel confident, regulated, and connected—so they can build secure, lasting relationships with their children.

Because at the end of the day, parenting isn’t about perfection. It’s about connection.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like many people who build something heart-centered, my work grew out of my own struggles.
The early years of motherhood were incredibly humbling for me. I experienced postpartum anxiety, chronic sleep deprivation, and the emotional weight of feeling responsible for another human life while also trying to figure out who I was becoming as a mother. When my second pregnancy happened sooner than expected, that anxiety intensified. I was suddenly navigating two young children without a blueprint for how to do it well.
Professionally, building this work has also required a lot of courage. Parent coaching and nervous system–informed support are still newer concepts for many families, and sometimes people come looking for quick behavioral fixes rather than deeper relational work. Part of the challenge has been helping parents understand that lasting change doesn’t come from controlling children’s behavior—it comes from understanding ourselves, our nervous systems, and the relationship we’re building with our kids.
There’s also the reality of building something meaningful while raising a family. Much of Rooted Connections Collective was built during nap times, late nights, and early mornings. Balancing motherhood, continued education, and growing a business required a lot of patience with myself and a willingness to grow alongside the families I serve.
But in many ways, those challenges are also what shaped the work. My experiences allowed me to approach families not just with training and certifications, but with empathy and lived understanding. The obstacles helped me build something that is grounded in compassion, realism, and the belief that parents deserve support too.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Rooted Connections Collective was created to support families in a more connected, compassionate way. Our work is grounded in the belief that parenting challenges are rarely just behavioral—they are often connected to nervous system regulation, attachment, family dynamics, and the emotional well-being of both parent and child.

Many parents initially come to us for practical challenges like sleep or behavior, but what they often discover is that when we support the relationship and the nervous system first, the rest becomes much easier to navigate.

One of the things that sets our work apart is that we integrate emotional coaching, developmental science, and nervous system awareness into traditionally behavioral areas like sleep training and parenting support. Families don’t receive rigid scripts or one-size-fits-all plans. Instead, we help them understand their child, their own patterns as parents, and how to create rhythms and boundaries that support connection and regulation for the entire family.

In addition to supporting families directly, I also train professionals. Through our Rise Academy Pediatric Sleep Consultant Certification, we teach sleep consultants how to approach sleep support through a nervous system–first lens. The goal is to move beyond rigid methods and equip practitioners to support both children and parents with empathy, developmentally informed guidance, and individualized care.

Ultimately, Rooted Connections Collective exists to help families feel less alone, more confident, and more connected in their parenting journey.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think what many people call luck is often a mix of timing, openness, and the willingness to keep learning.
In my own journey, some of the moments that looked like “luck” from the outside were actually born from really difficult seasons. My struggles with postpartum anxiety, sleep deprivation, and the emotional weight of early motherhood pushed me to start asking deeper questions about parenting, connection, and regulation. That search ultimately led me into the work I do today.
I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to learn from teachers and mentors who shaped my perspective, particularly in heart-centered parent coaching and nervous system–informed work. Finding those programs at the right time in my life felt like luck—but I also had to be willing to lean into the discomfort of growth and follow the path when it opened.
In building Rooted Connections Collective, there have certainly been moments of good timing—meeting the right families, connecting with professionals who share similar values, and seeing a growing awareness that parents need more compassionate support.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that what people often call luck is usually the result of staying curious, staying open, and continuing to show up for the work that matters.

Pricing:

• The Cocoon Sleep Package – $650
• Single Parent Coaching Session – $125

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rootedconnectionscollective.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondbirthbasics/