1) Provide an overview of your company and how many hours you work. -Last November, we were planning a family trip to Hawaii. I began searching for a gogo Kidz Travelmate stroller after being told that this was a must have for our travels. We were so tired of carrying heavy car seats, plus children, plus luggage through the airports! The gogo Kidz Travelmate simply attaches to a convertible car seat and allows you to push your child, in their own car seat, through the airport. After seeing the price to purchase one new, I quickly concluded it would be more cost effective to rent one for our 10 day trip. After doing online research, to my surprise, I discovered there were no places in the Seattle area to rent these specific strollers. I was shocked and disappointed. We further decided to rent a crib, high chair, exersaucer, box of toys, and a stroller from a rental company in Hawaii. That was the point the light bulb finally went off! We could open a baby equipment rental business in the Seattle area and not only rent cribs, car seats, high chairs, etc., but ALSO the gogo Kidz Travelmate stroller!! A month after returning home from Hawaii my husband and I opened Tiny Tots Travel, LLC., a full service baby equipment rental company. We are proud to say our equipment is JPMA certified, high quality, sanitized and safety checked prior to each rental, and top rated in consumer reviews. Initially I put in several hours per week; I was working on getting the website up and running, designing brochures, and marketing to our select target customers. Now the hours vary between 5-15 hours per week, but I have been warned that January thru March are the 'slow' months for baby gear rental companies. They say to expect a large influx of customers come spring and summer time, so we are ready and I expect the number of hours I am working to substantially increase.


2) Provide an overview of your home life, how many children you have, childcare arrangement, if married your husbands career and how you share the responsibilities at home. -We have three beautiful children, Adelyn is 1, Reichen is 4, & Colby is our oldest at 6. I am a stay at home mom with the home based business, Tiny Tots Travel, LLC. My husband does property management and we are lucky he has a great deal of flexibility with his job hours. He is able to help me with the company deliveries and share in the joy of our children's afternoon activities. There is rarely a dull moment around our house, but I wouldn't change any part of it. We are a great team! I feel lucky to be able to be at home with my children and run a business all at the same time. Starting up Tiny Tots Travel, LLC., has allowed me to fulfill a yearning I have always had. To use my mind and gain knowledge in terms of marketing, management, and customer relations has been very exciting and rewarding. Yet, being able to tend to my children and be there for all their firsts is a wonderful gift and experience.


3) Are there certain organizations or individuals who have been the greatest influence and support in terms of assisting with your career and business decisions. -There is no doubt that my father, Jeff Kirby, has been the greatest influence on me and was a large part of my inspiration to start Tiny Tots Travel, LLC. He started his own security business from scratch over 25 years ago at the age of 29. He was his first security guard and had one client. Today his business, Puget Sound Security Patrol, a Bellevue based company, is a multimillion dollar corporation with well over 250 security guards. He has instilled several values in me that will no doubt continue to influence my business decisions. When I have a question related to my company, he is always there to lead me in the right direction. He is careful to not give me the quick and easy answer, but with some direction and support, he encourages me to search and discover on my own. I think when you grow up around such a business minded father, a sort of 'osmosis' occurs and you subconsciously have a business molded brain.


4) Of your female friends with children how many of them continue to work now that they have children. Are they entrepreneurs, work full-time, part-time, job share? -I would say half of my friends work part-time, and the other half are stay at home moms. I think a couple of them have the entrepreneurial spirit, but are waiting for the right time.


5) Can you offer any advice for achieving a balance between your family life and your career. - I don't have the easy answer on this one. I think balancing family life and a career is very challenging, but that is what makes both so rewarding. I take it one day at a time. There is no need to achieve everything all in one day. I frequently have to remind myself of this. My children are often the ones to tell me to slow down. It is amazing what a game of Candy Land can do for your spirit!<