A Toast to the 2017 APNA Conference
The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) met this year in our headquarters and hometown of Denver, Colorado! Being right next door, we were so excited to have a chance to stay near Union Station at the Hotel Kimpton Born, and to have a chance to socialize and learn from and with our fellow nanny agencies across the country.
Rachelle Gershkovich, Owner, Maternal Instincts
Our Biggest Takeaways
We of course get so much out of every APNA Conference, but some of the biggest lessons this year were around the idea of your brand and brand story. We love Adventure Nannies because they have an entire adventure theme on their website and materials for families. And… they have the coolest business card!! I mean… luggage tag! You see, their company is all about active families who love to travel. So, their store speaks just to that! We love it. Thank you Shenendoah Davis for your awesome branding presentation!
Another takeaway? What to do when things go wrong. Yes, things do go wrong sometimes (shocking!!). Sometimes nannies have a personality clash with a family, or perhaps something more egregious such as suspected theft. We learned about a story with a nanny who had a debit card exactly the same style as the family’s card they give to her for daily expenses. When the family found a charge for a Vegas vacation on their card, they were livid and called theft. However, upon investigation, the similar card issue was discovered and the situation was able to be resolved.
Learning this was so critical! Situations like these can happen any time and having a plan that is respectful to all parties is the best route. Plan ahead for what you’ll do in an emergency and when the time comes, your business can stand strong following the procedures you have already thoughtfully put in place. Huge thanks to Kim Winblood of Mom’s Best Friend agency for that right to the point presentation!
Agencies Across the Country
It is always such a pleasure to connect with other agency owners and nannies. We get to see what it’s like to be a nanny agency in New York City, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Houston, San Diego and more. And, as an agency that values education and growth in our field, APNA delivered this year on their promise of content to help us all do even better jobs for our families and for the nannies we employ. We also learned how to more creatively tell our agency story and show the families we work with what exactly sets us apart.
Special thanks to the agencies that we met and attended, including Nannies and Housekeepers USA, Family First Travel Nannies, Joanna’s Nannies, Care.com, Rose’s Agency, Nannies by Noa, Bright Horizons, Avitus Group, Stephanie Breedlove, Tom Breedlove, Angeles Mannies, Stanford Park Nannies, Find the Right Nanny, Nannies Plus, Aunt Ann’s In-House Staffing, The Nanny Loft Foundation, Cloud 9 Nannies, First Steps with Mandi, Adventure Nannies, ABC Nannies & Domestics, Inc., The Nanny Network, Inc., Valpo Nannies, LLC, Tallan Resources, Four O Six Nannies, Choice Parenting, HomeWork Solutions, Nannease, Trusting Connections, TLC for Kids, DEMA, International Nanny Association, Town & Country Resources, Nannies By The Bay, Your Happy Nest Nanny & Babysitting Agency, The Help Company, Preferred ChildCare, College Nannies, Sitters + Tutors, Legally Nanny, White House Nannies, GTM Payroll Services, Choose the Right Nanny, Westside Nannies, Kith & Kin Household Staffing Agency, Avitus, TruDilligence, Tax4Nanny Ltd., Smart Sitting, PFC Information Services, Inc., The Nanny Joynt, The OIS Group, White House Nannies, The Nanny Connection, A Caring Nanny, Mom’s Best Friend, Philadelphia Nanny Network, Inc., Newborn Care Solutions, Perfect Nanny Match, A New England Nanny, Cincy Nanny, Tender Loving Nannies, Inc., Personal Touch Career Services, Sitter.me, Your Happy Nest Nanny & Babysitting Agency, E-Nanny, HouseholdStaffing.com, College Nannies, Sitters + Tutors, VIP Nannies, Inc., Family Helpers, and Maternal Instincts.
About APNA
The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies is an organization over 20 years old that is the standing leader in support for our industry. They help to promote best business practices and hiring practices as well as upholding a high level of ethics. Each APNA member also agrees to uphold the ethical standards of practice. Each year, the conference brings together premier nanny agencies from across the country to learn how to be even better nannies and household staff, how to be better managers to our nanny team, how to get our agency name out better, and how to be better all around for the families we serve. Thank you APNA, from Rachelle and your friends at Maternal Instincts!
