We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joshua & Kara Plummer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Joshua & Kara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
My wife Kara and I stumbled upon the idea for Destination Baby Co during one of our family trips when our 6-month-old daughter outgrew her travel bassinet. The prospect of lugging expensive baby gear around and dealing with extra work didn’t sit well with us. We discovered the option to rent baby gear, which proved to be smooth, convenient, and affordable. This realization excited us and made us think that we wouldn’t have to transport our own gear while traveling.
The turning point was during Thanksgiving of 2021. We were in a hotel room, eating off paper plates, and reflecting on our family’s treasure trove of baby gear. We realized that since we lived in a touristy area, there was an opportunity to offer this service locally. We thought it might bring in a few extra hundred bucks per month or cover our travel expenses. We decided to take the leap, and within two weeks, we had our first order.
Our early success motivated us to continue. We received a few orders in the first month, which doubled in the second month, and doubled again in the third. This pattern persisted for the first five months, solidifying our belief that this could be a real job. We conducted market research, leveraging our past sales and marketing experiences to understand how to market our services more effectively. Within 11 months, we became the largest and fastest-growing baby gear rental company in San Diego, surpassing businesses that had been around for years.
Joshua & Kara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Tell us about yourself:
Answer:
My name is Joshua Plummer, and I co-own Destination Baby Co with my wife, Kara. We’re a family-oriented business with a passion for helping other families travel comfortably.
What services you provide:
Answer:
At Destination Baby Co, we specialize in renting and cleaning baby gear for traveling families. Additionally, we offer a unique sitter service to make family vacations more enjoyable and hassle-free.
What problems you solve:
Answer:
We solve the common challenge of traveling with babies and young children by providing clean, safe, and affordable baby gear. Our cleaning service saves time for local families, and our babysitter service ensures that parents can enjoy their vacations without stress.
What sets us apart from the competition:
Answer:
What sets us apart is our commitment to exceptional customer service, communication, and flexibility. We understand the unique needs of traveling parents and provide a personalized experience that our competitors often miss. Our core values, including Family, Community, Honesty, and Empathy, guide our approach.
What are you most proud of:
Answer:
We’re most proud of the incredible team we’ve built, the community we serve, and the numerous 5-star reviews we’ve received from satisfied customers. These testimonials reflect our dedication to making travel with kids easier and more enjoyable.
What do we want customers to know about us:
Answer:
We want our customers to know that our mission is to make baby gear clean, safe, and accessible for all families. When they choose Destination Baby Co, they’re not just getting high-quality gear but also a dedicated team that genuinely cares about their travel experience.
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Did your side hustle turn into your main/full-time business or career?
Answer:
Yes, our side hustle quickly transformed into our full-time business. I was working as an account manager for a Fortune 500 company, and while I found the work fulfilling, it was just a job. The idea of helping other families and allowing them to create lasting memories with their children was deeply appealing to me. About a year into our venture and after extensive discussions with my family, we decided it was time to go all-in.
How it scaled up to where it is today?
Answer:
We started small, operating from our garage and gradually expanding into a guest bedroom and a nearby storage unit as our order volume grew. The need for more space became apparent, leading us to secure a 2,000 sqft warehouse to store our gear and run our cleaning services. As our business expanded, we realized the importance of building a competent team. We hired a Marketing Manager/Sitter Coordinator, an admin assistant, and drivers as demand increased. We listened to our customers, who showed us the potential to serve local families through baby gear cleaning services. We also added babysitting services to cater to the needs of both local and traveling families.
Key milestones:
Answer:
Some of our key milestones included transitioning from our corporate jobs to running Destination Baby Co full-time. We also consider our rapid growth and the establishment of a strong team as crucial milestones. Additionally, the positive feedback and reviews we received from satisfied customers were pivotal in validating our mission and approach.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Yes, several resources have been instrumental in shaping my management and entrepreneurial thinking. The top three books that have had a significant influence are:
“Traction” by Gino Wickman.
“Entreleadership” by Dave Ramsey.
“Scaling Up” by Verne Harnish.
I’d also recommend following Gary Vaynerchuck’s content on LinkedIn, which has been a valuable source of entrepreneurial insights and motivation. Additionally, I found “The Narrative Gym (ABT)” by Randy Olson and Park Howell to be an enlightening resource in crafting effective storytelling. These resources have greatly contributed to our growth and success at Destination Baby Co.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.destinationbabyco.com
- Instagram: instatgram/destination.baby.co