Kaitlin Chamberlain
Reno native and entrepreneur Kaitlin Chamberlain believes in helping families find nannies that pair as well together as peanut butter and jelly.
Chamberlain recently launched a boutique nanny agency called The PB+J Collective. The business provides babysitting, temporary nanny services as well as full-time nannies for families in the Reno-Tahoe region.
As the oldest of six children, Chamberlain began caring for young children at an early age.
“That was just kind of my role in the family to take care of my brothers and sisters and to be a positive example to them,” she said.
Chamberlain would commonly babysit for her and other families growing up. She started working as a nanny at the age of 19 while attending Truckee Meadows Community College. She later went on to pursue a degree in multimedia communications at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with the goal of being a scriptwriter. As she began her writing career, she struggled to find gratification in her work and found herself continually drawn to the childcare industry.
“I took a step back and (realized that) being a nanny was the one thing in my life that always really fulfilled me,” Chamberlain said.
She moved back to Reno two years ago and decided to use her more than 10 years of experience as a nanny to open her own agency.
“I just decided to go for it,” she said.
While Chamberlain is well versed in childcare, owning a business is a new venture for her. She explained that in preparation for opening The PB+J Collective she spoke to many other business owners, conducted extensive research and attended workshops at the Small Business Association in San Francisco.
“I wanted to go into it as informed as I possibly could on the business side of things,” Chamberlain said.
She acquired the business license for her agency last August but did not start ramping up until two months ago.
“I didn’t want to get too big too quickly and not be able to deliver,” she said.
She currently has four families paired with nannies, employs 15 nannies and is continuing to grow.
“Reno has been so receptive to me and my agency,” Chamberlain said.
She explained that operating a boutique agency allows her to works closely with families to match them with services that work best for them and their budget.
“Being a nanny has always been regarded as something that wealthy people have,” Chamberlain said. However, “in today’s economy, most families need two parents working.”
All of the perspective nannies in her agency undergo extensive background checks as well as several interviews and trial meetings. Chamberlain also goes with the nanny when they meet a family, on their first day with the family and conducts monthly check-ins.
She also continues to work part-time as a nanny and said that she enjoys being a positive role model for children.
“My hope is that more families and more children will get to have these positive role models in their life,” she said.
The PB+J Collective is currently accepting additional families and nannies. For more information, visit www.pbjnanny.com.
