Meet Kala Saenz

We recently connected with Kala Saenz and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kala, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?

In January 2024, I received a phone call letting me know that I was being laid off (ironically on my 10 year anniversary with the company). It was the third round of mass layoffs that the company had completed and I was completely blindsided. It was such a humbling moment for me because I was in the Human Resources department and was generally in the know with all of the happenings, but of course leadership kept this particular announcement close to the chest. I thought my role at the company was necessary to keep operations afloat, in a sense I felt untouchable because I held certain knowledge of processes and procedures that no one else in the company was familiar with. After I was knocked off my high horse, I really understood what it meant to be disposable within a company, particularly within a corporate environment.

Little did I know, getting laid off would be one of the greatest blessings of my adult life. Since Covid, I had been extremely burnt out and knew in my heart that the corporate world was not for me. So, after the shock of being let go wore off (and trust me when I say, it didn’t take long), I had a renewed optimism for my future. I felt so empowered because I was given a clean slate and I could decide what my next move would be; the sky was the limit! I spent the first few months of newfound freedom to do some soul searching, as well as internet searching, to explore my options. Of course, going back to a traditional corporate role in the HR space would have been the easiest route to take. However, I knew deep in my gut that I just couldn’t do it; I needed a drastic change. If there was ever a time to pursue my dreams of being my own boss, now was that time. After many discussions with my husband, a well-timed article on side hustles, and an out-of-character leap of faith, I threw all of my energy, time and resources into learning about how to become a successful Independent Quality Provider with BabyQuip.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

As an Independent Quality Provider with BabyQuip, I provide clean, safe and insured gear for families to rent. BabyQuip was founded on the concept of renting baby gear to traveling families, so that is by default my bread and butter. My most rented items are full size cribs, pack n plays, highchairs, car seats and toys. However, I offer a variety of items to rent that cover any possible need for caring for a little one you could think of. Independent Quality Providers with BabyQuip own all of their own gear, which means I have full autonomy over which gear I rent out, how to scale my inventory and how the items are cared for. I am a very detail-oriented person, so I love having full control over how I run my business, how I communicate with my clients, how I maintain my gear and so on. I have a deep sense of pride over the gear I rent, and my customers most certainly notice.

While baby gear rentals are historically the largest revenue generators, BabyQuip has recently expanded its offerings into the Pet and Outdoor categories. This expansion allows me to service a larger demographic including those who may not have children, and individuals within my local community. When I have the opportunity to provide party rentals for a local family, for example, I feel a sense of connection to the community and am honored to play a part in their special occasions.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Resourcefulness and determination are the first two words that come to mind. I am, by nature, a very curious person and I constantly love to learn new things. So when I started out with BabyQuip, this skill became very handy for obvious reasons. While I was waiting for that first order to come through, I treated learning about the business as my full-time job. I would spend the hours that my son was in school teaching myself all the various aspects of running a business, and how to be successful with BabyQuip. I built a foundation of basic knowledge very quickly and it’s still serving me today. I was also extremely determined to make this business work for me so I would not have to go back to a corporate job. I think the determination to find success was what really motivated me to spend hours and hours building new skills and gaining the knowledge I needed to bring in orders and make this work. I read something that really stuck with me, an author noted that in order for an entrepreneur to be successful, they needed to have the mindset that going back to a traditional job wasn’t an option. I took that to heart and used it to drive me forward.

While the two attributes above got me started, it’s this last quality that has kept me going. I was recently listening to a sermon in which the pastor used the term “grit”. He defined it as the combination of passion and perseverance, and that really struck me. Up until that moment, I can’t say that I would have described myself as someone who had grit, but when I thought about the meaning of the term I strongly resonated with it. I have a true passion for providing an exceptional service to families that takes some stress off their plate and allows them to focus on creating lasting memories. And I persevere by reminding myself of the reason I started this business in the first place, my own family. I began this journey so that I could have a career which allowed me to be in charge of my workload, to avoid burnout, to be more fulfilled and ultimately be a better version of myself for them. When you combine your passion for the work that you do, and the ability to persevere because of your “why”, you find that grit is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

Now that I have officially been in this business for over a year, I have been reflecting back on my journey from the beginning to where I am now. I have had many highs and lows, as with any job or business. But I would say that the area I’ve grown the most in is confidence within myself. When I started out, I had no idea what I was doing, and I had a lot of doubts as to whether I made the right decision to jump into this. I had to learn not only the rental gear industry from scratch, but I also had to teach myself the basic fundamentals of running a business like marketing, finance, general operations and everything else. I was terrified of making mistakes, but I knew it was inevitable, so I met myself with grace and compassion when mistakes occurred. The imposter syndrome was very real and very present in the first several months of getting up and running, but the saying “fake it ’til you make it” was (and still is sometimes) my go-to mantra. Now, I am confident in my ability to provide a first-class experience for my customers, and I am confident in the knowledge I possess about the ins and outs of the business. While I do not know everything, I know how to access the tools and resources I need to answer questions or resolve issues. There’s always room for improvement and I still have so much more to learn, but I am now able to confidently own the title of Entrepreneur and Business Owner, which isn’t something I could have said even 6 months ago.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.babyquip.com/kala142
• Instagram: @babyquip_kalasaenz
• Facebook: BabyQuip Kala Saenz