Featured Lady Fridays: Melissa Alvarez, Founder of The Nanny Tree
Career Girls will have a “Featured Lady Friday” post which highlights a cool female entrepreneur and her experiences. Reading about real women who’ve “done it” makes the dream of entrepreneurship seem a little more attainable, especially for those of us who question if we are “too young.” I’m always amazed and inspired when I hear other women’s stories, and hope you will be too.
I met Melissa through the Ladies Who Launch social network. Both of us are twentysomething divas with strong personalities and lots of passion about entrepreneurship and Chicago. We quickly discovered we have a lot in common, and decided to meet up and see how we could help each other grow our businesses. We hit it off right away and still meet up regularly to keep each other focused on our business goals.
Melissa graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Child Development and Learning. While taking on a full class load during college, Melissa enjoyed working as a child care provider as well. She went on to work in the Staffing and Recruiting industry for about 5 years.
In 2006, Melissa moved to Chicago to pursue a career in Student Career Development, and decided it wasn’t the best fit for her. We both agree that sometimes less than ideal experiences are the greatest teachers and motivators. Melissa’s career experiences brought her values and passions to light: she loves child care, along with low volume, quality driven business. The idea of starting her own placement agency came to her in 2007. From there, the networking, researching and developing of a business model began.
The Nanny Tree was born. Melissa’s mission is to provide in-home childcare with a purpose through a boutique-like placement agency. Melissa is an amazing woman who is so dedicated to giving families a nanny or personal assistant who has the personality, values and mindset to match their needs. Before any placements are made, Melissa conducts in-depth interviews, checks references and has a deep understanding of both the nanny and the family. Talk about awesome customer service!
Melissa is excited about growing The Nanny Tree and loves the challenges and excitement of owning her own business. Like many women, she values flexibility and having more control over her destiny.
Check out Melissa’s website at www.thenannytree.com and feel free to email her at melissa@thenannytree.com anytime. She will gladly provide you with inspiration, feedback on your entrepreneurial idea, or hook you up with a great family!
