Community Highlights: Meet Kala Saenz of BabyQuip, Kala Saenz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kala Saenz

Hi Kala, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In January 2024, I was impacted by mass layoffs by a company I had been working at for 10 years. I spent quite a bit of time reflecting on my next move and next role after I lost my job. My 12+ year corporate career was in Human Resources so that was the only work experience I had, but I had been burnt out since COVID times and felt in my heart that I did not want to return to a similar role, doing the same work I had been doing all those years. I felt a strong pull towards seeing if I could earn a living outside of the corporate world; I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but for many years I convinced myself that I didn’t have what it takes to be successful on my own, and the traditional path was my only option. During that reflection period in early 2024, I had a craving to find work more in line with my personal values and beliefs, to find a way to blend my natural skills and abilities with my eagerness to make a difference in my community. I contemplated many different options, evaluated what I desired most in a career in this season of my life, and spent a lot of time talking to my family about how to make this work. I knew it would be a risk, but I felt that by being let go, I was given this great gift to make a move in any direction I desired, I just had to take the leap. It felt like a now-or-never moment.

Prior to having been laid off, I had come across an article about side hustles. One of the side hustles on this list was renting out baby and kid gear through a company called BabyQuip. Based on my own personal experiences traveling with a toddler I immediately resonated with the company’s mission to take the stress out of traveling for families with young kids by offering rentals. Plus, I had all kinds of baby items sitting around in storage that my son had outgrown, so it felt like a feasible option for me to consider at some point.

Fast forward to when I was laid off, “some point” had arrived. I decided to go for it and signed up to be an Independent Quality Provider with BabyQuip. I figured I had nothing to lose, especially while I was still considering what my next move would be, careerwise. I joined the BabyQuip platform in March 2024, solely focused at first on the party side of the brand, renting out soft play zones for infants and toddlers. I wasn’t very busy for the first several months, securing a whopping 2 orders between March and July. But I used this slow period as an opportunity to learn how to run and scale a business. I did loads of research, particularly focusing on areas far outside of my expertise like marketing and sales. I was learning everything from the ground up, and I knew I didn’t want to invest a lot of money up front to grow, I wanted to bootstrap as much as possible, so this period of learning and absorbing as much information as possible was invaluable.

I received an email from the BabyQuip Corporate team in October 2024 stating that I was approved to start renting out all other gear, which now meant the possibilities were endless. The traditional BabyQuip platform allows for nearly full autonomy to run your business and differentiate yourself in your market how you see fit. Since being able to focus on both markets, party and baby, I have found more success than I could have ever imagined. I was shocked as orders started rolling in nearly immediately after I posted my first crib and car seat for rent, and truth be told I still get that same feeling each time I’m notified of a new order. In all honesty, my intentions at the time of signing up for BabyQuip were to try and make some money to facilitate keeping my family afloat while I executed other ideas and entrepreneurial paths. However, I quickly grew to love the concept, the clients, and the incredible community of other Independent Quality Providers, and I am now dedicated to this for the long run.

I am still a novice when it comes to running my business, but I have learned a tremendous amount in the past year and I am at a point where I can confidently call myself an Entrepreneur and feel extremely proud of where my business is heading!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been full of ups and downs so far. There have been challenges and obstacles that I have encountered along the way, but I am working on making a conscious effort to view them as learning opportunities. That old cliché that you need to fail in order to grow couldn’t be truer particularly for an entrepreneur, and I had trouble at first embracing this concept. Many of the struggles I have faced so far have been mental. I am a high-performer, high-achiever and I hold impossibly high standards for myself (which I think might actually be the blueprint of an entrepreneur). As a result, any slight mistake I make, I have a tendency to beat myself up over. In addition to lacking grace for myself when I make mistakes, there is also the dreaded imposter syndrome that I battle. I am now coming to terms with the fact that we all experience it, therefore making it feel like less of a threat. However, when orders don’t come through for a period of time, or my social media post doesn’t get as much love as I was hoping, my confidence falters a bit and I begin to doubt my ability to make it in this new-to-me world.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
BabyQuip is a platform where you can rent a wide variety of gear to meet all your family’s needs. Independent Quality Providers located all over the world offer things like full-size cribs, car seats, strollers, toys, high chairs, and even pet gear to accommodate local and traveling families within their designated service area. All gear is insured, meticulously cleaned and sanitized, and maintained in excellent condition to uphold the high standards that BabyQuip is known for.

As an Independent Quality Provider for BabyQuip, I own and maintain all of the gear that I rent out, and I run my business within my market how I see fit. What matters most to me when I am operating my business is that I provide exceptional customer service to all guests, whether they end up booking with me or not. On my website, I’ve made a promise to treat my customers the same way I would treat my family and friends, and I truly mean it. The feedback that I’ve received in the form of written reviews reflects that my efforts are paying off, and my communication continues to exceed expectations.

I am also proud to offer a variety of rental gear at varying price points. I strive to meet every family where they are, so that everyone feels they have the means to afford the convenience of a stress-free vacation, or unique party experience for their little ones. Additionally, I regularly conduct research to capture what renters are wanting and my market is missing. I try to think outside of the box and create packages or offerings that serve the needs of my community and those visiting Phoenix for any number of reasons. I want to be the site people stumble upon any time they have a short-term need for an item and realize that there is an alternative solution to purchasing that item brand new. I love that in 2025, renting has become more commonplace, as an affordable and sustainable solution to meet a consumer’s needs!

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I don’t have one particular favorite childhood memory, but I garnered an appetite for travel at a very young age. My family moved to Bangkok, Thailand when I was 10 years old, and that opened my eyes up to the endless opportunities to see new things and visit new places. Because of this, I never wanted to stay in one place for too long. I would come back to Arizona every summer break and my Dad and I would travel locally and to nearby states. We would go to San Diego and spend hours walking around Seaport Village and people watching. We would visit Las Vegas where I was enamored by the variety shows. We went to the Grand Canyon and explored the treasures within our own state. It was always leisurely travel, we often didn’t have set plans and would go with the flow, which is a preference I have carried with me in my travels as an adult. Being fully present and immersed in a new culture and strolling around to take it all in is such a joy that I am grateful to have learned at a young age, thanks to my parents who gave me those opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.babyquip.com/kala142
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babyquip_kalasaenz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/BabyQuip-Kala-Saenz/61559021986089/