Fran Maier is CEO and Founder of BabyQuip, the leading baby gear rental service, serving families traveling to over 650 locations in the United States, Canada, and beyond.


She is a "Super Founder" and brand builder with over 25 years of experience building B2C and B2B internet businesses. She is best known for her 10+ years leading TRUSTe (now TrustArc), the leading privacy trust mark and compliance provider, and as Co-Founder and first General Manager of Match.com.


Fran speaks widely on several topics relating to women in business, including opportunities for women in the collaborative economy, addressing the lucrative family travel segment, women in entrepreneurship and on boards. She serves as an advisor to many start-ups including Portfolia, Women’s Start-up Lab, Sign-up.com, Kango, and Dabbl.


Fran is featured as an expert in the documentary film about entrepreneurship entitled “She Started It.” With Emmy Award winning journalist Kym McNicholas, she hosted a radio show/podcast called "Female Seeking Start-up" which featured interviews with female entrepreneurs.


In 2016, Fran was honored by the Stanford Graduate School of Business with the Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award. In 2015, she was named one of “100 Most Influential Women in Technology” by Hot Topics. In 2011, San Francisco Business Times named Fran among the 150 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business and in 2010, AlwaysOn named her among the Top 25 Women in Tech to Watch in Silicon Valley. She and her son Joe Maier, BabyQuip’s CTO, appeared on Shark Tank in March 2020.



Episode Summary -

The golden rule for building a successful business is to ensure that you’re aligning your business with your customer's requirements.

Most entrepreneurs build their products or services based on their self-requirements and experiences, which can be one of the major reasons they struggle in business.

It is never about you; it is always about your customers.

It is imperative to know your customer's needs and wants well so that you can create the products and services that can help solve their problems and make their lives easier.

In this episode, Fran Maier talks about how her in-depth understanding of customer requirements has been one of the secrets to her successful journey as an entrepreneur and an important pillar in building five successful start-up brands.


"Whenever there is change, there's an opportunity for entrepreneurs."


Snapshot of the Key Points from the Episode:
[02:42] Fran talks about why she started BabyQuip.
[07:51] The importance of understanding your customer’s needs and aligning your products and services based on the solution to their problem.
[09:59] Fran talks about her background story and how she became an entrepreneur.
[14:43] What are the skillsets of Fran that have helped her succeed?
[15:51] What are some of the mistakes most entrepreneurs make that affect their business growth?
[20:38] Fran talks about her most significant accomplishments and challenges she has faced in business.
[26:03] What does working from your happy place mean to Fran?
[27:54] Fran shares what she learned as a start-up owner and how you can build a strong company culture that will help you make your employees more efficient & effective.
[30:48] Fran’s advice on how to build successful start-up companies.




How to Connect with Fran Maier:
Website - https://www.babyquip.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/franmaier
Twitter - https://twitter.com/franmaier
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/franmaier


Offer - Use the code “Happy Place” to get $30 off on any order above $150 from babyquip.com



About the Host -

Belinda Ellsworth is a Speaker, Trainer, Best-Selling Author, and Podcaster

She has been a professional speaker, mover, and shaker for more than 25 years. Having built three successful companies, she has helped thousands of entrepreneurs make better decisions, create successful systems, and build business strategies using her "Four Pillars of Success" system.

Belinda has always had a passion and zest for life with the skill for turning dreams into reality. 

Over the last 20 years, she has been expertly building her speaking and consulting business, Step Into Success.
 

How to Connect with Belinda:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stepintosuccess
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindaellsworth
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stepintosuccess/
Website - www.workfromyourhappyplace.com