Meet the Carters

Dave and Melanie Carter are a San Francisco couple in their early 30s. Dave is a social media Executive and Melanie is a Doctor. Their first son, Josh, was born in March. They needed a full-time Nanny to take care of Josh when Melanie returned to work.

The Carters first thought they could find a Nanny by asking friends and members of Melanie’s mother’s group for referrals. “We looked at some candidates on our own but we couldn’t find anyone with strong enough experience. We didn’t get a good vibe. No one we met was truly special. I couldn’t see them fitting into our family,” said Dave.

The Carters realized they needed some help. “One of my patients mentioned Town + Country. We heard they were expensive, but worth it,” said Melanie. The Carters set up a meeting with Town + Country to learn more about the possibilities.

Meet Sarah at Town + Country

In eighteen years with Town + Country, Sarah Thigpen has made hundreds of matches between families and Nannies. She joined Town + Country in 1998 and has been here ever since. “When I needed Nannies to take care of my kids when I went back to work, I developed an even deeper appreciation for finding just the right Nanny – and how difficult it can be!”

“When we had our meeting with Sarah at Town + Country, we fell in love,” Melanie said. ”Dave and I knew that Sarah had been down this road many times before.”

“Sarah understood us. She was compassionate about my wife’s concerns about leaving the baby when she went back to work.” Dave said. “She also understood my concerns: I wanted someone who would be on time every day and keep the house looking clean.”

“We decided to work with Town + Country,” Dave said. “We were incredibly comfortable with them. They didn’t push anything on us. I didn’t feel like they were trying to sell me a used car.”

Sarah picks up the story: “After getting to know the Carters, I had a hunch that we had ‘The One.’ I had placed a career Nanny a couple of years ago with another of my clients, the Ryans. Recently, Jennifer Ryan called me, crying. She said, ‘I don’t want to lose Beatrice, but we have to move. I want to make sure that you find her a wonderful family.’ I had a good feeling about matching Beatrice with the Carters and I was excited about introducing them.”

Despite her hunch, Sarah knew she needed to send the Carters several candidates to consider and to give them the benefit of Town + Country’s thorough process. So she sent the Carters resumes of some highly qualified career Nannies, including Beatrice.

“They started presenting candidates to us,” Dave said. “When Beatrice came up, Sarah told us, ‘she’s incredibly special.’ I could tell she really meant it. It was different than hearing ‘she comes highly recommended.’”

Introducing Beatrice

Beatrice, who is known for her ability to work with first-time parents, had been a Nanny for 17 years, most recently for Town + Country’s clients the Ryans, who were crazy about her.

“Town + Country gives me the tools that help me get jobs that I really like,” Beatrice said. “They make the experience very smooth. I always talk about Town + County with other Nannies. They help you to find the right family. They are really looking out for you.”

Beatrice went to the Carters’ house for an interview and they fell in love with her, too. “At first we didn’t make her an offer because she told us that she was worried about taking care of our dog, Sam. And all our friends can tell you – Sam is like our first son!” Dave said.

The Carters kept interviewing Nannies, but no one else felt like just the right match.

“Then, there was a day when both my wife and I separately ran into Beatrice who was working in the neighborhood. We each decided that she was really special and we wanted to offer her an opportunity for a trial.”

Sarah reached out to Beatrice who told her that she liked the Carters, but she was concerned about keeping the baby safe while walking the dog. Sarah’s instincts told her not to give up on the match. Sarah recalled the Carters sharing photos of their dog with her in the office. She reminded Beatrice that Sam is the Carter’s “first baby” and coached Beatrice to be open to taking care of him. Sarah went back to the Carters and encouraged them to spend more time with Beatrice and that she was open to walking Max, while out with the new baby. Shortly after, the Carters offered Beatrice an opportunity for a trial. Beatrice decided to give it a try.

Making the Match

The trial worked out perfectly. Beatrice and the baby bonded. She even ended up liking Sam. The Carters offered her the job and they are happily working together. Melanie told us, “We’re incredibly happy. Beatrice is as special as we thought she would be.”

Meet Rena

Rena, a successful Real Estate Broker in Silicon Valley, had grown her business significantly. She needed an Assistant to take much more off her plate than her current Assistant could. She knew it was time for a change.

“I had someone in the position, but she was not the long-term Assistant that I needed,” said Rena. “I found her on Craigslist after spending countless hours writing the ad, posting it and sifting through hundreds of resumes. But I still didn’t end up with someone excellent. I needed someone with a wider and deeper skillset – someone to handle multiple duties involving both sellers and buyers, spearhead my marketing and handle administrative duties as well.”

“I realized how much work is involved in hiring a highly qualified Executive Assistant, and I simply didn’t have the time,” Rena explained. “My husband and I recently had our first baby, and we hired our Nanny and Newborn Care Specialist through Town + Country. We had an excellent experience, so I decided to work with them to hire a new Executive Assistant.”

Meet Heather at Town + Country

Heather Whitaker runs the Executive and Estate Staffing division at Town + Country. She has placed hundreds of Executive Assistants and every type of Estate Staffing position for a range of clients including Silicon Valley executives, San Francisco families with formal household requirements, young entrepreneurs and successful professionals like Rena.

“Rena came to us wanting to significantly upgrade the caliber of her Assistant,” Heather said. “I knew we had to get clear on exactly who she was looking for. We developed a detailed job description that specified everything her dream candidate would do for her. It was a tall order but I knew we could find the right candidate.”

From the outset, the process worked for Rena. “Town + Country delivered five or six really good resumes to me the day after we began the search.” Rena said. “All of them were better than anyone I had been able to find on my own.”

Introducing Gregory

Out of the original candidates presented, Gregory rose to the top. An accomplished Executive Assistant with international experience in finance and real estate, Gregory had also studied design and was a creative director of a fashion publication. He brought solid administrative skills along with the customer service, project management and marketing expertise that Rena was looking for to help her take her business to the next level.

“I immediately thought of Gregory because he has a very wide skill set,” Heather said. “He could provide customer service to Rena’s buyers and sellers. He could make big contributions to her marketing, and with his design expertise, he could help with her website. Gregory was a rare hybrid – someone with high-level skills who was also willing to handle the assistant work.”

Gregory recalled, “My first experience with Town + Country was entirely special – and surprising. Most agencies are impersonal and rushed. They try to get a quick impression of you and get you out of their office. With T+C it was the opposite. They were invested in finding the right job for me.”

Making the Match

Rena met with Gregory and they had chemistry instantly. She offered Gregory the job and he accepted. Seven months later, it’s a successful match.

“Town + Country definitely found The One,” Rena shared. “I am getting so much more out of my EA. I accomplish so much more.”

“Town + Country has consistently found the right employees for me. They listened to me and found what I was looking for,” Rena said. “I recommend everyone to them who needs a Nanny or an Assistant. I cannot speak more highly of them.”