Ep 39: Mastering the Sharing Economy With Fran Maier

Over the past 10 to 20 years, the sharing economy has taken over: In many ways, renting and returning is now our way of life. Think about it: We stay in strangers’ homes via Airbnb and VRBO, we borrow books on Kindle, Zipcars are viable alternatives to owning a car, and we rent a different dress for every wedding or event so we never have to be Instagrammed wearing the same thing twice. 

But what about renting things for the smallest members of your family? Fran Maier, CEO and founder of BabyQuip, has made that possible. With BabyQuip, traveling families can rent high-quality everything from cribs and toys to car seats for when they’re on the go. 

Listen in to hear Maier’s advice as a serial entrepreneur, her biggest regret when selling Match.com, and her hope for the future of female-founded companies.

Chapters

00:00 Entrepreneurial Roots

03:29 Early Career and Match.com

15:44 Time After Match.com

22:12 Pitching BabyQuip on Shark Tank

23:45 Navigating the Challenges of the Pandemic

26:02 Competition and Market Strategy

29:46 The Gender Gap in Financing

31:24 Lightning Round

33:13 Where to Find BabyQuip

More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting, and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices