Kango currently serves six counties in the Bay Area and has expanded to Los Angeles as of June 2018. Thought this would be a great time to reach out to you because she just announced a one of a kind partnership with Chrysler. The car company is providing a fleet of Hybrid minivans to eligible Kango drivers which is a win/win for the environment and parents as the minivans also provide best-in-class safety and technology.
Deb Bailey: Welcome to the blog, Sara. Would you share with everyone how you got started as an entrepreneur?
Sara Schaer: I started as product manager #2 for Snapfish.com where I grew the product team from 2 to 50 people globally. During this time, I realized how much of an influence technology - smartphones in particular - was having on families around me, especially my own. That's when I came up with the idea for Kango. I wanted to build a mobile-enabled platform that would help busy families. We created a safe, secure app to connect parents with heavily screened, trusted Kango drivers to get their kids from A to B. As a working mom myself, helping other moms "have it all" was especially important to me.
Deb: Are there any “lessons learned” that you’d like to share?
Sara: Always be confident in yourself and your product. Even if you're in a room filled with people who aren't like you, or who are skeptical, realize you have something special and confidently ask for what you need.
Deb: Who are your ideal clients?
Sara: Any family can use Kango - from working parents who need regular help juggling their children's schedules, to parents who need someone to pick up their kids and babysit them after school due to a late meeting, to a one-off instance where mom or dad has something unforeseen pop up and needs a helping hand.
Deb: What are some of your successes and challenges?
Sara: One of our recent successes was championing a first-of-kind partnership with Chrysler. They provided us with hybrid Pacifica Minivans for eligible Kango drivers to use while picking up children. It's been great working with a partner who clearly understands our vision and sees that ridesharing - for everyone - is part of the future. A challenge has been keeping up with the demand for the service. We've had to adjust and scale quickly because demand exceeded our projections; it's a good problem to have, but keeps us busy!
Deb: It certainly is a good problem to have. What inspires you to do the work you do?
Sara: Definitely my family and other working mothers. I couldn't have made it this far without their support and advice. And I felt compelled to help modern parents avoid the struggles I experienced, starting when my children were very small yet needed to go places.
Deb: What’s your vision for your business?
Sara: Right now, we're the safest and most reliable service and I'd like to bring the Kango service to busy families all over the country – perhaps beyond.
Deb: What advice would you give to women entrepreneurs who are just starting out?
Sara: Persist. Female founders may experience more resistance or skepticism, but don’t give up. Be prepared. You may be asked gender-oriented or parenthood-specific questions, but be prepared with your answers so you don’t get caught off-guard.
Deb: Entrepreneurs are always on the go. What is your favorite activity to relax and unwind?
Sara: Whenever I need to unwind or catch my breath I like to take a walk outside, even briefly. Stepping out into nature, getting exercise and breathing fresh air helps me to focus.
Deb: What do you wish you could tell your younger self?
Sara: The sleepless nights are worth it - so keep persevering!
Deb: Terrific advice. What do you think are the top 3 traits an entrepreneur must have?
Sara:
- Passion – to drive your mission and keep you going
- Resilience – to keep trying even in the face of failure or rejection
- Intellectual flexibility – juggling a seemingly infinite variety of tasks, transitioning from one domain to another, feels like mental gymnastics. Things happen quickly! It’s never boring.
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