Ep. 97: Starting a Business in College (with Hartwell Furr, Founder of Nanny Network)

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 This is Carrie Campakis and you're listening to The Girl Mom Podcast.

spk_0 Today on the show I have a fascinating guest with a really cool and unique story.

spk_0 Hartwell Furr is a 24 year old entrepreneur from Jackson, Mississippi.

spk_0 She built her first business, Nany Network, while still in college at the University of Mississippi.

spk_0 Hartwell graduated from Ole Miss in 2023 and moved to New York City,

spk_0 where she worked for today's show host while continuing to grow her ventures.

spk_0 Now based on the West Village, she runs Nany Network, a seasonal child care business,

spk_0 and she's also launching a new business called Hartwell, a staff and agency that connects clients

spk_0 with emerging early career women. Hartwell is proved that you're never too young to turn a passion

spk_0 into a business. In a world where many girls are mostly consumers, buying whatever is marketed to them,

spk_0 she's an innovative creator. She's building a legacy business that has great potential to

spk_0 stay in the test of time. My daughter at the University of Alabama has several close friends who

spk_0 worked for Nany Network last summer, and I also have friends whose daughters have worked for this

spk_0 business and later been offered wonderful jobs in New York through the connections they made.

spk_0 One of Hartwell's many gifts is her keen insight into what makes an excellent candidate for

spk_0 Nany Network. She understands that children are deeply impressionable and having a Nany

spk_0 service a strong role model is crucial for their development. Also, after seeing many of her Nany's

spk_0 learned great jobs to the families they worked for, she realized that employers look for the same

spk_0 qualities as families. They want trusted, kind, and hardworking people who represent them well.

spk_0 In July 2025, Town and Country Magazine did a wonderful feature story on Hartwell,

spk_0 called Hampton's Rush, how seven sorority girls are taking over the east end,

spk_0 and in the show notes you'll find the link to that article, as well as Hartwell's Instagram

spk_0 and the Nany Network website. If you enjoy this episode, please leave us a five-star review wherever

spk_0 you listen and share it with friends. Also, make sure to get a copy of my new book for moms

spk_0 is your daughter Ready, which is also linked in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening and

spk_0 enjoy the show. Welcome Hartwell and thank you so much for coming on the show today. I'm so glad we

spk_0 made this work. Yes, thank you for having me. This is fun and different and I'm excited to

spk_0 chat with you about it all. I know. So we're talking beforehand. You were here in Town for a wedding

spk_0 and I was thinking I heard about you actually a few years ago from Elizabeth Edwards.

spk_0 I think you're best friends with her daughter Betsy at Ole Miss, is that right? Yes, so Elizabeth and

spk_0 my mom were friends in college years from ago. And when I went to Ole Miss, my big thing was that I

spk_0 really wanted to live with somebody out of state and somebody new and different. And so I met Betsy

spk_0 and we were like instantly best friends. She's a cheerleader and has a crazy hard work ethic and

spk_0 she's full of energy and positivity and she's just been such a great friend over the years. I can

spk_0 see how you two would click. Yeah, we're very different but sometimes that's the best. That is,

spk_0 you compliment each other. Totally. She's awesome. So I'm really excited about this conversation and I've

spk_0 been intrigued with your business ever since Elizabeth told me about it two years ago. So let's start

spk_0 at the beginning and just tell me a little bit about how Nany Network started. Yes, so it was

spk_0 freshman year of college was 2020. So COVID year, a while time to start out school. But after

spk_0 the new year, I had heard about an older girl named Kate Hayes from Clarkstall, Mississippi, that

spk_0 you know, would set up girls younger than her to Nany in the summer in the Hamptons and she

spk_0 would text in the group me and you know, have a handful of opportunities every year. So as soon as I

spk_0 heard about that, I was like, I am absolutely dying to do that. I've always babysat kids and

spk_0 love children and also love to travel. My mother is a professional golfer and so much of our life

spk_0 was traveling around to watch him. Oh, that's neat. Yes. It's like kind of God was preparing you

spk_0 in ways you didn't even know just growing up. Totally and it's interesting because

spk_0 people will tell you in high school, I was not the most over-involved person or really.

spk_0 Not that I would have pictured you being like, yes, go get her. I never like had major interest and

spk_0 was not on the dance team or any of that and so that afternoon, I would like hang out with kids and

spk_0 you know, different things of that sort. And so when this opportunity came about, I was like that

spk_0 sounds like right up my alley to go move to the Hamptons for a few months. So anyway, I emailed back

spk_0 and forth with Kate for the longest time and begged for a job and probably annoyed her. If anyone

spk_0 thinks they're emailing me too much or you know, I was probably the worst. But anyway, she set me up

spk_0 in the Hamptons and I moved up there and it was a super pivotal experience for me and you know,

spk_0 the rest is sort of history. So that was after your freshman year of college.

spk_0 Freshman year. I love it. And I love that that was a natural passion. You know, this all came from

spk_0 a passion that you had that you wanted other people to have the same experience that you did.

spk_0 Totally. I mean, I would text my friends and be like, how cool is this and how cool is this and

spk_0 always in the back of my head. I'm like, every one should do this. You know? Yes. Yes.

spk_0 And there's so many reasons why I love it. But it's just really cool to immerse yourself into

spk_0 someone else's world for a few months and you learn so much about the world and yourself and

spk_0 all of the things. So it was really unbelievable and such a blast. Hard work. Yes. But a very

spk_0 cool experience. Yes. I totally agree. And it is interesting and you know, I talk a lot about that.

spk_0 I talked about that last night with this group of middle schoolers that I was with that just,

spk_0 you know, the passions in your heart really tapping into those. Those healthy passions,

spk_0 those healthy desires that they're not there by accident. And I think so many times girls just

spk_0 dismiss them or don't think anything about it. But just you always had heart for kids. You have

spk_0 a love for travel. You know, you had this experience, you had a passion about that so many

spk_0 that times I think what we're supposed to do. God has given us these clues and these signs along

spk_0 the way. But a lot of people dismiss them. And it makes me think of even one of my daughter's

spk_0 friends that she has always loved drones. I mean, she just was just a drone queen. They still

spk_0 like teaser in high school. But she's always made these videos and she was a marketing major in

spk_0 college. But she just got a great job with a construction company, a major construction company

spk_0 here in Birmingham doing drones for their marketing department. It's so cool. And I was like, you

spk_0 know, that's just such an example of like these pain attention to those passions early on. That

spk_0 often can open the door to what you're supposed to be doing. Sure. And it's interesting to look back

spk_0 because I did always love a lemonade stand. And I, you know, I worked at an interior design store

spk_0 in high school. And I've always, I guess, been interested in business and kids. And, you know,

spk_0 so it's just all these little things that love and we hope that they'll all come together somehow

spk_0 over the years. So anyway, it's very. Yeah. And it's fun to see it, you know, a lot of times it

spk_0 doesn't happen for people until later in life. Right. Because it's fun to see it when it happens

spk_0 early on. Like it has for you. And I think that's such a great example for others. So, and that's

spk_0 good. You started with a nanny network on the other end on the, you know, being the nanny yourself,

spk_0 which is great, you know, now that you're on the other end too, being more on the boss end.

spk_0 So tell me, and I remember hearing about this, you know, a few years ago that it was somebody's

spk_0 daughter that was nannying up there. And I think the parent was telling me that she's like, they

spk_0 were like, all the moms up there love the Southern nannies that, and they'll like be out at dinner.

spk_0 And the girls can hear the moms saying each other, where did you find your Southern nanny?

spk_0 Right. So it just intrigues me because I think I think there's something to Southern hospitality.

spk_0 And it even made me think of a friend I knew from college. I mean, I graduated from college back

spk_0 in the 90s, but it was a girl, Alabama. And she was an assistant at a college in New York for like,

spk_0 one of the biggest celebrities in the 90s. And this girl always had Southern assistance. And she

spk_0 was also from Mississippi. And anyway, that's how she got her job was from a girl who was the assistant

spk_0 and had to go on to another job. And so she got the job through that connection. But I was like,

spk_0 there's just something to be said, and it's not just the South, but just, you know, if you're trying

spk_0 to have good manners and what we call the soft skills, just, you know, representing people well,

spk_0 that's what everybody's looking for. So I guess I put that in there for these moms who are trying

spk_0 so hard to teach their daughters and their sons to treat people well, to be respectful, that it's

spk_0 more than just their personal relationships. I think it can have a big impact on their career

spk_0 later on too. I did too. And I've seen it play out so much and it's fascinating and sort of

spk_0 the driving piece of all of this is just finding good people. Because it's hard, you know, and it's

spk_0 very interesting too in terms of recruiting and all of that kind of stuff. It's everything is

spk_0 so tech based now, which is unbelievable and very cool. And it helps for super technical jobs. But

spk_0 for childcare and for jobs right out of college. And yes, you really just need somebody reliable,

spk_0 hardworking that can figure it out and that's, you know, positive and has a can-do attitude and

spk_0 all of the things. So yes, yes, it's very interesting. Yes, definitely. When the next thing that you

spk_0 mentioned, I love this and I really want to really dig into this subject too, is you talk about

spk_0 college is a great time to start a business. And so tell me how you made the evolution from

spk_0 being a nanny and having this passion to connect people to eventually owning the nanny network. And

spk_0 then why you say that college was the perfect time to do that. Because I don't like many girls would

spk_0 think that, you know, most girls think this is my time to play and have fun. Totally. But, you know,

spk_0 you made a great point here that you're really in a very unique environment. So let's talk a little

spk_0 bit about that. For a little bit of the time after I got back from college, I would help Kate with

spk_0 placements and for the next summer and we worked together. And then she was wonderful and is a

spk_0 super talented designer in New York and had no huge visions for this. And it was like hard well go

spk_0 for it. So anyway, I sort of took over placements and formalized the business at the time there was

spk_0 not a website or a logo. And that was such a fun experience getting to do all of that in school.

spk_0 And I always say- And so what year were you at that point? I was at sophomore. Oh, wow. That's amazing.

spk_0 Yes. Amazing. So I think it's the coolest time to start a business because you have everything you

spk_0 potentially would need to start a business right at your fingertips. I mean, it was very cool.

spk_0 I would sit in class and then I would think, oh, I should walk over to the computer science building

spk_0 and see if I can find a student that can help me build my website. And sure enough, I did find a

spk_0 wonderful guy named Willie who shot out Willie, met me in the library and did it all right there.

spk_0 And same goes for, you know, everything. It's like a great incubator. Yeah.

spk_0 You have professors that have years of experience to lean on. You have trusted peers that you can

spk_0 bounce ideas off of. I mean, it's really unbelievable. Yeah, you're right because everybody's

spk_0 building their portfolio. And I always feel like there's not enough support for people at a college

spk_0 because you do so many people that want to invest in the college kids. And so it's harder to find

spk_0 that network and that support system at a college because you're just left to your own devices.

spk_0 But you're right. And colleges like you're in the middle of all of it. You are right there. And so

spk_0 I had my sorority house was my office. And I would have interviews in the formal living room. And

spk_0 I did interview, you know, it was just a fun, a fun time. And it's really amazing just how many

spk_0 resources there are right there. Yes. And free resources too, which is huge because when you

spk_0 enter into the real world and you have to hire branding people, right. All of these things,

spk_0 it gets really expensive. Yeah. And like I said, people are building their portfolio. And they are

spk_0 very talented, just like the people in the real world. But yeah, that maybe half the cost of what

spk_0 you normally pay. Right. Yeah. That's great. And I also think too, and we touched on this earlier,

spk_0 that there's so much negativity around sororities now or there's so many negative connotations that

spk_0 people, especially that are outside the South or that we're never in a sorority that's very

spk_0 foreign to them. And they just see these videos on TikTok. And they just think, I've got so many

spk_0 questions like what is this? Yeah. And you know, it can look like, you know, Greek life is all about

spk_0 just fine and parties and you're out of the day. And granted, you have that element. But, you know,

spk_0 I also hear so many girls that that's, you know, they find this is how they grow into leadership

spk_0 positions. And they make these connections with older girls. And you know, a lot of the sororities

spk_0 are very intentional about the older girls pouring into the younger girls and tell them you should

spk_0 apply for this internship. You should take this job. You should take this class. And at every season

spk_0 of life, we need these people ahead of us doing that. And I think that college in your being an

spk_0 sorority allows you to do that. So I'm sure it's probably interesting to see who you are impacting

spk_0 as you were creating this business. You know, what other people were starting to do might have

spk_0 motivated them to do, take an idea and run with it too. But I love that you're just giving a new

spk_0 image of what, you know, can't the good things that can happen when you're in an organization. And

spk_0 it doesn't have to be a sorority. I always say, even if your child's not in a sorority of fraternity,

spk_0 it's important for them to be plugged in somewhere on campus. Those are always the happiest kids. And

spk_0 they might be plugged in at the church. It might be the youth group or the school of engineering

spk_0 or the yearbook staff. Like there's something that's kind of their thing. But like you said,

spk_0 finding those people that can help you. And also, be your hype squad too because you need that

spk_0 when you're starting off something new too. You do. And after spending the first summer in New York,

spk_0 I was like, I have to get there. And so I would, you know, look to people older than me that did

spk_0 similar experiences. And like it's like Kate is like my north star and got in my first job. And

spk_0 all of the things. So it's important to have a point of reference of somebody to look up to.

spk_0 Yes. I kind of guide, you know, a path that may interest you. Yeah. So I guess when you all

spk_0 started the business, it was mostly Ole Miss girls that you were connecting with the Northern families.

spk_0 It was mainly Ole Miss girls at this point. And then it's very much spread out over the years.

spk_0 It's really been felt by referrals and friends of friends and kind of expanded from that front.

spk_0 I love when I place girls and they have younger friends that want to do it the next year. And it's

spk_0 a really great way of having a trusted vetting system. And so it's grown a lot. But in some ways,

spk_0 it still remained the same set up as it was originally. But yes, we really lean on younger girls

spk_0 in college to help us with vetting. And I have a crew of interns at different colleges that have

spk_0 all done this before. And they know people right there on campus. It was really easy for me to

spk_0 place jobs when I was in college because I would be right there. And I would know everything.

spk_0 And I would know who would be great and who would thrive and who would love it. And now I'm a

spk_0 little bit more removed. So I really rely on those college interns to kind of help me on the

spk_0 vetting end of things. Yeah, I've heard that too, just successful businesses. They're like if you

spk_0 choose great employees, then a lot of our new employees come from referrals of our current employees.

spk_0 And I think that's important for people to hear, especially in this age of AI, where you know,

spk_0 everything can be kind of fake and superficial. And you don't know what's real and what's not real.

spk_0 That there are certain things that can never be replaced. And good character and good morals,

spk_0 like that will never go out of style. You know, that you will always be able to find a place.

spk_0 You know, just being a good person, basically, that's what everybody's looking for, being a good

spk_0 trustworthy, hardworking person. So the next key advice you talked about when you're starting to

spk_0 business in college and we touch on this is finding the right people to work with. And so you said

spk_0 that you found your lawyer, your accountant, your banker, and your branding developer,

spk_0 in your hometown, or Jackson, Mississippi. So tell me a little bit about that.

spk_0 It is the best thing ever. I feel like especially being in New York City now where there is a

spk_0 million industry experts. Yes. I feel like I have really cracked the code on how to start a business

spk_0 is, you know, find a group of individuals that are skilled in their own craft that all know

spk_0 each other and all have your best interest. And you know, I like that. So they all know each other.

spk_0 They all know each other. That's key. Very wild because at the time, I call it my parents.

spk_0 And I'm like, so tell me like, do you have any friends that are lawyers or your parents? And so

spk_0 my mom helped a lot in terms of she knows everyone in Jackson and she was like, these people

spk_0 are excellent. Me with them. So I did so. And it was wonderful because especially the legal side

spk_0 of things can get really complicated and super overwhelming when you're starting a business when

spk_0 girls are flying up and moving in with families and kids are at play and all the things.

spk_0 It's important things. So my lawyer was unbelievable in terms of explaining all the liabilities

spk_0 and really coaching me through how all the back end of things works. And so my team is all in Jackson.

spk_0 They all know each other. They run into each other at the grocery store or at church.

spk_0 I love it. They all kind of work in tandem, which has been super helpful for me.

spk_0 Yeah. They all have a vested interest in seeing it succeed. Yes.

spk_0 That's Nate. It reminds me, you know, my brother, we have a lot of lawyers in my family.

spk_0 My brother's a lawyer and I, he's my lawyer for my, my contracts for my books. And I remember

spk_0 especially those early ones that, you know, a lot of things would be your typical contract. But he

spk_0 would be like, well, carry, you know, this could be interpreted as this or this. And you need

spk_0 those people to kind of show you those things because I don't naturally think that way. And I'm like,

spk_0 yeah, I would be paying good money for to get that advice from somebody beside you. But yeah,

spk_0 I think legal advice is huge on the front end, especially when you're starting a business.

spk_0 Yes. And my accountant is wonderful too. He was an Ole Miss grad and I know nothing about

spk_0 the accounting end of things. And so he was super helpful. And especially in those early years of

spk_0 placing jobs and having making money and all the things, he's like, heart well, you know,

spk_0 Papa John's and the library sports bar is not a business expense. You know, he knows, he knows

spk_0 everything way too well. And just super helpful to help me kind of navigate things when I'm young and

spk_0 and starting out making money from the businesses. So they're wonderful and such good people.

spk_0 And you know, it's been a great experience having a team of people that have your vested interest.

spk_0 And I've heard it said to you that business owners say that they don't hire anybody who's not

spk_0 smarter than them. And I've always loved that advice. And you also maybe think of when I worked at

spk_0 Alamabowr, the Southern Company CEO at the time, he started like at the bottom of the company and

spk_0 just worked his way up. Just basically got a promotion every year. So he had to work like every

spk_0 kind of job. But I love that he said that his strength was he is a connect the dots kind of person.

spk_0 He's like, I'm not the smartest person, but I know how to bring smart people together.

spk_0 Right. I can connect the dots. And I thought that is such a life skill that people don't tell you that

spk_0 that is a gift that and it's important when you're in a leadership position that you don't have

spk_0 to know everything. But you've got to have good people on your team who can help you.

spk_0 Yes. Especially in our areas of weakness. I'm not great in the law or the finance side either.

spk_0 Okay, and this is another great piece of advice you said, you know, don't just focus on the fun stuff.

spk_0 You know, it's easy to get caught up in the social media and they create a part of starting a

spk_0 new business. But the fundamentals really matter a lot, especially early on. Let's talk about that.

spk_0 It's so true. I mean, and I'll also say a disclaimer too, you know, starting a business in college,

spk_0 although it is unbelievable, you know, the main points of college are really to build relationships

spk_0 and to learn and to try new things. And so, you know, unless you have a pressing idea, I wouldn't

spk_0 encourage every single student to exhaust a lot of their time into launching a business.

spk_0 But if you have an idea and it really interests you and you're ready to kind of get it out in the

spk_0 world, my biggest advice would be just to figure out what really matters and to dial in on that.

spk_0 You know, I see a lot of times with young people. They are like, okay, great. So, I'm going to start a

spk_0 business. What's the Instagram going to look like? And what's this? And right, although it's a lot

spk_0 of fun, the fundamentals matter so much more early on. So for me, and what that looks like for me is

spk_0 I knew if I'm going to find college students to go and fill these jobs, I've got to find the very

spk_0 best people that I can. And so I exalted all of my time in interviewing people and meeting people

spk_0 and really sending a great awesome group of girls that were reliable that I knew would, you know,

spk_0 be a good reflection on me and my business and what I was trying to do. So, that was really

spk_0 what I did those first few years is trying to grow it organically, you know, meet families and

spk_0 find them the very best help that I could. Yeah. And I bet the more you did it, the easier it

spk_0 became to recognize who would be a good candidate. You know, just in the interview, I would think

spk_0 that you would start to see kind of the same trends or qualities that that would match what you're

spk_0 looking for. Totally. I mean, I love interviewing people and meeting people and, you know, you can kind

spk_0 of tell right off the gates, right? Yes. What someone's interest are. What their work ethics going to

spk_0 be like, you know, and what. And so all of that is super important and I always ask people, you

spk_0 know, so tell me, what have you heard about this experience? And some people will say, I heard it's

spk_0 so much fun and you get to live in the Hamptons for two months and XYZ and I'm like, okay, so this

spk_0 might not work. Right. Or you have another girl who's like, I've heard it is a very, you know,

spk_0 difficult job and it's a lot of hard work, but it's a very rewarding experience and, you know,

spk_0 it's tough like that. Yeah. It's really helpful for me on my end of just understanding, you know,

spk_0 who really is going to do well and thrive in this position. And we want to be there for the right

spk_0 reason. Exactly. Yeah. And I get it as a mom who has hired babysitters. I mean, it's totally different,

spk_0 but even as my girls babysit, I'm like, nobody wants a babysitter who feels like they don't want to

spk_0 be there with the kids. Like, nobody wants a babysitter who just feels like they're only doing it for

spk_0 the money totally. You know, and you can, you know that the kids know that the parents know that.

spk_0 So like, if you don't have a heart for it, don't do it. Yeah. You know, that that nobody is,

spk_0 it's easy to tell like the best babysitters are the ones that you're like, you feel like they

spk_0 would almost do it for free. They just, they seem like they're having fun, but they're, you know,

spk_0 and that those are the ones you want to reward and you want to keep inviting them back and

spk_0 your kids are begging for them to come back. But, um, but yeah, and that's okay. Some people like

spk_0 children more than others. Right. It's fun. Some people take them their own children to get there.

spk_0 Yeah. But, but yeah, I think having that heart for children and understanding that it's really

spk_0 about them first and being a positive role model. So let's talk about, you know, we talked

spk_0 earlier about how you know that the girls, you know that they're positive role models. Let's

spk_0 talk a little bit about that when you're talking about the fundamentals. Like, what are you looking

spk_0 for and what have you seen? I'm having seen like your nannies impositively impact the girls at

spk_0 their babysitting or their children that they're babysitting, um, about what they're bringing to

spk_0 the table about the character and just who they are. Yeah. So I would say I have had so many

spk_0 amazing stories of girls that I've set up. I mean, I even at the wedding I was at last night.

spk_0 I met somebody and it's really cool to hear the impact that these girls are making and, you know,

spk_0 it's, it's fun to see it play out in real life. Do you have some stories you could share?

spk_0 Yes. And I guess thinking of these are moms raising girls. Like, this is teaching these girls,

spk_0 kind of the person you want to be. Like, what are what are families looking for? What are employers

spk_0 looking for? I think really, and you know, kids just kind of mirror what they see. You know, so it's

spk_0 it's really about how people carry themselves and are always, you know, doing the right thing and

spk_0 being nice to other people and being supportive and encouraging and all of that. And the coolest

spk_0 thing for me to have been able to see is that these families stay in contact with the girls they

spk_0 hire for two, three months for years and years to come. I love them. And it's really been neat. I

spk_0 mean, even the kids that I babys up for in college, I stay in touch with them all the time and

spk_0 I'm in a different phase of a life and they're in a different phase of life. It's, you know, it's

spk_0 it's very fun to kind of see the trajectory of kind of growing up together in a weird way. It's

spk_0 almost like having a big sister. Yes. That is, you know, enforces the rules, but also is a

spk_0 positive influence. Yeah. It's a huge driving force and why I love all of this and super.

spk_0 And I agree so much. And I think I think it's so important for all of us in every season, but

spk_0 especially at that age when your kids are growing up to have that a vision of who you can be,

spk_0 because our kids are so inundated with negative visions of like the world telling them who they

spk_0 should be. And I think that's why young moms especially are so like I'm on it, you know, right?

spk_0 I don't want my children to be like what I'm seeing out here, you know, like just not taking the

spk_0 path that I want. And so it helps to have somebody in real life that they look up to and admire and

spk_0 look, look, she made good choices and look how happy she is. And she has a great life. And I just

spk_0 think it's it's good to have that vision. And even like where I am now, you know, it's really easy

spk_0 to kind of get stuck like with people, I'm in the empty nest or stage even I've got one left at

spk_0 home, but a lot of my friends are empty nesters. And it's really easy to get stuck in the mindset of

spk_0 like, oh, our best years are behind us. I have no purpose now that my kids have left home. But I

spk_0 love looking at like the grandmother's and the people ahead of me and my neighbor sent me a

spk_0 picture the other day and they have seven of their nine grandkids are all at our elementary

spk_0 school this year. He sent me a picture of all of them together with the son on the first day of

spk_0 school. And I was like, I needed to see that because of that, my third daughter had just gone to

spk_0 college and I was just sad because we just have one left at home. And I'm like, I need to see

spk_0 that vision of like all the blessings. My life might not look exactly like that, but that might

spk_0 be in my future. You know, there's still some blessings to come. And it's just a different season

spk_0 of life. And it kind of gives me something to like aim for or hope for. That that that's what I want,

spk_0 you know, is just to feel like my life is even more full because my kids are going out, living their

spk_0 life and expanding their their networks and relationships that there's a harvest season to come.

spk_0 But I think it's important for these kids to see that too, that, you know, to see a positive

spk_0 positive vision of what life can look like. So I love that you're doing that. Okay, now I also

spk_0 want to touch on the new business that I think you're launching this month called Heartwell.

spk_0 It's all caps and it's very intriguing to me and I love that you're doing this. It seems like a

spk_0 natural evolution of Nene Network. But this is basically, I think it's a staffing agency where

spk_0 you're connecting ambitious businesses with the right people. So tell me a little bit about how

spk_0 that came about and what you're looking for. Yeah, so one of the things that's really fascinated me

spk_0 over the years is that so many of the girls that we've set up with summer nanny jobs have ended up

spk_0 moving to New York and working for either the family's company or the family's neighbors company

spk_0 or, you know, the lands and assistant job. And so that's sort of the idea behind it all is that I

spk_0 just had this realization that employers want the same things that these families do. It's right out

spk_0 of college. They need awesome, reliable, hardworking people. And so I've set up a handful of different

spk_0 assistant jobs over the years and I'm kind of just now formalizing that idea of placing girls

spk_0 at school with unique opportunities in New York. I love that. So you were saying what are some of

spk_0 the jobs that you've placed them in so far? Yes, so primarily I've mainly set up female business

spk_0 owners with executive assistants and creative roles, but we've had a wide range of different

spk_0 opportunities. I've just set up a fertility doctor with somebody that's going to actually,

spk_0 she starts today. I'm thinking about it as an assistant, but that's also going to get some shadowing

spk_0 experience and it's interested in going to med school down the years and just different things

spk_0 of that sort. A lot of these families and parents, they live really big lives and so they need,

spk_0 hands on in their lives in various different ways, whether that be in the office or in the home

spk_0 and all of the things. So that is sort of what Hartwell is compiled of and it could grow into a

spk_0 million different ways. I have tons of ideas, but I think the main thing for me is just the basics

spk_0 of finding great awesome people moving to New York that are ready to dive into their career,

spk_0 that are going to do a great job and on the employer side, they love trusted young staff that

spk_0 is trustworthy and kind and is kind of ready to make an impact. I love that. And so are you,

spk_0 is it focused right now in the South just because this is kind of your territory that you've worked

spk_0 with or are there other areas of the country, too? It's truly all over. A lot of the people I

spk_0 placed is from the South because that's sort of my network at the time. But again, it could be from

spk_0 anywhere and it's all about those main core things that are important. So if that person's from

spk_0 Ohio or they're from Louisiana, it makes no difference. It's just a matter that they kind of carry

spk_0 the attribute that I find important. Yeah. Well, I think you're growing it the exact right way.

spk_0 You're growing it grassroots in a natural way, word of mouth with people you know. And

spk_0 because you like you said, you want to make sure if you're recommending somebody that they've

spk_0 invented and that they're trustworthy. But I love that. And I do think, even just being a mom in

spk_0 this day and age, there's so much required of moms that, you know, I mean, someone was like, I wish

spk_0 I hadn't assistant. Even in my business, I've had semi-bug. You need a hire, semi-unit. But I'm like

spk_0 so many of the things that I do, I don't want to write, I don't want to hire somebody to write my books,

spk_0 I don't want to hire somebody to write my talks. Like there's so many things that I can't farm out

spk_0 because I want it to be me. Right. But I'm like, what I do need help with is all the logistics of my

spk_0 life. Like having an assistant. Yeah. So just having somebody and you need somebody that's very

spk_0 intuitive. But even with that, I'm like, I don't want somebody that I have to tell them every single

spk_0 thing to do. I want somebody that's intuitive and they can kind of guess and be proactive. And,

spk_0 you know, that takes a special person. Right. And then we're also at such an interesting time

spk_0 right now, which this fascinates me, but work in life is so intertwined. And so, you know, back in

spk_0 the day, people would hire an assistant and it would be a nine to five job and they would get X, Y, Z,

spk_0 done and things are just not that linear anymore. And so employers really want somebody that

spk_0 is going to take a vested interest in their life and, you know, kind of go the extra mile to ensure

spk_0 that everything kind of coexist as it should. Yeah. Which goes back to what you're working with

spk_0 the right age because it's easier to do that when you're out of college. You know, like you have

spk_0 a lot more time. And I remember when I first started working and people were leaving at 530, I'm

spk_0 like, where's everybody going? Yeah. Just to studying at all hours. I'm like, this is way easier than

spk_0 college when I was studying all the time or doing something. But, yeah, you just do have more free

spk_0 time at that age. And you want to work hard and you want to, you know, get your feet wet and learn

spk_0 these skills that can help you down the road. So yeah. And the one thing that I love is I always say

spk_0 this too is just a huge insight that I've had from even nannying in the summers or doing jobs out

spk_0 of college. It's a very mutual beneficial relationship in the sense of these people that live

spk_0 big lives and have really fascinating and big companies. They need the 22 year old assistant,

spk_0 just as much as the assistant needs them. And so yeah, I've seen that play out in so many ways,

spk_0 just how it's such an impactful relationship. And so can you tell me a little bit more about that

spk_0 or there are certain stories that stand out in your mind? Yeah. I mean, the first thing I think about

spk_0 is somebody, you know, I've set up a girl right out of college with this, you know, big celebrity

spk_0 and well-known person and the thought is, oh my goodness, that is the coolest thing for that girl.

spk_0 Right. Right. Right. Right. When you kind of see the lives of these people in New York and that,

spk_0 you know, they're doing unbelievable things. But they are just as grateful for the 22 year old,

spk_0 right out of school that's kind of doing the life work of all of it, you know. Yes. Yeah,

spk_0 because you realize you can't do your job without if you don't have peace, especially if somebody's

spk_0 watching your children or handling the other logistics of your life, for you to do your job well,

spk_0 you've got to have peace that those other things are taking care of. Right. It's the same thing,

spk_0 you know, in a family that, you know, if you're if you're trying to work, like I can I can travel

spk_0 and I can do my trips, but only because I know my kids are so happy with my husband or, you know,

spk_0 if I ever left them with a babysitter, I could only enjoy my time away if I needed they were happy

spk_0 and well taken care of and if anything happened, they wouldn't know what to do. Right. But so it really,

spk_0 you need those people, your village that help you do what you're meant to do. And so it does work

spk_0 both ways like that. Yes. And I just I thought this was interesting a few weeks ago. I set up

spk_0 an executive assistant for this lady that earns a really awesome venture capital firm in New York.

spk_0 And she said something interesting to me because I had set her up with nannies and different things.

spk_0 And then she hired someone in her office and she had a good point was was like, you know, life is hard.

spk_0 The state of the world is often hard and you know, at the end of the day after hiring tons of people,

spk_0 I just want to surround myself with good people. And I was like, I really needed to hear that because

spk_0 that's sort of what all of this was kind of idea derived from. But hearing it from her, yes.

spk_0 And you know, she wants people in her office that of course are capable and smart and unbelievable

spk_0 at their craft. Right. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is who you surround

spk_0 yourself with. Yes. And finding trusted and positive people is really important. Yes, who are

spk_0 life giving? Yes. And you race. And I actually was telling my husband this the other day. We were

spk_0 went to a football game the other day at Alabama. And just I was talking to some of these college kids

spk_0 that went to school with my kids. And it's crazy seeing them on a college campus because I'm

spk_0 known some of them since kindergarten. But they are so sweet, so respectful. They will come up to us,

spk_0 hey, Mr. Campacas, hey, Mrs. Campacas, like I'm just so impressed. And it's just been really fun.

spk_0 And but I was telling them, I was like, you know, one of my favorite ages is really like those later

spk_0 years of college, like 20, 21, 22. Because you know, by junior year, everybody starts getting a

spk_0 little bit more serious about their career. They're looking ahead. They're getting a little more

spk_0 ambitious if they're not already there. And it's just fun because you know, you're working with

spk_0 that clientele like they just bring a youthfulness and an energy and a life and they're excited about

spk_0 the world. And you know, they're motivated, you know, sometimes a lot more motivated than they

spk_0 might have been five years before. And so I think that can really just infuse energy into any company

spk_0 that they're going into. So what you're doing is so important. And I love that you're working with

spk_0 that age group too. Because like you said, you don't even know what it's doing for the people on

spk_0 the other end. Those of us who are older and a little more jaded, sometimes we need that youthful

spk_0 energy and the optimism in our lives. Yes. And it's it's super interesting too. Because you know,

spk_0 I think our age group, I'm 24. So I'm right there with us all, but it's a bad rap for, you know,

spk_0 not working hard or entitlement or whatever. Right. Right. Especially in the workforce. And

spk_0 I actually people ask me all the time, like, Oh, you need to do some coaching. You need to

spk_0 tell these girls to do this and that. And I am like, I love to find the needle in the haystack

spk_0 awesome people because they are out there. They are out there. And there is unbelievable people

spk_0 that are finishing up school that are moving to new places and trying new things that really are

spk_0 amazing. And so I'm sure there's needing to be some coaching on some ends at different

spk_0 at different places. But I think there's unbelievable people and I love to find them. Yes. I agree

spk_0 wholeheartedly. And I love seeing and that, you know, we talked about this earlier. It's been

spk_0 interesting having a daughter who all her friends are graduating and they're getting jobs and getting

spk_0 into grad school. And I mean, what you're seeing over and over and over. I call them the soft skills.

spk_0 And I've started talking a lot about it to these six and seventh grade girls. Like, you know,

spk_0 the world is telling me to affect us just on your GPA or your ACT. But I'm like, you know, you get

spk_0 to this level and you're interviewing for jobs. A lot of times the talent is pretty level.

spk_0 You might have, and for grad school, you might have a thousand qualified people all

spk_0 competing for 36 spots. And so what's really going to make the difference is how well they interview

spk_0 and how they are and how they come across. And so it's those soft skills that can matter so much.

spk_0 I'm seeing, you know, sometimes a great personality and that work ethic and that optimism and

spk_0 that condes can take people so far. And I think that's so important for our kids to hear that, yes,

spk_0 you know, work hard in school do well. But for some people, school's not their thing and it's okay.

spk_0 You know, you can still develop these other skills that I think can take them so far.

spk_0 Right. School was not necessarily, you know, my thing either. I loved what I started doing off

spk_0 the nanny network and the business. I was far more interested in that than the books in college.

spk_0 That's awesome. But yeah, it's so true. It's important to really put your best foot forward in

spk_0 school. And I even now wish I had like taken the harder classes and done different things of

spk_0 that sort. But I also think the soft skills and meeting people and being nice to every single

spk_0 person you come across. And you just never know. Oh, that is not going to take you. Yeah.

spk_0 I always tell mine and I'm like, don't burn bridges. Right. And there's such a there's such a

spk_0 culture now. People have in confrontations and burning bridges. And I'm like, you just don't know,

spk_0 I mean, just for one thing, it's just the right thing to do. But second, you never know who their

spk_0 sister might be or their cousin might be. And I'm like, you just see that people, things come full

spk_0 circle. They really do. Yeah. So well, great. And what else would you, so what advice would you give

spk_0 to somebody? Maybe a girl who's starting college or mom who's preparing her daughter for college?

spk_0 Thinking about the future and wanting her to have great opportunities like this.

spk_0 Yes, I would just say, you know, the biggest things are if something interest you just go for it

spk_0 or lean into it. That's good. I mean, even for me, I freshman year was like, oh, that sounds

spk_0 interesting. I will go nanny and the hampton for a summer. Did I know it would lead to me living in

spk_0 New York and starting businesses and all of this? No. Right. But I think if you just have any kind

spk_0 of inkling or interest in something, just go full force at it and work hard and do a good job

spk_0 and just see kind of where things may take you because it may be somewhere far more interesting

spk_0 or, you know, cooler than you could have ever hoped for yourself. Yeah. And that reminds me,

spk_0 there's a quote in writing. It says that writing a book is like driving a car at night.

spk_0 You can only see as far as the headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. And I can't

spk_0 remember who said that, but it's so true that sometimes you can't see the big vision at first,

spk_0 but you just see enough of like, I'm supposed to do these next three things and just do that. And

spk_0 then the next three steps might be revealed. And, you know, you're not going to get the whole

spk_0 roadmap at once, which is better. But, you know, if you're just, if you're trusting God, I think,

spk_0 and then on that path he wants you to be on, he's going to reveal those next steps. But you're such

spk_0 a great example, I think of somebody young, this is what you're doing is what a lot of people

spk_0 not learn to do until they're maybe in their 40s later in life. And so I just, I love that you're

spk_0 doing something different and creative. And I just see a lot of potential even more than it's

spk_0 already grown, but it's going to be fun to watch it. I know it was funny. I can't remember what it was,

spk_0 but my family and I went last night to some Chinese restaurant and I love a fortune cookie. And

spk_0 mine was like, you know, dream your wildest dreams. And I'm like, I honestly don't need this. I need

spk_0 to kind of hone in it a little bit. But I do. I just am like such a dreamer. And I love kind of

spk_0 taking people along with me and setting up new opportunities. And I think that's the coolest thing

spk_0 is just seeing these girls in school try things in the summertime and get jobs after college and kind

spk_0 of being on the end of things where I can see their experiences. It's just the coolest thing in the

spk_0 world. I absolutely love it. So your impact in a lot of was because if you impact where somebody is

spk_0 inturning or has a job, like that's that's really shaping their trajectory. So you're making a big

spk_0 difference at 24 years old. I appreciate it. Keep doing it. It feels very cool at my age to

spk_0 already have something that I'm so passionate about and love. Well, now I'm going to be interested

spk_0 to see if your friends are just the people that know you. If they start a business, if they're

spk_0 inspired to, you know, I think they will. I think that just watching you and what you're doing

spk_0 and that you not feeling like I'm too young to be doing this because you've partnered with the

spk_0 right people to help you. So you never know what what what ripple effect it might have.

spk_0 Yes. So in college, in this wordy house, I lived next to a girl named Friendly Renato who

spk_0 was sort of at the crossroads like a lot of us, senior year of like, where do I want to go? Where do

spk_0 I want to do? And so I've encouraged her to just move to the Hamptons for two months and

spk_0 work for a family and meet people and see if she likes living, you know, in the Northeast and all

spk_0 of that. And so she did that and then immediately landed a job through connections that she made

spk_0 in New York City and has helped me the last two years on all the technical end and the back end

spk_0 of Nanny Network and she's the best. And so she it's going to be my co-founder and heartwell.

spk_0 And it's awesome because I love to talk to people and recruit people and place the jobs and focus

spk_0 on that end of things and she is a genius at all of the back end of which is a lot at this point.

spk_0 And she's really amazing and simplified everything. And so yeah, you just never know the people that

spk_0 are along on your ride that can make such a big impact. Yeah, the girl next door in your story.

spk_0 Exactly. Yeah. I've seen it with my work too. I tell people the time like when my first book came

spk_0 out, I was so worried because I didn't have any big name endorsements like a lot of my friends did.

spk_0 And I was like, I don't know how I'm going to get the word out. But in one, my location was good

spk_0 because I was in the South and a lot of the people I knew were leading Babel Studies or they were

spk_0 church leaders because of the age that I was. But the people, I was so shocked that the people that

spk_0 wanted like host events for me are invited me to come speak or were leading a Babel Study that

spk_0 a lot of times it wasn't my best friends. It was like the acquaintances or the people that I knew

spk_0 like kind of secondhand or thirdhand connections that you know you might run into once or twice a year.

spk_0 But they came back into my life in a really pivotal way. And you know a lot of them I've got to be

spk_0 close to this season of life. And I'm like, man, I just wish we'd known each other better.

spk_0 Totally. Back when we were 18 years old. But like we said earlier, like just don't discount any

spk_0 connection you have or any relationship because so many times those peripheral relationships can come

spk_0 back in a much more significant way. Yeah, I mean I've had this happen so much there was a girl

spk_0 few years older than me at my high school that I just didn't know of really well. And she's an

spk_0 amazing chef. And New York City and I had her you know do an event and they hamped into the summer

spk_0 and just different things of that sort. Yes. It happens all the time. Yes. It's just different people

spk_0 that crossed your paths and you know then they can be useful to each other in different ways.

spk_0 Yes. As things play out it's really cool. Yeah, I love hearing that. And that's what I try to

spk_0 stress to these girls, these young girls like don't, don't wait until your senior year. A lot

spk_0 of times I wait until senior year to really branch out beyond their friend group and make new

spk_0 friends. Like don't miss out on these opportunities because you will look back and wish I wish I'd

spk_0 gotten to know her better. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I'm always like the more the marry area. Yeah.

spk_0 It's the more people you can learn from and meet and hear their stories and all of that is just

spk_0 super cool. Yeah. And bringing everybody's talents together. Yes. Yes. Well, heartwell you are a joy

spk_0 and I'm cheering for you and I can't wait to say all this continues to grow and what happens with

spk_0 heartwell especially. So thank you so much for coming on the show. Thank you for having me.

spk_0 This was so fun. Okay. Well, next time you're in Birmingham we'll do it again. Yes. I'll be back soon.

spk_0 I appreciate it. Good. Perfect. Thank you. Friends, thank you for tuning in today. I am so

spk_0 grateful to have you here. And if you enjoyed this show please subscribe wherever you listen and

spk_0 leave a ratings or review so that other people can find these messages too. For links to my books,

spk_0 my social media and my new community on Substack check out the show links. Thanks again for your

spk_0 support and have a great day.

Ep. 97: Starting a Business in College (with Hartwell Furr, Founder of Nanny Network)

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