Today we’d like to introduce you to Keltse Bilbao.
Hi keltse, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Originally from Spain, I’ve lived in many countries and cities around the globe. Besides traveling and meeting new people and cultures, my passion is to create new concepts and bringing them to life. I’m a mom, wife, friend and a serial entrepreneur. As far as my business, Big and Tiny was born in 2018 out of my own need as a mother and entrepreneur to balance my professional and family life. As you might already know, 43% of women leave their jobs when they have a child. To me, the desire of being part of my daughters’ first years made me reconsider devoting my time to my work and my career, which didn’t feel right since I love what I do. This frustration inspired me to came up with a new concept of flexible and participatory childcare + education model that allows parents to focus on their careers or passions while being close to their kids. My goal was to build a mindfully designed space for like-minded parents and their kids and to create a supportive and inspiring community.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
We definitely faced many struggles since we opened our Santa Monica studio 2.5 years ago. Since we were introducing a relatively new business model, we struggled with the on-demand hourly service due to the kid/teacher ratio. We decided to move into a members only model to avoid being under or overstaffed. It goes without saying that every stage of this pandemic has brought on new challenges. We asked ourselves: “Do we stay open?” “How do we pivot?” “What can we do for the families that need us?” We put memberships on hold and went through the heartbreaking process of temporarily letting staff go. We started recording online classes for our community from our empty studio. After a few months, we introduced in-home services and hired back our wonderful staff – in fact, we doubled our team! We trained and retrained and with all our dedication and work, we are so proud we are still here, serving our community.
We’ve been impressed with Big and Tiny, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Big and Tiny is the first “play-working” leading the global movement of balancing work and family. We provide an integrated service of top-notch childcare through our expert educators and an inspiring co-working space so parents can focus on their professional career without compromising their family life. At Big and Tiny, we provide a variety of educational programs for children 0- 6 years old. Our mission is to provide a safe space for kids to cultivate their creativity, explore with autonomy and build relationships.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
One of the most beautiful things that this adventure has taught me is how a community can come together and become a family. What has gotten us through difficult times is the love and gratefulness we’ve received from our amazing community. It makes my day to hear their stories and know that we’re part of them.
Pricing:
- Monthly memberships starting at $615/month
Contact Info:
- Address: Santa Monica Studio 1731 Ocean Park blvd Santa Monica CA 90405 Y.310-392-0113 Silver Lake Studio 2624 W sunset Blvd Los Angeles CA 90026 West Hollywood at Second Home 1730 N St Andrews Place Los Angeles, CA 90028
- Email: Info@bigandtiny.com
- Website: www.bigandtiny.com
- Instagram: Bigandtinyspace
- Facebook: Bigandtinyspace
Image Credits
Aaron Lyles
