Today we’d like to introduce you to Debbie Stogel.
Debbie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I think my story is unique on how I got started with Be Safe Baby Proofers. First of all, I never saw myself as a business owner, let alone a woman-owned business owner. My career path was very different. Out of college, I was actually aspiring to be a dean of students on a college or university campus. That was the direction I was headed. After college I went on to graduate school and got a Master’s Degree in Student Personnel and Counseling, and then worked as an Assistant Dean of Students at a small college in Boston. I was on my way.
Shortly thereafter, about 3 years in, I was then afforded the opportunity to work for a national / international non-profit civil rights agency doing anti-bias and diversity training work. I had moved back to Los Angeles, which is home for me. I left the student affairs world to then conduct training sessions for K-12 teachers, college campus professionals and administrators, corporations and business leaders, as well as firefighters and police officers. I spent 25 years fighting prejudice, bias, discrimination and bigotry in all its forms, and conducting thousands of diversity training sessions and programs.
At the end of 2014, I found myself thrust into a different direction when I learned that my position was being eliminated and I was being laid off. Faced with an uncertain future, I was approached by a colleague, who was also being laid off at the same time, to consider starting a small business together: a baby proofing company.
I wasn’t sure at first, but then took a deep dive into baby proofing…only to learn that there are only about 100 baby proofers that do this type of work worldwide, globally. I also went back to the place of remembering what it was like raising my own two boys, who are now 30 and 24 years old, and all that I did to make our home safe for them when they were infants. I did the typical things, put cushions on the corners of furniture, plugged electrical outlets, installed gates. Of course, baby proofing as an industry, is now so much more. When I work with families, everything I tell them is based on research and by the numbers. I provide expert consultation, home hazard education, product recommendations, and professional installation services. My goal is prevention and giving parents peace of mind.
I began Be Safe Baby Proofers in June of 2015 and have been the sole owner of the company since April 2017.
I have now been in business for more than a decade. I have made more than two thousand family homes in Southern California safer for babies, toddlers and children. But most importantly, I am now a grandmother, which has made my work at saving the lives of children even more meaningful and impactful. I now see the baby proofing world through the lens of my granddaughter, which adds credibility to the suggestion, recommendations and advice I give to parents.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has being a business owner, along with being a professional baby proofer and child safety expert always been a smooth road? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. As a small business owner, I think if I keep myself focused on one goal…and one goal alone, I can reduce the stresses of the business. And that goal is: to educate families and work with them so they can make their homes as safe as possible in order to protect the lives of their babies and infants, so their children can grow up to be happy, healthy and thriving individuals.
I think some of the challenges over the years has been demand. There are so few baby proofers that do the work that I do. Baby proofing is also such a niche industry. I like to invite new parents to plan ahead. It is important for new parents to realize that their infants are ultimately going to crawl, want to explore the world around them, and will come into contact with things that are going to harm and hurt them. My job is to help them make their homes safe so that exploration can safely occur.
Because of my demand, I invite clients to plan as early as possible and get ahead of the crawling, so they are better prepared. Ideally clients should begin the baby proofing process with me when their infant is anywhere between 3 to 6 months old. Most infants start crawling anywhere between 6 to 12 months old, so the sooner parents can begin the process, the better!
I also think the other challenge or struggle I face is having clients truly understand the investment they are going to make when they hire a baby proofer, a professional who does what I do. Baby proofing is an investment, especially if you are going to hire someone to come into your home who is going to do it right. As a baby proofer, I follow very strict ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) child safety standards and will only install JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) approved products. Baby Proofing is an investment of time, resources and finances and I offer a level of expertise and experience to my clients. I have the expertise, contacts, and industry experience to identify the best products available for each application. I know what works and what does not work. I spend time researching products and offer the very best that is available on the market. I brainstorm ideas with clients and work at creating solutions. Having clients understand this is critical to my business success.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Be Safe Baby Proofers is a parent’s one-stop resource for all of their baby proofing and child safety needs. I provide expert consultation, home hazard education, product recommendations, and professional installation services for families in Los Angeles and surrounding areas with the goal of preventing injuries to your baby and giving parents peace of mind.
My process begins with an in-person home survey where I walk through the home with the parent(s) and discuss all of the areas that are potentially dangerous. At this time, he or she can also show me their areas of concern, and I can point out things that they may have missed. I will determine the best product or solution for each “problem” that is identified and will also take proper measurements and pictures as needed. The home survey visit could take up to 2-hours to complete because the process is detailed, comprehensive, and thorough.
Following the visit, I map out a plan by providing a written estimate of the products I recommend called a Price Quote Sheet, along with a detailed Room by Room Plan of everything discussed. The Room by Room Plan describes in depth what we are going to install and how we are going to install that particular item. This is sent within 12 – 24 hours of the visit.
Clients can then go through the recommendations and decide whether or not they want to go with everything on the list or remove certain items and I can revise the quote. Everything I suggest is just that…a recommendation…through my trained lens. I often tell clients that I make a horrible house guest because I can no longer go into anyone’s home without spotting all of the things that might be harmful to a child or infant.
Once a decision has been made and the client would like to move forward with their order, I would request a written authorization and a deposit. I will order any items that need to be special ordered and can schedule the installation at that time. However, there are times when clients want to schedule the installation prior to my leaving their home at the end of the home survey visit, and I am happy to do that as well.
I pride myself on 3 things that I care about when working with a family:
(1) I care that what I sell is safe for babies and infants between the ages of 6 months to 24 months. But I also want to make sure parents are aware of the research behind baby proofing and the products I sell and install. All baby proofing products (gates and latches in particular) state that they are for infants between the ages of 6 months to 24 months. According to the research, beyond the age of 2 years old or 24 months, a lot of children can sometimes figure out some of the baby proofing products, how to manipulate or climb over the gates, and figure out cabinet and drawer latches. I am not saying that a child will, but some toddlers have been able to figure them out, especially by watching others… including their parents. Once a child can either figure out how to open a gate or climb over it, or open the latches, those gates and latches are no longer effective. It does not mean that a gate cannot be placed at the top or bottom of stairs for a baby over the age of 24 months, I just like to bring that to parent’s attention and give them the heads-up to the research so they are not questioning why their child has figured out how to bypass some of the safety mechanism of the baby proofing products we install. Of course, something we complete beyond the age of 2 is furniture strapping and bracketing because of the risk of climbing and furniture tipping.
(2) I care that what I sell is installed correctly and operates correctly. I have an amazing team of installers who have worked with me for years. I call them my dream team because they are so good. My installers do amazing work. They are able to carry out my vision and bring it to fruition.
(3) I care about aesthetics, and I want parents to really like what they are getting and that it looks really good. Who would have thought that we could make baby gate look so good. But we do! We even know how to secure a safe baby gate to beautiful glass banister railings or posts. It is probably one of the most fun and exciting things we do.
What does success mean to you?
I define success in a couple of different ways.
I define success through my amazing team of installers who work for the business. I am only as good as they are. They bring my visions to life and do exceptional work.
I define success by the wonderful reviews I have received from my clients on my Yelp and Google pages.
I define success by the amount of repeat business I have received from my clients over the years. Clients come back to me for all sorts of reasons. Clients come back to me to help install items not previously installed during the first round of baby proofing. When clients decide to move homes, they come back to me to help them baby proof a new home. Clients ask me to return to their homes when they have a second or third child. We return to client’s homes when they transition their little one from a crib to a big girl or boy bed so we can make sure that child’s bedroom is 100% safe. Clients will also email or text asking questions as things come up…and I am always happy to answer any question a client might have and am always happy and willing to help where I can. I want to serve as a child safety expert and resource to my clients. Over the last decade…I have definitely accomplished that goal!!!
Pricing:
- There is a fee for the in-person home survey visit which includes expert consultation, home hazard education, valuable information and product recommendations. The Information provided below is based on 2025 pricing information:
- Your address will determine if you are inside or outside of my 20-mile service area. I am very strategic about location and geography for obvious traffic and distance reasons.
- For clients within 20-miles, the fee is $160.00. For clients between 20-30 miles, the fee is $200.00. For clients between 30-40 miles, the fee is $250.00. We are willing to do Saturday appointments. If interested in a Saturday, please be sure to ask. The fees for a Saturday visit range from $225.00 – $300.00 depending on the distance.
- If additional time is needed beyond the initial two-hour consultation visit, $50.00 will be added, at the conclusion of the home survey, for each additional hour thereafter.
- If you are located outside of my service area, a trip fee will be added onto your Price Quote Sheet, to compensate me and my installers for the added time it will take us to travel to and from your home to complete the installation.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.besafebabyproofers.com/
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/besafebabyproofers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/besafebabyproofers
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-safe-baby-proofers-llc-/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BeSafeBabyProof
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/be-safe-baby-proofers-los-angeles
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/be2997/
Image Credits
For all the photos provided, clients have given Be Safe Baby Proofers permission to post photos on social media (website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) that were taken of products (gates, Plexiglas, cord management, etc.) installed in their homes. Privacy will be respected. No personal items will be included.
