Huffington Magazine Issue 20 | Page 72

HUFFINGTON 10.28.12 THE HELP pany designed a nautical themed nursery for Campos-Yatzkan, a surprise gift from her husband. Monica Burgos-Valdes, the executive baby planner at Tutti Bambini, says that the year-old maternity concierge operation has brought in about 25 clients so far. The market extends beyond the borders of well-heeled cities like New York. Melissa Moog, with the International Baby Planner Association cites members who are running their own maternity concierge and baby planning businesses in 20 different states. For $75 to $115 an hour, Burgos-Valdes finds nannies, night nurses and lactation consultants, all the while planning baby showers, designing nurseries and telling parents which products should be avoided due to recalls. Her clients, she says, tend to be “working moms” who “don’t have time for all the little things that having a baby encompasses.” By extension, these mothers are putting substantial trust in their service providers, and in the idea that paying a high enough price will guarantee them the best stroller, the best baby proofing services for their homes, or even something as “I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THIS KIND OF BUSINESS IS FOR THE 1 PERCENT. WE’RE BREAKING DOWN THAT WALL.” crucial as a nanny referral. In much the same way that people of a certain means are willing to spend top-dollar on their children, Mitch Marrow who runs a pet day care service, is working off of the concept that they’ll do the same for their pets. He recently launched a pet concierge service in 30 luxury apartment buildings in Manhattan, with the operating principle that no perk is too expensive to incorporate. “It’s not a dollars and cents type of relationship with our customer base,” says Marrow, a former NFL player and owner of The Spot Experience. For monthly fees starting at $400 and going all the way up to $1,500, residents can choose