Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Joy Drew.
Brittany, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started The United Nanny Agency LLC to help educate Nannies and Families on the Standards of the Nanny Industry while being able to help them find a Nanny or Family to Nanny for.
As a Nanny, I have seen just how much families do not know or care about Industry standards. Some families genuinely do not know about the standards and what they should be paying or offering for a benefits package. Others simply do not care.
There are many Nannies who do not know their worth or what they should be asking for in compensation. They do not know how to negotiate or how to talk about the hard subject of a contract with a potential Family.
I wanted a way to better help both sides. Educate both Nannies and Families in a way that encouraged discussions and research for a better understanding.
Many Nanny Agencies in Atlanta do not have standards for their Families. I know of a couple that do not even make the Families pay their Nannies legally. The website of those agencies may say they do, but when a Nanny brings up a contract and being paid legally, the Family has no idea what I am talking about, and the agency is no help. (I know this because when I first moved to Atlanta, I had this issue and was a big reason that turned me off from agencies in Atlanta).
So, it all started off with creating The United Nanny Society – Atlanta. A society for Nannies in Atlanta to have a space for support, gain resources, and create a community.
But the main focus on this group was that we all wanted coworkers! We all wanted to find a way to combat the low wages and educate Families on our industry. We wanted to start making industry standards for an industry that has 0 standards.
The society has grown and grown! We have created many resources and have reached so many Nannies and Families. So many that some Agencies and Groups in Atlanta have started to push back because they do not advocate for the correct standards like the society does.
After the Society started gaining traction is when I decided to officially open The United Nanny Agency LLC.
Between both of these entities we have:
– Written a standard contract for employment between Nannies and Families
– Created Standard Pay Rates resources for Atlanta
– Created Standard Benefits resources for the United States
– Educated Nannies on their worth and how to find jobs that they are respected in
– Created a wave of education that being a Nanny is a career path and a legit hard-working job
– And so much more!
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?
It has not been a smooth road! When you set out to create standards in an industry that has zero standards, many people push back and they push back with lots of force!
Families are pushing back because all they see us as is a babysitter who just gets to sit there all day. (Which we are the furthest thing from)
Agencies are pushing back because Nannies will not work with them anymore due to the agency not caring about the Nanny (if no Nannies are working with your agency, then you have no Nannies to place with Families that are paying your agency to find them a Nanny)
I have actually been banned from multiple Facebook Nanny groups because parents are reporting my posts informing Nannies what they are worth and what they actually should be getting as far as pay and benefits. They are very upset because they are paying their Nanny very little and the posts I am making are reaching THOUSANDS of Nannies.
The United Nanny Agency LLC is making sure both parties have all the information. That the contracts benefit both parties! My agency is not one-sided like many others in Atlanta.
I did not create this agency or the society out of greed and money. I created them to bring power to an industry that has such a small voice in the world right now.
But, while creating these voices and standards, we receive a lot of pushback. It will not ever stop myself, my agency, the society, or any Nanny in the society. We all are in this together and we all will create a rise and an industry worth being a part of!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I started out her college education in the fields of Physics and Mathematics. Here I fueled my desire to question, learn, and grow from the world around me. My professors described me as very tenacious and asked a lot of questions! I loved working with children as well as tutoring students from Kindergarten to other university students. I never could give up those to have a job in her “career field”.
As I continued on my journey, I found herself in a Ph.D. program for Physics. Here I was the TA for the undergraduate Physics 1 and 2 classes for the physics major students. The drive to spark interest in my students continued on full force here! Going above and beyond to create curiosity and intrigue was my primary goal as a TA.
After some hard research, I decided I wanted to go to Georgia Institute of Technology for Medical Physics in hopes of one day working with Pediatric Cancer patients. But once again, I chose to seek out a job that let me be in childcare and I chose the ONLY recreational/non-academic summer camp on GT campus to become a counselor at thus ensuring I was completely focused on spending time with the campers.
This is where I blossomed on a professional level for more than I knew I needed to! Due to my vast experience with children, organizational skills, and love for my job, I quickly became Head Counselor and then a couple of weeks later was promoted to Assistant Director of the summer camp! I was not only able to continue honing my skills in childcare, but I also worked on my professional office skills in leadership, teamwork, communication, and adaptability. Throughout my two years, I worked in multiple areas of the Georgia Tech Competitive Sports Department including becoming the Assistant Director of Tournament Administration for the NIRSA Basketball Tournament in March 2017, Competitive Sports Office Manager, and even became a CPR instructor for the department.
When my time ended at Georgia Tech, I thought I would be done with university. That is until I decided to go back for my Master’s in Secondary Education to become a High School Physics teacher. During this time I chose to become a Full-Time Nanny. As I continued through the Master’s program, I realized a major component to my life I had been ignoring. I loved raising children and taking care of a household! I thrived as a Nanny! I loved being able to be a part of the children’s daily lives. This is when I decided I wanted to become a Professional Career Nanny.
My love in caring for children, teaching them, watching them grow, celebrating their achievements while teaching them from their failures, taking them to sports practice, making them dinner, being there to make them feel better when they are sick, and just being yet one more person they can look up to and count on, was more than enough for me to finally accept this is what I wanted to do long term.
I obtained my Professional Nanny Certification, Newborn and Infant Care Certification, and ePod Facilitator Certification as well as have trainings and certifications in most areas of childcare! I am very well educated in my field and have experience in so many areas.
In October 2021, I then founded The United Nanny Society – Atlanta and a few months later founded The United Nanny Agency LLC.
To this day, I cannot believe where I am at! I have so many people who are supporting me and my vision for this industry. The industry is what we make of it and I will say, I am trying to make it the best possible version it can be!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Simon Sinek – Start With Why
This book has been a huge part of my life ever since I became Assistant Camp Director at Georgia Tech. I love the message so much I got the quote ‘Inspire With Why’ as a tattoo.
It’s all about running your life, company, whatever with the thought of having a Why you do something. What you know is not as important as Why you want to know it. You can teach someone how to do their job. But you can not teach someone to love their job.
Contact Info:
- Email: brittanyjoydrew@unitednannyagency.org
- Website: The United Nanny Agency LLC: unitednannyagency.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/unitednannyagency
The United Nanny Society – Atlanta: instagram.com/tuns.atl - Facebook: facebook.com/unitednannyagency
The United Nanny Society – Atlanta: facebook.com/tuns.atl - Other: The United Nanny Society – Atlanta Website: unitednannysociety.wixsite.com/atlanta
