Meet Kayce Hammer | CEO of Peak Nanny Agency

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kayce Hammer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayce, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
Filling up my cup and making sure that I’m taking care of myself before anything else. I start my day every single morning with a workout at 6am, that is a non negotiable for me. I also pour into other things that make me happy – going to church, taking my pup for a walk, traveling, spending time with friends, sleeping (lol), etc. I’ve learned that owning your own business can become all consuming if you’re not careful. Making boundaries has been extremely important in this journey. I would probably work every hour of every day if I didn’t limit myself, so having those boundaries in place is important for my mental health & wellbeing. The work is always going to be there, there will always be a to do list, etc. I have to remember to fill my cup up first, so I can pour into my business.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own Peak Nanny Agency, which is a nanny referral agency. We help great nannies find families that they love working for, and we help families find great nannies that they trust and love. I got into this business after being a nanny myself for many years. I had found two amazing families through an agency and throughout the years of being so involved in the nanny / babysitting world – I kind of just found myself making placements for free. I found replacements for myself when I left jobs, families would come to me asking if I knew of nannies looking for work, and nannies would come to me asking if I knew of any new families hiring. I was so immersed in the Denver nanny world, it kind of just came second nature to me. And when I would make these placements, and both sides were happy and loving it, it made me feel SO fulfilled.

I love that I nannied for many years and have that background that I can bring to my agency. I can advocate for nannies all across the board with pay, benefits, fair treatment, etc. With that being said, I’ve seen many nannies in this line of duty that aren’t great at their job – so I can help families know what red flags to look out for. I have really honest conversations with both families and nannies, and I’ve always taken pride in myself on making sure I’m advocating fairly for both sides.

Building a business can be very challenging, and people don’t like being told no. I’ve had to deal with very angry people on both sides of the fence – I won’t work with some nannies and I also won’t work with some families, and neither of those groups of people like being told that. Lies have been made up about my business, I’ve gotten fake google reviews, stuff I never thought that I’d have to deal with – I think just staying true to what I know and my mission throughout all of this, has been what has really helped keep my head up. I know that I want to fulfill a purpose here, and I’m excited to be able to continue doing so.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh! I love this question. I love Denver so much. I grew up in Minnesota and have been in Denver almost 13 years now.

First off, if someone is visiting Denver, you have to take them on a hike. It doesn’t have to be a crazy hike, but you have to take them up the mountains to at least some sort of lookout point (Breckenridge makes a great day trip). Denver also has some amazing restaurants – some of my favorites are Linger, El Five, Perdida, Tavernetta, Guard & Grace, Green Collective Eatery, and Wash Park Grille. You also have to bring them to check out some of the local neighborhoods and their cute little streets – Lohi, Tennyson, Gaylord street – to name a few. Colorado is known for their farmers markets – so you have to either go to pearl street farmers market or city park farmers market, or you could venture up to Boulder for the day and hit the Boulder Farmers Market. On a Sunday night in the summertime, you can pack a picnic and take them to experience City Park Jazz. Lastly, you need to unwind on a rooftop somewhere, watching the sunset over the mountains, and having a delicious cocktail or mocktail (54thirty is one of my favorite places for this). And if they are an ice cream lover – make sure to check out Bonnie Brae Ice Cream or Little Man Ice Cream!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Gosh, there are so many people that come to mind with this question. My friends have been an amazing support system this past year while launching my business. Almost none of them are in the “nannying” realm or know what exactly I’m doing, but they show up in every single way possible to support me anyways. They refer Peak anytime they hear of somebody needing a “nanny,” they ask how they can help me, they remind me to take breaks, and they have just been the best cheerleaders throughout this whole thing.

My family, of course comes to mind. The second I launched my business, I was so excited to tell them. They continually ask me about it and listen to me work through things that aren’t going according to planned, just as much as they help me celebrate my successes.

Lastly, the wonderful nanny families I’ve had throughout the years. They’ve all made nannying such a joy to me, which is what inspired me to create this business. Lily, I nannied her children for many years. We are still great friends & on a hike one day she was asking me what inspired me, what I really wanted to do, etc. Throughout our years of knowing each other she watched this business come to fruition without even my knowledge. I had helped her find my replacement when I left, I had also helped her friends find nannies that they loved. She really pushed me to thinking this little idea of mine could actually become a business. She supported me right from the very beginning, asking how she could help, encouraging me, having hard talks with me, walking me through my struggles, etc. Starting a business can be so scary and I don’t think I would have made this leap without her, truly.

My current nanny family has just been a dream. People ask me what my plan is and I hope it’s this, until they won’t have me anymore. Going to work is my favorite thing in the world. I feel so fulfilled and happy with what I get to do everyday. My boss & I have an absolutely incredible relationship. She encourages me every single day, she gives me time to make this business a reality, and gives me such solid advice when I’m feeling a little lost in what I’m trying to do. She supports me in ways that she probably isn’t even aware of, just be being who she is.

This business is a passion of mine – I do it because I want to see other families find nannies that they love, and I want nannies to be able to find families that make them feel the same way that the ones that I’ve found, have always made me feel. I love that I can still be in the nanny realm and be knowledgable on both sides of it. I think being in this line of work can cause confusion in the eyes of most people, but all of my “people” have all stood up and supported me in every single way that they could think of.

Website: https://www.peaknannyagency.com

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/peaknannyagency

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaycehammer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peaknannyagency