Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Durocher.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
While I was on the fire department (West Metro in Lakewood), I became a Child Passenger Safety Technician and eventually an instructor of the program. While I loved being a firefighter and paramedic and making a difference in people’s lives, I wanted to focus more on prevention than picking up the pieces of the aftermath. Car seat education was a good fit.
My wife, Amie, joined me in the prevention mission after we were married. Eventually, when she left working full-time so, we could start a family and after yet another miscarriage, she took the course to become a CPS Tech also.
We worked events and at a local hospital, helping new parents install their car seats correctly and educating them about car seat safety. Together we’ve shared information with thousands of parents at events, at classes, in our neighborhood, to anyone who asked — and sometimes didn’t ask. (People don’t always appreciate that. Weird.) We have always loved that we were helping other parents keep their children safer in the car.
Years went by and we were pregnant with number 3 and driving one car, which didn’t not allow for fitting three car seats across because of the hump in the middle and the bucket seats on the sides. Our good friend and fellow technician instructor reminded us of the RideSafer Travel Vest and how it could be a solution for us.
Our friend asked us to think about helping the manufacturer of the vest. We saw the value of the vest and the lack of awareness in the general public about it even though it had already been on the market for years at this point. But we were hesitant with a new baby and trying to launch a different business.
Eventually, we came around and Safe Ride 4 Kids was born. We always intended the business to be two-fold, car seat safety education and innovative products. We started with just the one product, the RideSafer vest. Down the road, we found the Tummy Shield at a baby show and realized the need it filled to allow increased safety for pregnant women driving. So now we have two feature products and some smaller safety products.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Certainly not what we envisioned when we started.
Originally another couple co-founded the company with us. They parted ways with Safe Ride 4 Kids to pursue other passions almost two years ago. At that point, we had to learn the roles they had filled in the business and take them over.
From the get-go we’ve been underfunded for the impact we’d like to make and have been bootstrapping it and putting in sweat-equity all along.
Without going into detail, one of our manufacturers has thrown obstacles in our way, which actually has hurt his business growth too.
One of our missions includes increasing awareness that driving during pregnancy is not like driving during other times of one’s life and special safety considerations need to be made. While some people intuitively get it, other people have been resistant to this idea.
Safe Ride 4 Kids – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our business, Safe Ride 4 Kids, is about saving lives. We aim to help fellow parents keep their children safe in the car. This actually starts during pregnancy. We do this by providing car safety education and innovative products.
What sets us apart from others is that we are more concerned with a child’s safety than with a sale. Of course, most people don’t see that aspect unless it was a customer we actually pointed toward another product.
We are car seat experts first. That was how and why we got into this business and the mission that drives us.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Well for us it’s multifold. Of course, we would like the financial side of the business to continue to grow but we are also looking for impact. How many lives did we impact by either making their life easier or actually saving a life from injury or worse in a car crash?
Pricing:
- Tummy Shield Pregnant Seat Belt Adjuster $149
- RideSafer Travel Vest $159
Contact Info:
- Address: 303 S Broadway #200-266, Denver, CO 80209
- Website: https://saferide4kids.com
- Phone: 844-421-7233
- Email: greg@saferide4kids.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saferide4kids/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/SafeRide4Kids/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SafeRide4Kids
Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
