Happy Thanksgiving! This week I thought it would be a fun change of pace to have a guest that is helping solve a real problem for traveling families with small kids.
Our guest today is Nelson Nigel, and he shares with us his story of perseverance and resilience on how he has been able to build a niche business in the crowded transportation industry.
TODAY’S WIN-WIN:
Find your niche and stick with it.
LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
- You can visit our guest’s website at:
- Attend our Franchise Sales Training Workshop:
- https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/franchisesalestraining/
- If you are ready to franchise your business or take it to the next level: CLICK HERE.
- Connect with our guest on social:
- https://kidmoto.taxi/
- https://www.facebook.com/NelsonNigelNY
- https://twitter.com/NelsonNigel
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonnigel/
- https://www.pinterest.com/nelsonnigelny/
- https://babymoto.taxi/#
- https://www.motonation.us/careers
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Nelson Nigel, Founder and CEO of Kidmoto Technology, is a true example of resilience and innovation. Overcoming a challenging upbringing and a life-altering accident, Nelson bootstrapped Kidmoto into a fully self-funded success, boasting a 7-figure revenue in 2023. With a mission to address the lack of child car seats in transportation services, Kidmoto has become a trusted brand in 52 US cities, completing over 20,000 rides. Nelson’s positive mindset, dedication, and respect for his team have propelled Kidmoto to a $20 million valuation, marking a remarkable journey of success in just six years.
ABOUT BIG SKY FRANCHISE TEAM:
This episode is powered by Big Sky Franchise Team. If you are ready to talk about franchising your business you can schedule your free, no-obligation, franchise consultation online at: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/ or by calling Big Sky Franchise Team at: 855-824-4759.
If you are interested in being a guest on our podcast, please complete this request form or email podcast@bigskyfranchise.com and a team member will be in touch.
TRANSCRIPTION:
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (00:01):
Welcome to the Multiply Your Success Podcast, where each week we help growth-minded entrepreneurs and franchise leaders take the next step in their expansion journey. I’m your host Tom DuFore, CEO of Big Sky Franchise Team. As we open today, I just want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving week. This is my favorite holiday of the year. I just want to say I am so thankful and grateful for each of you that have been tuning in with us and sticking with us. Whether this is your first time or your 200th time tuning in, I’m so grateful and thankful for you.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (00:35):
As a Thanksgiving week special, I thought it would be fun to have a little bit of change of pace with our guest, who’s helping solve a real problem for traveling families with small kids, especially knowing that the Thanksgiving week is the heaviest travel week of the year in the United States. My guest today is Nelson Nigel, and he shares with us his story of perseverance and resilience on how he has been able to build a niche business in the crowded transportation industry.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (01:06):
Now, Nelson is the founder and CEO of Kidmoto Technology, which is on a mission to address the lack of car seats in transportation services. Kidmoto has become a trusted brand in over 50 cities across the United States, completing over 20,000 rides. Nelson’s positive mindset, dedication, and respect for his team have propelled Kidmoto to a $20 million valuation in just six years. You’re going to love my interview with Nelson. Let’s go ahead and jump right into it.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (01:35):
Thanks for having me, Tom. Nelson Nigel, I’m the CEO of Kidmoto Technologies.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (01:40):
I’m so glad you’re here. I’m excited to interview you because of your business and what you’ve created here. I’m sure you’ve been on a bunch of interviews like this. I love Kidmoto, and the concept, and what you’re doing.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (01:53):
I’d love for you to, first, tell us Kidmoto is. Then, I’d love to talk about the origin story, and what led you to create this?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (02:03):
Kidmoto is a mobile app that connects traveling parents with small children to drivers that provide installed child car seats. Essentially, you’re going to the airport, you don’t want to travel with a child car seat because it’s a hassle, lugging car seats to and from the airports. The mobile app connects drivers with pre-installed child car seats to passengers traveling with babies and small children. It makes it safe and convenient.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (02:30):
As a father of three, and having traveled early when my kids were real little and all three were in car seats at the same time, it was really hard to travel. If we didn’t have the car seats, well, is there a ride share, or is the car company going to have the car seats, and all of the concerns you have as a parent.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (02:50):
I’m curious what led you to start this?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (02:54):
Fabulous question, Tom. I saw an opportunity. I drove a yellow cab, I drove Uber, and forget about it. No one was providing child car seats, installed child car seats. I kept saying to myself, “Well, there is this need in the market, there is this need in the market. How can I create something?” Here we are. Just a real niche area, a small segment of the population, but solves a real problem. I love it.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (03:22):
When we were traveling, we would have been your customer if we had known about you at the time. That’s part of the reason I wanted to have you on, and make sure your message is getting out, so other parents with young children can pursue what’s you’re doing.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (03:33):
When you first started, you were driving a yellow cab, then you were driving for Uber, and then you decide to launch this. Was it just you in the beginning? How’d this happen?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (03:44):
It’s still all me. Great journey, I love it. I created something that’s really valuable. I loved creating what I have right now, because it’s really solving a problem for parents with small children.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (03:57):
If someone’s traveling today, what areas or regions are you available?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (04:02):
Kidmoto is available in 53 cities across America. Just about all the majority cities. It’s a fabulous thing, to be able to provide this service with an app. Somebody can just use the app, book in Bozeman, or book in Salt Lake City, or book in Miami. Forget about, it’s just awesome.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (04:22):
That’s amazing. Now obviously, you’re not the one driving all of these people anymore. Talk about your transformation from essentially being a cabbie to now being the leader of what I would presume is a technology company.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (04:38):
Yes.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (04:39):
Talk about that transformation.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (04:40):
First of all, driving a yellow cab in New York City is probably my favorite job ever. New York City is just insane, insanely, just insane great. The transformation has been I worked 20 hours a day, and I probably still work 20 hours a day doing this. The work ethic is there. The perseverance is there. The love of the job is still there. Same way I loved driving a yellow cab is the same way I love working with Kidmoto.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (05:07):
Wonderful. I’d be curious, as you were launching Kidmoto, how were you able to start attracting other drivers? I would imagine that’s part of it. People who are able to transport families, and go along with this program, what have you done to try to find folks?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (05:26):
I started off begging drivers. It was that hard because you have to sell your vision to drivers. Especially when they didn’t really want install car seats, and they don’t know how to install car seats, it’s really hard. The car seat is heavy. It was constantly begging drivers, and proving to them that there is a market for this. We can get them work because they’re contractors. They need to know, “Why would I want to learn all of this when there’s no market for it?” Eventually, they’re figured out, “Hey, there is a market for it.” Now, it’s just everywhere.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (06:03):
I had to beg them. I still have to go, hop on the plane, go to LA, or all these different cities just to beg people to work with us.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (06:14):
You solve one problem of finding drivers, but you still have the other problem of getting users and parents to actually sign up for this. As a parent, I would imagine some of the concern is, “Well, are the seats really installed? Are they current models or safe versions of the car seats?” Or what have you. How did you go about convincing parents that you were a safe alternative for them?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (06:39):
Tremendous marketing. The feedback from the consumers and they’re saying great reviews, great testimonials from the consumers. It took time. It’s all we do and we do it well. This is why we’re the best at it. We’re not doing anything else. All we do is airport transportation with pre-installed car seats, that’s it. Lots of marketing, digital marketing on the internet.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (07:06):
What is some of the messaging, I guess, and some of the content you’ve used? What seems to resonate with the parents and the families?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (07:15):
Good question. Parents, they want something that’s safe and convenient at the same time. That’s what we provide. The vehicles are usually almost brand new vehicles, luxury vehicles. We just make the process easy and simple, easy and simple. We have a great team on staff. Just constantly working on customer journey.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (07:39):
I guess that resonates a lot, the customer journey, and being able to know that, hey, if your flight is delayed an hour, we’re on top of it. Or if your flight is delayed two hours, we’re on top of it. That feedback from other consumers just has resonated with the potential consumers. “Hey, you know what, that company actually does track the flights, and they do understand our problems.”
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (08:06):
You’ve gone from one city operating, to 50-plus now. Where is this going? Where is your vision? Where do you see this expanding?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (08:15):
Forget about it. That’s a great question. We’re doing other things under a company called Moto Nation. We’re providing mobile apps for underserved segments of the population. Just like Kidmoto, traveling parents with small children, we have a company called Babymoto, which is picking up newborns from hospitals for new parents. Because there’s a need there, new parents generally don’t know how to install an infant seat. It’s a traumatic experience. We can bring that to the consumers, especially new parents who have no idea generally how to install a car seat. We have another company called Busmoto, which is specializing in transporting airline staff and cruise line staff which is, again, another niche area of the transportation industry. We have another one doing medical, medical transportation, medical logistics.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (09:08):
Wonderful, wonderful. Well, for someone tuning in here who says, “Nelson, this sounds great. I might be a potential customer, or I may have someone that I think should reach out,” how can they get in touch or learn more about what you’re doing, or maybe try your service?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (09:22):
We’re on kidmoto.taxi. K-I-D-M-O-T-O.T-A-X-I. I’m on LinkedIn, so everyone could always reach out to me on LinkedIn at Nelson Nigel.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (09:34):
Wonderful. Well, Nelson, this great time in the show, we make a transition. We ask every guest the same four questions. The first question we ask is have you had a miss or two in your journey, and something you learned from it?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (09:44):
I’ve had thousands of misses. Thousands, and thousands, and thousands. Guess what? You get back up. You fall down seven, you get back up eight. That’s just how it is. You just keep going. No stopping, no stopping.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (09:59):
Let’s look at the other side. Let’s talk about a make or two, a highlight?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (10:04):
Thousands of makes. There’s been thousands and thousands of great things that have happened, and here we are. It was all a dream. Think about. 53 cities, started out with two car seats and 500 bucks in one city. People thought, “Well, yeah right. You can’t make it national.” But here we are. It’s been tons and tons of makes and highlights.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (10:35):
For example, just opening up a new city. I’ll fly to Sacramento on a guess than operator would want to work with us. Sold it. Traveled to, let’s just say Bozeman. Sometimes you don’t know if people want to work with you, and you’re just spending all this time and energy on flights, and hoping that people would want to work with you. Here we are, though. 53 cities.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (11:05):
The name of the show is Multiply Your Success. We always ask every guest, have you used a multiplier to grow yourself personally or professionally, or your businesses?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (11:16):
I do have my routine. I like to walk every morning, coffee and walk. The great multiplier is these headphones. I don’t know if they call them headphones. But these are Tac Life, you put them over your ears. They’re not headphones, but they’re just soundproof. I would drop these on, get into my zone. I’m in the zone. This is the multiplier right here. It puts you in the zone, you’re focused. I’m focused. It works. These are my blinders, and just keeps you in the zone.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (11:49):
Sometimes people will say, “Get focused.” Or, “Go in a quiet room and close the door.” Or, “Turn things off.” But I like that there’s this actual physical transformation when you put those on, and then it blocks the noise out. That’s wonderful. I really like that.
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (12:02):
That’s what it is. It’s that physical transformation puts you in the zone. Now you’re focused.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (12:09):
Wonderful. Well, the final question we ask every guest is what does success mean to you?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (12:15):
Having good friends and family. Success in business? Working with great people.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (12:21):
As we bring this to a close, Nelson, is there anything you were maybe hoping to share or get across that you haven’t had a chance to yet?
Nelson Nigel, Kidmoto (12:27):
Don’t quit. If you have a dream, if you want to start a business, just go for it. Don’t quit. You fall down, forget about it. Get back up. Just keep moving, just keep moving. You’re going to fail, everybody fails. We all fail. Just get back up and get on it. That’s just the way business is. But you have to set it into motion and keep it going.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (12:50):
Nelson, thank you so much for a fantastic interview. Let’s go ahead and jump into today’s Three Key Takeaways.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (12:57):
Takeaway number one is that Nelson focused on solving a problem for parents of small children. He really zeroed in on that.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (13:06):
Takeaway number two is he realized that parents want something that’s safe and convenient at the same time, so that’s what helped him zero in on that problem.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (13:16):
Takeaway number three is when he said at the very end, “Don’t quit. If you have a dream, go for it.” So to all of you listening in, whatever it is that’s on your mind, whether it’s growing your business, franchising your company, expanding, whatever it is, go for it. I thought that was a great, great takeaway.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (13:36):
Now it’s time for today’s Win-Win. Today’s win-win is when Nelson talked about finding your niche and sticking with it. I thought that was just a great little takeaway. He zeroed in on this problem that he identified, and focused on it, and stuck with it because he knew there was a need in the market. It’s just a great win. He’s solving a problem for the parents, making it safer and more convenient for the families that are traveling, and he’s providing a value-added service.
Dr. Tom DuFore, Big Sky Franchise Team (14:09):
That’s the episode today, folks. Happy Thanksgiving again. Thank you so much for being here. Please make sure you subscribe to our podcast and give us a review, we’d love a review. And remember, if you or anyone you know might be ready to franchise their business or take their company to the next level, please connect with us at bigskyfranchiseteam.com. Thanks for tuning in. We look forward to having you back next week.
