Caregiver concept Jovie is announcing Stuart Dupuy as their new brand president.
Nanny and babysitter concept Jovie is promoting Stuart Dupuy to the role of brand president. Dupuy, whose official start date is July 16, brings decades of childcare business experience to the role, including as a Jovie franchisee.
“Adding value to working parents is something that’s very enjoyable,” said Dupuy. “Especially with COVID, it’s really underscored the challenges that families have around childcare, managing their life, managing their profession. Being able to help with that is a very good thing.”
Previously known as College Nannies and Sitters, Jovie rebranded in 2022. The company has nearly 200 territories across the United States and is under the Bright Horizons umbrella of childcare brands. The initial investment for a Jovie territory ranges between $107,000 to $163,000.
Dupuy and his wife founded Mom’s Best Friend Household Staffing, a nanny staffing agency, in 1994. In 2016, Mom’s Best Friend was converted to College Nannies, which eventually became Jovie.
With his own children grown up, Dupuy said he became interested in the corporate side of business—specifically, working with other entrepreneurs in the system.
Stuart Dupuy.
“I love small business, I love entrepreneurs,” said Dupuy. “I’m going to continue to be an owner as well as the brand president … and I’ll be collaborating with other owners in the system.”
When Joe Loch, CEO of Bright Horizons, announced that he was seeking a new brand president for Jovie, Dupuy took immediate interest, though not to receive the title at first, he said. However, several colleagues also proposed the idea, and after one of the C-suite executives called and said, “Hey, do this,” recalled Dupuy, he agreed. Since May, Dupuy has been working with the Bright Horizons team to adjust to his new responsibilities.
“It works out quite well,” he said. “It’s almost like a lateral move, so I don’t feel like I’m coming into a new company since I’ve been working with my colleagues for a very long time.”
The main focus as Dupuy begins his time as brand president of Jovie is franchisee profitability. With the challenges during and after the pandemic in the childcare sector, there’s a lot he’s considering when it comes to the issue. Staffing challenges are “the point of the spear” in many markets, Dupuy said.
Fewer people in the labor pool and higher wages means the balance of cost and profit is more difficult to manage, and Dupuy is hoping to lessen the strain. He’s looking to other businesses for inspiration, especially when it comes to retaining the necessary staff.
Financial profitability isn’t the only aspect requiring Dupuy’s focus. What he dubbed “sanity profitability” is also part of his plans. This includes ensuring that franchisees and their employees have a healthy lifestyle as well the opportunities for personal growth.
Expansion is also on Dupuy’s mind, but for now the plan is “listening and learning,” he said, at least for the first month of his role. Learning new strategies and ensuring that everything works smoothly is the first priority, or as Dupuy put it, “I’m not going to walk into a room with my mouth first.”
“It’s a very comfortable shift for me,” he noted. “I now feel like I’ll be adding value to my colleagues as my job and not just my hobby, and I’m super pleased to do that.”