Parking lots and small kids are never a good mix. One second, your child is glued to your side, and the next, it seems like they’ve run the length of the lot. If taking your child out of your Honda Pilot after you’ve parked your car in a parking lot is enough to give you heart palpitations, you’re definitely not alone. Thankfully, Parking Pal (a cute little safety sticker) was all it took for Denise Whitney to go from being a mom of three to a successful entrepreneur — and saving lots of little lives.
After her third child was born, Denise Whitney struggled to keep her sons safe in parking lots. “I found that I was constantly cautioning my two older sons, Austin and Aiden, to stay alongside the car, while I would unload baby Ezra from his car seat and into his stroller,” says Whitney. Fearing for their safety, Whitney, a labor and delivery nurse in Traverse City, MI, was inspired to create the Parking Pal. A magnetic sticker featuring a child’s handprint, Parking Pals is designed to keep kids safe in parking lots by having them place their hand on the sticker, thus keeping them close to the car — and out of danger.
Since its launch in 2006, Parking Pal has seen tremendous growth. Whitney admits that having an RN — and not a business background — made growing her business an initial challenge. “I had to learn everything as I went along,” says Whitney, who is business partners with her mom, Dotty. Personal issues — such as the death of her dad and her own divorce — also meant that business sometimes took a backseat. Most recently, Whitney was diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Despite these life-changing setbacks, Whitney’s desire to see Parking Pal become a household item (and promote child safety everywhere) has resulted in a whopping 400% increase from 2009 to 2010. Says Whitney: “And 2011 is proving to be the best year yet!”
After homeschooling her boys (now ages 9, 7, and 5) during the day, Whitney jumps on the computer after they’re tucked in bed to catch up on emails and orders. “Luckily, my kids go to bed pretty early, so that gives me lots of time to be productive,” says Whitney. The single mom admits that it’s more challenging to get it all done, but “determination and motivation go a long way!”