Meet Nannies Incorporated Founder: Annie Martin

We sit down to talk with the Nannies Incorporated Founder Annie about her career so far, her love of Bambi, and the best place to take children in London...

What's your name, and what do you do at Nannies Incorporated?

My name is Annie Martin and I'm the Founder and Director of Nannies Incorporated. 

Having worked full time at Nannies Incorporated for 15 years, I am privileged to now work part-time. However, I am always there for any situations that may arise on a day to day basis. 

I am very lucky to be surrounded by young, professional and enthusiastic consultants. We support each other, with my traditional understanding of how to run a business and their knowledge of technology which, unfortunately, has passed me by! 

What led you to Nannies Incorporated?

By education, I am a linguist and a lawyer. My first job was at the European Commission in Brussels. This is where I met my husband John, who was and still is a lawyer. 

When we came to live in London, I decided to set up my own business and simultaneously opened Nannies Incorporated offices in London and Paris, as that is where I could see a gap in the market.

30 years later I have no regrets, every client and nanny is unique and finding the right connection fills me with happiness.

What's your favourite part of working at Nannies Incorporated?

I love speaking to returning clients and now nearly 30 years on we are finding Nannies for their grandchildren! I like to catch up with our nannies who I have known for many years over coffee and cake.

Finally but by no means least, I enjoy working with my consultants, they know they can count on me to solve any problems that may arise and I can count on them.

Do you have a favourite childhood book? 

As a child, my favourite story was Bambi, which my mother read to me most nights. Although the sad parts brought me to tears, it was a story I loved to hear. As a mother of three, I often read my children one of my favourite childhood books, the French story of Babar the Elephant. It became one of their most popular bedtime stories.  

What's your favourite child-friendly place in London?

I love the Natural History Museum, I used to take my children there many years ago. It only seems like yesterday that we marvelled at the dinosaurs and wondered how they became extinct. I look forward to taking my grandchildren there one day to relive the excitement!

What's on your travel bucket list? 

Having walked part of the Camino de  Santiago Compostela, I would love to walk its entirety as Paula Cole put so well, "Walking is magic". I can't recommend it enough. I read that Plato and Aristotle did much of their brilliant thinking together while ambulating. The movement, the meditation, the health of the blood pumping and the rhythm of footsteps... this is a primal way to connect with one's deeper self.

My love of animals would also take me to the Galapagos Islands to see the world's most unique ecosystem and the majestic emperor penguins of Antarctica.