Today we’d like to introduce you to Briana Tholen.
Hi Briana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Briana Tholen and I am a mom of 3 beautiful children, Eliana (6), Micah (4), and Caroline (2). Until 2022, I was a high school science teacher. I decided to put my teaching career on hold to be able to spend more time with my children. During the transition from teaching to becoming a stay-at-home mom, Bayshore Baby Co., was born.
My husband and I love to travel, but have learned how challenging it can be to travel with children – mainly because of all of the extra gear you have to pack! On one of our trips we used a baby gear rental company in Florida and it was amazing! It was during that trip I knew we needed something similar in Northern Michigan. After a few years of thinking about it and the dream getting stronger, I decided to take the leap.
I have worked hard to build this business from scratch, including creating my own website. In 2025, we grew almost 6-fold and I had to figure out how to juggle the logistics of growth including a lot more deliveries and inventory.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
At first it was a big learning curve, teaching myself how to do every aspect of starting the business. Each year it has been so fun with added opportunities for growth. In 2025, we grew almost 6-fold and it was challenging to keep up with demand while also not wanting to turn anyone away. I am so thankful for the growth, but it was stressful at times to keep up with inventory and make sure that I had enough time to make all of the deliveries each day. This required me to problem solve, come up with creative solutions, and become better at the logistical side of the business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We rent and deliver baby and beach gear to families traveling in northern Michigan.
We are a family-owned small business and I handle every transaction personally. My goal is to provide guests with all of the comforts and necessities of home for their kids/grandkids.
We always want to make the experience as seamless as possible, which is why we try to work directly with property managers to deliver and set up the items before the guests even arrive and pick up the items after check-out.
I prioritize customer service and always try to go above and beyond for every guest. I also don’t want to nickel and dime people with a bunch of added fees/service charges/etc. so I feel like my prices and pricing structure are very fair and transparent.
Our top rental item is the full-size folding crib which provides a sense of comfort and security to children because it resembles their crib at home. We also carry many other baby items including car seats, bouncers, pack and plays, Slumberpods, blackout curtains, single and double strollers, high chairs, and swings. We also have numerous outdoor/beach options including beach tents, beach chairs, umbrellas, toys, baby floats, life jackets, water tables, and backpack carriers. In order to see the full array of inventory that we carry please visit our website – www.BayshoreBaby.com.
As a mom, I know the standards of cleanliness and safety that I expect in products for my kids and I make sure that I keep those standards for all of the gear I rent. I make sure every item is working, safe, and clean before I deliver it. I use only non-toxic cleaning products to protect children while also tackling all of the dirt/germs.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My passion, drive, and optimism have fueled me to keep learning and growing. I also want to be an example to my children and show them that you can achieve anything you set your mind to do by working diligently to achieve it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BayshoreBaby.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/BayshoreBabyCo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100085235331875/
