Meet Mary Franklin

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Franklin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to start my own business for years before I took the plunge. A lot of the reasons for starting my own business was wanting to do things I wanted to do instead of doing what was being told of me. I have been working with children at daycares, as a nanny, babysitter, camp counselor, site manager, head teacher, etc since I was about 15. I finally landed at what I thought was my dream job- a daycare for families of a high profile movie studio company. But I quickly found out corporations & caring for children & families don’t mix well. There was a lot of things I wanted to do at my old job but couldn’t execute because of corporate red tape. So the seed got planted in me to start my own daycare. I left that job under extenuating circumstances.

Once I left it was like a breath of fresh air. I had control over my days & more time to spend with my daughter doing what I wanted to do. I was able to take her out on weekdays to places we had only been to on weekends. It was great: less traffic, less crowds, it felt like freedom for the first time. I remember looking up at the clouds & sunshine on a drive to Marin one day & an overwhelming sense of happiness came over me- I was awestruck by the beauty of being out on a weekday with my daughter while the whole world seemed to be at work. From that moment on I knew I wanted to have the freedom of time. I knew I had to build my own business.

It took a couple more years before I executed my own daycare that took weekly field trips & my own website that was a free family resource to Bay Area families, but I followed that dream to be my own boss through. Once I felt that freedom of being in control of my personal time & schedule- I knew I would never go back to working for someone else!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Bay Area family resource influencer. Some would say social media is not art but I beg to differ- content creators spend a lot of time making & creating content. We go & have fun, we shoot, we edit, & create a snippet of what that experience was to encourage others to do the same. It’s art in the form of video creation.

What sets me apart from other accounts in this field is that I’m really really from the Bay & hella proud of it! I was born & raised in the Bay Area so the places I showcase, many of them, are places I went to as a kid. I have a personal connection to lots of the places I share because I grew up going there with my mom, friends, or on field trips. It’s an act of service as I explore & share where we go & what we do because I love the Bay Area with all my heart & I want others to see how amazing it is too!

I am most proud of how far I’ve come & not given up. I’ve been working on Bay Explorer for years! About 10-11 years I think. It’s been frustrating at times, at times I’ve wanted to give up. Finding the algorithm, my account getting overlooked, other accounts getting likes & followers faster than me, not getting monetized like others or as many opportunities, etc – it’s all been frustrating at times but I’m proud of myself for not giving up & seeing the process through.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way through this journey is to never give up on yourself. Believe in your vision wholeheartedly even when others don’t. Entrepreneurship is literally a rollercoaster one min you’re up, the next minute you’re down – so just sit back & enjoy the ride. And sometimes things you think are a big loss are actually clearing the way for what you really want. Also to never be jealous of anyone else’s success even when you think you’re as deserving- there’s room for us all to shine.

I get most excited when people come up to me in public & say they love my page & they’ve gotten so many good ideas from it. That makes me happy to know people are actively using my page to help them explore the Bay Area. My page is like my Bay Area love letter.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I was showing a family around for a week in the Bay Area what would I do?!??? OMG there’s sooooo much to see & do! A week could never cover it all but here are my top recommendations for a great time that covers lots of different areas.

Day 1: I would first take them to my favorite city or the Town as we call it in Oakland. Go for a hike in Reinhardt Regional Redwoods- if you aren’t hiking in Oakland you’re truly missing out! Then go get some lunch at Roasted & Raw if you want something hearty & healthy or if you’re in the mood for bbq Everett & Jones. Both are close to downtown. Then go for a stroll at Jack London Square- you can rent electric scooters & roll around the shoreline or check out the farmers market on Sundays. Go get some ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s. Then go play some games & bowling at Plank, or see a show at Yoshis.

If it’s a Saturday you can go to Grand Lake Farmers Market get some fresh fruits & veggies. Across the street you can hit up Vegan Mob & see a movie at the historic Grand Lake Theater.

Day 2: I’d spend 3 days in Frisco (San Francisco) there’s so much to do in the city! I’d spend the first day exploring Golden Gate Park (that’s my absolute favorite) so much to do there: stop & smell the flowers in the botanical gardens, ride the merry go round at children’s Koret playground, have some tea at the Japanese Tea garden, check out the rainforest & aquarium at Cal Academy of Sciences (this is a must stop destination), or paddle boat on Stow Lake (now Blue Heron Lake) take a picture by the waterfall in the middle of the lake on Strawberry Hill. After you explore Golden Gate Park check out Ocean Beach which is very close by & collect some sand dollars there. Or take a hike at Sutro Baths, the old bathhouse ruins, explore the caves & waves.

Day 3: Continue to explore San Francisco. Bring a picnic & wheels to hang out at Palace of Fine Arts. The most gorgeous grounds in the city. Right now the Balloon Museum is there as a pop up exhibit & I highly recommend going to experience that, but go on a weekday. After that walk across the street and play at Crissy Field beach or explore the presidio tunnel tops park & hit up their food trucks. Baker beach is a short hop & a skip away from there too with excellent views of the Golden Gate Bridge (beware it is a nude optional beach, especially the closer to the bridge you get) so the views of the bridge might not be all you see lol.

Some of our favorite food spots in SF are Saluhall (which is a vegan food hall in downtown) check out Casa Borinquena or La Veganza taqueria there, plus yummy vegan frozen yogurt. The food hall is 2 stories of restaurants so you’ll find something you like. We also love Hula Hoops in South San Francisco. There’s a plethora of restaurants to choose from all over the city.

Day 4: Go hit up the pier area. This is the most touristy area but is still really fun. You can take a cruise on the Bay, say hi to the sealions, hit up the wax museum, Ripleys Believe it or not, or play the Really Big Game Show. Plus ride the giant SkyStar wheel. Or go play old school games at Museum Mechanique. There’s a ton of great seafood restaurants on the pier too.

Day 5: Explore Berkeley. Head straight to Tilden. Start with a hike around Lake Anza, then go feed the cows at Little Farm, take a ride on the steam train & carousel. If there’s still time drive out of the nature area down the hill a bit to Lawrence Hall of Science which is the best kids science museum in the area- complete with giant animatronic dinosaurs! End the day at Codornices Park where kids can slide down an old school cement slide, play in a stream, & take an underground tunnel to the Berkeley Rose Garden.

Day 6: Head across the San Mateo bridge in pretty dresses & go wander the grounds of Filoli historic house or take in sites at Pulgas Water Temple (they are right next to each other). This is close to either Half Moon Bay’s beaches or head to the farm at Hidden Villa in Los Altos where you can pet animals, play in a creek, or take a nature hike. Mazra in Redwood City isn’t too far from here- I would go there for dinner.

Day 7: Take a drive to Marin & play at Bay Area Discovery Museum. Head to Rodeo beach to splash in the waves. Or take a hike in Muir Woods. End the day with dinner on the water in Sausalito.

*If you’re not done exploring yet: head to Santa Cruz: take a hike & play by the stream in Henry Cowell Redwoods, see the butterflies & play at the ocean at Natural Bridges State Beach, & end the day at Santa Cruz Boardwalk riding the rides into the night!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wanna shout out my mom! She is the reason I am who I am. She instilled a sense of exploration in me at a young age. I really started Bay Explorer because of her.

When I was growing up we didn’t have a ton of money. We didn’t have much at all. We ate a lot of meals of mac & cheese with tuna, bean burritos, & baked potatoes- I thought because I liked them but later I realized it was because they were cheap meals & we didn’t have any money. In fact when I was little I didn’t even know we were poor. My mom showered me with love, support, & provided for me, I didn’t even notice we had no money. On the weekends she would take me all around the Bay Area to free places. We spent a lot of time in nature at Tilden park in Berkeley & Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I never felt poor because I always felt loved.

That’s why I started Bay Explorer, I wanted to be a free resource to Bay Area families. I wanted to showcase that you don’t have to have a lot of money to have fun with your kids all you have to do is show up & be present. I share a lot of free, cheap, or reduced cost options for families to go out & explore the Bay Area. So families can know of fun options that don’t break the bank!

I also have a homeschool pod/ daycare that is field trip based so I can take kids out to explore weekly too.

My mom has encouraged me & supported me in starting my own business & through the ups & downs that comes with being a business owner. I wouldn’t be who I am today without her.

Shout out to my husband too for always having my back & encouraging me through the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship.

Website: https://Www.bay-explorer.com

Instagram: @bay_explorer

Facebook: Bay Explorer

Youtube: @bay_explorer

Image Credits
They’re all taken by me