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1.
Ok so tell me a little bit about Parent Play.
Parent P-L-A-Y is the modern-day play date for the entire
family, offering premium events unlike any other family outing.
At our weekend morning get-togethers, moms, dads get some
well-deserved rest while the kids get fun. Parents and kids
are entertained in different ways and in separate rooms. Kids
are entertained by musicians and entertainers while supervised
by active babysitters, we call the P2 Crew, our pre-screened
babysitters. Next door, parents enjoy the best amenities,
such as spa treatments, a scrumptious brunch, mimosas, adult
conversation, music and culture. Every family leaves with
a packed gift bag containing fabulous items for every family
member. We arrange for sponsors to offer their best products.
Examples include cashmere hats, Davi and Aveda beauty products,
Dale and Thomas Gourmet popcorn - hands down the best popcorn
you will ever taste, FruitaBu organic fruit flats, Moroccan
pillows, cool t-shirts and books. So, there's something for
everyone
Read Answers to questions 2 to 14
2. How did you come into this business venture?
We came into this business quite organically, actually. We
have a 2 ½ year-old son, who is the apple of our eye, but
like every parent of a toddler, we are absolutely wiped. Because
we attend numerous events - including family events, we recognized
that no other family event company out there is doing anything
like this, so it was like a light bulb going off
3. Parent Play is relatively new. What were you doing before?
I have a public relations and marketing firm called Impression
PR and my wife, Lambeth Hochwald, is a working journalist.
We are both still working with select clients as we push parent
P-L-A-Y into other markets.
4. How did becoming a parent yourself affect you as an entrepreneur?
As I mentioned, most parents would do anything for their children.
And, you start to see things in yourself that had been pushed
down. Today, it's acceptable to be a big child - and one of
the books we recently had in our gift bag was Rejuvenile by
Christopher Noxon. His premise is "go for it…don't fight being
young at heart." So, I very much related to that and when
Lambeth and I saw the potential for parent P-L-A-Y, we took
our entrepreneurialism to another level.
5. What is so unique about working with children?
I've always entertained the idea of being a teacher. Kids
are the best. They are so inquisitive, interesting and try
so hard to learn. Undoubtedly, every adult can learn from
children. I can't wait for my son to turn 5, so every word
out of his mouth is 'Why'.
4. What do parent play events usually involve?
Parent P-L-A-Y events are very different. They are always
held on weekend mornings. Kids are entertained by cool musicians,
balloon artists, yoga classes and the most creative babysitters.
Parents get a scrumptious brunch, mimosas and their own version
of creative entertainment, such as spa treatments from Euphoria
Spa, handbag and jewelry trunk shows from Dana Galin and Bag
Trends, Tavalon Tea created a most unique display, as did
Shock Coffee who brought a Hummer with Playstation games,
so adults could tap into their inner child.
5. How did you know that this would all be successful?
What parent P-L-A-Y has created is unique. There are no other
event companies doing anything like this. Investors have recognized
this because they know that this could be in several cities
before the end of the year. But with that said, there is still
a great deal to do before we are in fact successful. We've
implemented many marketing tactics that I've previously used
for clients, so we do have a head start. We're just extremely
pleased that parent P-L-A-Y is being as widely accepted thus
far.
6. What is your philosophy behind the way that you conduct
your business?
Are you really just a big kid yourself? I am a really big
kid. I love getting on the floor with Zach and playing trains
or walking down the street singing the alphabet. Our philosophy
is to be as real with our customers as possible. We are in
the same boat, so we're able to relate. We will always connect
with parents - even when Zach is in college. These are vulnerable
times in many ways for parents and we want them to rely on
us - as a community - for many things including friendship.
7. Back to being an entrepreneur. How is an entrepreneur so
much different than any other work in the business world?
Being an entrepreneur entails wearing every possible hat.
It's important to surround yourself with people that are better
at aspects than yourself. For example, web design is so technical.
I'm intrigued, but it would take me 5 times longer than a
good designer, so it's important to outsource aspects that
are not your strong points, whereas in business you probably
wear 1 or 2 hats and that's it. Being an entrepreneur - especially
in the beginning - means wearing 25 hats
8. What was most difficult about starting your own business?
Most rewarding?
The most difficult thing, I think, is reaching and communicating
with your audience. It's essential to be real and connect.
The most rewarding aspect is when they embrace your idea and
then reaffirm it by becoming a repeat customer
9. How will your business grow and evolve as your child and
family does or will it be solely focused on your children.
It's hard to say, but we will probably maintain our business
model because parents of babies, toddlers and up to kindergarteners
need this community the most. Theses are the questions that
everyone wants to know.
10. What are the components to running a lucrative business?
I believe that running a lucrative business means being flexible.
You want to step out of yourself and try to examine the product
from your customer's eyes. The, you want to always push the
envelope AND reach new people and make changes along the way.
It's easy to become stale and lose your customer.
11. What is the secret to success as an entrepreneur?
Undoubtedly, it is connecting with people and learning to
be someone other than the CEO of a company. We know our customers.
We send them thank you notes. We work tirelessly to make the
events as fun as possible, with packed gift bags that are
different from anything we've ever seen before. We don't pay
lip service to making our customers happy at our events.
12. Were there sacrifices that you had to make to succeed
as you have? Sleep! Seriously, that's about all. We are doing
what we love and I think that the most successful businesses
are those that are started by someone with a genuine passion
for the product.
13. What advice can you give to other people who want to become
entrepreneurs?
Go for it! If you had told me a year ago that I'd be sitting
here talking about my business and the way it has evolved
into a brand, I wouldn't have thought that things would take
off as quickly as they have. Also, I'd say don't quit your
day job until you know you have a marketable company. Once
you know you have one, the sky's the limit.

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