Traditional First Question: What was your favorite toy as a child?
My Holly Hobbie Oven! I loved to bake those little cakes and frost them.
Where are you from?
Born in Akron, Ohio.
What kind of credentials do you hold that you would like to share with us?
I am a college graduate, who never once considered being an entrepreneur when I was studying in school. I never studied for a MBA, but learned about business simply by doing it.
Tell us about your site Peppers and Pollywogs.
Peppers and Pollywogs is All About Kids’ Parties and its premise is that no matter how much time or money a person has, a great kids’ party can always be planned. My business seeks to show parents how to do this.
How did you get started with kids’ parties?
In 1997 I was living in Washington, DC and observing how many over-the-top kids’ parties were being organized. However, there were no services offered to parents to help them plan these parties within a reasonable price frame. The kids’ party industry allowed me to follow my passion for creativity, fun, children and being organized and simultaneously helping parents with their kids’ parties. It was a win-win!
Give us a little peek into your daily routine.
When you work for yourself from home it is easy to procrastinate and/or not focus on what needs to be done. However, I operate as I would in a traditional office environment with a task list, an office, and self direction of what needs to get done each day and being committed to completing these tasks. I also understand I am most alert and effective in the morning, so I power through those hours with work, and then leave easier tasks for the afternoon. Still, the flexibility of working from home is wonderful, I can get a workout in, run out to do errands when I need an energy boost, and start dinner on time.
Often I find myself on the road driving between towns; on those days, it’s Mapquest, then the drive to the next town, finding where I meant to be, finding a hotel nearby, checking in, getting out the computer to work, and getting ready for the meeting, TV spot, or whatever is going on. That’s a bit of a grind.
What inspired you to do the job you do?
In 1997 I was living in Washington, DC and observing how many over-the-top kids’ parties were being organized. However, there were no services offered to parents to help them plan these parties within a reasonable price frame. The kids’ party industry allowed me to follow my passion for creativity, fun, children and being organized and simultaneously helping parents with their kids’ parties. It was a win-win!
What types of toys have given you party ideas?
I believe any toy can serve as party inspiration. Some of the toys that I have built party themes around include: Barbie, Hot Wheels, the Candy Land game, Lego, Fashion Angels, etc. If there is a toy your child loves, I would love to know to help think of creative party ideas for you.
In this economy, do you see parties changing?
People are still having parties for their children, however, there are trends that include:
1. Hosting parties on weekdays with a limited number of guests at a party venue that is offering a discount rate on these days.
2. Hosting parties at home for a smaller number of guests, i.e, the general rule of inviting the number of kids your child is turning plus one more is being used more often.
3. The request for No Gifts is becoming more and more popular as people try to limit what guests have to spend on party gifts.
4. Creating your own entertainment for the kids or hiring a teenager to keep them busy is less expensive than the traditional entertainer.
5. The idea of having to have a party every year is fading, with people throwing them every other year or so often and finding other ways to make the day special.
When I have a party for my kids, I like to request that people not bring toys, my kids have enough and don’t need anything but to have a good time running around with their buddies. Where do you stand on this issue?
As noted above this is a very big trend in kids’ parties, however, it is such an ingrained societal norm that people bring a gift to kids’ parties, it often doesn’t work out very well as some people heed the guideline and others don’t. A better idea to avoid this awkwardness is to try the following ideas:
1. If you are worried about people spending too much, write directly on the invitation Gifts under $__ will be appreciated. Please limit your gift budget to this amount.
2. If your child has enough already, ask guests to bring something to donate to a favorite charity. This way, people can still bring something, and you don’t have to worry about extra stuff.
What is the best part of your job?
I absolutely love what I do. I love helping people plan their kids’ parties and come up with ideas that suit all budgets and time frames. It is really my passion and fun for me and so I have loads and loads of energy to meet my mission.
What is the hardest part of your job?
I am only one person, and as the business grows so does my responsibilities to keep track of everything, including those parts of the business that aren’t my core strengths. This is exciting, but also difficult because I certainly want to make sure that every area is 100% all of the time.
What was the most unlikely party you have ever planned?
I absolutely loved planning parties for children less fortunate than many others. When Peppers and Pollywogs was run as a traditional event planning company in Washington, DC, I loved giving parties to children in homeless shelters to celebrate their special days with decorations, games, goodies, cake, and ice cream. Although you don’t always think about it, so many children never have birthday celebrations. Birthday parties are a wonderful part of being childhood and I loved helping celebrate those who may never have a party otherwise.
What would you like to tell parents about kids’ parties that you think you understand better than they do?
Kids follow your lead. Well in advance of your party before your child has brought it up, give the upcoming birthday party some thought as to your time and budget for the party. From there, decide what type of celebration you will have, e.g. party at home, party at an alternative venue, a special outing with a friend, a family party, etc. When the discussion happens with your child, outline what type of celebration it will be, and your child will discuss the celebration within what you have chosen. Kids want to celebrate, but there are so many ways to do this. Outline the idea and see where your party plan goes!
–Lisa Kothari and Laura McMullan
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