How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? Our daughter, Taylee, is turning 4 in August and our son, Ryker, is 21 months. We moved to Westport 2.5 years ago from North New Jersey and we absolutely LOVE it here!
How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? Prior to having children, I was a special education teacher at a private school for children with special needs. It was an extraordinary learning experience and it helped me realize that I wanted to expand my skill set to make an even bigger impact, so I went back to school at Columbia University to become an Occupational Therapist. Upon graduation, I worked as an OT for the NY Department of Education, until Taylee was born and I have been a mom ever since.
Taylee was born on August 12, 2016, my birthday, and as I held her for the first time, I knew my life would never be the same. I remember speaking with my husband within the first few days of meeting Taylee and telling him that I yearn to find a way to “have it all…” In no particular order…Mom…Career…Health…Relationship…Happiness…
My husband is an entrepreneur who committed to this path when he was 20 years old and has never looked back. He wanted to ensure that by the time he had children, that he had complete FREEDOM…Time, Geographical, Financial, Career, Etc. And he accomplished this goal and I was positively envious and wanted to find a way to create this outcome in my life as well.
I Was Finally Ready To Make My Desire To “Have It All,” My Reality In 2019!
I had a plan…It was written…It was organized…It was time-bound…It was actually a 150 page business plan for a playspace that has never existed before…It was going to built on personal development philosophies….It was going to be a high-end, yet affordable, experience unlike any other place for children…It was going to create a sense of community for adults and children…It was going to be franchised and a location would be in every community that wanted one…It was going to have an absolutely beautiful location in our town…The reason I am speaking in past tense is because all of this was my reality until COVID hit.
We found the perfect location in Westport and secured it, connected with contractors, began talking with vendors, and then in the beginning of March 2020 realized that there might not be a play space ever again.
My heart was broken…100’s and 100’s of hours wasted…Dozens of phone calls sharing my vision…And I was about to have nothing to show for it…What If This Happened FOR YOU And Not TO YOU?
This was the question my husband, Jared, asked me when my vision dissipated before my eyes…To be completely honest, the question annoyed me at first (LOL), but then it got me thinking…Maybe when this one door closed, another door opened, I just needed to turn my head to see if there was another door somewhere in sight.After a few weeks of introspection, writing, talking with Jared, and soul-searching…IT HIT ME!
Empowering
Positivity
Inspiring
Creativity
My calling became my reality as I stepped into the role of Chief Play Officer and began recording “how-to” instructional videos with my children performing daily activities with ME. My PERSONAL connectivity time – the best time of the day! The more I immersed myself into the creation of EPIC PLAY 365, the more I realized that this program will change the world. Parents YEARN for connectivity with their child, but it takes a TON of time to find the right activity. Children YEARN for connectivity with their parents, but often this desire is not fulfilled and the child has a lack that they can’t explain.
EPIC PLAY 365 solves both scenarios and I am beyond proud and excited to share it with you…
So, What Is EPIC PLAY 365?
Far too many parents feel suboptimal because they are either too tired at the end of the day OR simply don’t know what to do in order to stimulate creativity with their child, so I decided to package my experience and deliver it to you 365 days of each year in 3-6 minute daily instructional videos along with monthly material lists which are integrated into an Amazon Shopping Cart for one-click purchasing, an online community, and so much more all accessible via our robust mobile app.
My mission with EPIC Play 365 is to help 1,000,000 families have 30-minutes of daily intentional connectivity time together while enjoying an EPIC PLAY activity. This time will unite the family, become memorable for both the child and parent, and be the most anticipated time each day. EPIC PLAY 365 is a dream come true and what excites me most is…This is the beginning and the best is yet to come for you, your child, and your family…
What is your favorite family activity to do in Westport or the surrounding towns? We absolutely LOVE going to Campo Beach. We live within walking distance and head that way at least a few times each week.
What’s your favorite app right now- for you- and for your kids? I am not sure if this is too biased, but EPIC PLAY 365 – full disclosure I am the founder of this company – but I mean it. I am so proud of what I have been able to build with my team and the impact it is making and will continue to make. EPIC PLAY 365 promotes connectivity time between parent and child with a fun, growth-oriented, activity that is delivered via our app daily.
What’s your can’t live without beauty product? 100% pure makeup is my brand of choice!
If you could pick one restaurant or store to come to Westport that isn’t here now, what would it be, and why? There is a restaurant in Montclair, NJ called Mesob. It’s the absolute best Ethiopian food you can find anywhere. Healthy, authentic, and filled with the love of each person as this is a family-owned restaurant. This was also the spot of my first official date with my husband!
What are you most excited about in life right now? I am in what I call my flame. EPIC PLAY 365 launched on July 27th and the response has been nothing short of EPIC! People from all walks of life and influence are reaching out to connect because of our mission to help 1,000,000 families experience the gift of daily connectivity time with their child. But here’s what I am most excited about…
I am able to experience the “have it all” lifestyle where I am building the business of my dreams, with my children as my Co-Founders, and my husband as the extraordinary business mind that helps me navigate through the unknown. This is such a gift and it’s something I want everyone to experience if this is their ultimate desire.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? Well, I met my husband on JDATE (online dating website) and JDATE decided to make us the poster example of the company LOL. We were on a billboard in Times Square for 6-months, on many phone booths in NYC, and in many full page ads in a variety of magazines. Oh my! Lol!
If you weren’t doing what you are today, what do you think your career path might have been? I would have opened a sensory gym or an Occupational Therapy facility. I knew that entrepreneurship was my path, but having a physical space never truly sat well with me as I want the freedom that an online business permits.
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you wanted – what would you do? I absolutely love to travel and we have taken our children on many fun and exciting adventures. So if it was possible, I would love to spend a few hours on the beaches of New Zealand and then head to Italy for some fine Italian Cuisine, hop over to South Africa for a safari expedition, head to Costa Rica to play in the rainforest, and then watch the sunset in Maui.
What is your most marked characteristic? I am often told that my passion for life is contagious and it helps people see opportunity when they are stuck in challenging times.
What was your most memorable family vacation and why? I loved our adventure to Portugal and Scotland. Ryker was 7 months old and Taylee was 2.5 years old and seeing the kids experiences these cultures were beyond memorable for Jared and I.
What is your proudest mommy moment? I know I am being repetitive, but it has to do with EPIC PLAY 365. The eve before the big launch Taylee said to me, “Mommy, tomorrow is a big day and I am very proud of you.”
What do you most value in your friends? The most important characteristic for me is integrity which I define as doing what you say you are going to do. Everyone is human, but I really value follow-through even if the outcome is not what was intended, the effort really counts!
What is your greatest regret? I know this might sound cliche but I live a life with no regrets. There have been plenty of challenging moments that I have experienced, but as each door closed, another one opened and I was ready to seize the moment!
To download and try EPIC PLAY 365, click here!