The Profitable Play Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Jayci, owner of Tiny Play Café, for a thoughtful, experience-based conversation about what it looks like to operate a play café several years into the business.Jayci shares how her café fits into the overall revenue picture, including how the café itself contributes to monthly sales and why local B2B sponsorships have become a meaningful and reliable part of her business model.We dive into how she uses summer camps strategically to help offset slower seasons, what finally made camps work for her, and how timing, structure, and staffing played a role in their success.We also discuss staffing realities, running a business from nearly an hour away, lessons learned during the build-out process, and how Jayci is thinking intentionally about the next phase of the business as her season of life evolves.If you’re looking for practical insight, real examples, and perspective from an owner who has successfully navigated multiple seasons of this business, this episode offers a lot to learn from.Tiny Play Cafe WebsiteTiny Play Cafe Tik TokTiny Play Cafe InstagramOTHER RESOURCES:Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyGetting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 GuideFund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting WaitlistMichele’s InstagramMichele’s WebsitePlay Cafe Academy YouTube ChannelETSY Template ShopPrepare Your Indoor Playground For a RecessionPlay Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyQuestions and Support: [email protected] Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fDQuestions and Support: [email protected] Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLivingActive Campaign Free TrialFree Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

Most indoor playground and play café owners don’t need more ideas going into a new year — they need better execution on the ones they already have.In this episode, I break down exactly how I’m using AI right now to help my indoor playground business owner clients review numbers, tighten systems, and remove the operational friction that quietly drains time and profit.This isn’t about trends or tech overwhelm. It’s a step-by-step, practical walkthrough of how I recommend using AI as an analyst, operations assistant, and planning tool so you can head into 2026 with clearer priorities, stronger systems, and far less on your plate.BLOG for this episode05:00–11:00 Strategy 1: Revenue analysis to find 2026 opportunities11:00–15:10 Strategy 2: Fix party systems before busy season15:10–17:10 Strategy 3: SOPs that don’t depend on the owner17:10–19:00 Strategy 4: Floor-plan-based cleaning and safety19:00–23:10 Strategy 5: Prevent membership churn with AI23:10–25:35 Strategy 6: Pricing and add-on cleanup25:35–27:55 Strategy 7: Customer message scripts and decision trees27:55–29:50 Strategy 8: Policies and incident reporting systems29:50–31:40 Strategy 9: Repurpose marketing content fast31:40–34:15 Strategy 10: Website clarity, conversion, and SEO34:15–38:35 Strategy 11: Partner and sponsor generation for 2026OTHER RESOURCES:Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyGetting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 GuideFund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting WaitlistMichele’s InstagramMichele’s WebsitePlay Cafe Academy YouTube ChannelETSY Template ShopPrepare Your Indoor Playground For a RecessionPlay Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyQuestions and Support: [email protected] Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fDQuestions and Support: [email protected] Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLivingActive Campaign Free TrialFree Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

If your Black Friday weekend fell flat or December sales feel slower than expected, this episode is for you.In this episode, I share proven, mid-December strategies that boost revenue quickly and with minimal stress. From annual membership offers to 2025 party pricing, holiday break camps, summer camp gift cards, retail live sales, low-lift holiday events, and more — you’ll learn exactly what works now, why it works, and how to implement it at your indoor playground or play café business.BLOG for this episodeIn this episode, you’ll learn:Why December often feels busy but not profitableHow annual membership sales generate thousands in a weekWhat email sequence converts existing monthly membersHow to sell 2026 parties right now — even if parents don’t have a date yetWhy holiday break camps are a revenue lifesaverHow to sell summer camp gift cards even before your program is finalizedA unique and fun way to clear out retail inventory using live videoLow-lift event ideas that sell out, especially for baby familiesHow to pick ONE initiative at a time to avoid overwhelmThe mindset shift that makes all these strategies work: ease > priceLinks:Learn more or join Play Cafe Academy and Play Maker SocietyLive Event WaitlistEpisode referenced: Low-Lift Holiday Events That Actually Sell OutEpisode referenced: Customer Avatars 101Aluvii Demo With PCA Discount!OTHER RESOURCES:Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyGetting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 GuideFund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting WaitlistMichele’s InstagramMichele’s WebsitePlay Cafe Academy YouTube ChannelETSY Template ShopPrepare Your Indoor Playground For a RecessionPlay Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyQuestions and Support: [email protected] Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fDQuestions and Support: [email protected] Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLivingActive Campaign Free TrialFree Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

In today’s episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I’m joined by Justine, the owner of Liv and Mimi’s Play Café, who is now two years into her business journey.WATCH on YouTube (plus get a tour of Justine's retail section: https://youtu.be/BpxtDLo8SNIz)If you’re inside Play Maker Society, you already know how thoughtful and generous she is with her real-world experience—and today she’s sharing it all.We focus heavily on retail, because Justine brings a strong background in merchandising and has used that expertise to turn her retail section into a powerful, profitable part of her business.She walks us through how she chooses products, how she thinks about display and flow, what sells best for her audience, and the small changes that have had the biggest impact on her sales.Beyond retail, we dig into the lessons she’s learned in her first two years of ownership—what she expected versus what surprised her, what she changed after year one, and how she continues to refine her operations, staffing, birthday parties, and membership strategy based on customer behavior.If you’ve been wanting to grow your retail revenue—or you’ve felt stuck trying to choose the right products or manage inventory—this conversation will give you tons of practical insight and real examples you can apply right away.Tune in to hear how Justine approaches retail with intention and how those strategies have contributed to both her revenue and her customer experience at Liv and Mimi’s Play Café.Justine's WebsiteJustine's IGJustine's Tik TokOTHER RESOURCES:Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyGetting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 GuideFund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting WaitlistMichele’s InstagramMichele’s WebsitePlay Cafe Academy YouTube ChannelETSY Template ShopPrepare Your Indoor Playground For a RecessionPlay Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyQuestions and Support: [email protected] Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fDQuestions and Support: [email protected] Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLivingActive Campaign Free TrialFree Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS

In this episode, I’m sharing the exact tough-love truth I give my one-on-one clients inside Play Cafe Academy and Playmaker Society—the things I say privately that genuinely help people avoid incredibly expensive, stressful, and sometimes irreversible mistakes when opening an indoor playground or play café.This audio is pulled directly from a YouTube video I recently published, and I wanted to share it here because it’s that important. But if you want to make sure you never miss content that doesn’t make it over to the podcast feed, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel as well.If you’re in the planning phase, this is the reality check you need before signing a lease, building a business plan, launching a GoFundMe, choosing a location, or assuming open play alone will carry your business. I walk through the most common misconceptions I see every week—unrealistic revenue projections, relying too heavily on vendors, expecting your customers to be loyal, thinking you can bring your kids to work, underestimating the impact on your relationship, and more.I’m also diving into why no one wants to fund your dream, how crowdfunding can work when used as a marketing strategy (not a funding plan), and why your startup budget, projected revenue, and marketing spend need to align if you want the business to be sustainable and your life to stay intact.My intention isn’t to scare you—it’s to give you the full, unfiltered picture so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and realistic expectations. A play café can absolutely be profitable and joyful, but only if it’s built on truth, not wishful thinking.If you enjoyed this episode and want a part two for current owners, send me a message or leave a review.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Business Plan ToolkitWhy You Can't Bring Your Kids To Work What Opening an Indoor Playground CostsOTHER RESOURCES:Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyGetting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist]What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 GuideFund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training]Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting WaitlistMichele’s InstagramMichele’s WebsitePlay Cafe Academy YouTube ChannelETSY Template ShopPrepare Your Indoor Playground For a RecessionPlay Cafe Academy & Play Makers SocietyQuestions and Support: [email protected] Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fDQuestions and Support: [email protected] Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLivingActive Campaign Free TrialFree Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS