Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheila Desjarlais.
Hi Sheila, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Kiddiwink Kids started in the summer of 2021. While most of my career I have been an accountant, I have always felt pulled to start and run my own business. During COVID in 2020, my daughter’s daycare closed for three-plus months and because I was working for a small family business, my daughter had to attend work with me. I struggled to find easy, cost-effective ways to entertain her without resorting to screen time for the entire day. In 2021, we had our second child and I decided to leave my job so that he didn’t have to start daycare during a pandemic at a very young age. At that point, I decided to start selling my own themed dough (i.e. play dough) sensory kits online and through social media. These kits had been extremely successful at engaging my daughter and encouraging her to play independently.
In June of 2021, I won a local start up business competition that provided me with the seed money to make my first few kits to sell at local festivals and events. In the fall of 2021, I was connected with a local paint-your-own pottery business who was looking to share their current space. We connected well with the creative basis of both of our businesses and I opened my physical location on 10/31/2021 sharing the space with her. In April 2022, I took over the entire space and have been located in downtown Washburn ever since.
I never intended to open a physical store so quickly but the response from the community for a unique kids’ store that offers classes and activities for children as well as creative and safe toys, craft kits, and sensory items was overwhelming! Therefore, we carry toys, sensory items, craft kits, art supplies, comfort items, and baby gifts to name a few that have a focus on creativity, high quality, and are made with kids’ safe materials. Our mission is to carry products that can be used in many different ways so that children aren’t bored of them quickly, which means they are less likely to be tossed in the trash. We also focus on high-quality items that can be passed between children or families. Again, keeping these toys out of our landfills.
We believe children who are given the freedom to engage with toys and their surroundings in their own individual ways will allow them to develop critical creative energy and imagination. Sometimes we force young children to fit into an adult world that they may not understand and unknowingly stamp out these creative energies. By naturing and encouraging these energies, children learn that their ability to create is endless and it will carry them well into adulthood. With this mindset, who knows what these children will achieve as adults.
Our store is small but we pack a lot of fun into it. Children are encouraged to be 100% themselves. They are encouraged to play with the items in store, get a little messy, and be as loud as they like. There is nothing that some paint, a broom, or a vacuum can’t fit. There is no right or wrong, shussing, or “dont’ touch that”; only memories and dreams to be created. We have sensory tables with various items to play with (rice, scoops, dough, various seasonal pieces), art supplies and paper (and a wall to display their works), and finally, creative toys to occupy those little hands. We wanted to make our store the most welcoming and fun place for kids that could exist, and I believe we have achieved that.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business during a global pandemic was definitely not smooth. There were multiple spikes of COVID cases locally that caused families to be cautious of in-person activities. We switched our classes to a take-home option that could be picked up in the store and offered in person to those who were comfortable.
There were few very affordable options to rent. Therefore, the square footage of our store is very small as it was what I could afford. It limits us on our classes and the number of children who can attend. However, again we have pivoted and this past summer we offered out classes outside in the green space behind our store. This fall/winter/spring we will be offering classes at our local community building.
Finally, we have struggled to find affordable help. Finding individuals who wanted to work at a wage we could afford was very difficult. We have created a local work/study program at the high school where students can work for high school credit and we get much needed help. We also hire 14-16 year olds who are entering the workforce for the first time. We give them valuable training and experience at competitive ages we can afford.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My career for the last 15-plus years was in accounting. I have worked in various accounting roles from large public accounting firms to most recently working as an office manager/accountant for a local family run business.
My business background and education has set me up for success for starting my own business. I understand the finance side of the business which is critical for managing a successful business. My most recent experience was the most beneficial. I learned everything needed to run a small business from merchandising, pricing, marketing, payroll, insurance, etc in a real life setting. I think my learning curve would have been so steep without this crucial experience.
I am most proud of my ability to connect with people and the children who enter my store. No matter who you are, I do my best to make you feel welcome and comfortable. I am able to connect with the children by talking to them as I would anyone else and encouraging them and their families to engage with items in my store. I love finding out a little bit about my customers and what brings them into my store. I also feel like they leave knowing a little about me and my family.
I am also proud of my ability to take something I know nothing about and figure out how to do it. This is something that I have done successfully over and over in my career and has been so helpful in my business.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was always a hard worker and strove to do everything to my absolute best. I never did the bare minimum and was your typical “overachiever”. However, learning and school did not come easy to me. To achieve high grades, I had to work very hard at figuring things out and I believe that is where my ability to take things I know nothing, learn about them and figure it out. I enjoyed school and was a very organized person.
I was extremely happy, positive, and enthusiastic young person; however very shy around those older than me. I had a natural gift to talk to and connect with children and was told many times that I should be an elementary school teacher. My enthusiastic energy and ability to connect with young children fit that perfectly. I loved being around children and was typically found playing with children and babysitting.
Being an elementary school teacher was my plan until high school when a teacher suggested I take some business and marketing classes. I flourished in business and learned that I was a natural presenter. I applied to a well-known business school in the Twin Cities and thought I was going to be a corporate trainer for adults. I took a class in accounting and the professor made accounting seem like the coolest and most fun profession in the world (which seems impossible but he did!). I also excelled with the structure of accounting and the problem solving it could involve and I made accounting my career for the next 15-plus years. While I enjoyed being an accountant, I knew that it was not my passion and longed to use the skills I gained in business school to start my own business. I matched my love of working with children and my business background and Kiddiwink Kids was born.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kiddiwinkkids.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddiwinkkids/?hl=en
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kiddiwinkkids
