We recently connected with Milagros Brown and have shared our conversation below.

Milagros , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The Play Shop was born organically out of a previous business of mine, creating novelty items for children’s parties. My clients often asked me the same question: “Do you know of a space where we can host this?” At the time, there was not an easy, beautiful, turnkey answer. That curiosity planted the seed: what if the same creativity I was pouring into party details could be translated into an entire space designed for effortless celebrations?

With my background in fundraising events, I already knew how powerful environments and hospitality can be when they are intentional. They shape connection, joy, and memory in a way nothing else does. But I also saw how much space there was for innovation: the options were often limited to large hotels, big-budget event planners, or individuals left DIY-ing every detail. There was no accessible, design-forward middle ground.

That is when I envisioned a third lane—a model I call Celebration-as-a-Service. The Play Shop has become the prototype: a boutique event space that’s both highly considered and completely turnkey. Hosts walk in and feel like everything has been handled for them—because it has.

What excites me most is that this is more than a single space. It’s a scalable system—one that can live in multiple cities, expand into digital memberships, and extend into corporate activations. It’s not just about throwing parties—it’s about redefining how we gather, making joy both accessible and repeatable.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Milagros Brown, the founder of The Play Shop. I began my career in fundraising, hosting thoughtful in-home events and witnessing firsthand the magic that happens when guests can relax in a considered environment. From there, I moved into retail and then business development, before taking on my favorite title—Mom. Looking back, I am grateful for each of those chapters, because every experience taught me something that now lives inside The Play Shop. Simply put, our mission is to create celebrations that feel beautiful, considered, and give people the space to be fully present.

At its heart, The Play Shop is more than an event space. We have created what I call **Celebration-as-a-Service**—a turnkey model that blends elevated hospitality with playful design. Our offerings range from children’s birthdays to in-house workshops to off-site corporate activations, all unified by the promise that we carry the weight of the details so our clients can focus on what matters most—the people in the room.

What sets us apart is our attention to detail and our belief that joy and beauty belong together. Nothing is generic; every touchpoint is intentional. That is why our clients do not simply leave with photos of a party—they leave with memories that feel deeply meaningful.

Honestly, I still cannot believe The Play Shop has already become such a trusted part of the DC community. Without intending to do so, The Play Shop proves joy is not a trend—it is essential to how we connect with each other. Being able to do this work, where I can marry business and purpose, has been worth every bump and bruise of the early-stage founder journey. And if there is one thing I hope people take away from The Play Shop, it is that the real joy from celebrating is not about perfection – it is about presence.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

For us, the most effective strategy has been a mix of community building and intentional storytelling. The Play Shop is not a traditional event space, so it’s important that people experience not just *what* we do, but *why* it matters. From the beginning, I focused on creating events and content that show the feeling of being here—the ease, the beauty, the joy of being present. That emotional resonance has translated into word-of-mouth growth, referrals, and repeat clients as we did not have the budget for traditional marketing.

Another key strategy has been a few strategic partnerships. By collaborating with local family-centered brands, we’ve been able to reach new audiences while staying aligned with our values and aesthetic. These collaborations help reinforce The Play Shop as part of a larger creative ecosystem in DC, not just a one-off venue.

Finally, I would say that attention to our detail is itself a growth strategy. When a client walks away feeling like every touchpoint was considered, they naturally become ambassadors for the brand. Many of our bookings come from someone attending a Play Shop event, falling in love with the experience, and deciding to host their own. In that way, each celebration becomes both a beautiful memory and our best form of marketing.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I first launched The Play Shop, we didn’t pour a huge amount of money into it. In fact, that was part of the vision—I wanted to prove the concept before going out for big investment. My early background in retail and fundraising events taught me how to stretch budgets, and I relied much more on creativity, sweat equity, and storytelling than on cash. We found ways to make the space feel beautiful and intentional without overspending, and that gave us the freedom to test what people really wanted.

The bigger financial challenge hasn’t been the launch—it’s been the overhead of operating and growing. Running an event space is resource-intensive, and building a team, covering rent, and sustaining the level of quality our clients expect requires real capital. That said, I don’t regret starting lean. It allowed me to move quickly, prove demand, and shape The Play Shop into a trusted part of our community. Now, the focus is on building the kind of financial foundation that allows us to scale—because this model has proven that people want it, and it deserves to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theplayshopdc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplayshopdc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theplayshopdc/