We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessy Ellis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jessy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.
We opened our doors a few weeks ago on January 20. We attracted many families that have not ventured out of the house much but liked the idea of our small, intimate class sizes of 8 families max. In just a month, we have witnessed kids that were hiding in the corner of the class now stealing the show and love being out and about with their new friends! It’s so good to see that the repetition of classes and our environment has helped young ones break out of their shell!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve had a passion for working with kids since my first job working in a child care setting. I ultimately took a different career path in sales and real estate but having a child of my own, steered me back in this direction. I came across the bunny hive on social media seeing a close friend of mine attend the original Atlanta studio. She developed so many close relationships with parents of children around the same age as her own little ones. I knew we had nothing like it after searching and trying other kid places in Raleigh. I reached out about franchising before the founders were quite ready but we stayed in touch and became the first franchise to sign in July 2023!
We had a long search to find the perfect location and settled on the heart of Raleigh hoping it’s accessible for people coming from all directions! The 1910 home we renovated was so special and offers us room to grow to having multiple classes at one time! I also loved the outdoor space so we could take classes outside during the warmer seasons.
The Bunny Hive is an elevated social club for little ones, age two weeks ito kindergarten, and their grownups. We offer a wide variety of regularly scheduled classes that grownups attend with their children, including art, music, sensory, ballet, baby massage, culinary exploration, storytime, and more – as well as social events and pop-up workshops for grownups. The Bunny Hive is loved for its warm culture that prioritizes inclusivity, its aesthetically beautiful space, and its engaging classes and events that facilitate meaningful connections.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
Word of mouth has helped us so much! We have a lot of clients that come across the bunny hive on instagram then after experiencing a class, they’ll invite friends to come with them! It’s a fun place to come meet new friends or bring old friends as well. We have a room that everyone plays in before and after class so it allows everyone more time to get to know each other or catch up.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was working in the packaging sales industry when I had my daughter. The industry is very male dominated and being one of the first sales people to have a baby, the maternity policy was very short and unpaid. There is great room for improvement in some industries and the leave policies! I’m happy to be in a flexible space now that I have my second baby on the way!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebunnyhive.com/raleigh
- Instagram: @thebunnyhiveraleigh
Image Credits
@honeysucklecollectiveco for headshot @kellybullockphotography