We recently connected with Liz KV and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Liz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I think becoming a business owner runs in my blood. My father owned his own construction company for decades. All of my cousins on my dad’s side, either own a farm, or are creative independent musicians, or own their own video production companies. I think it took me a long time to realize that I, too, could also successfully run my own business. Even though basically all of my family members showed me it could be done, I did not believe in myself or my capabilities to be successful.

Now that I am a business owner and have left the daily grind of being a teacher I don’t think I ever could go back. The amount of creative freedom, decision, making responsibilities, and limitless opportunities excite me. I can truly do whatever I want without anyone telling me it’s not possible.

As a mom, I do think a lot about what it would be like to go back to a regular job. Owning my own business means I can be present with my kids every single day of their lives. If I had to work on a consistent basis away from my kids, I would miss huge moments in their life like their first steps or the first time they say mama.

This summer, my family got to travel a lot, and I’m so blessed to be able to say that we did. While we were sitting on the porch of our vacation rental one day, I was watching my young kids play. I felt so thankful to be able to not only have the opportunity to to create memories with my children and be present for them, but also to even have the flexibility to say “Yeah we can do that trip. Let’s go!” And that is the freedom that being a small business owner brings. I am not tied down to a committed schedule, I don’t have to be away from my kids if I don’t want to, and most of my work can be done while I am home around my kids.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an educator by heart and small business owner by trade. Before I became a small business owner, I was a high school special education teacher in Las Vegas. I taught for four years and really enjoyed the aspect of working with kids and watching the aha or light bulb moment happen in my classroom. As most people know, teaching can be very challenging and it is certainly not for the weak. While I loved teaching, the politics and bureaucracy that came with it was not great. After the fourth year of teaching I decided, alongside my husband, that I would shift my energy and focus on becoming a full-time mom. While making this transition, my sister-in-law presented me with the idea to open my own soft play company. At first, I was terrified and afraid of failure. I was very pessimistic in the sense that I did not think I could be successful in this field. After much convincing, I took a leap of faith and purchased my first ball pit and soft play package.
Two years later, we now offer for different ball pits, two bounce houses, and have recently added on balloon artistry services. We mainly cater to birthday parties, baptisms, and even weddings.
I’m really proud of the reputation that the company has made for itself. I’ve worked really hard to make sure that our customers have the smoothest experience with our company. Party planning is already stressful enough, so I streamlined the experience from booking to delivery to take the stress of party planning off of our clients.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

When I think about growing my clientele, I realize that much of my success came from seizing every opportunity to mention my name and my business in conversations. It wasn’t easy at first; as someone naturally shy, I had to push myself to speak up. But I quickly learned that if I don’t advocate for my business, no one else will. Embracing this mindset has been key to my growth.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A valuable lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that competition always trumps community. Growing up, I was taught to strive for the top, often seeing success as a race to outdo others. But as a business owner, I’ve come to realize that there’s room for everyone to succeed. Instead of viewing others as rivals, we should celebrate the achievements of fellow business owners, even those in the same industry and city. By supporting each other, we can learn, grow, and contribute to a thriving community together, acknowledging the hard work that goes into building a business from the ground up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lizkentvaldovinos.wixsite.com/delightfulsoftplay
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delightfulsoftplay?igsh=MTc5b2x5OHRxM2FnMg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delightfulsoftplay?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/GE2WmgUqQ5

Image Credits
Image credits to @delightfulsoftplaylasvegas