We recently connected with Fit and Fun Playscapes LLC. and have shared our conversation below.

Fit and Fun Playscapes LLC., thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I began my career as an architect specializing in materials and systems and also had experience as a planner. Lots of spreadsheets and not very creative. I like to say that I “graduated” that chapter of my working life, as the VP of Engineering at a large NYC real-estate consulting firm after my husband and I decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom, raising our 3 sons. When our oldest son entered kindergarten, I got involved with the PTA and one of the first projects I was tasked with (and because the principal knew my background and asked me!) was to renovate the playground and paint games out on the blacktop. We ordered from a company but we were really disappointed with the quality, application process and information provided so we decided to paint them all by hand. My fellow PTA parents and I were out there for days, painting and painting!!! When we were finally done, I remember distinctly, how the children were amazed at what we did for them! It was spectacular, like I was hit with a lightning bolt!! The children were in awe and I instantly felt this was something I could do better, drawing on my creativity and materials experience. I started to dream up unique, colorful, theme-based games that looked custom but could be painted by anyone. I thought about the materials, the process and how easy I could make this. Around the same time, my first son was diagnosed with ADD and my world took a complete left turn. (Years later, my third son was diagnosed with ADD as well.) I remember the principal telling my husband and I that there were drugs that could help and feeling a wave of bewilderment come over me, trying to grapple with what I was hearing. I was thinking, “You want me to drug my child to help him focus better in the classroom?!?” I could not go down that path so quickly so I dove into how I could help my son without medications. I learned about how movement and unstructured physical activity, which happens mostly at recess, could help him self-regulate and reset during the school day. I dove into research and created activities that I thought he would be most engaged but also help him with certain movements. It was these two very personal experiences that inspired me to launch Fit and Fun Playscapes® so that schools everywhere could provide diverse opportunities to get all kids moving during the school day.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As someone who has made a career change, in great part due to the needs of my son, I really just felt like I wanted to help other parents create a better recess experience. I saw how the all children responded to the painted games we made on the blacktop and how my son responded to the styles, which were largely nature inspired and thought I was not alone. So when I launched Fit and Fun Playscapes® with a Reusable Stencils product line, I wanted to make sure that the materials were durable, the instructions clear for any DIYer and I wanted to help guide my customers through the experience.

Over the past 12 years, the Fit and Fun brand has grown to offer hundreds of inclusive movement-based products that help in so many ways. We’ve expanded to indoor and portable products, creating sensory continuity so that children, especially those with transitional challenges and disabilities are more confident in the way they can move their bodies. We have pioneered products that help children improve executive and cognitive function, sensory processing, social emotional development, physical health and well-being, and reduce anxiety. In 2017, I was so honored to have Fit and Fun named as a resource by the CDC for creating environments supportive of physical activity. This past year, we launched Fit and Fun Forever™, taking similar concepts and targeting the specific needs and concerns of the active adult and senior population with game-based play experiences. Today, Fit and Fun products are in over 8,000 locations across the US and abroad, and we continue to innovate for people of all ages and abilities. I am really proud to have a great team that understands my vision and to have the full support of my family.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

For many years, we had a number of vendors manufacture our products with one primary vendor that we used for almost a decade. The issues we were having with outsourcing manufacturing included lack of control of packaging, quality control measures, and shipping issues. In addition, our cost of goods was significantly higher causing our profit margin to be lower. During COVID, we took the time to explore how to bring manufacturing in-house. This initiative wasn’t simply to purchase machines and start making product. We learned that it required a complete overhaul of how the product was produced, packaged and shipped to be the most efficient. We considered the customer experience, labeling, pro tips, really everything we could think of to help our customers. We also learned that we needed software to manage inventory and shipping, and figure out how that integrates with our existing order and financial management software. This was tricky for sure as we learned the hard way that when something says it “integrates”, you really need to question exactly how it works and convey how your products get made. It was a longer journey than anticipated but we have a foundation to continue our 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?

I have learned many lessons along my journey from employee to employer, from being lead to leading, and from being inspired to inspiring others. The most impactful lesson is learning that if your business is growing then you must learn to delegate. As a small business, my vision and values are very personal and dear to me, like so many other business owners. But if you hold on to everything, you will have very little in the end – little time to relax and reset, do the things you like to do and continue to do the “CEO” stuff! Good employees want to learn and be independent, and it is your job to teach them how to be independent, but following the vision and values you have set. Your employees, are really part of your team and they should be values and cherished. It is also your job to come in every day, leave your personal baggage at the door, and inspire them to be their best. As someone who didn’t go to business school or have a financial education, it has taken me awhile to understand this and I try to remind myself of my role everyday. I feel the growth we have is because of this understanding and for my employees, my team, my work family, to interpret my vision and make it happen!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fitandfunplayscapes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitandfunplayscapes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitandFunPlayscapes
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-gunther-7974851a2/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FitandFunPlay
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FitandFunPlayscapes

Image Credits
All photos were taken by Fit and Fun Playscapes LLC