We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Starr Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Starr below.

Starr, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Just P.L.A.Y. stands for Promoting Lifetime Activities for Youth.

Just P.L.A.Y. was conceptualized in March 2012. After two years of studying and developing, Just P.LA.Y. saw a need in urban communities that lacked information and resources for positive interactions. Therefore, Just P.LA.Y. was designed to host information related to positive interactions with youth of all ages ranging from birth to 18, serving all counties in Delaware.

The fundamental business model for Just P.L.A.Y. is to become a leading resource for users to obtain local events throughout the community. The ultimate goal is to build a digital platform between users and the surrounding community related to cost-effective events, crafty ideas, and positive interactions. The best way to achieve this goal is to provide the most views per post listing any events or ideas.

The core business model consists of recurring monthly revenue from fees charged to users who sign up for the premium membership. This membership fee allows access to a private e-community of like-minded users and community centers that will offer discounts codes and links, tips, crafty ideas, and the ability to post pictures. Another core business model consists of recurring sponsorships and affiliations. Businesses will pay a monthly fee to advertise their company on the website and social media. Companies can offer additional discounts or links to their websites with advertisements.

In June 2021, a proposal was presented to move the idea of Just P.L.A.Y. from only a social media platform into a business that users could access on all media publications. This discussion aimed to analyze the benefits of Just P.L.A.Y. in all communities, not only urban ones. Over the last few weeks, the growth reflects a 2700% increase in page views and interactions. Over the last few months, Just P.L.A.Y. revealed an interactive website and working on an app that expects rapid growth. At this moment, our competitors do not offer an app or free activities.

Our most important customers are parents and businesses that value interactions with children. In most cases, children engage with parents and caregivers through play but are limited by their structure. Parents and caregivers will initiate play in other forms while they are open to exploring the world around them. These forms are events, crafty ideas, cooking lessons, board games, and playdates, to name a few. Just P.L.A.Y. will generate immediate sales by leveraging current relationships within the community and existing users. Users and community organizations can input information related to events into the social media platform to advertise. Just P.L.A.Y. will also use other multichannel linked websites to gain additional sales.

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?

I am the founder and the face behind Just P.L.A.Y. I’m also a wife and a mother of four children, ranging in ages from 4 to 12 years old. My goal each day is to give my children opportunities to be curious, imaginative and create lifelong memories together as a family. When they have fun, so do I! ​
Just P.L.A.Y. has evolved and matured over the last ten years. We started as “Standing for Single Mothers” but soon realized that we were leaving out some of the adults that play a role in the upbringing of our children. Quickly, we were able to regroup and hear our community loud and clear. Just P.L.A.Y. needed to embody our mission and our core values.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Public Service with a minor in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Organizational Management & Leadership from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. I have more than 13 years of experience and a firsthand understanding of how positive interactions can develop and nurture empathy, love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

I started this journey as a single mother living on a modest income and struggling to find positive events for my daughter. As a result, I became passionate and dedicated to finding cost-effective events throughout New Castle County, Delaware. The experience ignited a vision and a spark inside of me to develop an e-tool to curate free and low-cost family-friendly D.I.Y. activities, tips, trips, events, and more in one place for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and educators throughout Delaware.

The Just P.L.A.Y. community is a safe and judge-free zone that welcomes everyone to explore the world around them. You don’t need to be a superhero to bring joy to your children and provide them opportunities to explore the world around them. And with Just P.LA.Y., you don’t have to go broke trying!

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

I was recently laid off due to Covid-19 and was given some options on my next steps by my soon-to-be ex-employers.

My options were:
1.) Work for a non-profit agency for up to 6 months with a possibility of being hired on full-time
2.) Go back to school to be a first responder, and my former job will pay for it
OR
3.) Start a business, present a business plan, and receive 10K.

I started my business. I wrote a business plan with no experience or knowledge about what should do into a business plan. Writing is not my strong suit, but I did not want to miss this opportunity. Google became my best friend, and I was able to draft a plan that I was proud of. After several meetings and interviews, I received 10K to start Just P.L.A.Y.

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

That this journey is not for everyone; when you start the conversation with family and friends about starting a business, they may love the dream but do not support your grind.

As a business owner, downtime is a luxury because you invest your time, space, and finances into the growth of your dreams. But, that saying is true, “you have to pour your blood, sweat, and tears into anything you are passionate about.” Through many conversations, arguments, and lost friendships, I learned that people support your dreams and ideas until it interferes with their dreams and visions.

So, keep pushing, find your inner peace, speak over yourself and your business and STAY FOCUS!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.justplayallday.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justplay.us/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Justplay.us/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/starr-wilson-77200983/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYFsEBVWj6UDi2GMTgCzT-g