"From Tax Accountant to Toy Creator" with Sara Feldstein
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Photos by Lisa Tkatch
Sara Feldstein is the founder and toy creator behind the e-commerce toy company Barumba Play. In her pre-pandemic life she was a tax professional working with small businesses and now spends her days playing with toys and calling it work. She used her experience with depression to stop living a life of chronic stress and exhaustion and find more play in her life.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I am actually a Chartered Accountant and worked in tax for over ten years. I was a Partner in my family’s accounting firm in Canada. When the first lockdown happened, I found myself transitioning our accounting firm to being a remote office, dealing with my client’s struggling businesses, managing employees, tax season, and full-time parenting a one and three-year-old. It did not go well!
What inspired you to start your business?
Attempting to juggle it all during lockdown I ended up experiencing burnout. With too much on my plate, no childcare support, and no end in sight, my mental health started to deteriorate. I became unfocused, unmotivated, and had difficulty retaining information. I did not make any changes and tried to push through, but you can not outwork burnout. My burnout turned into depression and it got so bad I had to leave my career. This meant leaving a firm I had been building for ten years and walking away from my future plans to succeed my father in the company.
Where is your business based?
We are located just outside of Toronto, Canada.
How did you start your business?
When I was home working all the time I was trying to use toys (and not just screens) to entertain my kids when I had meetings. And so many of our toys just did not keep them engaged for long periods of time. Some broke easily or had no way of being cleaned and I started to really become preoccupied with the idea that toys could be better and do more.
What were the first steps you took?
Played with toys of course! I made a list of the common activities kids like to do such as climbing, crawling, and sliding, and tried to figure out how to create a “new classic” toy that could incorporate it all. I used my kid’s foam blocks to play around with ideas and explore shapes to think about how these pieces would work BIG and how they can be used as an amazing imaginative toy for all ages.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I started a toy testing program as part of my product development process. I would lend a sample product to real families to use for feedback. It didn’t hurt that they would provide me photos to use for social media too! This allowed me to start to have people know about the brand before I even launched. I used these photos to start posting on social media two months before launch so that I already accumulated a few hundred followers and emails by launch day. Now the toy testing program has morphed into a “try before you buy” program where individuals reach out to borrow a play couch for a few days to see if they like it before committing to one. This lets families experience how much their kids will love and use this product, feel the quality first hand, and have an opportunity to have any questions or concerns answered.
How do you stay focused?
Determining my to-do tasks the night before has been a game-changer. Instead of sitting down at the computer thinking about what to work on, I determine in advance the most important items be tackled the next day so when I get to work I can just start.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Attention to detail and really considering the parents at every stage of the business, not just the kids. We have done things like add waterproof liners, zipper pockets to prevent scratches and made our covers washable. We also try and inject fun at each touchpoint. Our liability waiver is in rhyme. We double box our product to ensure it arrives unharmed and has turned our packaging into a giant colouring box that can be cut out into a house. Kids love playing with boxes so, in line with our philosophy, “toys that do more™, we did not want to waste the opportunity to do something fun with the box.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
It’s not very original but just start. Realize that no one is smarter than you, no one really knows what they are doing and everyone is mostly figuring it out as they go. I heard the idea to think about what you imagine your obituary is going to sound like and go backwards from there to figure out how you want to live your life. When I did this exercise and thought, “Became an accountant at age 21 and died an accountant at her desk with calculator in hand,” I thought to myself, that doesn’t sound like a very exciting life. This helped convince me to treat life a little more like a game and take the leap.
I also think mothers in particular are very good at putting everyone else first and putting themselves last. We forget to make ourselves happy and meet our own needs. So I would encourage everyone to think about what makes them happy, or what gives them energy and do more of that! Happiness and energy will translate into creativity and productivity.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? I love books and audiobooks and couldn’t possibly pick one favourite. At the moment I am into autobiographies and am currently reading Richard Branson’s “Finding My Virginity.”
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
This is a tough one as I rely on so many tools to run my business. I love Canva though. It makes social media so much easier.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Sara Blakely just seems so nice and down-to-earth. She grew a massive company without any external financing and did it all with a sense of humor.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I need time alone to exercise, read, or go for a walk alone to destress. I used to not take the time for myself to do these things and felt selfish when I did do them. Now I truly understand that taking care of yourself is not selfish and in fact, is necessary. If you don’t take care of yourself, it is difficult to take care of those around you.
What do you have planned for the next six months? Getting more awareness for Barumba Play and launching some variations of our core product.
How can our readers connect with you?
@barumbaplay on social media
Sara Feldstein on Linkedin