Mariah Parsons hosts Raelina Krikston, co-founder of Fun Fact Co, a company specializing in educational trivia games and posters. Raelina shares her background in design and the company's inception, focusing on early childhood education. They discuss their initial product, the Party Mix Trivia deck, which covers diverse topics like space, math, and death, and their expansion into home decor posters. Raelina emphasizes the importance of slow, steady growth and community building. They plan a pop-up shop for the holiday season and aim to target adult customers more effectively. Raelina highlights the value of following personal interests and the importance of balancing work with personal life.

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Episode Timestamps:

• 0:00 Meeting at Shop Talk and Introduction to Fun Fact Co

• Mariah and Raylena reminisce about their first meeting at Shop Talk Fall, a networking event for women.

• 3:13 Concept and Creation of Fun Fact Co

• Raylena describes the initial idea behind Fun Fact Co, which aimed to create fun and educational content for kids.

• The company started with trivia decks, focusing on bite-sized pieces of information to cater to children's shorter attention spans.

• The first deck, Party Mix Trivia, included five different topics: death, space, math, animals, and humans.

• Raylena emphasizes the multiple-choice format of the trivia, making it accessible and enjoyable for both kids and adults.

• 5:45 Expansion into Home Decor and Emotional Wellness

• 8:19 Challenges and Strategies in Customer Acquisition

• Raylena discusses the slow but steady growth of Fun Fact Co and the importance of acknowledging the reality of building a business.

• The company has found success with boutiques and bookstores, particularly as a sideline item in bookstores.

• Fun Fact Co has diversified its online presence through platforms like Etsy and Amazon, though their own website still needs improvement.

• Raylena emphasizes the importance of strategic blog posts and attending events like Shop Talk to connect with potential retailers.

• 24:43 Balancing Growth and Personal Life

• Raylena and her co-founder, Chrisman, have consciously decided to keep the company small, avoiding the stress of managing employees.

• This approach allows them to be flexible in scaling production to meet demand from larger retailers like Target.

• Raylena reflects on the importance of balance and not letting the business consume their personal lives.

• Mariah and Raylena discuss the challenges of self-compassion and the importance of celebrating small wins.

• 24:59 Applications and Future Plans for Fun Fact Co

• Raylena sees potential applications for Fun Fact Co products in various settings, including classrooms, doctors' offices, and teachers' rooms.

• The company is focused on social-emotional wellness and creating content that is both attractive and useful for children.

• Raylena mentions plans to launch a new line of posters focused on social-emotional wellness, informed by feedback from educators.

• The company aims to build a community around their interests and passions, rather than relying solely on customer feedback.

• 27:53 Retention Strategies and Community Building

• Raylena discusses the importance of posters in retention, as they are personal purchases and have a faster turnaround than decks.

• The company plans to focus on adult models for marketing campaigns to target a broader audience.

• Raylena emphasizes the importance of following their passions and interests in creating new products.