Learn How We Started, and How You Can, Too!

Hello, Hi! It’s me, Marina, and I want to talk about how we started our children’s toy business—and, if you’re interested, how you can too!

I consider myself a dabbler; I’ve tried my hand at many different things. I’ve always felt a calling to make money from home, even before we had our daughter. I tried a few different businesses as a “distributor” (if you know, you know), but they didn’t feel quite right. Plus, I wasn’t making any money. Then in 2019, I started an Etsy shop, sewing baby blankets, burp cloths, and scrunchies for moms! I loved it, but it started to drain my energy—sewing takes a long time! 

Everything changed when I came across an ad in 2022 to sell FBA on Amazon, I thought, “This is it!”

Maybe you’ve seen the Rainmaker Family Challenge floating around. When I saw that ad, I felt a pull to jump in.

Disclaimer: It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a lot of work, a lot of capital up front, and a lot of sleepless nights. But it’s also been a lot of fun, and I’ve learned so much! We’re still in our first year of business, so we’re not expecting to see a profit yet (most businesses don’t see a profit for two to three years).

Anyway, I jumped in and spent every extra minute during naptime and after bedtime watching the course videos and learning everything I could. I got a coach and started researching my first product. Here's a little secret:

Secret #1: Selling isn’t just about finding a cute product; it’s about making data-driven decisions and finding products that can be improved upon to sell well.

I was told that children’s products are very competitive, but I went for it anyway. I feel a strong calling to create products that I’m familiar with and love. Plus, I have my handy two-year-old helper who assists with some of the creative decisions.

It’s been so fun to create colorful, versatile products that will last through multiple kids. But it hasn’t been without challenges! Because we want kids to stay safe when playing with our products, each toy has to go through extensive testing to obtain certifications for child safety before it can be listed for the public. That’s good news for you because you can rest assured that our products have met these standards. :)

I launched our Busy Books in June 2023, and they took off! Things went so well that I quit my office job—I finally got to stay home with my daughter and be more present. We sold out before our estimated three months of inventory! But while we were sold out, we lost traction and had to start over once we restocked. And by then, kids were back in school, making it harder to regain our ranking.



I was so hopeful to get everything up and running on Amazon and have it be passive (sigh, the dream!). But here’s another secret:

Secret #2: Nothing in life is truly passive—except time.

Amazon has been a great tool, and I’m grateful for the knowledge I’ve gained. But I have bigger dreams. I want to create a legacy brand (hence all the products we’ve launched in such a short time). I want not only to spread joy and creativity through my products but to enjoy a life of abundance, filled with adventures and lasting memories.

Moving forward, I started looking at other selling avenues. I quickly discovered another secret:

Secret #3: There's more businesses than just Amazon.

I worked into the midnight hours for a week to get set up on Shopify and TikTok Shop, and soon after, I added Instagram and Facebook shopping as well. Currently, I’m working on Pinterest and Google Marketing and am excited to see the progress.

It’s a lot of work, but I can see a fulfilling future where I bring kids many similar Montessori-inspired toys built to last, encouraging independent play so that busy moms can enjoy small breaks throughout the day. I’m so glad you found me, and I can’t wait to share more with you!

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about the Rainmaker Family Challenge and FBA (or creating your own brand and products to sell on Shopify or TikTok like me!), check out the course here. (This will take you to my affiliate link, so I do get a small commission if you decide to take the leap like I did!)

Until next time—Marina :)