I founded a business that makes high-end play kitchens. I was told no one would pay for them, but now I run a million-dollar company.
Mentors told her that parents would never pay hundreds for a play kitchen.
Shari had a gut feeling parents would pay for sustainability and quality, she says.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shari Raymond, founder of Milton and Goose. It has been edited for length and clarity.
A decade ago, I wanted to buy my son a play kitchen for his first birthday. My family and I lived in a one-bedroom apartment, meaning the toy would be in our living room. It was a space I had curated through a lot of effort, and I wanted a kitchen that would fit the aesthetic.
I wasn't willing to compromise. I've always been a product of my environment and enjoy having nice spaces. It's so easy to lose your identity in early motherhood. Preserving my living room felt like maintaining my identity, even though I was now a mom.
I searched high and low, but couldn't find a toy kitchen I wouldn't mind looking at after my son went to bed. So, I set out to make one.
I didn't set out to be costly, but to deliver on quality
The irony of this story is that my son didn't get a play kitchen for his first birthday. He didn't get one until nearly 18 months later when the prototypes for my company, Milton and Goose, came in.
Luckily, they were worth the wait. When I designed the kitchen, I thought about what I wanted. First, the aesthetic. But I also wanted a quality kitchen that would last through the future children I hoped to have. It should be made in America, with real wood and nontoxic materials.
I put all those dreams into Milton and Goose. I didn't set out to have the most expensive play kitchen on the market, but at the end of the day, that's what I needed to sell the item for, to deliver on our promises.
My mentor said it wouldn't work, but we've made millions
Today, the Milton and Goose Essential Play Kitchen retails for about $799. The four-piece bundle brings the price close to $2,000.
When I was launching the company, a mentor told me there was no way parents would pay that much. I can't blame him: until very recently, the toy industry focused on low-cost items with a short lifespan.
Still, I had a strong gut feeling that parents deserved a better option. I was right: we've had millions of dollars in sales over the past seven years.
I want my kids to be intentional about what they bring into the house
Sustainability is really important to me, and something I teach my three kids about. It's easy to buy toys without thinking about their ultimate destination: the landfill.
I want Milton and Goose kitchens to last through all the kids in a family. Then, they can be passed to friends or packed away for the next generation. When they eventually reach the end of their useful life, every part of the kitchen can be recycled. I've always been very intentional about considering the end-of-life plan for products I create.
My kids are now 10, 8, and 4, and they've embraced my message around sustainability. When they bring a cheap plastic toy into the house, it often breaks within minutes, or weeks if we're lucky. I've seen my kids become more mindful of that, opting to go without plastic trinkets or only take one. We constantly discuss what we bring into our house and why we choose one product over another. With that, we can do our best to remain intentional about our consumption.
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