Opening TK’s Toy Box

BY BELL MEDIA GROUP & GRCA MARKETING TEAM

Editor’s note: The following story was written as a part of the GRCA member storytelling campaign. To read the entire story behind SNAPO Toys, LLC, scan the included Flowcode.

TK’s Toy Box begins with Tara Kennedy-Kline, who never liked to do things “small.”

When her early dream of becoming a veterinarian failed to come to fruition, she took her love of animals to the business world and founded Tara’s Pet Spa and Boutique, which offered comprehensive services including grooming, aromatherapy and doggie daycare. The boutique grew quickly, leaving Tara little time to spend with her two young boys.

At the height of her business growth, Tara received the crushing news that a loved one had passed away. Her sons were being nannied by her sister — in the very same office Tara worked every day. Time was precious, Tara realized, so she decided that she needed to spend more of it with her sons and sooner rather than later. She transitioned out of the dog grooming business and started an in-home daycare. The venture served two vehicles: she could bring in a good income and still spend quality time with her kids. During that season, Tara stumbled upon Discovery Toys, a powerhouse maker of toddler toys that enhanced developmental skills. She fell in love with its products and business model, which allowed her to host parties and attend events on a flexible schedule.

Becoming a Discovery Toys rep also opened the door to the toy industry, giving Tara a glimpse into an unexpectedly fast-paced and intense new world — including an introduction to Toys for Tots, which would become integral in Tara’s next steps.

One of Tara’s colleagues was working closely with Toys for Tots, and Tara would often accompany her to sponsored drives. But as she got deeper into the program and the events, she became more and more disillusioned with what she saw.

“When I would go to these events, I would see the stuff people were bringing in and it was crap,” Tara remembers with frustration. “People would bring this really junky stuff, sometimes in bins, often secondhand or broken.”

“And then here I am,” she continues, “I’m selling these really great educational toys that are guaranteed forever. But no one is bringing these types of toys. Kids really learn when they play; I see it every day at my little home daycare…Why not give them the most educational, most awesome toys you can?”

Spurred by her conviction that no child, especially those facing difficult early childhoods, should feel “less than,” Tara brokered her first deal between Discovery Toys and Toys for Tots by bargaining her way into a Toys for Tots conference. Betting that the Toys for Tots coordinators would love the products, Tara approached Discovery Toys to see what it would take for them to sell their surplus inventory at a low cost.

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