3 min read March 2023 — In an interview with Invest:, Alana Oxfeld and Cheryl Gonzalez, co-founders of State of Kid, discussed their mission and goals. Founded with the aim of making parenting easier by providing multiple resources for parents and children under one roof. Since then, the company has evolved into a community hub, where parents can find support and resources, and their children can socialize and have fun in a safe environment.
What is the State of Kid’s mission and goals?
Alana Oxfeld: State of Kid was founded in 2019 with the mission of making parenting easier by providing multiple resources for families under one roof. Cheryl and I both had young children — our boys were two years old, and Cheryl had just given birth to a baby girl. We noticed that resources for parents were scattered and difficult to find, whether it was for clothes, ballet, karate, or music classes. We wanted to create a curated concept where parents could find the best for their children in one place. That’s how the idea for State of Kid was born.
As you may know, State of Kid is a modern children’s concept that combines enrichment classes with clothing, accessories and toys for children up to 8 years old. The front of the space is a highly curated retail shop where we bring in the best brands from Europe, Australia, and the U.S., with a focus on sustainability and eco-friendliness. We want to make the shopping experience for parents seamless and enjoyable, without feeling overwhelmed by too many choices.
On the class side, we bring together the best activities for children under one roof, so parents can come for music one day, art and sensory the next, and tumbling the day after that. Our space has become a community hub, with amazing clients who we call “superusers” who come to our space multiple days a week for classes, shopping and even host their children’s birthday parties with us. We’re proud of the community we’ve built in a short time, and we’re excited for what the future holds.
How did you navigate the recovery from the pandemic?
Cheryl Gonzalez: We had just started settling into our business and were growing through word of mouth when the pandemic hit in March 2020. We had to abruptly shut down for about three months, but we didn’t want to lose our community, so we offered free virtual programming like music classes and Zoom activities to keep parents and children engaged. However, we soon realized that there was a lot of zoom fatigue and parents didn’t want to put their children in front of screens for extended periods. As soon as Florida allowed us to reopen, we started inviting parents to bring their “pods” together for custom classes, allowing children to stay engaged while still staying safe. After a few months, we started regular programming again, but we changed our business model to semester-based classes to ensure continuity for younger age groups.
When we first opened, our mission was to offer parents ultimate flexibility, which we still provide through multiple class options. We do ask families to commit to several weeks at a time, but we understand that not every class is for everyone. So we allow parents to switch classes in order to find what works best for them. We have many choices available to ensure that everyone can find something suitable. We also open select classes for drop-ins.
Can you talk more about the importance of word of mouth for your business?
Oxfeld: Word of mouth has always been our most powerful tool, and we’ve seen it evolve over time. The testimonials that moms give to our business are ultimately so powerful. We’ve done a good job of really working hard for parents just as hard as we’ve worked for the children. A lot of times with children’s spaces, you see that they’re entirely built for a child, but parents don’t necessarily want to be there. Since we created our business, we wanted it to be made for the parents just as much as it is for the children. We’ve created a space that feels like an extension of a mom’s daily life, just as high end, curated and clean as their boutique fitness studio, their nail salon, their hair salon, or where they go for a facial. We wanted to create this brand that felt in line with everything else the modern mom was doing. We cater to them, and we’ve always had the parents in mind. We’ve really tried to go above and beyond with customer service. We’re two moms ourselves, and we’re in it ourselves, so we can speak to these moms and speak the language. We hear them, and we’re in this too. We experience a lot of the same pain points that they do. I think they appreciate that.
In the beginning, we offered a lot of parenting workshops and brought in parenting experts. During and immediately after the pandemic, that took a little bit of a pause because we were so focused on socializing children. But we’ve always had the parents in mind, and have brought some of these workshops back recently. We want to go above and beyond just providing a play space. We wanted to create a community, and bringing in experts was a big part of that.
How has the community at State of Kid evolved over time?
Oxfeld: South Florida is a very transient place, so even when we first opened during the pandemic, we were seeing people who were seasonal or visiting for vacations. This was especially the case in the beginning because we allowed so much flexibility. You didn’t have to be a resident, you could just pop into class. That’s always been a nice factor and a reason why we still allow some drop-ins today. Now, we certainly see a lot of people who have recently moved down to Miami. The nice thing about State of Kid is that if you don’t have your tribe yet, you can find it here. If you are new to the community, your child isn’t yet enrolled in school or you haven’t met your neighbors, it’s a great place to find people with children of similar ages and meet other parents. We often hear that people find their best friends at State of Kid. We recently hosted a birthday party and all of the guests were from the birthday girl’s ballet class at State of Kid. It’s just nice to see the friendships that are formed through us. We hear parents making plans for the weekend or exchanging phone numbers while their kids are in class, and that’s one of the most rewarding things for us — the community that has been built.
What is your outlook for State of Kid, your expansion plans and how you’re meeting the demand for your business?
Gonzalez: We are currently expanding and have plans to hire more people to support the demand. We’re also fundraising to help with our growth. In terms of enrichment, we’re always on the lookout for what’s new and innovative, and we’re constantly adding new classes and instructors. We recently added an Introduction to Pokémon class, which was born out of a need from our own children. We’re always open to feedback from parents and strive to give them what they want. We search for the best instructors and classes to add to our roster and ensure that they align with our values and the interests of our families.
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