How EverPlay Village Built More Than a Play Space: Creating Community, Recurring Revenue, and a Business That Supports Family Life

When Carlyann and Justin opened EverPlay Village in Manahawkin, New Jersey, they weren't simply opening an indoor playground. They were creating something they wished had existed for their own family.

Today, EverPlay Village is much more than a play space. Through open play, birthday parties, memberships, classes, special events, and their Little Villagers Discovery School, the husband-and-wife team has built a thriving business centered around community, connection, and purpose.

In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I sat down with Carlyann and Justin to talk about how they took the leap into entrepreneurship, the lessons they've learned during their first year in business, and why success means so much more than revenue.

The Idea That Started as a Conversation

Like many entrepreneurs, Carlyann and Justin didn't wake up one day and decide to open a business. The idea slowly developed over time.

Parents of four-year-old twins and a two-year-old, they often found themselves driving thirty minutes to an hour just to visit indoor playgrounds with their children. Living just over the bridge from Long Beach Island, they knew there were plenty of young families in the area, but there wasn't anything nearby that offered the type of experience they were looking for.

They loved indoor play spaces. They loved getting out of the house with their kids. And eventually, they realized there was a major gap in the market.

Still, they weren't immediately convinced.

Every night, they would ask each other the same question.

"How do you feel about EverPlay today?"

Some nights the answer was, "Absolutely."

Other nights, it was, "Absolutely not."

But the idea kept coming back.

Eventually, Carlyann started driving around looking at spaces and contacted a realtor. Then she called her dad.

As she joked during our conversation, once her dad got involved, there was really no turning back.

From Teacher and Stay-at-Home Mom to Entrepreneur

Before EverPlay, Carlyann was a high school English teacher. She loved teaching early in her career, but life changed after the pandemic and the arrival of her children.

After having twins and later a third child, she made the decision to stay home. Childcare was expensive, and being home with her children made sense for their family.

When the twins eventually started school, she found herself with something she hadn't experienced before—time alone with just one child.

That season gave her space to think about what she really wanted.

It also gave her permission to dream.

A few months later, EverPlay LLC was born.

Throughout the process, Justin's support made the leap possible. His full-time role as a Senior Regional Manager with Amazon provided stability, and his years of retail management experience brought valuable operational knowledge to the business.

Carlyann jokes that he provides health insurance, but she also credits him with being her biggest supporter.

"He's always been my rock," she shared.

Building a Business as Husband and Wife

Running a business together wasn't necessarily part of some grand plan. It simply felt natural.

"We're partners in life. We're best friends," Carlyann explained.

Long before EverPlay existed, they were already analyzing square footage and foot traffic while visiting indoor playgrounds with their children.

Today, their responsibilities are divided according to their strengths.

Carlyann manages customer communication, social media, graphics, the website, employee schedules, Discovery School enrollment, collaborations, and much of the creative vision behind the business.

Justin handles payroll, taxes, analytics, paid advertising, and all of the detailed tasks that make Carlyann's head spin.

"I'm the dreamer and executor," she said. "He's the numbers guy."

The biggest adjustment hasn't been working together—it's been restructuring life at home.

Weekend birthday parties often mean Carlyann is working while Justin is home with their children. It was an adjustment for everyone, especially because she sometimes struggled with the guilt of missing family moments.

But she wouldn't want to do this with anyone else.

Diversifying Revenue from the Beginning

One of the things I appreciated most about our conversation was how intentionally Carlyann and Justin have diversified their revenue streams.

Their current breakdown looks like this:

• Admissions: 30.1%

• Discovery School tuition: 20.1%

• Birthday parties: 16.7%

• Memberships: 10.6%

• Classes: 9.9%

• Special events: 6.7%

• Gift cards: 4.1%

• Party add-ons: 0.9%

• Retail: 0.8%

When Carlyann looked at the numbers, she laughed and admitted she could hear my voice reminding owners not to rely too heavily on open play.

Still, she feels encouraged by how balanced things have become.

What's especially interesting is that many owners would try to maximize profit by bringing everything in-house.

Carlyann has taken the opposite approach.

She outsources balloons, classes, teachers, events, and many other services.

"I sacrifice profit for time," she told me.

That philosophy really stood out.

Her goal isn't squeezing every possible dollar out of the business. Her goal is building something that allows her to spend time with her family.

Why Discovery School Is the Future

While open play currently represents the largest revenue stream, Carlyann believes Little Villagers Discovery School will eventually become the backbone of the business.

The licensed, part-time preschool program serves children ages 2½ to 4 and is staffed by certified teachers using an early childhood curriculum.

What makes the program unique is that it fills a need between traditional daycare and full-time preschool. Families love the flexibility and the play-based approach.

Demand has already exceeded expectations.

Their summer Discovery program sold out and developed a waitlist. They're now focusing on filling their afternoon session and expanding future offerings.

They're even exploring drop-off childcare options, though Carlyann knows the logistics can be complicated.

As many listeners know, I talk constantly about the importance of recurring revenue.

Open play is wonderful, but predictable tuition revenue creates stability.

And Carlyann agrees.

"I think Discovery School, if fully enrolled, will become the backbone of our business."

Learning Through Trial and Error

Like every owner, they've had their fair share of surprises.

One of the most stressful came during the licensing process.

After installing equipment, they completed required air quality testing too soon. Chemical off-gassing from the new equipment caused them to fail, delaying the launch of Discovery School by two months and creating unexpected expenses.

Looking back, it's something they never could have anticipated.

They've also learned that families don't always want the commitments owners expect.

Early on, Carlyann envisioned a packed weekly class schedule. But she quickly realized modern families are busy and unpredictable.

Instead of forcing too many options, she scaled back and focused on what actually worked.

Ballet classes have become a hit, and she's currently exploring Mommy & Me Pilates.

It's been a constant process of testing, learning, and adapting.

The Reality of Seasonality

One of the biggest surprises has been just how seasonal their business is.

Being located near Long Beach Island creates incredible opportunities—but also huge swings.

During Memorial Day weekend, cold and rainy weather drove families indoors. Nearly 300 children visited over four days, and they sold out entire days.

Not sessions.

Entire days.

Then the following weekend, beautiful weather arrived.

Seven kids came.

And they celebrated.

Their motto right now?

"Better than zero."

Because they have experienced days with no customers at all.

And yet the payroll still runs. The bills still arrive. The employees still need to be paid.

It's the reality of owning a brick-and-mortar business.

When They Realized They Were Building Something Special

One of the moments that made Carlyann realize EverPlay was really working came on a random Tuesday in December when they sold out a morning session.

But what moved her most wasn't revenue.

It was hearing feedback from families.

Parents described the space as peaceful and calming.

Several families with children on the spectrum held their first birthday parties there because their children felt comfortable and safe.

That meant everything.

Those moments transformed EverPlay from a business into something bigger.

A place where families could feel understood.

A place where children could truly be themselves.

And that purpose continues to fuel Carlyann's passion.

Protecting Peace and Avoiding Burnout

When I asked about avoiding burnout, Carlyann didn't talk about productivity hacks.

She talked about people.

She talked about outsourcing.

And she talked about her staff.

"We love them like family," she shared.

They've been fortunate to hire kind, loyal, and dependable people who genuinely care about the business.

She also prioritizes flexibility and understanding, recognizing that everyone has different strengths and different seasons of life.

More than anything, she's intentionally chosen to protect her peace.

At this stage of life, maximizing family time matters more than maximizing every dollar.

Defining Success Beyond Revenue

Perhaps my favorite answer from the entire interview came when I asked what success looks like.

Carlyann didn't mention revenue goals.

She talked about freedom.

Freedom to travel.

Freedom to spend time with her husband and children.

Freedom to have purpose outside of motherhood.

Freedom to create.

And perhaps most importantly, she talked about community.

She entered this journey looking for purpose, passion, and connection.

And she found it.

Not just through customers, but through friendships with other moms and business owners who understand the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship and family life.

Looking Ahead

Over the next three to five years, Carlyann and Justin hope to open a second location and continue growing Discovery School.

They'd love to add more childcare offerings and perhaps even a café one day.

But growth isn't their only goal.

They're building something sustainable.

Something meaningful.

Something that serves families while also serving their own.

Advice for Future Owners

When I asked Carlyann what advice she would give someone dreaming about opening a play café, she smiled.

She genuinely misses parts of the pre-opening process.

Searching for spaces, designing layouts, making calls, collaborating with vendors, and dreaming about what the finished business would look like was exciting.

In many ways, she feels nostalgic about that season.

But she quickly pointed out that opening day is just the beginning.

In the early months, she often stayed until nine o'clock at night cleaning, training staff, and worrying about missing bedtime with her children.

The bills don't stop.

The work doesn't stop.

And the need to adapt never stops.

Her biggest advice is simple.

Understand your market.

Make sure there is a genuine need.

And build multiple revenue streams.

Because beautiful spaces alone don't create sustainable businesses.

Final Thoughts

What struck me most about this conversation wasn't the revenue breakdown or even the success of Discovery School.

It was the reason behind it all.

Carlyann wasn't looking to build an empire.

She was looking for purpose.

Community.

Creativity.

And something that aligned with her values as a mother.

In the process, she created the exact village she wished had existed when she first became a parent.

And maybe that's why EverPlay Village feels different.

It wasn't built by investors.

It wasn't built around maximizing every dollar.

It was built by parents.

And every family that walks through the door becomes part of the story.