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PODCAST

The Profitable Play Podcast

Michele Caruana

If you own or manage an indoor play center, play cafe, indoor playground, family entertainment center, mobile soft play rental business or really any business that serves local children and families, and you want to operate with more EASE and JOY, all while making the living you dreamed of– I created the profitable play podcast just for you. Join me, your host, Michele Caruana, for small but mighty tips every single weekday that will all add up to a BIG impact on your mindset, your business, and

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

00:36:50

345: 9 Things I'd Tell A Prospective Play Cafe Owner...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/11/28

In this episode, I’m sharing the exact tough-love truth I give my one-on-one clients inside Play Cafe Academy and Playmaker Society—the things I say privately that genuinely help people avoid incredibly expensive, stressful, and sometimes irreversible mistakes when opening an indoor playground or play café.This audio is pulled directly from a YouTube video I recently published, and I wanted to share it here because it’s that important. But if you want to make sure you never miss content that doesn’t

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01:02:46

344: Year 1 Of Opening A Play Cafe With Owner...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/11/24

Year 1 Of Opening A Play Cafe With Jessalyn Pustay From The Playroom West Virginia!This interview is also available on YouTube as a video here!You can also get a summary of this episode on our blog here!In today’s episode, I’m talking with The Playroom owner Jessalyn Pustay about her first year in business and the lessons she learned while creating a high-quality play and programming space in West Virginia — something she desperately wanted for her own kids after relocating from Washington, DC.In

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00:17:56

343: Want Your Customers To "Shop Small" Instead Of...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/11/18

In this bonus episode, I’m breaking down a tough but important truth about holiday retail: parents aren’t loyal to Amazon—they’re loyal to convenience.If you want families in your community to “shop small” with your indoor playground or play cafe business, you have to make buying from your business as simple and friction-free as possible.I walk through exactly how indoor playground owners can streamline both in-person and online shopping, including mobile-first website fixes, tap-to-pay checkout,

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00:45:40

342: Highly Profitable, Low-Lift Holiday Events To...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/11/14

In this episode, I’m sharing the simplest, most profitable holiday events you can add to your calendar — even in the middle of the December chaos. These ideas are designed to increase revenue, visibility, and loyalty without overwhelming you or your team.BLOG for this episodeI talk about why you don’t need to compete with free community events, why age-specific offerings (especially for babies) are incredibly strategic, and how a few thoughtful touches can make small, curated events feel premium and

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00:46:13

341: Earn Respect From Your Employees as A Leader...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/11/10

If you’re already open, you know this — and if you’re getting ready to open, you’re about to find out: managing a team is one of the hardest, most complex, and most draining parts of running an indoor playground or play café.In this episode, I’m sharing 10 leadership habits that have helped me earn the respect and trust of my team — not because they had to follow me, but because they wanted to. These are lessons I’ve learned the hard way over the years, adapted specifically for our unique industry

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00:52:33

340: Checking in With Sunshine Play Cafe Owner Sarah...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/11/04

In this episode, I’m catching up with play café owner Sarah Kobin, who I first interviewed about a year and a half ago when she was still in the early opening phase of her business.Now that she’s been open for 18 months, Sarah shares what’s changed — from which revenue streams performed best (and which didn’t) to how her team, systems, and daily operations have evolved. We talk about what’s surprised her most since opening, what she’d do differently if she could start over, and how her role as the

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00:40:53

339: The Hidden Risks of Joining a Play Café Franchise

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/10/28

In this episode, I’m breaking down the truth about play café and indoor playground franchising — and why this model has failed to deliver lasting success for most owners, outside of what you may see on social media.I’ve worked with countless franchisees who believed joining an established concept would simplify their startup journey, only to discover overwhelming fees, lack of flexibility, and corporate systems that didn’t fit their local markets.In this episode, I share real examples of owners who

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00:37:14

338: Whether You Sell or Liquidate, Every Play Cafe...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/10/20

At some point, almost every play cafe owner will exit their business — whether it’s by selling, transitioning to a new owner, or closing and moving on to the next chapter. It’s a natural part of the business lifecycle, but it’s something most of us don’t think about until we have to.In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I’m breaking down what it really means to sell your indoor playground or play cafe business versus liquidating it — and how to know which option makes the most sense for

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00:23:33

337: 10 Last-Minute, Low-Cost Halloween Ideas for...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/10/14

If Halloween snuck up on you this year—don’t stress. In this episode, I share 10 quick, low-cost, and high-impact ways to boost October profits and make your indoor playground or play café feel festive without draining your time or budget.These ideas will help you attract families, boost engagement, and create memorable experiences—whether you have a day or a week to prepare.BLOG for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/halloween-ideasIn This Episode, You’ll Learn How To:Run a simple

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00:28:48

336: Worried About Protecting Your Play Cafe Business...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/10/01

Prefer to read? This episode's takeaways are summarized here!Prefer to watch? This interview's also on YouTube hereETSY Template ShopWork with MJ Morley Law: https://www.mjmorleylaw.com/Thinking about opening a play café or indoor playground business? Or maybe you already own one and want to be sure you’re legally protected? Understanding trademark protection and cease and desist letters is essential for both new and current owners.In this episode, I sit down with my lawyer to get clear, practical

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00:57:04

335: Pre-Opening Secrets for Play Café Success And A...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/09/23

In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I sit down with Amy Bowman, founder of the soon-to-launch live music–themed play space, The Jamboree Club in Pennsylvania.Amy is right in the middle of business planning and finalizing her location, so we dive deep into the most important steps every indoor playground or play café owner should take before opening their doors.Here’s what we cover in this episode:Pitching your business plan to investors and what they’ll expectSecuring sponsorships from

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00:42:51

334: 10 Sales Automation Strategies for Indoor...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/09/15

As indoor playground owners, we didn’t open our spaces to spend nights chasing late payments or answering 10pm DMs. We opened to build community and have time with our families.That balance is possible—with automation.In this episode, I’m sharing 10 sales automations you can set up THIS week to recover lost bookings, increase revenue, and free up your time, including:Abandoned cart emails & textsEvergreen social media adsExit pop-ups & nurture sequencesChatbots for off-hoursParty follow-ups,

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00:45:00

333: Why Your Indoor Playground Needs A Cafe (And...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/09/01

Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving: https://discover.wellnessliving.com/playcafeacademyIn this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I sit down with Kate Mitchell, the inspiring owner of Funtown Play Café, to hear the real story behind how she turned her vision into a thriving family destination.Kate shares the highs, the lows, and everything in between—from the spark of inspiration that started her journey, to the challenges of the build-out process, to how she developed such a strong

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01:06:46

332: Thriving Through Your First Months Of Indoor...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/08/25

In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I share a recorded coaching call with Jan from Kinderland Play Cafe in Hendersonville, TN that covers the exact questions so many indoor playground and play café owners face when setting up their systems and preparing their business for growth—or even a future sale.My guest’s long-term plan is to eventually sell their business, so every decision they make now is with that end goal in mind. During our conversation, we dig into:How to realistically set

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01:02:12

331: Non-Profit Success With Rosie Lynch From Wild...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/08/06

In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I share a recorded coaching call with Rosie Lynch, founder of Wild Child Museum & Managerie, a non-profit indoor play space operating inside her local community center.We discuss the strategic advantages of starting in a low-overhead location — including building a loyal customer base, growing a healthy financial foundation, and securing community and business sponsors — before moving into a larger, more costly space.Topics covered include:Creating

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00:23:22

330: "Unstaffed" Play Spaces? Use Cases, Safety Tips,...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/06/10

2 TICKETS LEFT FOR PLAY MAKER SOCIETY LIVE: https://www.michelecaruana.com/playmakerslive2025Is your indoor playground or play café business ready for more freedom, flexibility, and revenue?In this episode, I share how a simple keypad entry system can completely transform your business operations. Whether you're hoping to reduce your reliance on staff, offer after-hours access, or turn your space into a community hub, this upgrade might be the highest ROI decision you make this year.💡 What You'll

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00:45:35

329: Summer Revenue Rescue for Indoor Playground...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/05/19

If you’re listening in real time, you know that summer is just around the corner—and if your foot traffic or bookings are starting to dip, you’re not alone. This season can catch even the most prepared indoor playground owners off guard. But here’s the good news: even if you didn’t get a summer plan in place months ago, it’s not too late to make a real impact on your revenue.In this episode, I’m sharing creative, actionable, and low-lift ways to boost income quickly—even if you’re starting from

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00:35:06

328: Get Better Results From ChatGPT and AI By Using...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/05/13

Play Makers Live 2025 Registration and Information (6 Tickets Left!) In this episode of the Profitable Play Podcast, I’m diving into Part 2 of our AI mini-series, and this time it’s all about how to get better results from ChatGPT. I’m sharing the exact tips and strategies I use as an indoor playground owner to write better prompts, train ChatGPT to match my voice, and streamline my content creation and operations. I’ll also walk you through how I use other AI tools to automate tasks like

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00:31:17

327: 8 Next-Level AI Uses and Hacks for Busy Indoor...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/05/06

If you’ve ever joked about being the “lazy” play cafe owner—this episode is for you. (And if you’re offended by that term… take a deep breath and trust me on this one.) I know you're not actually lazy—you’re just juggling everything: your business, your family, your sanity… and trying to keep it all together. So in this episode, I’m sharing 8 of my favorite next-level AI hacks that help me save time, reduce stress, and focus on what actually matters.This isn’t your basic AI 101. These are practical,

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00:35:56

326: Introverted or Non-Confrontational? 6 Strategies...

The Profitable Play Podcast ·

2025/04/28

In this episode of the Profitable Play Podcast, we’re diving into what success can look like for indoor playground owners who are introverted, non-confrontational, or just prefer to lead from behind the scenes. I’m sharing practical strategies for managing staff, setting boundaries with customers, and marketing your business—even if you don’t love being on camera or in the spotlight. You'll learn how to build a thriving business that aligns with your personality, avoids burnout, and still attracts

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356 results

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