The
Kangaroo Kingdom, located in Lafayette, is not a day care or a place where royal kangaroos reside.
It is, however, a haven for infants, toddlers and young children to learn and explore through educational classes. The Kingdom is also a place where parents exchange stories about everything from birth, breast-feeding, solid foods, potty-training, biting, pre-school selection and everything in-between. The gym area is completely padded, so the little ones are able to become confident in their large motor skills.
When the woman that started the Kingdom was ready for a change, one particular customer refused to let this spot disappear.
Annadell Burke, who had been bringing her daughter to the Kingdom since she was only six weeks old, decided to take over.
"When the previous owner was ready to move on, it broke my heart that something this wonderful would just go away. So, my husband and I talked about it and here we are," says Burke. "The only way I was willing to do this in exchange for being a stay-at-home mom was because my husband is in the process of recovering from a mild traumatic brain injury -- so he stays home with the kids, and I only work from 9 to 1 most days."
According to Burke, who currently resides in Lafayette, taking over the business washer "sanity check point." She moved to Boulder from Chicago 13 years ago, and prior to her life as a stay-at-home mother, she was a marketing executive for a hard drive company.
"When I became a stay-at-home mom, I was lost -- not only in my new responsibilities, but in being OK with my new job title," she says. "I asked, 'Are they supposed to do this? How do I do that? What have I done?'"
But taking the initiative to keep The Kangaroo Kingdom running and still being able to pull off her job at home has led Burke to find a nice balance between the two.
And all the positive feedback definitely can't hurt her motivation.
"I've had so many people thank me for offering such a wonderful place. I really consider The Kangaroo Kingdom being just as much for the parents as it is for the child," Burke says. "I think my favorite story is about a mother of triplets who came in with her boys after her neighbor told her about us. The boys were almost 2 years old and she had never been anywhere with them by herself. She was able to sit in the middle of the room and let the kids explore and play with other children while she was able to carry on a conversation with other adults. When she left, she said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.'"
You'd think this gal had owned a few businesses prior to this, considering the success of the Kingdom, but this is her first. Coming from a high-tech background, Burke was able to take the Kingdom's Web site to an e-commerce site so folks can enroll and check their passes anytime. And from being such a devout customer prior to owning this "smart kid's gym," she was able to observe what worked and what she wanted to change.
"Since I purchased an existing business, much of the work was already done. But you have to examine everything and make it your own. You have to take a close look at the business plan, the overhead, etc. -- unlike working for someone else, everything is your responsibility. A friend of mine likes to say, 'It all hits your desk, everything from toilet paper to taxes,'" says Burke.
Although this woman is kicking a$$ in the biz-runnin' world, she's a professional mom. According to Burke, her favorite part of being a mother is all the hugs. Her two young daughters,
Hale and
Reese, are her pride and joy.
"You don't understand the true nature of personality until you have two children. Hale is very artistic and sensitive and Reese is very athletic and full-on from the crack of dawn till you put her to bed at night," she says.
When asked what advice Burke would dish out to other aspiring lady entrepreneurs, she says, "Just realize there are 1,000 things that you didn't know you didn't know. Don't be afraid to ask for help -- but don't let other people's opinions alter your vision. Because, trust me, everyone 'knows' how to run your business better than you! Get a good lawyer and accountant."
Check out some of Burke's postings regarding the Kangaroo Kingdom:
Playgroups for stay-at-home daddies and more
Amigos International - Spanish Class open house
Music with Madelyn -- open house
Infant massage: Soothe gas, colic and acid reflux
| Important Kangaroo Kingdom facts |
* Prices for classes can range from $60 - $238 and run for about 5-7 weeks. Some of the many classes include Open Gym, Baby Roos, Music with Kathleen, Music with Madelyn, Imagine Hour, Wolly Wallabies, Junior Bouncers, Joey Mob, Spanish Immersion Classes, FRENCH Immersion Class, Active Parenting for Stepfamilies and more.
* All core classes are based off an award-winning curriculum set forth by the previous owner, but over the years, the program has been modified to meet customers' requests.
* The Kingdom NEVER forces a child to take part in something they don't want to.
* All other classes (music, language, parenting workshops, etc.) include instructors that are sought out by the Kingdom. They only seek out the best they can find.
* The fall session begins Sept.4, and for more information, visit
www.thekangarookingdom.com.
* The Kingdom does not require a membership or that folks be enrolled in a class. They are more than welcome to attend Open Play Time.
* A common misconception about the programs is parents think their child is too young to attend. The classes welcome infants starting as young as 5 weeks old and ranging up to 7 years old.
*This year, they've won both "Best Place to Play with Kids in Boulder County" from the readers of
Yellow Scene and "Best Toddler Music/Gym" from the readers of
Kids Pages, beating two national chains that each have multiple locations in the Denver area.
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Know of a woman-owned business that deserves attention? E-mail me at horvatb@yourhub.com or post your own story on YourHub.com. Questions? Call me at 303-954-2679.