Meet Holly Wall, Ed.S | Creator and founder of Broccoli Boxes

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Wall, Ed.S and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
September 2020, I was burned out.

I was a former classroom teacher turned work from home mom, helping my husband start his dream business and had begun homeschooling my preschooler due to Life in 2020.

I was exhausted…Planning and setting up activities when he went to bed at night, cleaning, cooking, working… I didn’t have any quick, ready to go activities that I could just pull out when I needed them, that would keep him busy, but were also good for him. And, I desperately needed that. I needed something I could pull out when I needed to work, so he could play next to me. I needed something that would allow me to cook dinner easier. I needed something that would allow me to wake up a bit in the mornings before we jumped into the day. I needed something that would allow him to use his imagination. And, I needed something we could do together that wouldn’t take a lot of brain power from me. It was a tall order and I was stuck.

One day, my older sister and I were talking about what we wished we had available to us as moms. That we needed ready to go sensory play. As we talked about it, I laughed and told her, “you should start a business!” She laughed and said, “You do it!”

So I did and less than a month later, Broccoli Boxes was born.

Since then we’ve been able to serve hundreds of families with engaging, educational, ready to go sensory play each month, as well as through the donation of Broccoli Boxes to children in foster care. Our mission is to encourage families and strengthen communities and one of the ways we do that is by donating 1 box for every 10 sold and have been able to bless 90 children and families with educational sensory play.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For nearly a decade, I was an elementary school teacher. I loved finding ways for my students to learn while having fun. I’ve never believed worksheets were a best practice. Dr. Karyn Purvis said it best, “Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain- unless it is done with play, in which case, it takes between 10-20 repetitions.” I found this to be true in my classroom and now with my own son.

While in the classroom, I also had the privilege to talk to a lot of parents. They all wanted the same things. They wanted to know their child was loved and cared for and they wanted to do their best for their children. It was my job to come along side and partner with them to achieve those goals for their kids.

Then, in 2017, I became a mom. From before my little guy could even sit up, I was creating sensory play set ups with him and was sharing those on my personal Facebook page with my friends. Friends would comment that they were using those ideas with their own babies. I didn’t realize it then, but that was the beginning of my desire to help encourage other moms.

I knew from the beginning that these experiences had put me in the perfect position to continue helping families, and not just in my own community, but across the country.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While I am not from Arizona, I have had the opportunity to talk to many of our subscribers that do live in Arizona and I would love to experience the many different landscapes that Arizona has to offer, from mountains, valleys, deserts, and of course the Grand Canyon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Broccoli Boxes wouldn’t be possible without the families that have supported us and believed in our mission from the beginning. Our subscribers and customers are the biggest source of encouragement for us. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to serve them.

And of course, my family. My husband and my son have been an integral part of the whole process. They put up with a crazy house and help make each box perfect from testing out new ideas and creating custom pieces for each kit. They are my team.

Website: www.broccoliboxes.com

Instagram: instagram.com/broccoliboxes

Facebook: facebook.com/broccoliboxes

Image Credits
Holly Wall Annie Allred Katie Osborn Baily Wellman Ariel Sansom Holly Wall Holly Wall Audra Joyner