Meet Katie Yaeli | Owner and SAHM

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Yaeli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?

Setting the foundation as an entreprenural mom has been instrumental in showing how take an idea and make it into business. It shows my children the importance of taking risks, perseverance, and hard work in achieving your goals. By modeling these behaviors, I can inspire my children to pursue their passions and dreams.

However, it’s also essential to strike a balance between running a business and being present for my children. Children need a stable and secure environment to thrive, and it’s crucial to prioritize my parenting responsibilities while pursuing my goals. I try to involve them as much as I can in the business process, so they can learn along the way.

Personally, I show by example to always be kind and do things for the right reasons. Whether that is volunteering for an organization or providing a service for someone that needs it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

My business, The Play District, has evolved from different business ideas over the year. What started as a play cafe concept quickly changed during the pandemic, which lead to the root systemic reasoning for starting the business: to support parents, family friendly businesses, and the community. I knew there was a way that I could do more.

The Play District was conceptualized while on a month long “escape” to San Diego after the pandemic calmed down. My husband was working remotely and we were lucky enough to spend an extended period of time there with our 2 kids. Only problem, I was in a city with 2 kids and had no clue where to take them. Sure, there were the big tourist attractions and such, but I was seeking a great family friendly restaurant that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to take my kids or a fun park to spend the afternoon at. I spent hours upon hours sifting through blogs, social media channels, yelp, trip advisor, etc. Then it came to me, wouldn’t it be great if all this was in one place and had all the searchable criteria that only I, as a parent or caregiver, would care about? That is how The Play District was born!

Prior to The Play District, I ran a handmade e-commerce business, so the Digital Media space is relatively new to me. What I have found through going about this process, is that I value all the feedback that I can recieve. I am only one parent’s perspective, so it is important that I ensure that every family is represented on our platform. We have filters such as: gluten free, sensory hours, changing tables in bathrooms, can I bring my stroller, etc. that are specifically things that parents want to know!

I also want to bring the Digital Marketing space to the modern age. When businesses work with us they are called “Friends” because we don’t just take their money and slap an ad on our site.  We connect them with other businesses, help them plan their upcoming events,and repost/comment/shoutout their business on social media. We truly care about their business and want them to do well.

When you come to The Play District, we want you to “Play like a Local”, and find that hidden gem in a city that you wouldnt find elsewhere. That is why all our districts are/will be run by a local member of the community. It is important that the communities culture and uniqueness is represented in each district. We are excited to continue this journey of making this resource acceptable to more families all over the country.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is great! This is exactly what we do. There are endless amounts of things to do in every city. I would definitely ask more questions before answering as everyones opinions are different. Tucson is such a unique city full of so much creativity, culture, and community. Usually, if the weather is nice, I suggest The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It is really great for all ages and is a combination of a zoo, botanical garden, and museum. It even has an indoor playplace called Packrat Play house! For food, anywhere downtown is great! Mexican – La Chingada Cocina, Pizza – Reilly Craft Pizza, A little of everything – The Monica. For an upscale dining experience, definitely check out BATA, voted one of the best restaurants in the country. We have amazing hiking trails, cowboy experiences at Old Tucson, and some of the best mexican food you can find. If you come around February, we host the Gem and Mineral show which is one of the biggest in the country. If you are a fan, I definitely recommend making the trip out!

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?

The only person who would be worthy of a dedication would be my husband, Michael. He has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and supports me every step of the way. Where I lack in business, he flourishes. We are an amazing team. We always joke that I am front of house and he handles back of house. None of this would have been possible without his support and love.

Website: www.theplaydistrict.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/theplaydistrict_tucson

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theplaydistrict/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theplaydistricttucson

Image Credits
Kristi Harris Photography Star Web Creative