Little Daniel's Den Offers a Harmonious Blend of Music and Merchandise
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When Melanie Morgenthaler and her young family moved back to her childhood home in Maine, she went to work creating a place where parents and children could go to learn, play and bond together. She began offering music programs for children and soon after added a symphony of retail products to meet local demand. Melanie shares her story about blending love of family, music and sharing. Read on to discover how “plorking,” a word she coined, defines her business philosophy!
How did you get started in children’s retail?
“In early 2007, my son Daniel was miraculously welcomed into the world in Seattle, Washington. In August of that year, our little family began the long process of relocating back to Northern Maine (where I am from and most of my family resides) to raise Daniel in a safe, beautiful and loving setting.
There was one problem, though. I had become accustomed to all of the programs, products and venues that larger cities made available to families. There was pretty much nada here in terms of those things. If mothers wanted to give their children a toy, book or outfit they had to get in a car and travel a few hours down the road or order those things online. And for the few items that were available here…you could forget about anything all-natural or organic or made in the USA. Oh, and programs for babies and toddlers? Sure, there are some great sport opportunities and summer recreation programs here…but where were the programs that supported new moms — nurturing bonds between parent and child? There had been various attempts to do things like that, but they were having a difficult time getting off the ground. Perhaps the community had gotten so used to not having access to these things, that they never thought they deserved them. Well, they do! And so did my little family!
A few years prior, I had attended (and loved) a Kindermusik class with a dear friend and her child; so I decided that bringing the Kindermusik experience to the Saint John Valley would not only benefit my family but also all of the young families in the area. I figured that my background in the arts, teaching Sunday school classes for little girls, and my desire to lift up my son would be what I needed to get the ball rolling. Before I knew it, I had completed a four-month course and become a licensed Kindermusik educator. I rented a little space in downtown Fort Kent and officially opened Little Daniel’s Den early in 2008. Through the local Mom’s Club (which I was also so relieved to find), I enrolled my first semester of young students and their parents. While I taught the classes, my husband participated with Daniel. It was an awesome bonding time for all of us. We made friends and gave others encouragement.
Of course, it didn’t stop there. I found a book distributor I could purchase books from and resell at affordable prices, and I tracked down the makers of the products we loved having for Daniel. It quickly became clear we did not have enough room for what we needed and the town demanded. We’re now in a new building, I am surrounded by wonderfully like-minded friends who work with me, Daniel is thriving socially, and this mommy is exhausted!
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What was your background prior to this business?
“It all starts in a small town in Northern Maine called Fort Kent. This was where I grew up, where my parents grew up and where their families grew up. Nestled right inside the stunningly beautiful hills of the Saint John Valley, this little slice of Heaven far from smog and skyscrapers is what folks might call an idyllic dream realized. Untouched by the hard and crowded life of a city, this peaceful little farming community (no, we don’t trap lobster here) is where most people dream of spending their whole lives. So, when I was a teenager I decided to flee like mad to New York City to study film at NYU.
After I graduated from college, I spent 10 successful years in the film/TV industry as an editor. I worked in New York City and then later in Washington, DC. Faith had become a major part of my life when I was still in New York, but I had a better support system in DC, which is why I moved. At a church singles’ BBQ I met my future husband, an astrophysicist. After we became engaged he informed me of a job opportunity in Seattle, so our honeymoon became a scenic road trip west to a new home and lifestyle. When it was time to start a family, I “retired” from my career to focus my attention on marriage and children. In 2007, we welcomed Daniel into our family.
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What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting up?
“I think my biggest challenge was that I had never owned a business before. My father and grandfathers were entrepreneurs, but I had gone down a different path. It was and still is a learning process. Basically, I just go by what makes sense. My background in editorial work taught me a lot about marketing and image, so I knew that what was most important was creating an experience for customers. The finances would follow…
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What is one thing you would have done differently?
“If I could have done anything differently, it might have been to get an air conditioner for that first space I rented! There was no airflow and the summer was brutal!
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What do you feel are the three biggest keys to your success?
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- God’s blessing.
- Marketing and word of mouth
- Creating a safe environment, filled with love and creativity so that customers are inspired when they leave. I don’t feel enough businesses create that safe haven customers need in order to generate a loyal sales base.
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How do you evaluate and choose new product lines to pick up?
“A lot of it comes from products we were given or purchased when Daniel was an infant. For instance, the Bunny Blanket Friend from Under the Nile is Daniel’s “security blanket” and is one of my biggest sellers…because we use and love it. Another way I find products is by moms who come in looking for something they would otherwise have to order online. That’s how I got into carrying various lines of cloth diapers.
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What types of marketing are most effective for your business?
“Television and Word of Mouth are the two biggest marketing types for our area. Everyday I am getting people coming in because they either saw an ad on our local tv station or someone sent them in. My baby registry also draws in a lot of types of people because there are no local places that provide that service.
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Do “green” or eco-friendly concerns weigh into your business decisions?
“Absolutely. We want the safest things for our children and ourselves. We love promoting businesses that have been “green” from the get-go. We try to promote cloth diaper use to reduce our landfill impact. We use recycled shopping bags and re-purpose furniture for store fixtures. Our building used to be a restaurant, and a lot of things were left behind when we purchased it. The salad bar now displays wooden blocks instead of veggies, for example. We also sell gently used clothing- recycling otherwise costly items at an affordable price.
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What is one trend you’re currently seeing with customers?
“People are looking for affordable options that are “green.” We are seeing more and more companies meet the challenge. Cloth diapering is also making a comeback because of the money savings.
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How does your business make use of the Internet?
“We have a Web site www.littledanielsden.com, a blog, a Facebook site, and we attempt to “tweet.” We also depend on the Internet to discover new merchants.
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What is one change/addition that’s had a positive impact for your business?
“I have hired more help so that we can realize all of the dreams I have for this business. With like-minded folks “plorking” with me (play + work = plork), we have been able to make a positive impact in a lot of lives.
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If you had one piece of advice for someone entering children’s retail today, what would it be?
“Anything is possible. Don’t settle.
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Little Daniel’s Den
Little Daniel’s Den is a children’s specialty store and fully-licensed Kindermusik® studio located in Fort Kent, Maine. Melanie Morgenthaler created Little Daniel’s Den upon returning to her northern Maine roots as a new mother. Little Daniel’s Den supports local families by bringing them an internationally recognized music and movement program (Kindermusik) and supplies them with natural children’s products that promote healthy living, brain stimulation and safe fun. Things like books for babies and young children, “read- to-me” books, parenting books, French children’s books (we are a bilingual community on the US/French Canadian border), safe and unique toys, organic baby products, gently-used clothing, handmade items, and home-school materials are just the beginning of what can be found at Little Daniel’s Den. Through all this, Melanie has also been able to keep her little son Daniel by her side. Hey, growing up in a toy store isn’t half bad!
For more information, visit littledanielsden.com.
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