Ouch! You’ve stepped on a tiny toy AGAIN.

Does it seem like you have a permanent LEGO pain in your foot? Are the tiny people toys missing limbs because you stepped on them? Are you once again thinking …

How hard is it to clean up a toy? Why can’t the kids just keep their toys picked up?

Mom Amy Fazackerley knows your pain. She had LEGO foot. She asked the same questions. Just like you, she wanted her kids to continue to build, create, and imagine, but she also wanted a solution to the mess those toys made.

Then came the day when she stepped on a LEGO for the last time. Together, Amy and her husband created Lay-n-Go, an ingenious combination play mat and instant clean up solution. It even includes straps for easy transportation and storage!

Lay-n-Go lays flat on a floor or table, where kids can play right on the mat. Once you’re ready for cleanup, pull the drawstring and the mat turns into an bag! LEGO gone! You don’t have to pick up a single toy and the kids will want to help. That pain in the foot feels better already, doesn’t it?

Let’s welcome the amazing mom behind Lay-n-Go, Amy Fazackerley!

MCA: Welcome to the spotlight Amy! Can you please tell us about what motivated you to create Lay-n-Go?
Amy: My three sons and their MILLIONS of small LEGO pieces! Lay-n-Go is about a Mom who loved all her kids’ incredible mind building toys with small pieces but needed an easier solution to clean, contain, and manage the chaos.

MCA: Moms everywhere can relate to that all too well! Now that you have an award-winning product, what are your goals for the next year?
Amy: We want to get on the shelves of the best specialty toy stores. We also want to partner with many more smart and forward thinking e-commerce sites so we can build our brand (Lay-n-Go) as a household name.

MCA: Those are pretty big goals … could you tell us how you think your Mom’s Choice Award® will get you to the top?
Amy: We know from talking with toy stores and various e-commerce sites, as well as going to trade shows, that buyers and store owners WANT to work with award-winning products. They are always looking for new and exciting products to share with their customers so we are very excited to be able to show them our new seal of approval. We feel that the Mom’s Choice Award® will help us

• Get our products in front of more buyers and onto their store shelf;
•  Market our products better, once they are on the store shelf; and
•  Bring credibility to both our products and our brand.

MCA: Can you share with us what you learned about yourself as an entrepreneur in creating your award-winning product?
Amy: One of my favorite quotes is by Wayne Gretzky, the famous hockey player. He said “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.”

As I am growing and creating my product and my brand, I have had to “take a lot of shots.” You quickly realize as an entrepreneur that if do not take the shots – even though so many are so risky and some people think you are crazy – you don’t even have a chance to win.

So, what have I learned is this: do not give up. It is hard work. Nobody just “gets lucky.” It is a long road, but if you believe you can do it, you will. You have to have confidence and believe in your idea/product and know that the people around you will support you and pitch in. You HAVE to take those shots.

MCA: That’s excellent advice for aspiring entrepreneurs! Since launching Lay-n-Go, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?

Amy: I would have to say that my most rewarding experience was when my husband and I were able to pitch our product (with the kids as part of our pitch) on MSNBC, in New York City.

It was the first time that our sons had traveled to NYC and we had so much fun as a family getting ready for the segment, practicing and being a part of 30 Rock the morning of the taping. It was something that we will all never forget. It sure was fun promoting and sharing our product that day, especially when all of the orders came rolling in just minutes after it went live!

MCA: As a new honoree, do you have any questions you’d like some of the “old hands” to answer for you?

 Amy: Yes. What creative ideas did other honorees use after receiving the award? Do they have any tips on what worked the best for them and would they share them so others could implement them as well?

MCA: You heard her, honorees – share with us the creative ways you used your award!

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

[amazon_link id=”B007JT7GGQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link][amazon_link id=”B007JT7GGQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Lay-n-Go LITE[/amazon_link] Lay-n-Go, LLC
Gear & Accessories
Gold

Lay-n-Go is perfect for your playroom – with a 5-foot diamter for expansive play – or road trips. The 18-inch mat is perfect for family travel.

Contact, Connect, and Network with Amy

The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.