Philly & Friends’ Post

Wow! I'm still buzzing. Last Wednesday, we had our very first Philly & Friends in-person storytelling and creative workshop event in partnership with Lone Design Club. Not only was it SOLD OUT, we had a great turnout and were bursting at the seams. Typically, free events like this have a 50% drop-off rate, but not this time, the venue was packed. I had a wonderful time with the children, and the highlight for me was sharing the stage with my daughter, the real-life Philly and my inspiration. She asked to wear her 'Philly' dress and have her hair in an afro.🥹 She was so proud and even read a page of HER book. Seeing her so happy made me so emotional. My son wasn't left out; he read a page, too, and I'm so glad they got to see me do what I do for the first time. I can't get over the look on their faces. 🥹   It was amazing to see the children reciting my book "Who Do I See in the Mirror?" Many of them already knew the story so well. I'm still processing the impact that this little idea I had a few years ago has had on so many children around the world. The feedback from the event has been great. Someone commented, "That was an amazing event. It was so great to see children just being children. There were no screens, no technology, just storytelling, creativity, and fun." The children got to colour in cookies featuring images of Philly in different careers. These were provided by Natalie Sanders' Pickle & Bakes. We were so blessed to work with some fantastic brands, many of whom I met on BUY WOMEN BUILT and Founders' Social (thanks, Tamta Gamezardashvili). Our goody bags were filled with products from Emma-Jane Adam's Smalls Merino, Lillie Kaye-Molloy's Pachee, Shreya B.'s kutti lulu, Laurie Fermor's Freddie's Farm, Abby Nearchou's Snuggle Bumpkin, Lara Talabi's Curious Berries, Tracey Samuel's The bonniemob and of course, Philly & Friends. Hosting occasional creative Philly & Friends events for kids has been a plan for a few years, and we are thrilled that the first one was such a huge success. Word got around, and I kept asking people how they heard about the event. It was mainly our emails (thanks Klaviyo), Instagram, and various WhatsApp groups—the power of communities! I received messages from people who were sad it was sold out. So I promised an encore 😅 . So, I guess it's safe to say Playtime with Philly & Friends is born?! Look out for more creative events for our little ones. And if you'd love to partner with us to organise a creative storytelling session for your organisation, brand, school or kids, do get in touch. 😊 Reflecting on my career, I can say that it has been quite an interesting journey. It's been anything but a straight line or ladder. The shift from corporate to creative was so unexpected, but I absolutely love it here. ❤️