One Year On - A catch up with Melissa McCall, Moving Little Minds

·33 min·3 clips

Melissa McCall launched literacy products for parents last year, but now sells to a completely different customer—hear how she got there.

Host Vicky Weinberg, a product creation coach, reinterviews Melissa McCall from Moving Little Minds exactly one year after their first conversation. Melissa originally sold tear-off calendar activities for preschool parents, launching locally and on Amazon via FBA. She found Amazon challenging, with her product categorized as a book causing issues and ending up on page 60,000 in search results. Through feedback, she learned parents wanted reusable versions and age labels on the front. A key realization came when a teacher neighbor indicated that preschool directors, not teachers or parents, were the actual buyers. This led Melissa to pivot her business entirely toward preschool directors and teachers. She developed new products like flashcards for teaching sounds through body motions, hiring a graphic designer for quality. Melissa plans to sell these on her website and through her curriculum, focusing on email lists and targeted outreach rather than broad social media. She launched an online course called Alphabet Academy for teacher training, which directors have purchased for their staff. Lessons from the year include the importance of a marketing plan, willingness to spend money on promotion or get creative with resources, and valuing customer feedback. Melissa advises product creators to have a clear plan, assess learnings, and iterate. The episode concludes with Vicky encouraging listeners to visit her website for resources and rate the podcast.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how customer learning can reshape a young product business.

Nearly a year after Melissa McCall first talked about launching Moving Little Minds, she returns with a clearer view of where the business fits.

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Why you'd press play

You will hear how Melissa McCall of Moving Little Minds reconsidered selling literacy products to parents and found a better fit with teachers.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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