Leading to Launch
The Spark
On September 1st, I texted a few of my closest friends and family something like, “Is this dumb? Should I do this?” (Okay, it was probably less PG than that.)
We’d been having an incredible summer, which was honestly, a shock after my first round of newborn life. With my oldest, we spent most of those early months indoors, buried under RSV anxiety, winter weather, and a husband who got COVID when she was two weeks old. This time around, we were out exploring.
The day before, we’d gone to the Butterfly House at the Miller Nature Preserve. It was the final day of the exhibit, and I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about it. How had I missed this? If I didn’t know, I had a feeling other families didn’t either.
That little thought with equal parts curiosity and frustration was the spark.
The Late-Night Domino Effect
A few hours later, I had a name, an Instagram handle, and a mission. By 1 am, I’d bought the domains, created an email, and drafted our mission and inclusivity promise (you can see the final versions on our Our Story page). Within 24 hours, I’d drafted the first logo.
If you’re thinking, that escalated quickly, you’d be right. But anyone who knows me knows that when I’m in, I’m all in. It’s like that saying: “If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.” My brain goes full A Beautiful Mind mode, think Russell Crowe, but with Canva tabs and the chaotic energy of someone surviving on vibes rather than coffee.
My phone became a constant list of ideas, notes, and photos. Every night after the kids went to bed, I’d open my laptop to tweak the site, think of a new feature, rebuild it, and repeat.
Building Something That Actually Helps
Events were an easy starting point, but I wanted this to be more than an event calendar. Families need context: parking, prices, accessibility, how long you can actually stay before someone melts down.
So, I started designing guides - things you can reference quickly without bouncing across 75 different websites. I wanted to highlight programs like Museums for All, make local nonprofits more visible, and connect families who need support or want to give back. My question became: Could we link it all together somehow?
The more I talked to friends about it, the more obvious it became - everyone agreed Cleveland families needed this.
The Village
A week before launch, I invited a small group of friends to follow along on Instagram and give feedback. One of my best friends texted me:
“How much did you love your closest friends working together to perfect your Insta BTW? I loved the collaborative ideas, the different perspectives, and the time everyone put in to help you!”
She wasn’t wrong. That collaboration, that sense of community… it’s exactly the feeling I want everyone to have here.
I might be the one drafting content, building a website, and taking photos, but The CLE Family Collective would never have happened without my husband, family, and friends. And at the heart of it all, I’m doing it for my girls.
What Comes Next
That brings us right up to launch week - where things got very real, very fast. There were wins, flops, and a few drive-thru tears.
Stay tuned for an update on our first week, where I’ll share what actually happened when I hit “publish” (spoiler: it wasn’t picture-perfect, but it was perfectly us).
