358: From Speech Therapist to Multi-Location Inclusive Play Space Founder With Lindsay
The Profitable Play PodcastShow Notes
In this episode of The Profitable Play Podcast, I’m joined by Lindsay, the founder of Spirited Play Labs—an inclusive, membership-based indoor play space in the San Francisco Bay Area designed to support neurodivergent children and their families.
Lindsay is a former speech therapist, a parent of a neurodivergent child, and she now identifies as neurodivergent herself—so this conversation blends real-life inclusion, sustainable operations, and multi-location growth.
We talk about how Lindsay scaled from one location to three (with a fourth planned), how she built a team structure that allows her to stay out of daily operations, and why her staff and culture are the most defensible part of her business model.
We also cover the behind-the-scenes of becoming a vendor with California’s Regional Center so certain families can have memberships covered—creating a B2B revenue stream and a strong referral engine.
If you want practical ideas around membership models, inclusive play design, staff training, customer experience consistency, and scaling beyond one location, this episode is for you.
BLOG with top 12 takeaways: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/spirited-play-labs-interview
In this episode, Lindsay and I cover: How she launched Spirited Play Labs after COVID and the needs she saw in her community What it looks like to build an inclusive indoor playground that supports neurodivergent kids without feeling clinical Why she chose a membership-based model and how her first-time visit process works How she scaled from 1 to 3 locations (and what changed operationally as she grew) The staffing structure behind her locations: managers, training, and culture consistency The real lessons she learned about real estate, buildouts, and overspending early on How she became a Regional Center vendor in California and what “B2B memberships” can look like How she thinks about behavior, regulation, and safety without relying on strict “rules boards” The referral engines that actually work in the disability community (and why she spends very little on ads) How being neurodivergent impacts her leadership, energy, and long-term sustainability as an owner Simple ways traditional play cafés can become more inclusive—starting with who you listen to and who you hire
Connect with Lindsay / Spirited Play Labs Instagram: Spirited Play Labs Email: [email protected] Website: https://spiritedplaylabs.com/ Blog for this episode: https://www.michelecaruana.com/blog/spirited-play-labs-interview
RESOURCES: Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society Getting Started With Your Play Cafe [YouTube Video Playlist] What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry 2025 Guide Fund Your Indoor Play Business [Free Training] Indoor Play Courses & 1:1 Consulting Waitlist Michele’s Instagram Michele’s Website Play Cafe Academy YouTube Channel ETSY Template Shop Prepare Your Indoor Playground For a Recession Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society Questions and Support: [email protected]
TOOLS & OTHER LINKS:
Play Cafe Academy & Play Makers Society: http://bit.ly/3HES7fD Questions and Support: [email protected]
TOOLS: Wellness Living POS and Branded App Software Play Space Brain (Mention This Podcast For Special Pricing!) Simplify and Scale with 50% OFF WellnessLiving Active Campaign Free Trial Free Demo of Aluvii All-In-One POS
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