When Brooklyn mom Shari Raymond couldn’t find the perfect play kitchen for her 1-year-old son, she decided to make it herself. In 2017, Raymond launched Milton & Goose, which makes high-quality children’s toys and furniture that are made to last. She built a sustainable supply chain, set up her own manufacturing facility in Connecticut, and learned the business hands-on. “I had to research a lot and figure things out on my own,” she says. To grow her company, Raymond sought out the online course offerings from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. The Selling With Storytelling course, she says, “prompted me to go deeper into the subject of storytelling in general. I feel like everything I’ve done since that course is about how I market. It was a mindset shift,” Raymond explains. That mindset shift helped her think beyond simply posting photos of new products on Milton & Goose’s social media accounts. “There are so many different ways to connect with a customer,” Raymond says. “It’s not just about the product or the brand, but it’s about me, me as a mother—my story.” Raymond wants to keep building her business and meeting her mission: to create beautiful products that last for generations: “I’m proud that we’re building a business that we, and everybody who works at the company, can be proud of.” To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit verizon.com/smallbusinessdigitalready

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