Hello Activity Rocket Parents – We Need Your Help!

Activity Rocket participated in Startup MD’s Pitch Across Md contest in September. Help us WIN FAN FAVORITE out of 168 contestants. Fan Favorite is chosen by whomever GETS THE MOST VIEWS ON THEIR YOU TUBE VIDEO – if you would be so kind as to click on the photo below to watch our pitch THAT WILL EQUAL YOUR VOTE! 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO AND CAST YOUR VOTE FOR FAN FAVORITE

PLEASE PASS ON IF YOU ARE WILLING – THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Captains Ilene & Lisa

dishinoutBEAUTY is a fantastic site and e-newsletter that serves up the latest and best in food, health, beauty, and style. doB’s Becky Berowski interviewed one of our Captain’s Lisa Friedlander about Activity Rocket.

Thanks doB!

Lisa Friedlander reached a point where she and her friend were frustrated with the entire kids’ activity process. Wondering why it took minutes to search, find and book an airline ticket but hours to find a music class on a Tuesday afternoon inspired them to create Activity Rocket, a website to search and share activities occurring in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.

Why is Activity Rocket so important?

Similar to how the airline and the restaurant industry existed prior to revolutionary sites like Expedia and Open Table, the activity provider industry is completely disconnected from its target audience – parents. Time and money are lost. Activity Rocket provides a one-stop-shop experience similar to Expedia and Open Table where customers are no longer required to visit multiple websites to find what they are looking for and make a purchase. It’s efficient, it’s quick and it’s easy.

What age do you cater to?

Activity Rocket currently serves kids ages 0-18.

How did you find time to create a business while being a mother?

My partner Ilene Miller and I are lawyers by profession. Since the birth of our children (5 between us under the age of 11), we have not been fulfilled in the working world. We decided we wanted to go into business together and focused on things in our daily lives as moms that were painful and needed to be improved. Finding time to do anything meaningful is always hard with young kids. Early morning and late in the evening become prime work hours. You give up your time but what you learn and how much you grow makes the loss of personal time actually a gain in personal experiences.

What activity do you love to do with your children most?

My kids love to play sports, go to the movies, and travel. As for a specific activity we all play together, I would have to say sports, sports and more sports.

What are your favorite beauty products?

I am brand agnostic and have to say not very schooled in beauty products. I wish I had time to comb over all the amazing sites out there talking about beauty tips and trends. That is why I love doB! All the info I could ever want in one place delivered to my inbox everyday!

An item you never leave home without?

For me, sadly, my Blackberry. My kids are pushing me constantly for an iPhone, but I have not made the big switch. Also I am a bit compulsive with hand cream and lipstick or some type of gloss.

Favorite family meal?

Maryland crabs in the summertime!

Cook at home or eat out?

For me and my kids, eat out for sure. My husband, HOME HOME HOME!

Advice for any parents trying to start something similar in their hometown?

Would love to get other parents involved in creating Activity Rockets – contact me anytime – lisa@activityrocket.com.

One small discovery by doB, Activity Rocket is one giant leap for parentkind!

SEARCH THE UNIVERSE OF KIDS ACTIVITIES AND CAMPS NOW! 

Seemingly trivial opportunities present themselves throughout life and knowing when to jump in and take hold of an opportunity can make or break where you end up in life. This is because those seemingly unprofitable opportunities are the first stepping stones in ones career. I took a chance on one of those prospects and I was lucky; I landed an excellent internship with a new and innovative startup business, Activity Rocket. Activity Rocket focuses on categorizing and listing after school activities for kids; this includes working with schools, providers (activity sponsors) and parents. Interning with Activity Rocket has taught me new and intriguing facts about the business world, as well as broadened my technological and professional skill set.

I learned that working involves a certain amount of austerity; as a worker you have to be willing to open yourself up for criticism. You should take advantage of this opportunity, as it is a chance to learn and gain a new perspective on the working world. Yes, criticism is beneficial, but only to a certain point. You do not want to just sit back listening to every little problem someone has with you or else you aren’t contributing; you have to speak up. You have to be flexible and open to new ideas, which I have had a chance to expand upon, allowing me to learn and expand my own horizons. One of my first assignments was to create a list in excess of 200 different businesses, with their company information. The trouble was that many of these businesses had poorly constructed websites, if any. If I had been lazy and close minded, I never would have been able to complete the list in its entirety. However, because I put in effort, I thought outside the box and used a Whois service in order to find out who registered the website, allowing me to acquire the company’s information. This was one of the most important lessons I learned; success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone.

Likewise, I have become well versed with marketing techniques, which I previously had little knowledge of. I learned how to make cold calls to providers in order to acquire information about their company. Another marketing opportunity I had was delivering advertising cards to providers and businesses. I would go out and deliver postcards to companies, stores, and various other locations in order to expand Activity Rocket’s customer reach. Due to many of these businesses not having any current or prior affiliation with Activity Rocket, I had to introduce myself, explain who I was, and why I was there.

Interning with Activity Rocket has been one of my most treasured experiences, I have no doubt that the knowledge I have gained from my time as an intern there will play a quintessential role in my departure into the business world. Everything I have done in the internship has had a pretext; there has been no busy work. Thus, I know that I have had an appreciable impact on the company’s undertaking as I have watched the company grow and expand. Interning for Activity Rocket has not only imbued me with new thoughts and ideas, but it has served as a stepping stone on my employment venture into the business world. You can’t cross a chasm in two small steps, you have to be willing to take a risk and take a leap, as I have into the business world with this internship.

[Editor's Note: Thank you so much Alex for all your hard work helping The Rocket soar!] 

All of us here at Activity Rocket want to take a moment to wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season! Take a moment over the next several days to feel blessed for all the goodness in your life; even as it is often overshadowed by the difficulties. 

We would like to thank you for your support as The Rocket has soared through cyberspace; bringing you the universe of children’s activities here in Montgomery County. 

Thank you to our Rocket Crew: Jamie, Anne, Alison, Marjie, and Alex. As well as to the other amazing astronauts that have helped us take flight in 2011. We look forward to reaching new galaxies in 2012.

Thank you.

Ilene & Lisa

Search the Universe of Activities for YOUR Kids Now!

When Lisa Friedlander and Ilene Miller decided to go into business together, the Bethesda residents read that entrepreneurs should look to tackle problems they’ve experienced firsthand.

With five young children between the two of them, these moms-on-the-go didn’t need to look very far.

“One of the things that kept coming up over and over and over again was this whole process of finding and scheduling after-school activities for kids,” Friedlander said. “Not even the Yellow Pages … had every Montgomery County provider of after-school activities for kids.”

That’s the gen­esis of Activity Rocket, an online directory for parents to find child-appropriate activities, schedule them and share them with others. It began three weeks ago for Montgomery County residents and has attracted 2,500 unique visitors to date.

The process of starting a business wasn’t always smooth, even with their backgrounds in law. The duo spent six months on the business plan and they met with nearly 100 mentors or prospective users to assess market demand.

The added demands of managing a busy suburban family also weighed on the women, a balancing act that they said many mother entrepreneurs have to learn. Still, Now that their company is off the ground, they see opportunities to expand into new jursidictions and age groups.

“We were fearful of what it would mean to green light this project, and we just looked at each other and said we weren’t going to know until we did it,” Miller said. “Ultimately there is just a moment when you have to jump.”

By Steven Overly, Washington Post, The Download

Hello parents, grandparents, caregivers, activity providers and fellow mankind,

We are thrilled to present Activity Rocket - the galaxy of enrichment activities provided in the Montgomery County universe all at your finger tips!

These are our invaluable crew members without whom The Rocket could not soar!

Ilene Miller – Co-Captain of The Rocket

Two boys and lots of home-made charts for how all the overlapping, simultaneous activities are going to work later, I am thrilled to see Activity Rocket^TM evolve from a conversation over coffee to a full blown website! I am the luckiest woman in the world to be able to combine my experiences as a lawyer, lobbyist, fundraiser, non-profit executive, and life-long advocate into a venture that I hope will help other busy parents sort out the activity searching, planning, scheduling, carpooling, registering challenge!  Forever grateful to my husband, Craig, and 2 boys, Mark & Max, – rising  entrepreneurs –  who have provided lots of love and advice throughout. So many friends have lent their professional expertise and personal time to The Rocket –  over and over again – you know who you are – no words sufficiently express my gratitude to each of you. And especially to my Co-Captain who somehow lets my creativity soar while keeping me grounded!

Lisa Friedlander – Co-Captain of The Rocket

So we asked ourselves, what is one of the most frustrating and annoying things we do as Moms? What problem needs to be solved? A resounding – ACTIVITIES – kept ringing in our ears. Kids are so busy these days – which is great – but for us parents its not easy. So we thought there has to be a better way – why hasn’t anyone done this before? Let’s do it! Activity Rocket is our 6th child between us and we are anxious to introduce it to the universe and watch it take off! It has been an incredible journey and I have learned so much; so much more than I ever did in my day job as lawyer. I can’t wait to see where The Rocket takes us – no boundaries. Thank you to my husband Scott and 3 kids Jaclyn, Cole & Camryn for cheering me on. Thank you to my family and friends who are more excited about this than anyone. Thank you to those friends who lent a professional hand and many hours of your time – you know who you are. Mostly to my Co-Captain, however, who without a doubt is the fuel powering this Rocket! Nothing would have happened without her!

Lani Marks – Social Media Mission Specialist

I am the publisher of Macaroni Kid Rockville-Gaithersburg, an attorney and mom to a fantastic four year old. I love being involved in the community and see my role at Activity Rocket to promote local businesses while getting our kids off the couch, away from the TV and active again!

Jamie Bass – Astronaut Extraordinaire

I grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Journalism.  I have held various positions in public relations, communications and marketing. I am always looking for opportunities that utilize my marketing skills but allow me the flexibility to still take care of my family and home; and I understand the struggle that all parents face when trying to manage their children’s schedules. Activity Rocket is perfect for me!

Anne Kisslinger – Astronaut Extraordinaire

I am so thrilled to be a part of Activity Rocket! As a former teacher and mom of 2 children who are very busy with activities, I am so excited to be a part of something that makes life easier for parents and offers many new and interesting opportunities for kids. Not only do I get to work with a dynamic and inspiring group of women, I’ve been fortunate to meet with so many providers who have a tremendous amount of experience and expertise in working with children. Through them, I am learning about all the benefits of enrichment and realizing how many diverse activities are available just in Montgomery County.

Alison Ewing – Captain of Communications

I have two active children, a passion for being involved in my community and a professional marketing background – three great reasons for getting involved with Activity Rocket! It’s been a blast working with this group of extraordinary women who are following their dream to create something that is truly “one giant leap for parentkind!” I think Activity Rocket will serve as a model for communities everywhere – and I’m happy to spread the news!