Forbes Magazine UK is one of the foremost publications in the business community, covering features around prominent business leaders from Bill Gates to Jeff Bezos. So you can imagine the excitement, when Munchy Play's female founder was invited to feature in the interview, alongside one of the great British entrepreneurs of our time – Richard Branson.

As a small business making innovative kids’ plates, and as a start-up that launched in lockdown, Forbes news were interested in what it takes to achieve success. Notably, the mental resilience required when launching a small business, let alone with the backdrop of Covid-19 and Brexit to contend with.

Launching in lockdown – the story so far

Munchy Play launched in 2020, at the height of a global pandemic. It was the result of three years in product development, a dream by founder Sophia – who stumbled across the idea for a kids’ plate with track, to help her fussy eater son. Made in Britain, the range is ideal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as used as picky plates for snacks.

The toddler plate range launched initially with three versions; a train plate, a car plate and a limited edition Tea Party plate, with a new line being introduced shortly.

Mental resilience as a start-up

It’s hard to find a business leader on the Forbes list 2021, that hasn’t faced some kind of setback or challenge in their career, that has required mental resilience.

Simply put, this is the ability to bounce back under challenging circumstances, and capacity to adapt during adversity. It’s something Sophia, CEO of Munchy Play knows a lot about:  “When you come from a background of PR and marketing, you need to be resourceful and a good problem solver. I’ve had to do extraordinary things in my career, from getting clearance to host a press conference on a live runway, to bringing an Olympic Flame on a commercial aircraft. So when I saw the opportunity to create a blueprint for a kids’ plate with track – something that had never been made before, I knew it would take determination and passion more than anything else to bring it to life.”

This is the mental resilience that the Forbes news article touches on – the everyday challenges that entrepreneurs face, and how they manage ways to overcome them. Testament to this, Munchy Play was also named one of the most promising start-ups of 2021 in The Sunday Times.

Forbes News article

“Resilience comes from making mistakes and learning from them,” explains Richard Branson in the Forbes article, adding that “taking some downtime” allows you to reassess the problem from a different angle. It’s something the Munchy Play founder agrees with, adding: “Being agile and adaptable is part of my mental resilience, as it helps me to find new and creative ways to address and solve problems. Wellbeing also plays its part, and I’ve learned to find a better balance and take time out of work to reset and reboot. Without this, you’re unable to function to your best”

Just take a look at the famous Forbes 30 under 30 list and you will see that they are connected by defying the odds and their unquenchable tenacity. If you want to know how to get on the Forbes list, or how to get published on Forbes, take a read of their inspiring stories at forbes.com/30-under-30 as a good starting point.

Emotional and mental resilience training

Resilience is something that can be improved upon, from learning to be more assertive to finding a balance in your life and building a support network. The Mind charity has some great tips for helping to build emotional resilience on their website: mind.org.uk

To read the full Forbes news article click on the link below, and to stay abreast of all the latest Munchy Play news, follow us @munchyplay on all the usual social channels.