Before Playday became a brand, it was a way for Mallory Kaufman to imagine a different future.
Living on a mattress on the floor and grieving after an unhealthy relationship, Mallory found herself thinking about something small: stickers. She remembered the excitement of collecting them, trading them, and saving her favorites for something special.
“And I thought, why did we ever stop doing that?”
That question became the starting point for Playday, a collectible sticker and accessories brand for grown-ups who never quite outgrew their sticker obsession. In 2026, Mallory participated in The Blueprint Project’s Clarify program, taking time to sharpen her vision as she prepared to bring the business to market.
A Founder Finds Her Way Back to Fun
Mallory is a serial entrepreneur, marketing strategist, professor, and self-described cat mom. She launched her first business at 21 with $250 and “a wildly optimistic understanding of what I was getting myself into.” Over the next 15-plus years, she built brands, led marketing teams, and taught the next generation of creative entrepreneurs.
With Playday, she returned to the founder’s seat with a personal mission: to bring more fun into adulthood.
Inspired by ’90s nostalgia, pop culture, and the little obsessions that make life interesting, Playday creates products that bring unexpected joy to everyday life. Its philosophy is simple: “Play first. Rules second.”
For Mallory, that philosophy grew out of her own need to rediscover happiness during a difficult chapter.
“I didn’t want to create another brand that told people how to look, what to aspire to, or who they should become,” she explains. “I wanted to create something that made people happy for absolutely no reason other than the fact that it existed.”
What began as a small escape became a business—and a way forward.
“I wasn’t just building a business around joy. I was trying to find my way back to it.”
Making Space for Clarity
Even with years of experience helping businesses grow, Mallory valued the opportunity to step back and look closely at her own.
Through Clarify, she found space to move beyond the daily demands of launching a company and think intentionally about what she wanted to build.
“As someone with an extensive background in marketing and entrepreneurship, I wasn’t necessarily looking for someone to teach me how to build a brand,” she says. “I needed the space to approach my own business with strategic clarity.”
The experience reinforced the importance of articulating her vision, identifying priorities, and building a business that supports the life she wants to live. It also underscored the value of community.
“Sometimes, even when you know exactly what to do, having a community that holds you accountable makes all the difference.”
From Launch to Early Traction
Playday officially launched its e-commerce website in September 2026. Mallory is now focused on building awareness, growing a customer community, and establishing wholesale partnerships. Her ambitions include expanding into independent retailers and, eventually, major national retail chains.
She describes this moment as “the exciting, slightly terrifying stage where the brand is finally out in the world and the real work begins.”
For other entrepreneurs navigating that stage, Mallory offers three practical lessons:
Stop building in secret. A business does not need to be perfect before its founder starts talking about it. Sharing the process and asking for feedback can help people become invested early. Customers, collaborators, and opportunities often emerge from conversations a founder almost did not have.
Your network is bigger than you think. Tell people what you are building—and what you need. Ask for the introduction, contact the retailer, and follow up with the person you met months ago. One conversation can open an unexpected door.
Don’t confuse being busy with building a business. Perfecting a website, packaging, or social media feed can become a way to avoid the uncomfortable work of selling. Mallory encourages founders to prioritize the activities that move the business forward: “A beautiful brand is wonderful, but a beautiful brand with customers is even better.”
As Playday grows, Mallory is putting those lessons to work while keeping the brand’s purpose close. The business began with a question about a childhood joy. Now she is inviting other adults to rediscover it, too.
Mallory Kaufman
