Today we’d like to introduce you to Leandra Adkison Sanchez.
Hi Leandra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my business in October of 2021, during a really uncertain time for our family. My husband had just been laid off after the grant funding for his position wasn’t renewed. We had bought our home only a few months earlier, and I had just had a baby. Losing that income was terrifying — we were suddenly facing a lot of pressure with no backup plan.
At the same time, I noticed that in our local area, there was a big demand for soft play rentals but very little supply. I did what I could with the resources I had: I researched, I asked the community directly through posts, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Even though soft play wasn’t that popular back then, people were excited about the idea.
So my husband and I made a huge leap of faith. We took the very last of our savings and invested in our first soft play set. I set it up in the field across the street, took pictures, and started promoting it. Within six months, the business took off — we went from one setup to four because the demand was so strong.
As we continued doing events, people started asking, ‘Do you have tables and chairs? Do you offer bigger bounce houses? Do you do balloons?’ And that’s really how everything expanded. What started with one soft play setup grew into a full event rental business simply by listening to our community and adapting to their needs.
Looking back, that one risk we took during one of the scariest moments of our lives ended up creating something incredible for our family and for the families we serve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Starting a business during a time when we were financially and emotionally vulnerable came with a lot of pressure. We were working with limited resources, learning everything from scratch, and trying to build something sustainable while raising a newborn. There were moments of fear, especially when we had to make decisions that involved our last bit of savings.
As the business grew, the challenges changed. Balancing motherhood, schedules, last-minute event changes, weather issues, equipment maintenance — all of it required constant problem-solving. There were weekends where we were exhausted, or times when bookings slowed down and I questioned whether we were doing the right thing.
But every struggle taught us something. We learned how to operate more efficiently, how to provide better customer service, and how to expand based on what our community actually needed. Even though the road wasn’t smooth, it built our resilience. And honestly, the hard parts are what made the success feel earned.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
L & A’s Play Place LLC is really just our family bringing fun to other families. We started with soft play, and that’s still our baby, but now we offer everything from bounce houses to balloons, marquee letters, custom backdrops, tables, chairs — pretty much anything that helps make an event easier and more exciting.
People know us for being reliable, communicative, and really hands-on. We don’t just drop things off; we set everything up with care, make sure it’s clean and safe, and try to match the vibe of whatever event we’re doing. My husband and I do it all ourselves, so there’s always that personal touch.
Something I’m especially proud of now that my kids are getting older is seeing them want to be involved. I started this business while having two babies back-to-back, so watching them help, learn, and get excited about what we do means so much to me. And who knows — maybe one day it’s something I can pass down to them if they decide it’s a path they want. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also something we’ve built together as a family.
Most of all, I want people to know we’re here to help make moments special. Whether it’s a first birthday, baby shower, or school event, we offer fun, clean, stress-free setups that take a lot off the parents’ plate and make the day unforgettable for the kids.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
When it comes to risk-taking, my perspective comes from a very personal place. I’m a recovering addict, and honestly, even sharing that is a risk. There’s still a lot of stigma, and people don’t always understand what recovery really looks like. But I choose to talk about it because I know there are people out there who need to hear it. My story isn’t just for the people who may want to book my services — it’s for the people who are in that dark place I once was, so they can see that you can rebuild, you can start over, and you can create something incredible out of your life. I’ve been clean for 8 years now, and that’s one of the things I’m most proud of.
Because of my journey, this business is more than a business to me. It represents years of healing and proving to myself that I could build something stable and successful when I came from a place where everything felt unstable. It’s the product of choosing to grow, choosing to fight for my future, and choosing to believe I deserved more, even when I didn’t fully believe it yet.
One of the biggest risks I ever took was starting the company when my husband just got laid off, we just bought a house and had a baby. Nothing about the situation made it feel “safe.” But recovery taught me how to show up, how to trust myself, and how to follow through even when everything feels scary. So we invested everything we had into one soft play setup — and that one risk changed our whole life.
Now, when I think about risk, I see it as choosing growth over fear. I don’t take reckless risks, but I believe in betting on yourself, doing your research, and being willing to work for the outcome. Recovery taught me resilience. Motherhood taught me strength. And business taught me that sometimes the hardest moments lead to the biggest opportunities.
Every risk — from sharing my story to investing our last dollar — has brought me to a place I never thought I’d reach. And if my journey inspires even one person who’s struggling, then that’s more important to me than anything.
Pricing:
- Soft Play starting Price $255
- Bounce House Starting Price $120
- Mini Bounce House starting Price $80
- Floral Walls $150
- Balloon Décor Starting Price $75
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086908862062
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@laplayplacellc
- Email: [email protected]
