Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura and Brad Sullivan.
Hi Laura and Brad, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband, Brad, and I were living in Atlanta when we started looking for a change. Brad was unhappy at his job for some time and had been looking for something that fit in with having a growing family. So, traveling for work was out of the question. One weekend, he stumbled across a Sky Zone trampoline park grand opening announcement and immediately bought the last ticket available.
He was there for 3 hours having a blast! He went back the next weekend with a group of friends. And then again, the following weekend with his father, Dennis. He has thought of nothing else since… literally! Brad and Dennis quickly decided that this was the right thing to do for our families and bought the franchise rights for Charleston, SC. They signed the paperwork while I was 9 months pregnant with our 3rd child.
Two years later after searching and searching for the perfect location we found it! Sky Zone Charleston opened its doors in April of 2014. Brad and I have been running the park for almost 8 years. Our kids grew up in the park and now the two oldest work here alongside us. It has always been our goal to offer a family-friendly space where people can unplug from devices and have some good, old fashion fun.
Thankfully, we were able to survive COVID shutdowns and reopened to happy and relieved customers. We also added a 4th child to the Sullivan brood that year. We are now working on some exciting renovations to keep kids of all ages having fun for years to come.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any small business ownership, there are bumps in the road. We have stuck to our core values of offering quality programs and affordable outings for all while riding out storms from new competition. COVID shutdowns were definitely the scariest time for us.
We used everything we had to stay open and continue to pay our full-time staff. Now we face labor shortages that put a strain on us, but we are confident we get through this too.
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?
Sky Zone is a trampoline park with various activities and programs including trampoline dodgeball, basketball, and volleyball, South Carolina’s tallest indoor bouldering wall, summer camp, adult game leagues, and a bustling after-school program. We offer birthday parties and a tween/teen night called GLOW. We have something for everyone!
What really sets us apart is the level of service we provide and the standards we uphold. We get to know our customers and have implemented some of their suggestions and improvements with outstanding results (mainly our Sky Camp summer program).
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is when my customers leave tired, sweaty, and smiling. When kids take a moment to unplug and act like kids. When parents thank us for how we offer a space they are comfortable bringing their family to.
When we send our staff off to college and they come back to visit us even once they are graduated and grown. When customers become regulars and then become our friends.
Contact Info:
- Email: laura@skyzonecharleston.com
- Website: www.skyzone.com/charleston
- Instagram: @sz_charlestonsc
- Facebook: SkyZoneCharlestonSC
Image Credits
Carrie Anderson
