How She Gets to Bed: Rachel Neill, Co-Founder of Shenanigan Kids and Creator of The Figgy

How She Gets to Bed is a deep dive into how women who kick ass during the day spend their night. Tonight, we’re thrilled to feature Rachel Neill, Co-Founder of Shenanigan Kids, a company that produces play furniture made for kids to be creative. She is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for starting businesses. As a mom of 5 kids during a pandemic, she knew they needed something to help her kids stay off of screen time and “get the wiggles” out. After chatting with her friend Chris Roepe, who has a background as a retail executive, The Figgy was born! Without further ado, here is how she gets to bed. 💤

Rachel’s Background

Industry: Kids Play Furniture
Occupation: I’m an entrepreneur with the ability to see the big picture and create bold visions. I love bringing ideas to life and seeing the impact they have on the people around me.
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Awake by: We wake up pretty early in our house! I can’t remember the last time I slept in past 6:00 AM… but that’s ok, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve always been a morning person, even before kids.
Asleep by: I’m dead to the world by 9:00 PM. I feel like one of those wind up toys — I go, go, go… until I can’t anymore!

Aside from parenting and starting companies, I love anything peloton related and was a competitive figure skater all through college! I have extensive experience in and national recognition for building exceptional teams, facilitating fundraising, and scaling companies. In 2017, I launched my first company leaving a comfortable gig and regular paycheck. Prior to founding Shenanigan Kids, I started Carex Consulting Group, Talent Bandit, and have worked as an executive at Nordic Consulting — helping to build it into one of the largest nationwide Epic consulting firms. Company culture is my jam, and I’m proud to be an entrepreneur, a connector, a working mom of five, and a dog lover. (I’ve also never met a Peloton run I didn’t like.)

On the Day-to-Day

My day starts as soon as I open my eyes. I typically check my emails, calendar, and the news before getting out of bed. That gives me a good overview of what’s to come! My husband and I get our kids ready for school and then jump on our first meetings. I have two other companies, so I’m often multitasking between them all. I believe in work/life blend instead of balance. I take moments when I can get involved with my kids throughout the day — which I love! I’m a breastfeeding mama, so that’s always a good time for me to reconnect with my littles.

Activities to Relax

Yes! I think because I’m so busy all day, I have to find a way to shut my mind off. I love a good trashy reality show where I don’t have to think and a glass of wine. It’s the perfect way to get out of “serious” mode and into relaxation.

Products to Get Unready

I’m a big fan of Zo, which is a medical grade skincare line. It’s really changed the way my skin looks. Every morning and night, I use a cleanser, toner, and cream. I keep it simple with powerful products.

Also, I try to get some physical activity in everyday. I aim for at least 30 minutes and love the Peloton app. I do everything from bootcamp to yoga and stretching.

Late Night Snacks

I really try to avoid eating at night, but if I really need something, I go for nuts or fruit.

Nighttime Routine

5:30 PM — Start making dinner. I try to cook from scratch every night. The kids and my husband help with the meal planning.

6:00 PM— Eat dinner as a family, talk about the day and school.

6:30 PM— Clean up dinner, get dessert, feed the pups.

7:00 PM— All kids go up to get ready for bed. We brush teeth, get in jammies, and read a story. The kids love doing a coin toss to figure out who gets to pick out the book! The littles go down around 7:15 and the older kids are allowed to read in their rooms. It’s so important for my husband and I to have a little downtime together!

7:45 PM — Everyone is tucked in! It’s time to go and grab a glass of wine and climb into my favorite recliner. We designed our basement with a theater room so that we could really indulge and pretend we are having a “date” — sometimes we make a fancy charcuterie plate to share while we watch tv!

9:00 PM— Climb into bed. I’m a sucker for a good podcast and fall asleep listening to them. I really like Crime Weekly, Crime Junkie, WorkLife!

Follow The Figgy on Instagram (@shenanigankidsplay)! Check out Shenanigan Kids’ playset The Figgy!

The Snoozeletter makes it easy to squeeze some “me time” into your busy schedule. We send only the good stuff: picks of tried-and-true products, tips to relax, and interesting reads to get cozy with right before bedtime. Subscribe here or at https://thesnoozeletter.com. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.