A Behind the Scenes Look at The Step2 Company!

Special thanks to James, The Rock Father, for this photograph of us touring the Step2 manufacturing plant.

When I started this blog 2 years ago, I never imagined where it would take me. I began Viva Veltoro as a way "meeting" other women and feeling less isolated in my new role as stay-at-home-mom. It was slow-going at first, but I worked hard and set goals for myself, and I wouldn't rest until I met them. A lot of bloggers have their "unicorns" - maybe it's a product that they've always dreamed they'd have the chance to review or a company they'd love to work with, and becoming a Step2 blogger was at the top of my "unicorn" list. When they put out an open call for applicants for their 2014 ambassador program, I was almost hesitant to apply. I opened and closed the form several times, unsure of myself and whether or not I would make the cut - after all, they were only taking ten bloggers {ten, out of thousands). I wanted my responses to be thoughtful and honest, but above all I wanted to them to know that if I was chosen, I'd be proud to represent them.

In December of 2013 I got the official word that I was selected for their blogger ambassadorship and I was OVER THE MOON. I was going to have the chance to work with Step2, the nation's largest toddler toy manufacturer and marketer of high quality plastic products! At that point, I knew I'd be able to review some of their awesome products (the toddler mom in me almost combusted) and that I'd have the opportunity to visit their headquarters in Ohio sometime in 2014 (at no cost as part of their ambassador program).

Over the past 8 months, I've come to learn a lot about Step2. First of all, their products are absolutely fantastic. We're the proud owners of several Step2 toys now and I must say, not one of them has disappointed me on any level. The Sit & Play Picnic Table serves as our outdoor painting station on a daily basis, my little guy loves his Neat & Tidy Cottage II, he zooms all over our house on his Crayola Crayon Rider, and he loves playing basketball with his dad on the Shootin' Hoops Junior Basketball Set (actually, I'm pretty sure Mr. V. enjoys this more than anyone else - he said he'd definitely make the Step2 Hoops Hall of Fame if there was such a thing). Not only are Step2 toys fun to play with, they're also very well made and hold up even to the must destructive toddler - that's impressive.

Even though I knew that about 95% of the Step2 products are made in the USA (with just a small percent of the components coming from overseas), I really didn't "get it" until I had the chance to visit their headquarters in Streetsboro, Ohio earlier this month. Step2 flew us into Cleveland so we could get a feel of what exactly it is to be a part of this company.

Cleveland, by the way, is the perfect balance of industrial surroundings and beautiful scenery. Major league sports teams {and HELLO, LeBron is back!}, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, fabulous restaurants, water views - it's really got it all. Although we spent a good bit of time in Cleveland itself, we also made the 45 minute trip to the Step2 headquarters in Streetsboro.

As soon as we pulled up to the campus, I was energized and excited to get a behind the scenes look inside the toy manufacturing plant. I mean, how often you do get to see where and how the items you buy are made?! Of course, we had to stop by the logo for an obligatory ambassador photo.

Once we went through the front doors I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Maybe that's because there are adorable and fun toys on display around every corner. The first thing I laid eyes on was one of their art easel with a welcome message for us and this Thomas the Tank Engine Toddler Bed ensemble (which is practically too cute for words).

In case you aren't familiar with the world of blogging and ambassadorships, let me tell you a little bit about them. There are no hard and fast rules about what an ambassador program entails or the what kind of compensation or product you'll receive, or even how you'll be treated. All that is generally accepted is that you're sort of a brand representative. I've been a part of programs where you're called an ambassador, but not a soul will return your emails, and alternately, I've had people approach me about ambassadorships that are simply sneakily disguised affiliate programs. Step2 however does it right. From the moment we were accepted into this program it was clear to me that our opinions are valuable and our feedback is appreciated. I can't even count how many times different people from Step2 thanked us for coming to visit their headquarters - even the CEO himself! There I was thinking that I'm one of the luckiest bloggers out there to have this amazing opportunity and people were thanking ME for taking time out of my schedule to learn more about Step2?! It showed me that they view us as part of their team and that felt spectacular.

As we poked around the general headquarters we got to see some of the newest toys for fall and the holiday season - seriously, they are worth getting excited about! I'm in L-O-V-E with this Home Depot Big Builders Pro Workshop and the Mixin' Up Magic Kitchen, both Toys "R" Us exclusives.

We also got to see the brand spanking new 2-in-1 Ford® F-150 SVT Raptor! Here's just a sneak peek at this awesome new ride-on truck - I'll have a full review on this beauty {and maybe your chance to win one, hint hint} next month.

I know I've shown you a lot of toys, and sure Step2's main products are innovative and creative toys, but there is just so much more to this company and that's largely due to the people behind the scenes. Earlier I mentioned that everyone was appreciative of us bloggers coming to visit, but I haven't really mentioned the one on one time we got to spend with the members of the Step2 team. We had meetings with the marketing team, we talked about new products being released, we gave feedback on products that were just sketches on paper, we met with product developers, we had lunch with the CEO to discuss the company, and we even got a tour of the manufacturing plant and saw firsthand how the toys are made via the process of rotational molding (this was really something to see!). I felt like we got a really excellent overview of the brand that we had signed on to represent... and you know what? I felt so extremely proud to be a part of their team and humbled that I was chosen to work with them.

Every person we met seemed so infectiously passionate about Step2 and the products that they create - it was exhilarating. The gentleman who gave us the tour of the plant kept repeating one theme over and over - that Step2's utmost concern is about safety and that they're deeply aware that they're creating products for kids - so of course only the best and safest products could be manufactured there. His tour was really the highlight of my experience at Step2, and I left feeling so privileged to call myself a Step2 brand ambassador.

Step2 brand ambassadors for 2014 pictured: Janessa from Thrifty Nifty Mommy, Vanessa from See Vanessa Craft, Jess from A Million Moments, Lindsey from So Easy Being Green, James from The Rock Father, and me. Unfortunately, a few members of our crew couldn't attend and were missed: Vanessa from De Su Mama, Courtney from Blessed By Brenna, Jillian from Mommy Testers, and Morgan from Modern Mommyhood.

Special thanks to everyone at Step2 for the amazing experience!

Connect: You can connect with Step2 on Facebook and follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. You'll also want to make sure to sign up for their Birthday Club where you'll get great coupons before your child's birthday plus other special offers and deals!

Disclosure:  As a Step2 ambassador I receive products and compensation to facilitate honest reviews of their products. All opinions are my own.