Hold The Magic: Interview with Company Founder Shannon Cahoon
Hold The Magic is a whimsical company dedicated to reimagining the Tooth Fairy tradition. Instead of simply exchanging teeth for money, Hold the Magic helps parents delight their children with tiny treasures, heartfelt letters, and fairy-sized keepsakes that instill lessons of kindness, imagination, and good oral care. Designed by a team of lifelong believers in magic, each carefully curated gift set offers multiple moments of wonder (everything you need for three Tooth Fairy visits conveniently packaged) and retails for $29.95.
Company Founder Shannon Cahoon recently shared the story behind the brand and its mission to “hold the magic” of childhood a little longer.
Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you get interested in the Tooth Fairy legend? For instance, what did you get from the Tooth Fairy when you were a child?
Shannon Cahoon (SC): In a way, I really started the company 14 years ago when our daughter was 5 years old. She believed in ALL the magic –unicorns, mermaids, fairies, and she’d make a wish on every dandelion puff. When her first tooth began to wiggle, I knew we needed to do something more than just slip a few bucks under her pillow. She didn’t care about money. It was an opportunity to connect with her through magic, storytelling, and gifts –truly, my love language!
MM: What made you decide to start this company and how did you select which miniature items to include?
SC: Both of our kids were getting very unique treasures and tiny letters for every lost tooth. They’d talk to teachers and friends on the playground. I started getting so many calls from other moms wondering what in the world I was doing and how I could help them do it too. Parents were eager to do something memorable but didn’t have the time or creativity, so… Hold The Magic was born! When I was little, I loved playing with a magnifying glass, so I started by finding a fairy-sized one, perfectly sized for kids to read all the fairy letters, and high-quality to keep it as an heirloom. More about us here.
MM: How did the letters — and the adorable book — become part of the brand?
SC: I wanted to help kids understand what happens when their teeth fall out and share that some tooth fairies leave money, but others deliver more magic. Lucy Tooth is about a tiny fairy who didn’t like the idea that kids lose a bit of magic as they grow older, so she changes the Tooth Fairy tradition and leaves a letter and a gift for kids to play with to hold the magic for as long as possible. The story is bright and colorful, and I even included hidden pictures throughout, just like my favorite childhood Highlights magazine, if any of you remember that. Every fairy letter is carefully crafted and illustrated to rhyme and inspire healthy habits for body, mind, and spirit.
MM: Be honest, what is your favorite gift that is offered?
SC: My favorite is Wake Up To Magic. It’s the perfect set to start a lost tooth tradition, no matter how many teeth have already fallen. It’s also a great and unique gift to give another soon-to-be Tooth Fairy. It includes an adorable plush tooth pillow with a pocket to hold the lost tooth, our Lucy Tooth hardcover storybook to read at bedtime, plus a gold bag to wake up to from the Tooth Fairy. The gold bag contains our best-selling Fairy Magnifying Glass, a keepsake working brass magnifying glass which kids love to use to read all the tiny fairy letters, plus a rhyming fairy letter, beautifully illustrated, tucked inside a magical sparkling gold envelope. All of our fairy letters encourage healthy habits and positive life lessons.
MM: How long did it take to create all of these products and how different did the prototype look from the final product?
SC: It was very important from the beginning to source and create high-quality gifts that truly hold children’s belief and real magic that they are from Fairyland. Wheels turn, size matters, and nothing is made with or wrapped in plastic, to name a few. We are continuously prototyping new products and testing with children. We’ve come a long way in our core set of gift sets and are excited to have recently launched bundle collections that get you through The Complete Tooth Fairy Journey (for girls and boys) and The Complete Lost Tooth Journey (for girls).
MM: What made you decide to establish a company and what have been some of the struggles and triumphs associated with that?
SC: This is my second company. I have always been passionate about thoughtful gifting, creative design, storytelling, and inspiring wonder and imagination to hold the magic of childhood for as long as possible. As my children get closer to flying out of the nest, building a legacy brand that encapsulates everything I am about, spreads joy, and sprinkles a little more magic on our world is important.
MM: What kinds of reactions have you gotten from customers?
SC: We have thousands of happy customers and 5-star reviews. This feedback powers our wings to spread more magic!
“Hold the Magic is providing a creative, magical experience to keep a little whimsical girl’s imagination alive as she is growing up into a big kid in a world full of disbelief.”
“He received money for his last tooth and he said ‘I wish I got something cool again like that tiny tool box!”
“She really loved that the end of the letter said YOUR tooth fairy. She was like, “I have my own tooth fairy?!” And immediately drew a picture of her.”
MM: So far, what has been the highlight of your experiences at the helm of Hold The Magic?
Waking up to testimonials from parents and photos/videos of magical mornings shared with their SC: kids, knowing that we’re making a difference and creating core memories for so many families, is truly a highlight. I am grateful every day that I get to inspire and care for thousands of children, more than just the two of my own.
MM: How do you hope Hold The Magic evolves over the next five years?
SC: We are raising capital to invest in more magical fairies on our team, technology to power more personalized experiences, and an overall increase in brand awareness. Once a parent learns about us, it’s a no-brainer because it’s convenient, affordable, and delivers the priceless value of magical moments to cherish for years to come.
MM: What are your ultimate goals for the future of the company and is there anything else that you would like to mention?
SC: Lucy Tooth and Wiggle Tooth are the spokes-fairies of our brand. They can entertain while educating our little ones on the importance of caring for their teeth, nature, and the hearts of others, all while celebrating childhood milestones. We have so many ideas for how we can help busy parents with these shared goals! We hope parents see us as a resource for all things Tooth Fairy and magic. We have built quite a resource library of helpful articles and free downloadables. We can’t slow the speed at which our little ones grow up, but we can create core memories and give them something positive and hopeful to believe in. What better way to do that than by winged messengers?!
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To learn More, follow the company on Instagram @holdthemagic and visit their official website https://holdthemagic.com/
