PC: Cali’s Books
Cali’s Books reaches $1 million in revenue in 2020
In 2016, she decided to create her own interactive musical books, launching Cali’s Books from her family garage. In an interview with Entrepreneur, Meyrignac explained how she travelled to China to meet manufacturers and invested about $30,000 in her first order of 6,000 books. What began as a small venture gradually expanded through direct-to-consumer sales, reaching $5 million in revenue by 2024. Meyrignac travelled to China to meet manufacturers and placed an initial order of 6,000 books, investing approximately $30,000. In 2020, Cali’s Books crossed the $1 million revenue mark. Meyrignac told Entrepreneur that Cali’s Books reached $5 million in revenue in 2024 and continued growing at a double-digit pace. Reportedly, the company had sold around 700,000 books in the US alone, while its broader company profile describes more than 50 titles selling over 500,000 copies worldwide.
The approach was “scrappy”, reflecting how she used outside help and personal networks while testing and developing the business. Meyrignac later said that the strategy created challenges, including lower margins and difficult payment terms. Meyrignac told Entrepreneur that “everything unlocked” after moving towards direct-to-consumer, while the company has since returned to retail, including selling through Nordstrom. Meyrignac said it took roughly three years for the company to achieve consistent monthly revenue.
Carinne Meyrignac turned a simple idea sparked by motherhood into a children’s publishing business generating millions in annual revenue. After discovering musical books in France that kept her young daughter engaged, she returned to Los Angeles and struggled to find similar products. The first major step was turning the concept into a physical product. She kept the operation deliberately small in its early stages. Rather than building a large team immediately, Meyrignac worked with freelancers found through Fiverr and relied on friends and family for help. The company initially invested considerable effort in selling through physical shops. More importantly, she felt it reduced her ability to communicate directly with the parents and grandparents buying the books. The shift towards direct-to-consumer sales became an important stage in Cali’s Books’ development. Selling online allowed the company to communicate directly with families, collect feedback and better understand how customers were using the books. Cali’s Books did not immediately generate predictable revenue. The turning point came as the business concentrated more heavily on direct-to-consumer sales. The company continued expanding after that milestone.
