How Ms. Rachel Built Her Educational Empire
Hi Friends!
Today, we’re going to talk about someone who many working parents feel endless love and gratitude to.
She has been called the Beyonce for toddlers and she served as a lifeline for many quarantine parents. Yes, we’re talking about Ms. Rachel.
Rachel Griffin Accurso, aka "Ms. Rachel," is the pink headband-festooned savior that took residence on many televisions during the pandemic. When the time came to fling off the masks and feel the sun on our faces again, Ms. Rachel was a certified star.
Today, she is one of the most recognizable figures in children's educational entertainment. However (at least at time of publishing) it’s unlikely that you’ll see her face plastered on sugary cereal boxes or her overalled likeness plastic-ified in your Happy Meals.
In a fast-paced world that is always clamoring for “More! More! More!” (ironically, also a common refrain in any household containing a toddler) Ms. Rachel took care to create a business that is thoughtful, inclusive, and based in kindness towards everyone.
Ms. Rachel, courtesy of The New York Times
Key Business Lessons from Ms. Rachel's Success
Before we dive into the entire story, here are a few spoilers.
She Solved a Genuine (and Pervasive) Problem
Her success began by addressing a real need—parents desperately seeking quality educational content during lockdowns. She didn't create content to gain followers; she created solutions that naturally attracted an audience.
She Leveraged Her Deep Personal Experience
Her business was born from her own challenges with her son's speech development. This authentic connection to the problem she was solving gave her insights and research-backed approach that her competitors lacked.
She Focuses on Quality Over Promotion
In a world where there’s an aggressive push to turn any success into “more, now!” Ms. Rachel has kept her approach relatively slow.
Her continued emphasis on creating exceptional content allowed organic growth through word-of-mouth among parent communities.
While she has a few partnerships where she creates toys and books, and a Netflix mini-series, Ms. Rachel stays true to her core audience on YouTube. She prioritizes her accessibility and to all young children looking to learn.
She Created a Memorable Brand identity
If you’ve ever mistakenly worn a pair of overalls with a pink shirt (wait, this doesn’t happen to everybody?) only to find you are a magnet to children, you’re not alone. That’s by design.
The consistent visual elements (blue overalls, pink shirt, headband) created instant recognition. If you’re going to wear a combination of pink, overalls, and headbands, get ready to capture the attention of every child in your vicinity. That’s part of the Ms. Rachel effect.
She Scaled Strategically (Rather Than Meteorically)
As revenue grew, she and her husband made calculated decisions. Rather than enter into a dozen endorsement deals and ramp up video production to five videos per week, she kept her cadence and growth at a sustainable level. This feeds directly into the next point.
She Maintains Authenticity
Even as the operation expanded from their one-bedroom apartment to professional studios, the core authenticity and connection with viewers remained consistent.
Ms. Rachel’s Empire Was Born from a Rachel Accurso’s Mission
As a certified teacher with a background in music education, Accurso had established "Songs for Littles," a small YouTube channel focused on early childhood development.
This channel was born from Accurso's personal experience. After noticing that her young son was behind on key speech milestones, Accurso found a giant gap.
While seeking speech pathology services for her son, Accurso wanted to supplement his learning. Unfortunately, there were very few resources available.
This gap inspired her to create her own videos, filming close-ups of her mouth to show pronunciation and incorporating sign language alongside music.
What began as a personal project to help her own child resonated with millions of families facing similar challenges.
Ms. Rachel Prioritizes a Research-Backed Approach to Produce “Slower” Content
Ms. Rachel’s tender and patient approach creates an intimate, one-on-one feeling. Far from being simple videos featuring baby talk, Ms. Rachel’s content is well-researched and features
Using direct eye contact with the camera to make children feel seen
Incorporating a "call and response" technique where she asks questions and pauses for children to answer
Creating a consistent, comforting routine that young viewers can anticipate
Including developmentally appropriate songs that encourage movement and participation
Using simple props and visuals that don't overwhelm developing minds
Using key techniques that speech therapists use to help children, such as speaking slowly, using simple sentences, and repeating them.
Using "parentese" or "motherese" (a high-pitched voice and exaggerated facial expressions) which young children are naturally attracted to.
Children genuinely believe Ms. Rachel is speaking directly to them. For young children in isolation in 2020 and 2021, Ms. Rachel was their first parasocial relationship. Her videos create a safe space where children feel encouraged to participate without judgment.
In a “normal” business model, this would be the part of the story where Ms. Rachel starts pumping out daily videos to rake in millions of dollars.
Spoiler alert: this is not what happened.
Ms. Rachel Achieved Scalable Business Growth Through Low-Cost DIY Methods
The business growth was remarkable—and so was the behind-the-scenes production.
She and her husband, a former Broadway musical director, collaborate on scripts, scenes, and music. They deliberately make their content inclusive regarding gender, disabilities, and race, despite occasional backlash.
What might surprise viewers is that much of the early content was filmed in their one-bedroom apartment rather than a professional studio. The success came organically, without the help of marketing money and expensive production.
Her subscriber count grew from thousands to millions. As of March 2025, her YouTube channel now boasts over 14 million subscribers.
Her success extended beyond YouTube to other platforms like TikTok and Instagram, developing:
Additional revenue streams through merchandise
A Songs for Littles app
Live performances
Educational partnerships
The New "Mister Rogers" for a Digital Generation
Of course, there are many content creators making a lucrative business on YouTube. But there’s something special happening in the “Songs for Littles” world.
Rachel has that certain special something that many parents remember from their childhoods. It’s the specific quality that Mister Rogers had.
This comparison is particularly meaningful as Accurso herself is a fan of Fred Rogers. Like Mr, Rogers, Accurso possesses a deep care for children that feels tender, meaningful, and true.
Each "Songs for Littles" video begins with a theme followed by extensive research. For a video about kindergarten readiness skills, Accurso spent weeks analyzing requirements across various states and reading research papers to ensure accuracy.
Like her inspiration, Accurso has found her calling in creating educational content infused with kindness. Instead of a character that she plays, Accurso insists that she and “Miss Rachel” are the same.
An Entrepreneurial Success Story
Ms. Rachel's story represents a case study in both entrepreneurial adaptability and market necessity.
By recognizing the unique challenges families faced during developmental periods, she built a global brand that continues to thrive.
The quarantines made her mission all the more visible (and necessary) to families stuck inside. While many businesses struggled during the pandemic, Ms. Rachel thrived—and it’s not because she “got lucky”.
Ms. Rachel stayed (and stays) true to her goal of providing quality early childhood education. When traditional options were unavailable, she grew a relationship with Littles and their parents worldwide. And we won’t soon forget how she helped us out!
In Conclusion, We’re So Happy (Jump, Stomp, Clap!)
If you’ve been following Carter House Copy for awhile, you know that we love a business born from a parent’s love. It warms our hearts.
Ms. Rachel's approach demonstrates how identifying unmet needs, staying consistently true to your message, and taking care in everything you do is the key to creating a brand that is trusted and seriously beloved.
Her commitment to inclusive, accessible education—and the spell she has over young children everywhere—is not only an inspiration to entrepreneurs.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch someone with a special set of superpowers (a la Fred Rogers) doing something truly good with them.
