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Design, produce, and publish high quality, plush toys and children’s books with the hope of comforting the hurts and hearts of children who suffer from life threatening illnesses

www.owiebowwowie.net

During a period of hospitalization, Gina Woods fixed a ripped stuffed animal for a little girl – and it changed her life forever. Gina spent many years on her labor of love and created an organization to give plush toys called OwieBowWowies to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. After investing her own money, WEV’s Small Business Loan Fund provided the capital needed to order the first line of products. Since 2005, Gina has brightened the faces of many hospitalized children through the gift of her OwieBowWowie toys.

What prompted you to go into business for yourself?   
Over 20 years ago I met a little girl in the hospital when I was hospitalized. She and I shared a room. She had no family or friends, and she had just had surgery to remove a tumor from her brain. One day a nurse came in and brought her a stuffed toy. The little girl noticed the toy was used, and she threw it across the room. I got out of my bed and asked her why she threw the toy. The girl simply said, “It’s not mine, it’s broken.” I looked over the stuffed toy, and noticed that its ear was ripped, so I wrapped its head to match hers. I then handed it back to her and said, “Honey, it’s not broken… it’s got an owie like you. This is your OwieBowWowie.” At that moment I knew that one day I would produce a line of toys that were specifically designed for children who are alone and dealing with a life-threatening illness. It took me nearly two decades to get there, but I’ve finally arrived.  

What has been your biggest business challenge?
Deciding how to fund the toys. At first I was just Just Mom, Inc. My hope was that individuals would want to just buy the toys and donate them, but that never worked. I had to become a 501(c)3 so others could receive a tax credit. Now I have Just Mom, Inc. which is the operating company, and OwieBowWowie and Friends, which is a non-profit.

What has been your biggest business success?  
Partnering with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It took a year or so to get my foot in the door, and now we make monthly donations to the hospitals. Comforting children is the greatest success I could have ever have. 

Who is your ideal customer?
Anyone who wants to give a gift of comfort to a child. I understand that realistically my market should be more precise, but those I’ve thought would want to give, didn’t…and those I thought wouldn’t give, have. I’m at a place where OwieBowWowie has received many volunteers and most have given their time and a donation. Even though the business is owned by me, it would not have survived without hundreds of wonderful individuals who stepped up and donated. I absolutely adore my donors.

What has been the biggest surprise about owning a business?  
I once entered into a verbal agreement without putting it in writing, so I have since learned never to allow myself to be surprised again. I now get everything in writing, and I personally know those I work with. It’s important to protect that which we love, and we shouldn’t start a business unless we’re going to love it.  

How do you juggle all the pieces of your life (family/work/self/volunteering) to make it all come together? 
I do the simple things first. I always start my day with prayer and a cup of coffee. I’m not good at juggling, so I prefer to use the phrase “Peeling the carrot!” I learned long ago that when you peel a carrot you can only peel a carrot. You have to hold the carrot in one hand and the peeler in the other. The pieces of my life came to me when I learned how to focus on the task at hand, and then finish it. Age is a wonderful thing. It taught me not everything had to be done today, but done right.

What advice do you offer other women who might want to start their own company?  
Make sure you’re willing to give up everything you have, to get everything you want. 

How did WEV help you to achieve your goal or dream?  
I was introduced to WEV by a friend, and she introduced me to two WEV instructors. After I invested my first $100,000, I ran out of money and needed another $25,000 to order my line of products. My first batch of toys was given away to children’s hospitals to use as my test market. I had to prove there was a need and that the children would respond. That took over two years, and when the hospitals finally said they would take them, I had nothing else to give. WEV looked over my business plan, and invested in my dream.

Is there something you learned from WEV that you use every day?
Yes, kindness. Everyone I’ve met in their office or through their office has been wonderful. I love women helping women, and it’s amazing what we can do when someone just simply believes in us.

What does ‘success’ mean to you?
Because I’m in the comfort business, and find myself surrounded by those who are ill, I find success in the simplicity of being given another day.

What is the biggest reward you get from your business? What makes it all worthwhile?  
Seeing a child smile. Knowing that we’re able to bring comfort and joy to a child who is alone and afraid makes me jump out of bed every single day. There’s nothing grander than being able to give to others. It’s true what they say, “One can never out give!”

How do you picture you and your business in: one year? Five years? Ten years?
In one year my goal is to meet the need of CHLA by being able to find enough donors to meet their need of 1,000 OwieBowWowies per month. In five years we will be in five more hospitals, and in ten years I plan on being the world’s largest comfort toy company in the world, providing children with gifts that were specifically made for them. We will mend hearts and simply allow a child a moment of comfort that will last all through their lives. People say they wish they could change the world. I believe when we make a child smile, we just changed the world.

If your business is being affected by the economy right now, how? And what are you doing to deal with this challenge?
Yes, my business was hit hard by the recession. I had to take on a part-time job in Westlake Village. There are days I need to take a few hours here and there, and the company has been wonderful to work with me. So, I now work five hours per day for another company and then come home and work another eight hours on my business. When I think I can’t do another minute I just stop and think about all the children who are ill, and it keeps me going. When I get tired, Owie has found wonderful and loving friends who step in and do tons of work. In many ways there are hundreds of people who work with me to keep Owie going, because ultimately, Just Mom, Inc. and OwieBowWowie are not about one person, but about the millions of children who need a friend.

Photography courtesy of Maria Carreras Photography: www.mariacarrerasphotography.com