Last July a series of events led me to co-found a children’s company, The Doll Kind. As any entrepreneur will confirm, launching a startup is super challenging, takes more hours in a week than are available, requires focus you didn’t know you had, and a slight obsession with what you are creating. Add small children to the mix and ‘challenging’ doesn’t quite cover it. But at the end of each week, I’m fulfilled beyond measure. Having the titles of wife, mom, and now social entrepreneur are helping bring the life I’ve always imagined into focus.
Our company, The Doll Kind (TDK), has a mission to empower and inspire a generation of children to create a kinder world, one heart at a time. We create huggable dolls with heart tokens for children to share as a random act of kindness. For every doll sold, another is donated to a child less fortunate.
It all started last summer with a viral photo of my friend and now business partner Victoria’s daughter, Anistyn. After Victoria came across a stream of negative comments online about the photo, she realized she was becoming the center of some cyber bullying. She then looked down at her innocent newborn son and had a thought that sparked the beginning of TDK “we aren’t born mean.” She contacted me and together we formed our company for social good.
We recognized that in every child’s hands lies the potential to do good and change the world, and that children’s toys have a profound effect on their childhood. It is our hope that we can make the role of being parents a little easier by bringing greater value to playtime and to harness the power of toys for a good cause. Empowering children to be the positive change needed in the world will build their self-esteems, their sense of worth, and their overall well-being. We believe that all children are good and that we have the responsibility as parents and role models to nurture and encourage this.
I’m sure some think we are crazy for launching a company with small children at home. Victoria’s children are 1 and 2 years old, and I myself have a 3-year-old and am expecting daughter number 2 in May. We also work long distance from each other. I’m here in south Louisiana and Victoria in Colorado.
I believe what keeps me going, other than my morning cup of joe, is our mission. Knowing that I’m creating something bigger than myself really helps keep what’s important in focus and motivates me each week to tackle my to-do list. I honestly love Monday’s! Loving my role with TDK helps me balance being a mom and an entrepreneur. When you truly enjoy and care about what you are doing or creating, the ‘work’ part is effortless – most of the time. But when it does become challenging, the rewarding and fulfilling end results make it more than worth it. Co-founding this business for social good has been good for my soul and I see it having the same positive effect on parents and children everywhere.
Victoria and I admit that it will take more than a doll and some heart tokens to change the world. We do believe however, that combined with an eager child and parents willing to share their values with their children, The Doll Kind will provide a much needed catalyst in creating a better, kinder world.
To find out more about The Doll Kind, our mission, how it works, and how we give, follow the link to our Kickstarter campaign.
