It’s a scenario that is familiar to many entrepreneurs: A layoff. A crossroads. Then the scary decision to take the unfamiliar road that hopefully leads to business success.
After her own walk down the road less traveled Mindee Hardin, the inventor of Boogie Wipes, saline stuffy nose wipes for kids, knows that road well and is ready to dish on all the obstacles it hides.
Mindee founded Juicebox Consulting to help other moms navigate the twists and turns that they’ll experience as they pursue their passions while juggling family life.
An entrepreneur for the last 12 years Mindee Hardin has been the owner of several businesses, most notably, Boogie Wipes, which went on to hit $15 million in sales in 2011 and was acquired shortly after by Nehemiah Manufacturing.
She’s been featured on the Today Show, The Big Idea, Good Morning America, and Fox News, and in People magazine, the New York Times, Entrepreneur.com, Inc., and Forbes. She’s been the keynote speaker for the Disney Moms Social Media Conference and Entrepreneur Uprising, and in 2014 she earned the Spirit of Entrepreneurship award for her work with Oregon youth through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy.
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But before the recognition and accolades, she was a new mother facing a tough decision: Follow her job to a new city or take a severance package and regroup.
With her now 12-year-old son still only 6 months old at the time Mindee thought it would be exciting to have more time with her son while contemplating her next move and so she took the severance package.
Her first foray into entrepreneurship came when she began a consulting company handling sponsorship sales and event management work. Then a year later along with her husband she bought a successful local trade show. In just three years she doubled attendance and sponsorship and sold the show for a profit.
That profit allowed her to fund Boogie Wipes. With a second baby in tow, Mindee went to work researching and validating her idea.
Though her business was a success it also taught her some tough lessons about business and motherhood. She made several unwise business decisions, lost touch with the real reason why she wanted a business in the first place, sold the company without any financial security and was forced to file bankruptcy. She eventually rebounded with knowledge only gained from such a wild ride.
She began Juicebox Consulting to help moms learn about implementing their ideas,as well as the and the ins and outs of manufacturing, profitability, patents, and all the nuts and bolts of the business.
Her own experience taught her there is more to being a boss when you also have a family. That’s why Juicebox Consulting also helps moms create points of fulfilment, learn ways to talk to their spouse about what they dream of doing, and develop a realistic schedule, so they can sync their business and life expectations.
Her first book, Boogie Wiped, detailing the lessons she learned about family and business will be out in May. Mindee Hardin also just raised the first round of capital for her next invention that will hit retail shelves this fall.
Mindee Hardin is such an inspiring mompreneur and business woman in her own right! I love following along with her journey of parenting with a blended family and what she has learned from her mistakes in business and home life and her willingness to share what she has learned with us. I look forward to reading her new book and hearing about her new invention. Congrats Mindee!