The viral Bogg Bag founder revealed that she was rejected by Shark Tank four times, and believes the key advice given by Mr. Wonderful is “ridiculous.”
Kim Vaccarella, a New Jersey woman, created the Bogg Bag after realizing that the perfect beach bag didn't exist, so she set out to make her own.
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Vaccarella had spent all of her savings including her son's $60,000 college fund, and was looking to create something specific that would perfectly meet all of her needs as a busy mother of two boys.
It had to be durable, waterproof, washable, sandproof, and large enough to hold everything you needed.
While sitting on the beach one day with her husband, she was inspired by Crocs shoes.
“I liked the material,” Vaccarella told The US Sun. “How it became warm and flexible in the heat but didn't get hot, and if you have sand, you can just hose it off or wash it in the shower.”
“It was the perfect idea for my dream beach bag.”
He got it
Despite countless obstacles, Vaccarella's design was a huge success.
More than 10 years later, her business has expanded significantly and is on track to achieve $100 million in revenue.
It even built a strategic partnership with Target, and the bag now comes in more than 40 colors.
In an exclusive interview with The US Sun, Vaccarella revealed that she has been rejected from Shark Tank four times.
Reflecting on her career journey, Vaccarella says she actually disagrees with one of Mr. Wonderful's pieces of advice.
Mr. Terrific, one of the infamous Shark Tank judges, often says, “If you're not fully engaged, you're not really engaged,” meaning that in order to truly commit to a job or business venture, you need to dedicate yourself fully and do your best, not just Share half-heartedly.
The idea behind this phrase, which Mr. Terrific repeated on the show, is that the best business results come from people who are fully invested and committed to their ideas.
But Vaccarella said she thinks this advice is “ridiculous” to many people, especially women with families.
She said it's often unrealistic to expect women to put their livelihoods and families at risk when in reality you don't know if it will work at all.
“I was horrified when I heard Mr. Wonderful's advice, but I actually find that advice ridiculous,” Vaccarella told the US Sun.
“Why put your family at risk if you can do both?
“Entrepreneurship is tiring, but leaving a job and the security of a paycheck can be detrimental.”
Side hustle first
Vaccarella continued to work her 9-to-5 job in commercial real estate before fully diving into her business, as her full-time job gave her ongoing financial security until she felt ready.
Vaccarella said Covid has helped the business become a huge success, with many nurses and teachers purchasing the bags because of their durability.
“We also got creative with wholesalers and always wanted to strengthen those relationships, so they took a page out of our Hurricane Sandy playbook by using Bogg bags to package gifts,” she said.
Loyal fans
The company remains focused on cultivating strong relationships with its customers, often republishing it with its Bogg bags at the beach.
She said they didn't spend any money on advertising until 2023, relying on user-generated content that was “very real” and customers loved it.
“People would tag us on the beach, and we would post them back to say thank you,” she said.
“We could take 20 photos a day in the summer heat, and it felt so real, and our customers loved it.”
The US Sun covers all things sideways and recently revealed how Mark Cuban thinks business owners go wrong.
The US Sun also recently reported how a couple turned their $50 side project into a $25 million company.
