Growing up in Catholic school, when it came time for Thanksgiving break our teachers would always have us make a list of 5 things that we were thankful for. Even though we are all grown up now (kinda, sorta) we thought we would make a list of 5 Bundle related things that make us thankful.
1.) Partnership with Hallmark Channel
We have loved Hallmark Channel movies since we were little, and the Countdown to Christmas season has always been our favorite time to watch the movies. There is so much magic and happiness in these films and Hallmark Channel has a huge fan base. As a part of that loyal fan group, we thought it would be so much fun to have a game all about our favorite Hallmark Channel Christmas movies and holiday traditions. When we pitched our game to Hallmark Channel, the team was so enthusiastic to help us create the ultimate game for fans. We had so much fun playing the game and interacting with fans from all across the country, but what we never expected is that the game would go retail! Hallmark Crown Stores decided that they wanted Bundle: Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas Edition as a part of their stories this holiday season and it was a dream come true for us. We have loved seeing customers share photos from their store visits, and it’s been a blast to do in-store demos! (Even if it’s a challenge for us to figure out who gets to wear the big bow.)
2.) Our Hustle & Humor
Being an entrepreneur involves having a lot of hustle, and that’s something that is not in short supply with us. We like to stay that our team is “small but mighty” and we will do whatever it takes to get the job done. One day we had an important meeting in NYC, drove 3 hours to Pennsylvania for a radio interview, and then drove 2.5 more hours for a TV appearance. We carried boxes twice our size up and down flights of stairs, and mailed thousands of games. The best part is that we try to approach all of this situations with a heavy dose of humor, and even when we are sweating profusely from lugging boxes up and down the stairs, we can still laugh at ourselves.
3.) Meeting Our Idols
We have been huge fans of Sara Blakely and Jesse Itzler for the last several years. Sara is the founder of Spanx and has always been such an advocate for women and an inspiration for anyone on an entrepreneurial journey. Jesse is the co-founder of Marquis Jet, an owner of the Atlanta Hawks, and a bestselling author. They also happened to be married to each other and have 4 children! In addition to being extremely successful, they are hilarious and not afraid to think of unique solutions. Sara and Jesse live in Atlanta, but were in New York City celebrating their anniversary. We saw via Instagram that they were in NYC, created Family Bundle all about them for their anniversary, and send them a direct message on Instagram to see if we could deliver them their Bundle. They wrote back saying YES. We couldn’t believe it. When we met Sara and Jesse in person they were so giving of their time- we had an hour long meeting where we played some of the game and they gave us business advice. It was surreal, awesome, and we can’t believe they were even more incredible in person than we thought they would be.
4.) Our Family & Friends
Our family and friends have been so supportive of us since the beginning of this journey, but we have needed a lot of extra help over the last few months especially, and we have really felt the love. Our mom has made countless trips to Pennsylvania Gold Crown Stores to hand deliver Bundles, our dad has visited his local store to take product photos, and our brother has captured video footage on his iPhone of our hometown for promotions. Our friends have supported by showing us social media love, buying Bundles, taking photos of Bundles in Gold Crown Stores, and sending us new ideas for products and ways to engage with customers. We wouldn’t be able to grow without such an amazing team of people supporting Bundle!
5.) YOU!
We are thankful for YOU! If you are reading this you are a part of your story and we are grateful to you. We feel honored that so many people are willing to share their stories with us and let us make games that celebrate life’s best moments. Thanks for being on the adventure with us, and onto the next!
P.S. We hope you got to eat a lot of your favorite foods today. We currently have stomach aches from the massive amount of mashed potatoes we have consumed. Happy Thanksgiving!