Daily Inspiration: Meet Thomas & Kelly O’Donnell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas & Kelly O’Donnell.

Hi Thomas & Kelly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We’re Thomas and Kelly O’Donnell, middle school sweethearts, proud parents of twin boys, lifelong fans of LEGO® and the magic of making memories together. Our family is multi-generational, filled with love, laughter, and a whole lot of bricks, including two amazing grandmas who help keep our home (and now our store) running with heart. We recently celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, and instead of a fancy trip, we spent it doing what we love most, visiting one of our favorite LEGO stores and dreaming about bringing that joy home to our community.

Bricks & Minifigs League City was born out of that dream. We wanted to create more than a retail space, we wanted to build a community center where creativity is celebrated, where families can unplug, reconnect, and rediscover the power of hands-on, imaginative play. In a world that often moves too fast, our store is a space where everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, can slow down, build together, and make memories that last. Our mission is to become an integral part of our community by offering an inviting, family-friendly environment filled with inspiration, connection, and fun. Whether you’re here to shop, trade, celebrate, or just explore, we hope Bricks & Minifigs becomes a place where you and your family feel at home, and where the joy of LEGO brings people of all ages together.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting Bricks & Minifigs League City has absolutely been rewarding, but it has not been a smooth road. Like many small business owners, we quickly learned that opening a business takes far more than passion alone. There were countless late nights, unexpected setbacks, and moments where we had to simply keep pushing forward one step at a time.

One of our biggest challenges was the construction and permitting process. During buildout, we discovered a concrete wall that needed to be cut into, which effectively destroyed part of the fire wall. That created a major hurdle because the issue had to be fully corrected and brought back into compliance before we could receive approval to open. What seemed like a straightforward construction project quickly became a stressful and expensive delay involving additional contractors, inspections, and repairs.

At the same time, we were balancing very demanding full-time careers. Trying to build a business while maintaining those responsibilities often meant working on the store late into the evenings, early mornings, and weekends.

On top of the business challenges, life continued to happen around us. During this process, Kelly’s mother suffered a serious fall and broke her leg, requiring multiple surgeries and extensive support from the family. Kelly also experienced the loss of her grandmother during the same season of life. Meanwhile, our twin boys remained active in school and in League City Little League. Additionally, we remained active in our community. Kelly serves on the local PTA and Oncology Nursing Society as the membership chair as well as the League City Little League Board of Directors as the Safety Director. While, Thomas serves as the Chair of the Professional Development and Education Committee For Houston BOMA. Balancing family responsibilities, community involvement, careers, and the demands of opening a business was incredibly challenging at times.

But through it all, we truly feel blessed and count it all as joy. Every obstacle strengthened our faith, our family, and our appreciation for the incredible support system around us. The journey has reminded us that even in difficult seasons, there is purpose in the process. Opening Bricks & Minifigs League City has never just been about building a business, it has been about building community, creating memories, and sharing something we genuinely love with the families around us.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Bricks & Minifigs League City, we specialize in creating a fun, family-focused experience centered around creativity, imagination, and community. We buy, sell, and trade all things LEGO®, including sets, minifigures, and bulk brick. While also offering birthday parties, summer camp, field trips, special events, community activities, and a welcoming space where builders of all ages can connect through creativity and play.

What makes us unique is that we are not just a retail store, we are intentionally building a community hub. From homeschool events and scavenger hunts to holiday celebrations, LEGO® themed activities, and charity partnerships, our goal is to create meaningful experiences that bring families together and encourage hands-on imagination in a world that is increasingly digital.

Outside of the store, we both maintain full-time professional careers focused on service and leadership. Kelly serves as an Ambulatory Operations Nurse Manager overseeing multiple medicine specialty services across ambulatory care setting while also managing a large multi-specialty healthcare clinic. Thomas works as an Operating Engineer managing a 30-story building in Houston’s Medical Center. Those careers have shaped the way we lead our business, with a strong focus on people, integrity, safety, operational excellence, and community impact.

One of the things we are most proud of is the way the community has embraced us. Seeing children excited to build, parents reconnecting with hobbies they loved growing up, and families making memories together in our store reminds us daily why we started this journey. We are also incredibly proud of balancing this dream while raising our family, staying involved in our community, and continuing to serve in leadership roles outside the business, including involvement with League City Little League and other local organizations.

What truly sets us apart is the heart behind what we do. We genuinely care about creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, whether they are serious collectors, first-time builders, or families simply looking for a place to spend quality time together. We believe people can feel the difference when a business is built with passion, authenticity, and a desire to serve the community, and that is something we strive to bring into Bricks & Minifigs League City every single day.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Without question, Bricks & Minifigs League City would not be where it is today without the incredible people who have supported, encouraged, and believed in us along the way.

First and foremost, our amazing Bricks & Minifigs League City team deserves tremendous credit. They have worked tirelessly to help create the welcoming, fun, and community-focused environment we envisioned from the very beginning. Their energy, creativity, flexibility, and dedication have helped turn this business into something truly special, and we are incredibly grateful for each of them.

We have also been blessed with an amazing support system of family and friends who encouraged us through every challenge and milestone. The Knape Family, The Jenkins Family, The Broussard Family, The Stillman Family, and The Sullivan Family have all played meaningful roles by supporting our vision, encouraging us during difficult moments, and helping us continue moving forward even when things felt overwhelming.

A very special thank you also goes to Debbie Marinelli and Emma O’Donnell for their constant encouragement, support, and willingness to step in wherever needed. Building a business truly takes a village, and their love and belief in what we are creating has meant more than words can express.

We are also deeply thankful for our incredible Founders Club members. Long before opening day, they believed in our vision and helped build excitement and momentum around the store. Their loyalty, enthusiasm, feedback, and continued support have helped establish the strong community culture we hoped to create.

Our fellow Bricks & Minifigs owners across the country have also been an invaluable source of guidance and encouragement. As new business owners, having other franchise owners willing to share advice, lessons learned, ideas, and support made a tremendous difference. Their willingness to collaborate instead of compete speaks volumes about the BAM community as a whole.

Finally, we are incredibly grateful for our teams and leadership in our full-time careers. Balancing demanding professions while opening a business would not have been possible without supportive coworkers, mentors, and leaders who encouraged us and understood the passion behind this dream. Their flexibility, encouragement, and belief in us helped make this journey achievable.

At the end of the day, Bricks & Minifigs League City is not just our story, it is the story of an entire community of people who poured encouragement, time, support, and love into helping this dream become reality. We are incredibly thankful for every single person who has been part of the journey and who will be part of our story in the years to come.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bricksandminifigs.com/leaguecity-tx/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bamleaguecity/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bamleaguecity/
• Other: https://calendly.com/leaguecity-tx-bricksandminifigs/