Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Shaw.
Andy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Memory Plush was started when I, Andy Shaw and my girlfriend, Sherrill were walking back from a startup class (Longhorn Startup Seminar) at the University of Texas at Austin. We were randomly talking about stuffed animals and how Sherrill kept laying on one of them until it became flat over time. I suddenly had an epiphany on how to make stuffed animals that would last- putting memory foam inside instead of traditional stuffing! Sherrill also loved dogs and we found that the dog market was huge in the world, so we thought, why not make memory foam stuffed dogs that can be used as pillows? We took the idea and decided to go out and test it immediately. We bought 50 stuffed tigers in the shape of loaves, cut up memory foam from a mattress, and put the memory foam in the tigers to test the concept. When sales took off, we then created Waffles the Memory Foam Corgi and ran a Kickstarter for him. The Kickstarter became very successful and from there we made 3 more dog breeds- a Tri-Color Corgi, an Australian Shepherd and a Dachshund. Today, we are working on coming out with 7 new and exciting breeds.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The main struggles that we are facing have to do with getting our brand and products out there. In such a competitive industry such as pets and stuffed animals, getting noticed is the first step. We have attended trade shows and dog events such as SoCal Corgi Beach Day to generate brand awareness as well as get some initial sales. There is also the issue of balancing growth and available money. We want to come out with lots of new dog breeds, but inventory management and raising funds is one of our biggest obstacles.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
What sets Memory Plush apart from other companies is our customer service and community values. We want to get to know our customers as much as possible because they are our family. We love talking to them about their dogs, travels, and more. A handful of our customers in the West Coast met us at So Cal Corgi Beach Day last year and we had the opportunity to connect with them and spend a fun day with them at the beach with their dogs. We are known for our love for dogs of all kinds- all breeds, rescues, purebreds and special needs. For every Corgi Memory Plushie adopted, we donate $1 to Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue, a Corgi rescue in California dedicated to rehoming and rehabilitating Corgis in need. As a company, we are most proud of the dog-loving community that we have around us.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was the youngest of four siblings- a twin as well. I traveled a lot with my family because my dad did business in Asian countries. We also traveled frequently in the US- visiting many parts of California and the North East Coast. I found that I really enjoyed traveling and experiencing new sights and sounds. In high school, I studied very hard and wanted to do my best in school. I graduated from high school in top ten rankings in terms of grades and decided to attend the University of Texas at Austin. I had always loved business and had an extreme interest in entrepreneurship. Instead of listening to my mom’s suggestions to choose Engineering as my major, I decided to go with my gut and choose business. Now, both my mom and I are glad I chose to learn business in college. I got to discover my passion for entrepreneurship when I joined the class, Longhorn Startup Seminar. There, with the help of my professor, classmates and girlfriend, I was inspired to start Memory Plush.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.memoryplush.com
- Email: info@memoryplush.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/memoryplush
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/memoryplush
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/memoryplush
- Other: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1081021071/waffles-the-memory-foam-corgi-by-memory-plush
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