Meet Emily Wasson | Founder and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Wasson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Initially, Boof Baby wasn’t necessarily an idea intended to become a true business. That came about after being ignited by the passion for the purpose of this company. Before that, it really just started out as a way to pay rent in college. I was working towards getting my degree in marketing and was fascinated by the blue ocean strategy, which is defined as the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost to open up a new market space and create new demand. I was surrounded by people who vaped marijuana but truly wasn’t in on the whole crowd since I was a college athlete and didn’t want to fail a drug test just to lose everything I had worked for. All I knew was that whatever they were using was boring looking and wondered why wouldn’t they want to stand out in a sesh? I was also always troubled by the negative stigma marijuana had. Not only should it be more accepted for recreation, but there are people with real health issues who rely on medical marijuana to be able to live an adequate life, even athletes like myself have voiced this to the world. That’s why I purposefully made my first designs fun and unique, and made sure they exuded a relaxing aura. When I found out that marijuana vape skins weren’t a thing, I was shocked. So, I got to designing decals, engineering a template for each kind of device I was familiar with, and then hand-cut them myself to sell on Etsy. Hands cramping from using kitchen scissors well into the night was a common occurrence. Three years later we have a London-based carbon-neutral manufacturer that pays its workers fair wages. I still run the business and design each and every piece, but we’re looking to expand into wholesale soon!

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m always tired of people who give the most useless, empty statement about business tips and I want to change that. I want to hone in on the fact that this company started as a passion project, but was curated through the practice of what’s called blue ocean strategy. To preface, though, this could not have been successful had there been no passion for what I was creating. Blue ocean strategy presents a novel approach to business strategy that aims to help companies break away from competition and create uncontested market spaces, or “blue oceans,” where they can thrive and innovate. This strategy contrasts with the traditional approach of competing in existing market spaces, known as “red oceans,” where companies vie for market share within established industry boundaries. Now, to create a blue ocean you must implement the four actions framework:
Eliminate: What factors within the industry can be eliminated to reduce costs?
Reduce: Which factors should be reduced well below industry standards?
Raise: What factors should be raised above industry standards to deliver the best value?
Create: What new product or service can be created that the industry has never offered before?
For inspiration, I absolutely devoured all the graphic design I could, watched YouTube videos on how to use Adobe Illustrator, and researched somewhat similar companies to see how they ran their business.
I’m so proud I was able to do all this while being a college athlete living on my own, graduating, being able to support my family, upholding loving relationships in my life, and being able to have time to myself to reboot. It’s possible, it just takes an immense amount of yearning, dedication and time management.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would first get them breakfast from a shop in Altadena called Fox’s. It has extreme small town vibes which is nice to start off with before an adventure on lively Los Angeles. I’d then take them to York Blvd. for a unique shopping experience with fun things they can take home and remember LA’s uniqueness by. While in Highland Park, I’d ask if they’d want to get a tattoo to which they’d probably say yes, so I’d take them to Sashatatooing Gallery. For lunch, I’d of course take them to the classic Grand Central Market. We’d take our lunch to Gloria Molina Grand Park to chill. Since we’re close, we’d go to the Arts District for a coffee boost. We’d walk around the galleries and take pictures on the new bridge of course. Afterwards, I’d walk them straight up the City Hall building. To watch the sunset. We’d grab dinner at Mrs. Fish then head to Santa Monica for some bar hopping. Lastly, we’d go in the ocean at night for a rush.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My partner has been my absolute backbone during everything. He has been my main cheerleader for me and my business, but he’s also done the dirty work of helping me through the negative emotional aspects that come with being a business owner. It’s cliche, but he inspires me to keep going even when everything seems impossible. A true light in my life.

Website: boofbaby.com

Instagram: @boofbabyshop

Other: Tiktok: @boofbabyla