I turned a wellness side hustle into a full-time business that made over $1 million in sales its first year: I'm ‘doing what I set out to do as a kid'as a journalist and editor to launch a brand of weighted stuffed animals, my friends and colleagues were shocked. Frankly, I was too. But I knew mySo as a pre-teen grappling with anxiety and depression, I turned to magazines for information and validation. They helped me feel less alone, and it became my goal to do the same for others.
I went on to cover mental health as an editor at Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, and Glamour, and as chief content officer at Thrive Global.. I tried a weighted blanket, which calmed my nerves but was too hot and bulky. What I really wanted was something smaller, like a weighted stuffed animal.While there were a couple on the market, I couldn't find what I was looking for: a high-quality, beautifully designed weighted plushie that feels like a hug and is heavy enough to work for adults as well as kids. So I decided to create it myself.For nearly four years, on nights and weekends while I held full-time jobs, I worked to develop the product I wanted: a plushie that would feel like it's giving you a real, comforting hug.I enlisted a team of occupational therapists, psychologists, and product designers to help optimize the product's stress-relieving benefits. For example, we'd make them in calming colors with a sweet, neutral facial expression rather than a big smile, which the therapists told me could be perceived as judgmental or aggressive. I commissioned an experienced toy designer I found online to work with me on my very first prototype. My original goal was to license the idea for Hugimals, which I did, with the help of an early mentor and licensing agent, in 2020. A few different designers then helped me iterate on my initial prototype. We tweaked the design so the Hugimal could 'hug' better, and made the weighted insert removable so the plush could be machine-washe