Jennifer Kennedy, founder of HoneyBug, explains how she packaged up her dream business.
Alibaba.com is the world's leading wholesale online marketplace, connecting ambitious small business owners with reliable global manufacturers.
The "My Way" series highlights entrepreneurs who have successfully utilized the powerful platform to launch and grow their businesses.
Meet Jennifer Kennedy. After navigating the corporate world, she found notable success but felt something was missing. "I wanted to create something that was truly mine and authentic to me," she says.
Alibaba.com is the world's leading wholesale online marketplace, connecting ambitious small business owners with reliable global manufacturers.
The "My Way" series highlights entrepreneurs who have successfully utilized the powerful platform to launch and grow their businesses.
Meet Jennifer Kennedy. After navigating the corporate world, she found notable success but felt something was missing. "I wanted to create something that was truly mine and authentic to me," she says.
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NewsTranscript
00:00What's your day look like?
00:02Um, busy.
00:04Did you need me to pick Ethan up from soccer today?
00:07Yes, please.
00:09Hustle up, let's go.
00:15Goodbye.
00:16Bye.
00:17Bye, bye.
00:24I started Honeybug in my garage.
00:28I had been in the corporate grind for almost 17 years.
00:34I always felt slightly unfulfilled because there was just something lacking
00:38in terms of that ability to create something that was truly mine
00:42and something that was authentic to me.
00:45The idea of Honeybug really came to me when I found myself
00:48rushing from one big box retailer to another,
00:51trying to come up with thoughtful, creative gifts
00:54that I could show my friends that I cared.
00:56But in a way that could be convenient and fast
01:00and something that was conducive to a working mom.
01:10We are laser-focused on packaging.
01:13It is the essence of what the company is.
01:18There is that moment where you are opening up a package or a box
01:22and you don't know what's inside it.
01:24That is a really fun sort of like dopamine-inducing experience.
01:32There is something about that moment, maybe it's from when we were kids,
01:35when you're opening something on Christmas morning.
01:38Having that experience replicated in one of the most important moments
01:42in somebody's life is really important to us.
01:46Honeybug
01:50Once we started to take off, we were like, that's it.
01:52We actually have to have packaging that meets what our brand is.
01:57My initial reaction when I went on Alibaba.com was,
02:00there's just no way it's going to be this easy.
02:03And it really was that easy.
02:05Within 24 hours, we had quotes,
02:08we had a new factory that was helping us with the boxes.
02:11They had done mock-ups, they sent us exact materials we wanted.
02:15They had made it better.
02:17And by the way, it was like one-eighth the cost.
02:20After that, we did, I will say, become a little addicted to Alibaba.com.
02:24We would go to them and say, we have this wrapping paper,
02:27could we make pre-cut?
02:29Yes, of course.
02:30We were constantly learning, but it's nice to have a partner
02:32that actually knew what they were doing.
02:35We truly would have not been able to scale the business
02:37with the cost associated with our old packaging.
02:39Alibaba.com really brought that to life for us
02:42so that we could show our customers
02:45how much we appreciated them with these special touches.
02:52It really does blow my mind how it's come so far.
02:58Seeing my kids running through the warehouse
03:02and believing that they too can create this
03:06and that people will support them in it,
03:08it is what makes me go on every single day.
03:13I had wanted for 17 years to create my own brand
03:18and to build a family business.
03:22Alibaba.com made it easier to do it my way.