Kim Vaccarella of Bogg Bag on Embracing Setbacks, Supporting Local Retailers, and Building a Family-Run Brand

Taking the risk to start a company is a feat few are fully equipped for. Any business owner knows that the first few years in business are anything but glamorous. Building a successful business takes time, lessons learned, and most importantly, enormous growth as a business owner. What works and what doesn’t when one starts a new business? What are the valuable lessons learned from the “University of Adversity”? As part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kim Vaccarella, Founder + CEO of Bogg Bag.

Kim Vaccarella is a mom-turned-entrepreneur, wife, and the founder and CEO of Bogg Bag, which was founded in 2008 with the mission to provide those who carry it all with a functional, fashionable and colorful bag that suits their needs and preferences — helping them keep it all together and spreading joy. Recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023, Kim led Bogg to secure a spot on Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Top 5000 list of fastest-growing privately-held companies in America. She is active in her local community as well as her entrepreneurial community, and she is passionate about mentoring the next generation of business leaders.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

In 2008, I was on a beach vacation with my family in the Jersey Shore and came up with the original idea for Bogg Bag after my search for the perfect beach bag came up empty (and full of sand). I sketched my idea and built a prototype out of big foam sheets, and when it was rejected by a well-known brand I decided to make the bags myself! At the time, I was working full time while expanding my vision for Bogg Bag, learning as much as I possibly could. I eventually found a manufacturer overseas and placed an order for 300 bags — which at the time felt like a million dollars. I approached a small boutique in town to sell Bogg bags and they sold almost immediately, so they kept placing orders. A few years later, in 2011, I had rented a storage unit to house a shipment of bags coming in a 40-foot trailer and I enlisted the help of family and friends to unload the order…only to find that they all had big black streaks across them. I took that as a sign that this was the end for me and convinced myself I didn’t know what I was doing. We decided to donate the bags to Hurricane Sandy victims to fill with essential supplies and decided that was the end of the Bogg journey.

Fast forward a year and I started receiving messages from the community asking where they could get more Bogg bags, saying how much they loved the functionality and value of them. I couldn’t ignore this feedback and felt the push to get the business going again, so I engaged with manufacturers and started producing bags once more. The bags made their way into boutiques along the East Coast and our team attended trade shows, like the Atlanta Market, which led to an increase in demand. In 2018, I started considering retirement but when COVID hit in 2020 we noticed an uptick in sales among healthcare workers, as the bags are made of water resistant and antimicrobial materials. We received word from several boutiques that Bogg bags were keeping their lights on during the pandemic, so we focused on those relationships and doing what we could to help them get through that challenging time. And we ultimately grew as a company through that experience.

Fast forward to today and Bogg continues to expand, now found in major nationwide retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy, Bloomingdales, Dillard’s, Amazon and online at boggbag.com. We are continuously seeking new retail partners and launching new products in a variety of on-trend and joyful colors that we’ve come to be known for.

While my career path is certainly not what I expected it to be even 10 years ago, it has been the most fun and fulfilling journey I could ever imagine.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

One of the hardest decisions I had to make early on in the Bogg journey was to invest my children’s college savings into the business, but my number one goal as a wife and mother has always been to make sure our kids have the tools they need to succeed. This has always been the driving force behind the business decisions I’ve made.

Additionally, receiving the shipment I mentioned with the black streaks really felt like the end for my small Bogg team. It was incredibly defeating to place an order of that scale so early on in our business only to face such a setback. But it ultimately turned into a very positive, eye-opening experience for us and we probably wouldn’t be where we are today without it.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

My drive started with ensuring my kids have the tools they need to succeed, which is still the case, but I’ve since found motivation in helping those who care a lot carry it all with the help of their Bogg bags. We regularly hear from our customers, including healthcare workers, teachers and moms, that their Bogg is a way for them to keep it all together — be it in the clinic, the classroom or on family vacation. Knowing our bags have become so much more than their original intent as a durable, functional beach bag gives me the drive I need to overcome any obstacle.

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

Simply put, things are going very well today. Most recently, we formed a partnership with Bloomingdales and have other retail partnerships in the works. Academy reported that Bogg bags continue to do well in their stores and will expand their offerings. We recently made our sixth move into a bigger warehouse to accommodate the increased inventory. And on top of it all, we’re having fun doing it and spreading so much joy with these colorful bags!

Grit and resilience led to the success Bogg is experiencing today, but it’s really about helping our customers and store owners. That is what drives us and keeps us going.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I’ve made too many mistakes to count and if I didn’t laugh about them, I would cry. As a founder, starting a business from scratch, you are going to make mistakes, a lot of them, but it’s what you do with them that will determine your success. I believe in “fake it to you make it” and to not be too hard on yourself.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Most people familiar with Bogg Bag probably wouldn’t believe that we’re a small but mighty team of 20. We started as a boots on the ground team selling bags to boutiques along the coast, but have exploded into a multi-million dollar brand — and we’re just now implementing marketing and branding strategies to support our growth. Despite this rapid growth and expansion, we’re still a family-run business and I still play a major role in day-to-day operations.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

My best advice is to remember, “slow and steady wins the race.” Stay in your lane and don’t worry about how fast or slow you’re growing compared to others in your industry. Stay true to your mission and stay committed to learning and adapting.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My family has been the best support system for me. Without my husband’s support, I would never have been able to get as far as I’ve come. The long hours, missed meals, and being away from home are hard on any family, but mine has accepted it with grace and I am forever grateful. Next would be my team. I have a personal connection to almost everyone, which sometimes can be hard, but they all bring their best every day. They care about me and the company and that’s unique nowadays.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

The core of Bogg Bag is to help those who care a lot carry it all — meaning we particularly support the parents, healthcare workers and teachers who are keeping it all together for everyone else. Our hope is that our joyfully colored, dependable bags can ease the burden from these everyday heroes by providing an easily organized, water resistant bag they can always rely on. This mission is at our core and we’re excited to bring even more bags to more people from coast to coast.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first launched my business,” and why?

1 . Slow and steady wins the race. Success doesn’t happen overnight and your entrepreneur journey will take many twists and turns, like your business idea being rejected or a huge damaged shipment.

2 . Become knowledgeable about EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization). I knew nothing about this when I started Bogg and actually talked with Reese Witherspoon about this once — she also didn’t know about it when starting her business!

3 . Be open to feedback. When I was on the brink of discontinuing operations, I listened to the community, who was asking for more Bogg bags. I couldn’t turn my back on them and it was the feedback I needed to keep going. I’m so glad I listened.

4 . Be resourceful. When our biggest shipment of Bogg bags to date was delivered with giant black streaks, we pivoted and used them for a greater purpose, filling them with essential products for Hurricane Sandy victims. We more easily could’ve thrown them in a dumpster, but were resourceful in making sure they served a purpose instead.

5 . Trust your instincts. I got a lot of feedback in the early days about how the name “Bogg” would never work. But I felt strongly about keeping it and I’m glad I did! Same thing with the bag itself — despite being rejected, I trusted that the world needed Bogg bags, so I created them myself.

Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?

If you surround yourself with the right people, you can successfully ride the emotional highs and lows of being a founder. Between my husband, my kids, the Bogg team, shop owners, and other partners, I feel incredibly lucky to have the support of so many people who have helped me and inspired me every step of the way. Prioritize the relationships in your life and commit to strengthening them. It’s an investment you’ll never regret because as a founder there are plenty of times you’ll be met with scrutiny, setbacks and self doubt, and you’ll need to rely on the help and support of your community to keep you going.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would ensure that every parent, teacher, healthcare provider or any caregiver of any sort felt the support and care THEY needed and deserved — and the best way I can do that is to continue finding new avenues to get Bogg bags into their hands to spark at least a little joy and ease a little burden for them.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Let’s connect on LinkedIn! I’m there under Kim Vaccarella. And of course you can find us online at boggbag.com.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.