Protecting Your Bling with Julia Dawe, Founder of Blingo Bags

So many good business ideas come from building something that solves a problem. Yet often, you need a bit of good fortune to bring those ideas into the world. Julia Dawe had both of those situations come together in the creation of her business, Blingo Bags.

Julia comes from an entrepreneurial family and has grown up with a knack for problem-solving and creatively approaching life. And she’s channeled that energy and passion throughout her career as Blingo Bags has evolved.

Julia sat down with Good People, Cool Things to share how she accidentally stumbled onto the idea for Blingo Bags, her top business advice, and her least favorite exercise.

How did growing up in a household that always seemed to be looking for the next great business spur your creativity? 

I don’t know if it’s accurate to say we were always looking for the next great business idea. However, since my dad is an entrepreneur, we were encouraged to think about creative solutions to the problems and annoyances we encountered. It was fun to think about ways we could solve common problems and even more fun bringing those ideas to my dad and having him give a big thumbs up!

Where did the idea for Blingo Bags come from?

I tossed my necklace into my gym bag as I ran off to catch a gym class that I was running late for. When I got back from the class, I went to find my necklace, which I was sure would be in a tangled mess at the bottom of my bag. Much to my surprise, the necklace had landed in the bristles of my paddle hairbrush which had kept it safe and tangle-free! That was my A-HA moment! 

What did the earliest prototype of Blingo look like and how did it shape the final product?

The earliest prototype was a kids marker kit-box that I glued foam from a mattress pad onto the top of and cut up hairbrush bristles onto the bottom. We’ve come a LONG way! 

What's surprised you about running a business?

I knew it would take a lot of work to get a business up and running, but I didn’t realize how much work it would take to keep that business growing! The work doesn’t stop! And if you want sales you have to hustle to get them!

You created this product by accident when leaving the gym — what's your least favorite exercise to do? 

Oh my gosh… is there ANYTHING worse than a push-up?!? Ha.

Do you remember 1-2 of your most ridiculous or unusual business ideas?

Oh man…there were lots! Ha. But the very first idea I was serious about pursuing was a wall-mounted hairdryer holder that would keep your hairdryer at the perfect height so it allowed you to have two free hands to brush or style your hair! 

What advice do you have for people that want to pursue a passion like you did?

Go for it! Put your head down, be ready to work hard, and don’t look back! Good luck! 

What's next for you?

Well, I’ve had three babies in the last 3.5 years—am I crazy or am I crazy?! So for now, I’m trying to soak up every moment I can with my little crew! 

I continue to seek out opportunities to share Blingo with the world because I know it’s a GAME CHANGER when it comes to keeping jewelry safe, secure, and tangle-free both at home AND on the go!

Spoiler Alert: We’re looking to launch an extra-large Blingo Home unit in the near future! This has been the most requested new product by far!