Some credit Joey Carlile with creating “the fanny pack of today.”
Her Fountain Valley-based company JoeyJean Inc. makes packs to carry water bottles, keys and other items while working out, jogging or walking.
The two-year-old business was honored with the up-and-coming award at the annual Family Owned Business Awards luncheon hosted by the Orange County Business Journal and California State University, Fullerton’s Family Business Council on Nov. 19 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.
But Carlile didn’t start out to create a business. She invented the modern fanny pack to make her life easier.
Stay-at-Home Mom
The stay-at-home mother of three liked to take walks but hated carrying her water bottle, keys, cell phone and driver’s license.
“I would go on walks and fumble with all of my gear,” Carlile said. “I wanted to carry one thing that would hold all of these items.”
Frustrated, Carlile decided to do something about it.
She cut up her husband Dan’s old weight belt, sewed pockets on it and wrapped it around a water bottle.
Carlile started carrying around her makeshift pack on walks.
It didn’t take long for the design to catch the attention of family and friends.
“I showed it to people and everyone said that I should do something with it,” Carlile said.
Carlile decided to take a stab at making her packs into a business.
She worked on the company part-time while focusing on motherhood.
She got samples of neoprene, nylon and other materials and tapped a seamstress to help her sew her first Joey Jam Pack, an insulated pack with an adjustable hand strap and pockets that can be wrapped around bottles, folded flat or worn over the shoulder or around the waist.
“It just sort of took off from there,” Carlile said.
Carlile started showcasing her Joey Jam Pack at trade shows.
She met various nonprofits and schools and started selling her products through fundraisers.
Eventually, other companies such as Carnival Corp.’s Princess Cruises and Nestl & #233; SA began tapping JoeyJean to make promotional products for them.
Carlile then began selling her packs on shopping network QVC and made an appear-ance on CNBC’s “The Big Idea” with Donny Deutsch earlier this year.
She’s quick to say her family has been her main driver.
Her husband Dan, her son Ben and her sister Jennifer Brisco helped Carlile manage inventory, sales and marketing.
Even Carlile’s 77-year-old mother helps out on a part-time basis by overseeing quality control, she said.
Carlile’s getting a lot of help from Ben these days. He’s a business major at California State University, Long Beach.
“He’s doing an ap-prenticeship before his time,” Carlile said.
Carlile and her family work out of a 1,300-square-foot office, where they handle re-search and development, sales, marketing and warehousing.
Working with relatives can be tough at times, but the strong bond, trust and obligation shared between Carlile’s family helps them tackle work issues early on.
“They helped me get to where I’m at today,” she said. “It’s the people behind you that help and I’m proof of it.”
Carlile’s family has inspired some of the newer products in the JoeyJean collection.
The Joey Retain ‘Um, a washable pouch meant to hold retainers, was created for Carlile’s 13-year-old daughter.
The Joey Pooch Pouch, a pack similar to the Joey Jam Pack but designed with a foldable water bowl for dogs, was inspired by relatives and friends with dogs.
These products are a reflection of Carlile’s life, she said.
They’re also products that other busy moms can relate to, Carlile said.
Production
JoeyJean currently makes its products in China, which has helped keep its prices low.
The company’s Joey Jam Pack sells for about $16.
The company could make its packs in Peru or Mexico to keep shipping costs down, she said.
“We have to be smart and have different sources,” she said.
The company is working out deals with gyms, spas, water companies and other businesses that might want to use its products.
Carlile’s eager to add products but doesn’t want to get ahead of herself.
Her family and consultants are keeping her grounded, she said.
Carlile, a daughter of Filipino immigrants, knows that JoeyJean’s staying power will ultimately come from the risks she’s wiling to take.
“I tell myself ‘Leap and the net will appear,'” Carlile said.
