Meet Wendy Jordanov- a psychologist and CEO at Huggaroo.com, a brand synonymous with wellness products.
Sometimes, an idea can change your life. Better still, if it comes out at your kitchen table! Wendy’s life changed when one fine day, a conversation during mealtime eventually turned in to a multinational business- making her an entrepreneur with a vision, in addition to being a psychologist and a mother of two children. She particularly likes this quote by Booker T. Washington: “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” According to her, helping others find relief in tough times really fills her with happiness and fulfilment.
Probably, it was also the result of the values instilled in her during her growing up years. She was the youngest of the three children in her family and grew up in a small town in east Tennessee, the U.S. Her parents, her mother being an English teacher and her dad being an electrical engineer, made sure to teach her to help others and reach out to those in need. After earning her PhD in Educational Psychology and Research, she became a college professor at the University of Cincinnati and then at the Tennessee State University. There, she taught college classes in developmental psychology, statistics, child development and psychology of ageing for seven years and fell in love with teaching. She also chose to become a stay-at-home mother to spend more time with my children when they were young, to plant them with values she herself had grown up with. As a result of this cumulative goodness, she started Huggaroo with her husband and children as a family adventure, four years ago- a brand that brings comfort and wellness products to people who are stressed and exhausted. Interestingly, it specialises in microwavable heating pads that are proven to soothe and relax your body.
Their initiative focuses on designing creative, useful wellness products and making them with high-quality materials and skilled craftsmanship. “We have developed a variety of items designed to help people with pain relief, stress relief and relaxation. We have also given more than $100,000 in products and donations to non-profit organizations this year. Partnering with a variety of non-profit groups that align with our mission is something that we love and one of our favourites is ‘One Simple Wish’, an organisation that helps children in foster care,” she says.
She totally loves receiving emails, phone calls and cards in the mail about the difference Huggaroo products are making in the lives of customers and their families. However, the initial challenge of entering the unknown seemed daunting to her. She tried as hard as she could to know all of the answers from the very beginning but eventually realised that she needed to jump in and learn as time went by. Today, she feels less afraid of making mistakes. And tries to learn from her mistakes. Another quote she is fond of is this- “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”- Albert Einstein.
For her, starting Huggaroo has opened a world of opportunities to meet new people, help others and stretch the boundaries of my skills and abilities. She believes that true happiness exists in making others happy and encourages everyone to step out of their comfort zone and take a chance by trying something new- without giving up.