Meet Doug Waldbueser | Creator of The Inspiration Company””

We had the good fortune of connecting with Doug Waldbueser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Doug, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

1. Starting the Inspiration Company was the creation of my wife and I. We were sitting in a park watching our kids after we both just had the company we created and worked at for 20 years go out of business and got news that our close family member just had an overdose and was in the hospital. On top of that it was like everything was going wrong and we had no direction. Sitting there we had to come up with a reason to put a smile on our face. When these things first happened, we let our-self feel the feelings of pain, grief, depression. But then, we got to the point where we had to make a choice to Find the Blessing in the situations, we were in. Sitting there we said to each other, we need to start changing the way we feel. We need to start thinking differently to change the way we feel. So, through that we started to think that what we see reminds us of what to think of. We need to change what we see to change what we think…. and that was the birth of the Inspiration Company. Putting things in front of you to change the way you think. We started putting cards with inspiration up around the house. Then we decided to put them on bracelets to take them with us. I found and wrote sayings for my wife, for me, for my kids, for my family and we started putting them on bracelets.  

2. One our biggest surprises was that Retail takes a lot of inventory. That was a huge surprise for us… but also our key to success. We have over 2,000 variants of just bracelets. So to keep 50 in stock of everything is 100,000 bracelets. If you sell out of one saying and stone, you still have 99,950 other bracelets. You can spend all your profits just trying to keep up with inventory. 

3. I’m a huge risk taker. I remember our first Christmas I had $500,000 worth of loans from family and personal money invested in rents, Inventory and supplies before we made one sale that Christmas. We had 15 malls that we put up kiosks on Nov 1 that first year. the year before we had done 1 mall that brought in $54,000. So my thought was if 15 malls could do $40,000 we would pay for all of our loans. So risk!!! Yes.. But based off sales with a margin to cover if we missed sales… but man was it scary. This year I am going for 100 new Holiday pop up locations. A huge risk, but one that we are figuring out the formula to make it happen. 

4. What decision changed the path of my life.  Marrying my wife for sure!!! I always and thought of how I could make something that could make an impact around the world. But it took her believing in me, and making my ideas happen for us to get to where we are now. After that, it was deciding to never stop growing. 

5. What is our secret to success?? Ours is that the mission is the brand. I worked hard to build our whole company around one thing… We Inspire everyone that we come in contact with… We don’t sell, we inspire.. and the sales follow. 

6.What is the hardest thing I have had to do??  For two years in a row now, I have had to change the management structure of the company. This is a major move, as everything changes. New departments, new people in charge, new people that are hired. But I had to do it. When we had 10 locations we could manage one way, 30 locations another way, and now over 50 and to hit the goals we have this year, it’s a new way. You can never be afraid of saying this way didn’t work, let’s do it this way. You also have to realize the world changes.  You can’t do the same thing this year that you did last year and still be relevant.  

7. I learned that work life balance is not real. You have to love what you do when you work, and love what you do when you don’t work. I think it is more You/Life Balance. A stay-at-home Dad cannot have the right balance to perform at your best. What I mean by that is, you have to re charge yourself and find what gives you energy. I have to give energy to my wife, my kids, my friends, my job, my employees… but how do you get energy. For me its outdoors, its sleep, its prayer, its Ice baths… you have to have you time. 

8. What is my favorite Saying and bracelets?? Oh wow!! So may. My first one I ever made was “ I can do all things through Christ” Knowing it is not my strength that is going to take us to the next level and what you are doing is going to work is a great feeling to have. I still wear it every day.  Second one is Forever and Ever. That was one I gave my wife and she gave me 4 years ago. Next one is “The Best Is Yet To Come” I tell my team this all the time and have them all wear this bracelet. Speaking the truth that the best is still in front of us and no matter how your current situation is, “ The Best is yet to Come” 

9. I’m a leader and I’ve always tried to make stuff better…its something inside of me, that I have to be creating and thinking of solutions. I also like the underdog story. I’ve always felt like an underdog and been driven to prove the doubters wrong. 

10.What do you want people to know about you??  Wow that’s a big question that could be talked about for hours. A few small things would be… That I created something amazing with my family. I taught them to not be afraid of failure and you can start from nothing and build something great. I want my kids to know they can create something from nothing.
Second.. That I learned to change the way I thought. I learned to control my mind and create from thoughts.  

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Inspiration Company spreads inspiration around the world. Over 1,00,000 bracelets with inspiration have been sent around the world inspiring people. We started in our living room in 2017 and now have 55 stores around the USA.  Our story has ups and downs.. We have gone through lawsuits, design changes, lost inventory, Covid and all our stores closing, more redesigns and growth challenges. Ill wrap everything up by saying by saying…. “The bad things that happen guide you to your next huge solution that will take you to the next level. Covid lead us from kiosk to stores, lawsuit lead us from old style bracelet to our current fashion magazine trending bracelet, lost inventory lead us to making bracelets in house. Sometimes, bud things work out for good.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Go to Cherry Creek Mall and visit the Inspiration Company

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Mom and Dad, wife and three sisters and their husbands all jumped on board and started working with me. The endless hours of work laid the foundation of where we are today

Website: www.Inspirationco.com

Instagram: @theinspiration_co