Meet Joel Morris | Inventor/Entrepreneur

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

Hi Joel, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
There are so many lessons one can learn from starting their own business. One lesson I have learned through this journey is that you can’t do it alone. It is important to surround yourself with a good team, people you trust. On that note, you also have to be very careful about who you invite on board. Sometimes someone may seem to have the skills and ability to drive the business, but one mis-aligned piece may make it not a good fit. It is also important to make sure everyone involved, like employees, investors, and partners all have the same values – otherwise a mismatch can cause issues. My family and friends have also been critical. For a while I tried not to bother them with the angst of a startup, but that was a mistake. Bringing them into the fold has been so much more fun and we are now all working together to build something truly special. I believe actively working with my family will be a turning point for the company and something I am glad for. Another lesson is that it takes a lot of work to educate others about a new product. You would think that educating people on a paper building activity would be super easy, but it is not. Every detail matters and we are still working to improve how we share the Cubles brand and our products with the world.

What should our readers know about your business?
A while back, I was looking at a box. I wondered if I could turn a box into a creative activity. I really wanted to invent something that was inventive itself, uses the brain and hands, is durable, recyclable, eco-friendly, and could be made in the US. After several years of creating prototypes, Cubles was born. We are now a family run business in Minnesota. Cubles are also designed and manufactured in Minnesota. I would want the world to know that my dream for Cubles is to become a loved brand that makes products which inspire exploration. This exploration can come in many forms. With Cubles, it comes in the exploration of building a Cubles. One fun note (I think) is that I purposefully don’t want the product to have step-by-step instructions. I wanted it to be a journey that has some risk involved and feels rewarding at the end – not because you followed instructions – but because you figured it out with some ingenuity of your own.  I also want people to know that my mission is to create a truly good company. Good products, good to the people we work with, and good for the planet.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Wow, for sure! I love Minnesota and I am fortunate to be married to a foodie who has turned me into a foodie-wannabe of sorts. If you are in the Twin Cities, I have so many places to suggest. Two that are top of mind are: Churchills St in Shoreview if you are looking for a nice spot that always, always delivers on what they call ‘scratch made modern classics’. I might suggest a Davannis Whole Club Hoagie on White Bread for lunch. In my life, I’ll bet I have eaten over 1,000 of that sandwich. If I am looking for pizza and a beer, I am likely going to Pryes. If you got more travel time, my favorite spot in the world is on top of the bluffs at Temperence River State Park overlooking Lake Superior. I would tell you to stop in Duluth on the way up and grab a beer at Bent Paddle Brewing, sandwiches at Northern Waters Smokehaus, or an Italian dinner at Va Bene. Then head up the North shore to hike at Split Rock Lighthouse (I can spend hours there); grab a snack along the way, and go spend a weekend up in Grand Marais, my second favorite city on the planet. Someday, I hope to spend months of the year up there if I can afford it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want a shout out to my wife, Jenn, who supports and actually encourages my inventive insanity. My daughters, Nola and Leeni to whom are the light of my life. Without there unwavering support I would not be able to bring my vision to life. I also want to thank my parents, which seems cliché, but my mom started out with me going to craft fairs and selling our product. She is the one who packages all the Cubles and ships them to you. Recently, my dad came on as CEO to help with technology and quite frankly, to bring more organization to the company since I have clearly learned that I love to focus on vision and product. I am also beyond thankful for everyone on the team at Cubles, friends who have invested into Cubles, and to every explorer out there who understands Cubles and what we stand for. I am so thankful to have all these people in my life.

Website: www.cubles.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cublesco/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CublesCo/