Justine Tiu is the co-founder of The Woobles, a company that makes beginner-friendly crochet kits designed to help anyone confidently create their first plush.
Before launching The Woobles in 2020, Justine was thriving at Google, where she rose from UX designer to one of the youngest leaders on her team. But behind the success, she was quietly battling burnout, imposter syndrome, and a sense that something was missing. In search of happiness, she picked up crocheting—and it quickly became her creative escape. What started as a personal outlet soon sparked the idea for something bigger. She left corporate life behind to launch The Woobles from their garage.
In this episode, Justine shares how she went from feeling unfulfilled in her corporate job to testing out multiple business ideas—none of which quite stuck—before stumbling upon a creative outlet that changed everything. What began as a simple Etsy shop eventually grew into a multi-million dollar business. Justine and her husband both quit their jobs to eventually go all-in on The Woobles, navigating everything from learning how to manufacture physical products to handling customer support themselves in the early days. She opens up about the steep learning curve, the mental health challenges of building a brand from scratch, and how customer feedback became their guiding compass. We also dive into the real story behind their Shark Tank experience, the importance of product-market fit over polished branding, the power of a strong support system, and so much more.
In this episode, we’ll talk to Justine about:
* How childhood creativity shaped Justine’s career path. [03:10]
* How corporate experience helped her start her own business. [05:59]
* Justine’s experience with fear and impostor syndrome. [08:55]
* The mental health benefits of hobbies outside work. [09:36]
* Turning a personal hobby into a business. [11:46]
* Justine’s experience working in Google. [13:25]
* Burnout and the search for true happiness. [16:00]
* Quitting their fulltime job and starting an Etsy shop. [17:38]
* Early business ideas before launching The Woobles. [19:19]
* Why owning your brand and online presence matters. [23:32]
* The challenges of quality control in physical products. [25:22]
* Mental health struggles and the role of family support. [26:27]
* How running a business differs from a corporate job. [28:31]
* The importance of focusing on what you can control. [29:32]
* Experience on Shark Tank and its impact. [31:14]
* Embracing uncertainty can lead to unexpected growth. [35:57]
* Product-market fit comes before branding. [44:32]
* Why a strong support system is key to balancing life and business. [48:36]
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* Website: https://thewoobles.com/
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