This young guy turned a regular blanket into million dollar selling hits, from weighted blankets to wearable ones that became the perfect work-from-home gear during lockdown.
Today, we’re introducing Davie, a self-made entrepreneur who dropped out of college and faced multiple business failures. First, let’s dive into the basics:
- Founder: Davie Fogarty
- Started on: Website & Facebook ads
- Product: Weighted Blanket, Wearable Blanket
- Sales revenue: Over $15 million in 2024
- Product Price: $79-109
Failures Didn’t Break My Drive, They Built It
Oodie’s success didn’t happen overnight. I’ve failed at about six businesses before. At first, I had no clear direction in business. Back in college, I took a Vietnamese course, and I thought, “Vietnamese rolls are amazing, let’s build a business around that!” But then, I also got the idea to open a café. As you can imagine, that didn’t last long before I had to shut it down.
I was studying mining engineering, and I ended up failing a few courses. I quickly realized it wasn’t for me, but I had this burning passion for business. So, in 2017, I dropped out of college and started again. I ventured into everything from headphones to iPhone cases, but nothing really took off.
I even tried selling seasoning through Instagram. Believe it or not, I thought I could turn it into a franchise chain, just by grinding spices in shed and using fragile glass jars for packaging.
What Sparked the Success Product idea?
After several failed product attempts, I finally found my winning product: the weighted blanket, crafted to ease anxiety and proote relaxation. One day, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post from a mother who had made a weighted blanket for her son with autism. Many people in the comments were asking where they could buy one. It hit me. I’d never heard of this before, and there seemed to be a clear market gap.
It worked out better than I imagined, and in the first year, we sold $10 million. But here’s the thing: it was just one product, and that got me thinking. What if something happened to my Facebook ad account? Or if the trend faded? That’s when I realized I needed a new product, fast.
So, what were we really selling? A weighted blanket is amazing for calming anxiety and helping people feel cozy, but it’s not portable. A hoodie can cover your body, but it’s not soft enough. That’s when the idea for a wearable blanket came to me-something you can take anywhere, wrap yourself in, and feel just as cozy as a blanket. I decided to call it the Oodie.
My First Batch Was a Struggle, But I Didn't Give Up
When I received the Oodie sample, I was shocked by the color difference. I had expected a bright pink, but what I got was a dull, ordinary shade. Looking back, it wasn’t exactly ugly, but at the time, it seemed hideous. Still, I pushed forward with marketing.
I reached out to influencers, saying, “Hey, can you take some photos for me?” but they all responded with, “This is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.” Getting people to try it and experience its softness and coziness was tough, and I put in a lot of effort.
The first month, there wasn’t a single sale. I marketed it exactly like I did with the calming blanket, using Facebook ads. But there was no response, and I started to wonder if this product wasn’t solving any problems. Or if customers didn’t even realize they had a problem.
Time passed, and with cash flow tight and the need to stock up on calming blankets for future orders, I didn’t have the budget to push this new product.
My E-commerce Wild Ride: Presales, Shipping, Customs
As this is my first time diving into e-commerce, managing the website, marketing, and packing orders in the warehouse has all been on me. I also had my mom try on different Oodies and film them. It’s been a constant juggle, handling both the calming blanket and The Oodie.
I had no idea how other e-commerce businesses were pulling it off, so I brought in trusted family and friends for help. My brother Todd helps out with customer service and warehouse management, so I can focus on marketing.
As a new company, the customs clearance process was stricter than expected. Our first large shipment from our Chinese supplier got stuck at customs, and every single item had to go through scanning. At the same time, we had promised to ship all $10,000 worth of pre-orders by August 18th. So, I had to crazy send apology emails to customers.
Once the products finally cleared, we finished packing. But it was a bit of a mess, we ended up at the wrong post offices twice before finally getting everything dropped off.
How We Created a Standout Brand
I quickly realized that ordinary plain-colored Oodies would get lost in fierce competition. Tons of people could sell them at lower prices, but with lower quality. That’s when I knew we had to do something different—something that felt exclusive.
So, we decided to add some fun and vibrant energy to our brand—the Oodie vibe. We designed unique, playful characters like a kangaroo, corgi, and unicorn, and these designs ended up becoming our top sellers.
What I Want to Share with E-commerce Newbies
Validate niche products
When I realized the calming blanket could be a niche product, I searched Alibaba and found nothing quite like it. That at least told me it wasn’t a regular item that everyone was selling. Then, I validated its effectiveness by reviewing a study that showed weighted blankets help with anxiety, sensory disorders, and autism. This confirmed the product was a solution to a real problem, giving me confidence in marketing.
Test the market with pre-sales
For the calming blanket, I first ordered a 7kg blanket sample, took some photos and uploaded everything to the website. Then I posted it on Instagram, Facebook. In the first month alone, we made $1,000 in pre-orders, which proved that was viable.
Choose an achievable business
My past failures taught me choose something achievable. It all comes down to your budget. Think about product development, funding, whether you need mold, and legal research to ensure your product is protected by a patent. The goal is to pick something that’s within reach and realistic for you.
Take Action, not just think
Don’t just think about it—take action. To keep the business growing, I believe execution is key. Once you start moving, the challenges will start to figure themselves out. With each step, you build skills and gain experience that will equip you to tackle the next challenge.
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