From the Beginning: Gratitude for the First Handful

I have been thinking a lot about the handful of people who supported Bo-Hawg® in the early days when we were trying to get things started.

I wanted to take a moment to write a simple acknowledgment. A thank you. A moment to say that you helped us get started, and I will always be grateful for that.

Even though we have technically been in business since 2023, we are not exactly lighting the world on fire with sales, and honestly that is OK.

This brand has never been about the sales or the bread. It has always been about honoring my Pops. I said that when we started, and I meant it. He loved , and the Bo-Hawg® and so do I. It really does keep him alive and introduce him to the world. 

Every sticker. Every shirt. Every conversation you have about the insane Pig Fish on your merch is my Pop's sprinkled somewhere in the Universe. 

Sure, the little monthly fees like QuickBooks and all the other subscriptions feel annoying, but every time a sale comes through… man, it is worth it. I swear I can hear my dad’s excitement every single time.

"Holy shit! Some order came in that is going to Canada, Trippy! 

When I look back at these first few years, I am proud of what I have built. I have written blog posts about people I love, opened up about mental health and shared my real experiences with grief and what not.

You've been kind enough to embrace my writing filled with swears, side rants, and grammatical errors. Side rant: Do you know someone left a comment about grammar? I responded, "If if bothers you, dont read it!" I left out the apostrophe on purpose. 

I've teamed up with some incredible independent artists. We even launched our first design that was not pig fish centered, which felt like a milestone all on its own. And the fish fry we hosted for Evermore, the nonprofit that a percentage of all our sales go to, that meant more than I can put into words.

But here is the truth. I am also really proud of all of you. The early adopters.

Some of you have slapped stickers all over the world. Some have them on coolers, cars, water bottles, and places I never expected to see a Bo-Hawg® sticker end up. You post photos wearing the merch, you share our stuff.

Shit man, you HYPE US UP!And that feeling is something I used to get from Pops.

I'd tell him about a presentation I was going on research at some small conference in Gainesville, Florida, and the next time I was home someone was asking me how my presentation was at national research conference in Hawaii in from of 1,000 people. 

Seriously, you’ve genuinely helped propel this brand in ways I couldn’t have done alone.

So this is my appreciation post to you. Just like those old Motel 8 commercials used to say, “We will leave the light on for you.” And I always will.

To the new folks that are joining us, I appreciate ya'll too. And when the handful becomes bigger, I will show you some love. Don't worry.