NJ entrepreneur bags a $100 million empire with winning tote

What do the beach, Grand Central, a crowded M60 bus and Asphalt Green have in common? In all those places, you’ll see brightly colored Bogg Bag totes everywhere.

While the brand has sold 3 million bags to date and is on track to hit $100 million in revenue this year, it all started as a pipe dream for founder Kim Vaccarella while on a family beach vacation at the Jersey Shore in 2008.

“A beach trip with two little boys can be chaotic, so I was always looking for ways to make our outings more organized,” said the 54-year-old Ridgewood, New Jersey, resident.

“One of the biggest hurdles when packing for the beach was finding a bag that could handle the chaos, one that was durable, water-resistant and big enough,” she added.

As soon as Vaccarella realized her dream bag wasn’t on the market, she knew she had to create one herself. One problem: At the time, Vaccarella had no experience creating a product, never mind launching a lifestyle brand and was working full time in commercial real estate lending as a controller, coupled with all the responsibilities of parenthood.

“Life was busy, and I had every excuse at my fingertips to not follow through with my idea for Bogg,” she said. “I didn’t let that deter me and I started where I could: sketching my vision of the bag at my beach house the same day I had the idea, which then turned into creating a prototype out of large foam sheets within days.”

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It was this prototype from which the Bogg Bag was created. To this day, Vaccarella remains proud of herself for continuing to pursue an idea she believed in when she “honestly had no idea” about the journey ahead.

Amid her “whirlwind” life of trying to launch a business with two young children, Vaccarella maintained that support from her local community and its boutiques, and loved ones who believed in her, kept her motivation and spirit strong.

“ Pink Bungalow , which was based in Ridgewood at the time and has since closed, was one example of a boutique that took Bogg under its wings and was one of the first to sell the Bogg Bag,” she said of a cherished partnership from the company’s early days. “I’ll never forget how thankful I was for their partnership, and how their sales fueled me to continue with my dream.”

The company has come a long way since its days of being merely a local favorite. Currently, the Original Bogg Bag is available in over 40 colors, with more hues and patterns regularly coming to market. Bogg Bag has also unveiled a line of decorative accessories, called Bits, and beverage holders, dubbed Bevys.

All that the company makes is designed to align with Vaccarella’s standing mantra: “Helping those who care a lot carry it all.”

Along with community support, Vaccarella credits her husband, Rosario Vaccarella, for her success, as he has believed in her and her vision since day one.

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“As a female entrepreneur and mom, it can be daunting to embark on a business journey that has required a lot of grit and perseverance,” she said, noting that she’s had the “best support system.”

Bogg has remained steadfast as a family-run, small business headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey.
From all her experience and wins, Vaccarella shared that the best advice she could give to fellow entrepreneurs is “slow and steady wins the race.”

It’s possible to face many naysayers along the way, and still advance your business. “I’ve learned so much since our initial launch in 2008, like how rejection is a part of most business owners’ journey,” she said.

Additionally, Vaccarella encourages anyone who is working to bring an idea to life to connect with other entrepreneurs for guidance and perspective.

“The best learnings can come from those who have walked the walk,” she said, adding that she loves being that person for entrepreneurs to connect with, particularly for fellow moms. (To that point, she urges readers to connect with her on LinkedIn if they’re just starting out on chasing their own entrepreneurial dreams.)

Another factor that Vaccarella believes has helped Bogg grow is being “deeply invested” in listening to customer feedback and giving back to those in need. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Bogg donated more than 1,000 bags during relief efforts, and in May of this year, the company gave product bundles to three nurses through a contest with Nurse.org , for National Nurses Week.

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The bags are a fitting vessel for health care workers and in natural disasters as they are antimicrobial, easily washable and made with water-resistant material.

Yet, it hasn’t all been sunshine and beach bags. As a mom-turned-entrepreneur, Vaccarella quickly admits that she faced several unexpected hurdles and setbacks.

“Juggling work-life balance, having limited access to mentors and not having years of product experience under my belt before launching Bogg were all barriers that I had to overcome,” she said.

In fact, she was an arm’s length away from calling it quits until many of the recipients of the Hurricane Sandy bags reached out to the company, wondering where they could get more Bogg products.

“I recall someone sharing with me that the bags were ‘the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal place,’” she said.

Despite positive feedback on her bags, hearing “no” during her entrepreneurial journey also took its toll.

“Now, at age 54, I can look back and really reflect on everything I’ve learned along the way, and how it’s a story that many women can hopefully relate to, no matter the industry they’re in or the dreams they have,” she said.

“As a female business owner, it’s exciting to see the growing number of women who are owning businesses, succeeding and using the ‘nos’ to only add fuel to their fire.”

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