Latest news with #EntrepreneurPlus
Entrepreneur
28-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
From DIY Prototype to 3 Million Units Sold — How To Launch a Product Without Big Backing
Meet the founder of Ollyball and get expert advice on turning a simple idea into a business that sells millions. Joe Burke, founder of Ollyball, is revealing how he turned a simple kitchen-table idea into a toy that has sold over 3 million units. This exclusive Entrepreneur+ Subscriber-Only event is live on Wednesday, May 28 at 2 p.m. ET — subscribers, scroll down to watch the full Q&A. Not an Entrepreneur+ member yet? There's still time! Click here to subscribe for just $5. Cancel anytime. Burke built his business without big investors or costly ads. In this session, he'll share the key storytelling, publicity, and mindset strategies that helped him grow Ollyball into a national retail success. Watch now About the Speaker: Joe Burke invented and holds two Utility Patents for Ollyball®, Winner of a Toy of the Year and seven national and international awards. Burke founded the company for his family in 2019 and Ollyball has grown to the #1 Indoor Play Ball in America. Ollyball has been featured on the National CBS Morning Show, is available at major retail stores across 12 countries, and has made eight live appearances on QVC. Burke is the former Brand Director of Disney Stores and VP at Goodwill Industries, but started his first company at the age of 21 on a borrowed card table and metal chair. Hylan Scholarship recipient at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, and NCAA athlete. Husband to Ellen Burke, an Autism and Behavioral Specialist, and father of their three children.
Entrepreneur
24-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Join Entrepreneur's Live Webinar With Ollyball Inventor
Getting a "no thanks" on Shark Tank — twice! — might lead some people to think that they needed a new idea. But Joe Burke is not one of those people. He persisted with a kids' toy idea that he developed at his kitchen table, and today, Ollyball has sold over 3 million units and has won multiple awards, including Toy of the Year. Ollyball is an inflatable ball designed for "full-speed, full-force indoor play." It weighs less than an ounce, so kids toss it around without fear of knocking over or breaking anything in the house. On May 28 at 2 PM ET, Joe will join Entrepreneur for an online workshop to give a behind-the-scenes look at how he turned Ollyball into the all-time best-selling indoor play ball — and the strategies he used to do it without big investors or flashy ads. This event is free for Entrepeneur+ subscribers. Sign up here to reserve your spot and have the opportunity to ask Joe your own questions live. Not an Entrepreneur+ subscriber? Subscribe today for just $5. In advance of the conversation, we spoke with Joe to get some insights about his product and his entrepreneurial journey. What inspired you to create Ollyball? My 9-year-old daughter was crying in the kitchen after breaking stuff in the house with a volleyball. I knew if we could invent a ball for parents to let their kids play with in the house, we would sell millions of them. It became an obsession through 100 prototypes, two U.S. utility patents and a Toy of the Year award before we ever went to mass market. How did you test it out? I made a ton of prototypes with different materials and sizes. I would take the kids to the Kids Club at 24-Hour Fitness and have them bring the prototypes with them. I'd watch to see if the kids were into it or not. When I brought an early version of the now-patented KrunchCor Construction Ball on a Saturday, the kids went bonkers and the manager had to take the ball away because they all fought over it. I knew then we were close to the answer. Any other big moments that stand out to you about the early days? When the hosts of the CBS Morning Show started drilling each other with Ollyballs live on national TV. For that moment, they were kids in a playground. Another key moment was an Instagram post from 2019 of a kid named Martin Vodicka and his father in Austria playing Ollyball together in their home. I realized a ball can change the world. What has been your biggest challenge and how did you pivot to overcome it? COVID and tariffs. Treated them the same: Go head-first and full-force into crisis and find an unfair competitive advantage. Our pivot was to take a reckless leap of faith. The other big challenge was financial — investing $150k of savings, growing on profits, and fending off predatory investors. The key pivot there was trusting two fellas I met doing non-profit/charitable service, a CPA and a patent attorney. What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking for funding? When you want capital, you won't get it. When you don't need capital, everyone will offer it — don't take it. My best advice is to avoid surrendering equity and rejoice in learning every dimension within your business and brand. Get busy building your empire brick by bloody brick. How do you suggest preparing for a pitch? Anticipate a room full of a-holes asking a-hole questions. Out-research and have a true answer for every a-hole question. This forces reality. What does the word "entrepreneur" mean to you? "Survivor." The films The Shawshank Redemption and There Will Be Blood illustrate both the apex and the dungeon of entrepreneurism. What is something many aspiring business owners think they need that they really don't? Money. I started my first company on a card table and a metal chair at the end of a hallway that I traded out for work. What is a book you always recommend? Here are four: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. Greatest book on authenticity in business. Henry IV by William Shakespeare. Specifically, Act I sc. II., which relates to understanding your guest/customer. Lean Startup by Eric Ries. I'm living it. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Best book on authentic marketing. Anatomy of Yes by Joseph G. Burke. That's the book I wrote in 46 hours on a train. It was published by Matthew Kelly's company and the foreword was written by the founder of Domino's Pizza. Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation? Yes, I have three of them: "Champions are made in the lonely hours." A good friend, Kevin Karro, author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, handed me this pearl of wisdom. "A team is a group of people who trust each other." It's an unavoidable truth. "Put God at the center of everything you do."
Entrepreneur
22-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
May 28: How This Founder Sold 3 Million Units of His Toy Ball Idea
Subscribe to Entrepreneur+ for just $5! Get access to all member benefits, including our next Subscriber-Only Event with Joe Burke, Founder of Ollyball. On Wednesday, May 28th at 2 PM ET, the Found of Ollyball, Joe Burke, joins us in our next Entrepreneur+ Subscriber-Only Event! In this exclusive event, Joe will reveal how he built his brand without big investors or expensive ads — and walk away with actionable strategies to start your own. From saying no to Shark Tank (twice) to selling over 3 million units of a product developed at the kitchen table, Joe Burke's journey with Ollyball is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs at every stage. Key Takeaways: How to generate massive publicity without spending on ads The storytelling patterns that make your brand unforgettable Why saying "no" can be your greatest strategic move The mindset that helped Joe push through doubt and unfair setbacks This event is only for Entrepreneur+ subscribers, but you can become a member for just $5! Sign up and unlock all access to including our premium content and the ability to participate in our Subscribers-Only Event. What is a Subscriber-Only Event? Subscriber-Only Events are exclusive interviews in which we feature a special guest to help create actionable content for Entrepreneur+ subscribers. We set up events with today's most prevalent CEOs, entrepreneurs and celebrities — so that we can provide a productive, exclusive experience for our most dedicated readers and entrepreneurs worldwide. How to access as a subscriber: There are two ways to make sure you don't miss out on this event. Follow this link for easy setup on your Entrepreneur+ homepage. Or, check your inbox for an email that contains the private link to the event. We will also notify your email as the event goes live to make sure you don't miss out. Having issues signing up for the call? Email us at subscribe@ About the Speaker: Joe Burke invented and holds two Utility Patents for Ollyball®, Winner of a Toy of the Year and seven national and international awards. Burke founded the company for his family in 2019 and Ollyball has grown to the #1 Indoor Play Ball in America. Ollyball has been featured on the National CBS Morning Show, is available at major retail stores across 12 countries, and has made eight live appearances on QVC. Burke is the former Brand Director of Disney Stores and VP at Goodwill Industries, but started his first company at the age of 21 on a borrowed card table and metal chair. Hylan Scholarship recipient at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, and NCAA athlete. Husband to Ellen Burke, an Autism and Behavioral Specialist, and father of their three children. Extra Credit: Coached his kids in five sports, wrote a book in 46 hours on a train, and appeared in 25 films and TV shows in a former life
Entrepreneur
07-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
From Prompt to Profit — How To Build a Side Hustle Using ChatGPT
Discover the AI blueprint that turned a simple sponge idea into a successful business earning $75,000 in this exclusive Entrepreneur+ workshop. Lee Kojanis and Daniele Orellana, founders of Mitts, are revealing the exact prompts and ChatGPT strategies they used to build their $75,000 side hustle. This exclusive Entrepreneur+ workshop is live today at 1 p.m. ET — subscribers, scroll down to watch the full session. Not an Entrepreneur+ member yet? There's still time! Click here to subscribe. Cancel anytime. Kojanis and Orellana used ChatGPT to create the majority of their go-to-market strategy. Here, the couple will share how they used it for product development, branding, pricing strategy and drafting legal documents.
